The Effects of Sub-Regional Climate Velocity on the Distribution and Spatial Extent of Marine Species Assemblages

Many studies illustrate variable patterns in individual species distribution shifts in response to changing temperature. However, an assemblage, a group of species that shares a common environmental niche, will likely exhibit similar responses to climate changes, and these community-level responses may have significant implications for ecosystem function. Therefore, we examine the relationship between observed shifts of species in assemblages and regional climate velocity (i.e., the rate and direction of change of temperature isotherms). The assemblages are defined in two sub-regions of the U.S. Northeast Shelf that have heterogeneous oceanography and bathymetry using four decades of bottom trawl survey data and we explore temporal changes in distribution, spatial range extent, thermal habitat area, and biomass, within assemblages. These sub-regional analyses allow the dissection of the relative roles of regional climate velocity and local physiography in shaping observed distribution shifts. We find that assemblages of species associated with shallower, warmer waters tend to shift west-southwest and to shallower waters over time, possibly towards cooler temperatures in the semi-enclosed Gulf of Maine, while species assemblages associated with relatively cooler and deeper waters shift deeper, but with little latitudinal change. Conversely, species assemblages associated with warmer and shallower water on the broad, shallow continental shelf from the Mid-Atlantic Bight to Georges Bank shift strongly northeast along latitudinal gradients with little change in depth. Shifts in depth among the southern species associated with deeper and cooler waters are more variable, although predominantly shifts are toward deeper waters. In addition, spatial expansion and contraction of species assemblages in each region corresponds to the area of suitable thermal habitat, but is inversely related to assemblage biomass. This suggests that assemblage distribution shifts in conjunction with expansion or contraction of thermal habitat acts to compress or stretch marine species assemblages, which may respectively amplify or dilute species interactions to an extent that is rarely considered. Overall, regional differences in climate change effects on the movement and extent of species assemblages hold important implications for management, mitigation, and adaptation on the U.S. Northeast Shelf.     

On the influence of protein-DNA register during homologous recombination

Homologous recombination enables the exchange of genetic information between related DNA molecules and is a driving force in evolution. Using single-molecule optical microscopy we have recently shown that members of the Rad51/RecA family of recombinases stabilize paired homologous strand of DNA in precise 3-nt increments. Here we discuss an interesting conceptual implication of these results, which is that the recombinases may actively sense and reorganize their alignment register relative to the bound DNA sequences to ensure optimal base triplet pairing interactions during the early stages of recombination.     

Alternative Mechanisms for Fast Na+/Ca2+ Signaling in Eukaryotes via a Novel Class of Single-Domain Voltage-Gated Channels

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CD1d degradation in Chlamydia trachomatis-infected epithelial cells is the result of both cellular and chlamydial proteasomal activity

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that can persist in the urogenital tract. Mechanisms by which C. trachomatis evades clearance by host innate immune responses are poorly described. CD1d is MHC-like, is expressed by epithelial cells, and can signal innate immune responses by NK and NKT cells. Here we demonstrate that C. trachomatis infection down-regulates surface-expressed CD1d in human penile urethral epithelial cells through proteasomal degradation. A chlamydial proteasome-like activity factor (CPAF) interacts with the CD1d heavy chain, and CPAF-associated CD1d heavy chain is then ubiquitinated and directed along two distinct proteolytic pathways. The degradation of immature glycosylated CD1d was blocked by the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin but not by MG132, indicating that degradation was not via the conventional proteasome. In contrast, the degradation of non-glycosylated CD1d was blocked by lactacystin and MG132, consistent with conventional cellular cytosolic degradation of N-linked glycoproteins. Immunofluorescent microscopy confirmed the interruption of CD1d trafficking to the cell surface, and the dislocation of CD1d heavy chains into both the cellular cytosol and the chlamydial inclusion along with cytosolic CPAF. C. trachomatis targeted CD1d toward two distinct proteolytic pathways. Decreased CD1d surface expression may help C. trachomatis evade detection by innate immune cells and may promote C. trachomatis persistence.     

Adenovirus Internalization and Infection Require Dynamin

The cell receptors that facilitate adenovirus internalization into cells have been identified; however, the infectious pathway of virus entry has not been established. Adenovirus entry and infection were examined in HeLa cells lacking or overexpressing mutant dynamin, a protein that specifically regulates clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Expression of mutant dynamin significantly reduced adenovirus internalization and gene delivery, indicating a functional requirement for this molecule. These findings are consistent with virus entry via the clathrin-coated pit pathway.     

Habitat selection reduces extinction of populations subject to Allee effects

Theoretical studies indicate that a single population under an Allee effect will decline to extinction if reduced below a particular threshold, but the existence of multiple local populations connected by random dispersal improves persistence of the global population. An additional process that can facilitate persistence is the existence of habitat selection by dispersers. Using analytic and simulation models of population change, I found that when habitat patches exhibiting Allee effects are connected by dispersing individuals, habitat selection by these dispersers increases the likelihood that patches persist at high densities, relative to results expected by random settlement. Populations exhibiting habitat selection also attain equilibrium more quickly than randomly dispersing populations. These effects are particularly important when Allee effects are large and more than two patches exist. Integrating habitat selection into population dynamics may help address why some studies have failed to find extinction thresholds in populations, despite well-known Allee effects in many species.