The Effects of Anthropogenic Structures on Habitat Connectivity and the Potential Spread of Non-Native Invertebrate Species in the Offshore Environment

Offshore structures provide habitat that could facilitate species range expansions and the introduction of non-native species into new geographic areas. Surveys of assemblages of seven offshore oil and gas platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel revealed a change in distribution of the non-native sessile invertebrate Watersipora subtorquata, a bryozoan with a planktonic larval duration (PLD) of 24 hours or less, from one platform in 2001 to four platforms in 2013. We use a three-dimensional biophysical model to assess whether larval dispersal via currents from harbors to platforms and among platforms is a plausible mechanism to explain the change in distribution of Watersipora and to predict potential spread to other platforms in the future. Hull fouling is another possible mechanism to explain the change in distribution of Watersipora. We find that larval dispersal via currents could account for the increase in distribution of Watersipora from one to four platforms and that Watersipora is unlikely to spread from these four platforms to additional platforms through larval dispersal. Our results also suggest that larvae with PLDs of 24 hours or less released from offshore platforms can attain much greater dispersal distances than larvae with PLDs of 24 hours or less released from nearshore habitat. We hypothesize that the enhanced dispersal distance of larvae released from offshore platforms is driven by a combination of the offshore hydrodynamic environment, larval behavior, and larval release above the seafloor.     

S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase Inhibition Regulates Allergen-Induced Lung Inflammation and Airway Hyperreactivity

Allergic asthma is characterized by Th2 type inflammation, leading to airway hyperresponsivenes, mucus hypersecretion and tissue remodeling. S-Nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) is an alcohol dehydrogenase involved in the regulation of intracellular levels of S-nitrosothiols. GSNOR activity has been shown to be elevated in human asthmatic lungs, resulting in diminished S-nitrosothiols and thus contributing to increased airway hyperreactivity. Using a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation, we report that intranasal administration of a new selective inhibitor of GSNOR, SPL-334, caused a marked reduction in airway hyperreactivity, allergen-specific T cells and eosinophil accumulation, and mucus production in the lungs in response to allergen inhalation. Moreover, SPL-334 treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the production of the Th2 cytokines IL-5 and IL-13 and the level of the chemokine CCL11 (eotaxin-1) in the airways. Collectively, these observations reveal that GSNOR inhibitors are effective not only in reducing airway hyperresponsiveness but also in limiting lung inflammatory responses mediated by CD4⁺ Th2 cells. These findings suggest that the inhibition of GSNOR may provide a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of allergic airway inflammation.     

Zur Kenntnis des Fettsäureabbaus durch Schimmelpilze

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Zum enzymatischen Umsatz von C2-Säuren durch Mikroorganismen

Ohne ZusammenfassungHerrn Professor Dr. H. Fink zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

MicroCT Analysis of Symphyseal Ontogeny in Archaeolemur

Previous analyses of symphyseal fusion in the extinct Malagasy lemur Archaeolemur identified several functional characteristics of joint morphology that vary postnatally (Ravosa and Simons in American Journal of Physical Anthropology 95:63–76, 1994). To complement that study, we used an imaging technique (microCT) that provides novel data on ontogenetic and local variation in biomineralization along the mandibular symphysis before complete ossification among adult Archaeolemur. Our sample of unfused symphyses comprised juveniles from the 2 earliest postnatal dental ages examined previously. We imaged each specimen (ca.18 μm volume elements) with slices parallel to the coronal plane, i.e., orthogonal to the joint articular surface. In ≤5 labiolingually equidistant joint sites, we collected 40 contiguous slices (18-μm intervals). Each of the 5 joint sites is represented by 1 slice, with biomineralization values sampled at 5 equidistant points along the articular surface and at 3 external cortical bone points. Our analysis of Archaeolemur indicates the presence of ontogenetic increases in bone mineral density accompanying increases in joint size and the number and distribution of symphyseal rugosities. Such postnatal changes are particularly marked for the middle of the joint presumed to lie adjacent to a degrading fibrocartilage pad. In Archaeolemur, labial regions of the symphysis ossify earlier and are likewise more biomineralized. Ontogenetic increases in symphyseal biomineralization, overall size, and fusion are consistent with elevated masticatory stresses owing to the postweaning shift to adult-like feeding behaviors. However, the labiolingual pattern of fusion and biomineralization in Archaeolemur appears related more to constraints on synostosis owing to the lingually located vascular supply characteristic of mammalian symphyses.     

PhenomiR: a knowledgebase for microRNA expression in diseases and biological processes

In recent years, microRNAs have been shown to play important roles in physiological as well as malignant processes. The PhenomiR database provides data from 542 studies that investigate deregulation of microRNA expression in diseases and biological processes as a systematic, manually curated resource. Using the PhenomiR dataset, we could demonstrate that, depending on disease type, independent information from cell culture studies contrasts with conclusions drawn from patient studies.     

Large-Scale Screen for Modifiers of Ataxin-3-Derived Polyglutamine-Induced Toxicity in Drosophila

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases represent a neuropathologically heterogeneous group of disorders. The common theme of these disorders is an elongated polyQ tract in otherwise unrelated proteins. So far, only symptomatic treatment can be applied to patients suffering from polyQ diseases. Despite extensive research, the molecular mechanisms underlying polyQ-induced toxicity are largely unknown. To gain insight into polyQ pathology, we performed a large-scale RNAi screen in Drosophila to identify modifiers of toxicity induced by expression of truncated Ataxin-3 containing a disease-causing polyQ expansion. We identified various unknown modifiers of polyQ toxicity. Large-scale analysis indicated a dissociation of polyQ aggregation and toxicity.