Characterization of Glycoproteoforms of Integrins α2 and β1 in Megakaryocytes in the Occurrence of JAK2V617F Mutation-Induced Primary Myelofibrosis

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a neoplasm prone to leukemic transformation, for which limited treatment is available. Among individuals diagnosed with PMF, the most prevalent mutation is the JAK2V617F somatic point mutation that activates the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) enzyme. Our earlier reports on hyperactivity of β1 integrin and enhanced adhesion activity of the α2β1 complex in JAK2V617F megakaryocytes (MKs) led us to examine the new hypothesis that this mutation leads to posttranslational modification via changes in glycosylation. Samples were derived from immunoprecipitation of MKs obtained from Vav1-hJAK2^V617F and WT mice. Immunoprecipitated fractions were separated by SDS-PAGE and analyzed using LC-MS/MS techniques in a bottom-up glycoproteomics workflow. In the immunoprecipitate, glycopeptiforms corresponding to 11 out of the 12 potential N-glycosylation sites of integrin β1 and to all nine potential glycosylation sites of integrin α2 were observed. Glycopeptiforms were compared across WT and JAK2V617F phenotypes for both integrins. The overall trend observed is that JAK2V617F mutation in PMF MKs leads to changes in β1 glycosylation; in most cases, it results in an increase in the integrated area of glycopeptiforms. We also observed that in mutated MKs, changes in integrin α2 glycosylation were more substantial than those observed for integrin β1 glycosylation, a finding that suggests that altered integrin α2 glycosylation may also affect activation. Additionally, the identification of proteins associated to the cytoskeleton that were co-immunoprecipitated with integrins α2 and β1 demonstrated the potential of the methodology employed in this study to provide some insight, at the peptide level, into the consequences of integrin activation in MKs. The extensive and detailed glycosylation patterns we uncovered provide a basis for future functional studies of each site in control cells as compared to JAK2V617F-mutated cells. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD030550.     

Geo-Spatial Aspects of Acceptance of Illegal Hunting of Large Carnivores in Scandinavia

Human-carnivore conflicts are complex and are influenced by: the spatial distribution of the conflict species; the organisation and intensity of management measures such as zoning; historical experience with wildlife; land use patterns; and local cultural traditions. We have used a geographically stratified sampling of social values and attitudes to provide a novel perspective to the human – wildlife conflict. We have focused on acceptance by and disagreements between residents (measured as Potential Conflict Index; PCI) towards illegal hunting of four species of large carnivores (bear, lynx, wolf, wolverine). The study is based on surveys of residents in every municipality in Sweden and Norway who were asked their opinion on illegal hunting. Our results show how certain social values are associated with acceptance of poaching, and how these values differ geographically independent of carnivore abundance. Our approach differs from traditional survey designs, which are often biased towards urban areas. Although these traditional designs intend to be representative of a region (i.e. a random sample from a country), they tend to receive relatively few respondents from rural areas that experience the majority of conflict with carnivores. Acceptance of poaching differed significantly between Norway (12.7–15.7% of respondents) and Sweden (3.3–4.1% of respondents). We found the highest acceptance of illegal hunting in rural areas with free-ranging sheep and strong hunting traditions. Disagreements between residents (as measured by PCI) were highest in areas with intermediate population density. There was no correlation between carnivore density and either acceptance of illegal hunting or PCI. A strong positive correlation between acceptance of illegal hunting and PCI showed that areas with high acceptance of illegal hunting are areas with high potential conflict between people. Our results show that spatially-stratified surveys are required to reveal the large scale patterns in social dynamics of human-wildlife conflicts.     

Year‐round movements of sympatric Fork‐tailed (Oceanodroma furcata) and Leach's (O. leucorhoa) storm‐petrels

Long‐distance movements are characteristic of most seabirds in the order Procellariiformes. However, little is known about the migration and foraging ranges of many of the smaller species in this order, especially storm‐petrels (Hydrobatidae). We used Global Location Sensors to document the year‐round movements of sympatrically breeding Fork‐tailed Storm‐Petrels (Oceanodroma furcata) and Leach's Storm‐Petrels (O. leucorhoa) from the Gillam Islands located northwest of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In 2016, breeding Fork‐tailed (N = 5) and Leach's (N = 2) storm‐petrels traveled maximum distances of ~1550–1600 km from their colony to a region that has a wide shelf with major canyons creating a highly productive foraging area. After the breeding season, Fork‐tailed Storm‐Petrels (N = 2) traveled to similar areas west of the Gillam Islands, a maximum distance of ~3600 km from the breeding colony, and remained in the North Pacific Ocean and north of the Subarctic Boundary for an average of 5.4 mo. Post‐breeding Leach's Storm‐Petrels (N = 2) moved south to the Eastern Tropical Pacific, west of central Mexico, Ecuador, and northern Peru, an estimated maximum distance of ~6700 km from their breeding colony, and remained there for an average of 7.2 mo. Carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) stable isotope analyses of feathers revealed niche separation between Fork‐tailed (N = 21) and Leach's (N = 53) storm‐petrels. The wide range of δ¹⁵N values in the feathers of Leach's Storm‐Petrels (N = 53) suggests that they foraged at a variety of trophic levels during the non‐breeding season. Our results demonstrate that storm‐petrels have large core foraging areas and occupy vast oceanic areas in the Pacific during their annual cycle. However, given the coarse precision of Global Location Sensors, additional study is needed to identify the specific areas used by each species during both breeding and non‐breeding periods.