N-Benzyl-indolo carboxylic acids: Design and synthesis of potent and selective adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein (A-FABP) inhibitors

Small molecule inhibitors of adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein (A-FABP) have gained renewed interest following the recent publication of pharmacologically beneficial effects of such inhibitors. Despite the potential utility of selective A-FABP inhibitors within the fields of metabolic disease, inflammation and atherosclerosis, there are few examples of useful A-FABP inhibitors in the public domain. Herein, we describe the optimization of N-benzyl-tetrahydrocarbazole derivatives through the use of co-crystal structure guided medicinal chemistry efforts. This led to the identification of a potent and selective class of A-FABP inhibitors as illustrated by N-benzyl-hexahydrocyclohepta[b]indole 30.     

The Humanistic Burden of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Europe: Examining Health Outcomes and the Role of Complications

AimsDiagnoses of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) in Europe appear to be on the rise. Therefore it is imperative that researchers understand the potential impact that increases in prevalence could have on the affected individuals as well as on society as a whole. Accordingly this study examined the humanistic and economic burden of T1DM in patients relative to those without the condition across a number of health outcomes including health status, work productivity loss, activity impairment, and healthcare resource use.MethodsSurvey data from a large, representative sample of EU adults (The EU National Health and Wellness Survey) were examined.ResultsResults suggest that overall burden is higher for those diagnosed with T1DM than respondents without diabetes and that burden increases as complications associated with T1DM increase.ConclusionsTaken together, these results suggest that treatment strategies for T1DM should balance clinical, humanistic, and economic burden and patients should be educated on the role of complications in disease outcomes.     

Forest vegetation structure has more influence on predation risk of artificial ground nests than human activities

As a major process affecting the reproductive success of birds, nest predation influences population density and dynamics and forces species to adapt to ecological and evolutionary time scales. The disentangling of potential natural and anthropogenic drivers of nest predation is crucial for the conservation of species. Thus, we investigated the effects of elevation, egg characteristics, vegetation structure and human activities on daily nest predation rates of artificial ground nests by baiting 700 artificial nests with quail eggs along an elevational gradient of about 1100 m. After 25 days, we found an overall daily nest predation rate of 0.045. Our generalized linear mixed model revealed increasing daily predation rates with increasing forest management, no impact of recreational activities, and lower daily predation rates in the vicinity of buildings. Furthermore, daily predation rates declined with increasing density of near-ground vegetation and increased with increasing tree cover. Finally, we found no influence of elevation, matching of egg and ground colouration, and dead wood on daily nest predation rates. Our results revealed that the risk of nest predation depends more on vegetation structure than on current levels of recreational activities. Moreover, the negative relation of nest predation risk and near-ground vegetation indicates that the changing forest structure after natural disturbances (e.g. wind throw or bark beetle infestation), which is tolerated within the benign neglect strategy applied by the authorities of protected areas, decreases the predation risk, whereas salvage logging increases this risk.     

Early Life-History Consequences of Growth-Hormone Transgenesis in Rainbow Trout Reared in Stream Ecosystem Mesocosms

There is persistent commercial interest in the use of growth modified fishes for shortening production cycles and increasing overall food production, but there is concern over the potential impact that transgenic fishes might have if ever released into nature. To explore the ecological consequences of transgenic fish, we performed two experiments in which the early growth and survival of growth-hormone transgenic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were assessed in naturalized stream mesocosms that either contained predators or were predator-free. We paid special attention to the survival bottleneck that occurs during the early life-history of salmonids, and conducted experiments at two age classes (first-feeding fry and 60 days post-first-feeding) that lie on either side of the bottleneck. In the late summer, the first-feeding transgenic trout could not match the growth potential of their wild-type siblings when reared in a hydrodynamically complex and oligotrophic environment, irrespective of predation pressure. Furthermore, overall survival of transgenic fry was lower than in wild-type (transgenic = 30% without predators, 8% with predators; wild-type = 81% without predators, 31% with predators). In the experiment with 60-day old fry, we explored the effects of the transgene in different genetic backgrounds (wild versus domesticated). We found no difference in overwinter survival but significantly higher growth by transgenic trout, irrespective of genetic background. We conclude that the high mortality of GH-transgenic trout during first-feeding reflects an inability to sustain the basic metabolic requirements necessary for life in complex, stream environments. However, when older, GH-transgenic fish display a competitive advantage over wild-type fry, and show greater growth and equal survival as wild-type. These results demonstrate how developmental age and time of year can influence the response of genotypes to environmental conditions. We therefore urge caution when extrapolating the results of GH-transgenesis risk assessment studies across multiple life-history or developmental stages.     

Characterization of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase from Aspergillus fumigatus shows functional variation among family AA11 fungal LPMOs

The discovery of oxidative cleavage of recalcitrant polysaccharides by lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) has affected the study and industrial application of enzymatic biomass processing. Despite being widespread in fungi, LPMOs belonging to the auxiliary activity (AA) family AA11 have been understudied. While these LPMOs are considered chitin active, some family members have little or no activity toward chitin, and the only available crystal structure of an AA11 LPMO lacks features found in bacterial chitin-active AA10 LPMOs. Here, we report structural and functional characteristics of a single-domain AA11 LPMO from Aspergillus fumigatus, AfAA11A. The crystal structure shows a substrate-binding surface with features resembling those of known chitin-active LPMOs. Indeed, despite the absence of a carbohydrate-binding module, AfAA11A has considerable affinity for α-chitin and, more so, β-chitin. AfAA11A is active toward both these chitin allomorphs and enhances chitin degradation by an endoacting chitinase, in particular for α-chitin. The catalytic activity of AfAA11A on chitin increases when supplying reactions with hydrogen peroxide, showing that, like LPMOs from other families, AfAA11A has peroxygenase activity. These results show that, in stark contrast to the previously characterized AfAA11B from the same organism, AfAA11A likely plays a role in fungal chitin turnover. Thus, members of the hitherto rather enigmatic family of AA11 LPMOs show considerable structural and functional differences and may have multiple roles in fungal physiology.     

Meta-analysis reveals an extreme “decline effect” in the impacts of ocean acidification on fish behavior

Ocean acidification—decreasing oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of excess atmospheric CO₂—has the potential to affect marine life in the future. Among the possible consequences, a series of studies on coral reef fish suggested that the direct effects of acidification on fish behavior may be extreme and have broad ecological ramifications. Recent studies documenting a lack of effect of experimental ocean acidification on fish behavior, however, call this prediction into question. Indeed, the phenomenon of decreasing effect sizes over time is not uncommon and is typically referred to as the “decline effect.” Here, we explore the consistency and robustness of scientific evidence over the past decade regarding direct effects of ocean acidification on fish behavior. Using a systematic review and meta-analysis of 91 studies empirically testing effects of ocean acidification on fish behavior, we provide quantitative evidence that the research to date on this topic is characterized by a decline effect, where large effects in initial studies have all but disappeared in subsequent studies over a decade. The decline effect in this field cannot be explained by 3 likely biological explanations, including increasing proportions of studies examining (1) cold-water species; (2) nonolfactory-associated behaviors; and (3) nonlarval life stages. Furthermore, the vast majority of studies with large effect sizes in this field tend to be characterized by low sample sizes, yet are published in high-impact journals and have a disproportionate influence on the field in terms of citations. We contend that ocean acidification has a negligible direct impact on fish behavior, and we advocate for improved approaches to minimize the potential for a decline effect in future avenues of research.