Reproductive system morphology of Lightiella magdalenina (Crustacea,Cephalocarida): functional and adaptive implications

The reproductive systems of adults and larvae of Lightiella magdalenina were examined. Lightiella magdalenina, similar to the best-known cephalocarida species Hutchinsoniella macracantha, is a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Although the morphology of their reproductive system is similar, L. magdalenina differs from H. macracantha in exhibiting reduced fecundity: it lays one egg, not two, per reproductive event. This is due to asynchronous development of the oocytes inside the paired female reproductive structures, which determines the maturation of a single egg at a time. The reduced fecundity of L. magdalenina could be offset by the precocious release of oocytes from the germarium, which begins the vitellogenetic process during the last larval stages. Due to this process, after their last moult, reproductive adults can have a large number of advanced vitellogenic oocytes, reducing the time required for their maturation. A possible adaptive relationship between the halved fecundity with pre- and post-hatching parental care is discussed.     

The intrinsic stability of the human prion β-sheet region investigated by molecular dynamics

Human prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders associated to the misfolding of the prion protein (PrP). Common features of prion disorders are the fibrillar amyloid deposits and the formation of prefibrillar oligomeric species also suggested as the origin of cytotoxicity associated with diseases. Although the process of PrP misfolding has been extensively investigated, many crucial aspects of this process remain unclear. We have here carried out a molecular dynamics study to evaluate the intrinsic dynamics of PrP β-sheet, a region that is believed to play a crucial role in prion aggregation. Moreover, as this region mediates protein association in dimeric assemblies frequently observed in prion crystallographic investigations, we also analyzed the dynamics of these intermolecular interactions. The extensive sampling of replica exchange shows that the native antiparallel β-structure of the prion is endowed with a remarkable stability. Therefore, upon unfolding, the persistence of a structured β-region may seed molecular association and influence the subsequent phases of the aggregation process. The analysis of the four-stranded β-sheet detected in the dimeric assemblies of PrP shows a tendency of this region to form dynamical structured states. The impact on the β-sheet structure and dynamics of disease associated point mutations has also been evaluated.     

Short-term dynamics of physico-chemical and biological features in a shallow, evaporative antarctic lake

Lakes are among the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems in Antarctica, and they behave as important indicators of local climatic and environmental changes. However, few studies have focused on the local drivers of short-term temporal variability in lacustrine biogeochemical variables. In the present study, measurements of physical, chemical, biological and optical characteristics of the shallow endorheic Lake 14 at Edmonson Point (74.33° S, 165.13° E) were made over the ice-free period in December 2006. A significant variation in most variables was observed. Possible drivers for these changes were the loss of the ice cover, an increase in solar irradiance, a change in photosynthetic activity and the evaporative loss of water. By removing relative changes due to evaporative losses, new insights were gained into the driving factors controlling the biogeochemistry and primary productivity in the shallow Antarctic lake. In particular, a decrease in phytoplankton biomass was observed and was probably linked to photoinhibition as revealed by an increase in photoprotective pigments. The absorbance by dissolved organic matter, when weighted with respect to evaporative loss, shows an overall reduction in humic-like absorption, most likely linked to photodegradation.     

Despite Long-Term Compost Amendment Seasonal Changes are Main Drivers of Soil Fungal and Bacterial Population Dynamics in a Tuscan Vineyard

The effect of long-term (8 years) compost treatments (compost or compost plus mineral fertilizer) on genetic structure of bacterial and fungal populations in both bulk soil and rhizosphere of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) was analyzed in respect to a control constituted by the soil treated with mineral fertilization. Soils were sampled in early summer (July), mid-summer (August), and before harvest (October). Bacterial and fungal populations were characterized by genetic fingerprints generated by the application of 16S rDNA and ITS rDNA Multiplex Terminal Fragment Length Polymorphism (M-TRFLP) technique. Compost induced no significant differences at any time on microbial communities from bulk soil samples, whereas seasonal variations significantly affected both bacterial and fungal populations as indicated by the Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) ordination method of the M-TRFLPs results. MDS analysis of grapevine rhizosphere M-TRFLPs showed that temporal separation was significant for the bacterial population only. Results suggested that soil microbial populations in vineyard productive ecosystems may be sensitive to environmental changes induced by seasonal variations and show a certain degree of resilience to different agricultural practices.