Large‐scale coral reef rehabilitation after blast fishing in Indonesia

The severely degraded condition of many coral reefs worldwide calls for active interventions to rehabilitate their physical and biological structure and function, in addition to effective management of fisheries and no‐take reserves. Rehabilitation efforts to stabilize reef substratum sufficiently to support coral growth have been limited in size. We documented a large coral reef rehabilitation in Indonesia aiming to restore ecosystem functions by increasing live coral cover on a reef severely damaged by blast fishing and coral mining. The project deployed small, modular, open structures to stabilize rubble and to support transplanted coral fragments. Between 2013 to 2015, approximately 11,000 structures covering 7,000 m² were deployed over 2 ha of a reef at a cost of US$174,000. Live coral cover on the structures increased from less than 10% initially to greater than 60% depending on depth, deployment date and location, and disturbances. The mean live coral cover in the rehabilitation area in October 2017 was higher than reported for reefs in many other areas in the Coral Triangle, including marine protected areas, but lower than in the no‐take reference reef. At least 42 coral species were observed growing on the structures. Surprisingly, during the massive coral bleaching in other regions during the 2014–2016 El Niño–Southern Oscillation event, bleaching in the rehabilitation area was less than 5% cover despite warm water (≥30°C). This project demonstrates that coral rehabilitation is achievable over large scales where coral reefs have been severely damaged and are under continuous anthropogenic disturbances in warming waters.     

Regional pattern of cell maturation and progesterone biosynthesis in the avian granulosa cell layer

The objective of the present study was to compare the structural and functional features of cells derived from histologically different regions of the granulosa cell layer of hen preovulatory follicles. Granulosa cells were isolated from a 0.8-1.5-cm diameter region of the granulosa layer overlying the germinal disc (GD) or from the remainder of the granulosa layer peripheral to the disc region (GP). In the first study, the isolated cells were prepared from each region of the five largest preovulatory follicles; fixed; stained with fluorescent dyes for DNA, total protein, and RNA; and analyzed by use of multiparameter flow cytometry. A greater percentage of cells from the GD region than from the GP region were in proliferative (S and G2/M) stages of the cell cycle in the four largest follicles. In addition, GD cells had lower relative protein content than GP cells in the two largest follicles. In the second study, progesterone biosynthesis in response to treatment with luteinizing hormone (LH) or forskolin was examined in granulosa cells from the GD and the GP regions of the largest preovulatory follicles. GP cells had greater responsiveness to the treatments than GD cells. In addition, conversion of 25-hydroxy-cholesterol to progesterone was greater in GP cells than in GD cells. There were no differences in cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) production by GD and GP cells in response to LH or forskolin or in the ability of cells from each region to convert pregnenolone substrate to progesterone via 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Transcriptome-wide effect of DE-ETIOLATED1 (DET1) suppression in embryogenic callus of Carica papaya

Journal of Plant Research - Papaya is one of the most nutritional fruits, rich in vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids and other antioxidants. Previous studies showed phytonutrient improvement without...     

Identification of direct genomic targets downstream of the nuclear factor-kappaB transcription factor mediating tumor necrosis factor signaling

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that controls expression of inflammatory genetic networks. Although the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway is crucial for mediating cellular TNF responses, the complete spectrum of NF-kappaB-dependent genes is unknown. In this study, we used a tetracycline-regulated cell line expressing an NF-kappaB inhibitor to systematically identify NF-kappaB-dependent genes. A microarray data set generated from a time course of TNF stimulation in the presence or absence of NF-kappaB signaling was analyzed. We identified 50 unique genes that were regulated by TNF (Pr(F)<0.001) and demonstrated a change in signal intensity of+/-3-fold relative to control. Of these, 28 were NF-kappaB-dependent, encoding proteins involved in diverse cellular activities. Quantitative real-time PCR assays of eight characterized NF-kappaB-dependent genes and five genes not previously known to be NF-kappaB-dependent (Gro-beta and-gamma, IkappaBepsilon, interleukin (IL)-7R, and Naf-1) were used to determine whether they were directly or indirectly NF-kappaB regulated. Expression of constitutively active enhanced green fluorescent.NF-kappaB/Rel A fusion protein transactivated all but IL-6 and IL-7R in the absence of TNF stimulation. Moreover, TNF strongly induced all 12 genes in the absence of new protein synthesis. High probability NF-kappaB sites in novel genes were predicted by binding site analysis and confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show the endogenous IkappaBalpha/epsilon, Gro-beta/gamma, and Naf-1 promoters directly bound NF-kappaB/Rel A in TNF-stimulated cells. Together, these studies systematically identify the direct NF-kappaB-dependent gene network downstream of TNF signaling, extending our knowledge of biological processes regulated by this pathway.     

A recent insertion of an alu element on the Y chromosome is a useful marker for human population studies

A member of the Alu family of repeated DNA elements has been identified on the long arm of the human Y chromosome, Yq11. This element, referred to as the Y Alu polymorphic (YAP) element, is present at a specific site on the Y chromosome in some humans and is absent in others. Phylogenetic comparisons with other Alu sequences reveal that the YAP element is a member of the polymorphic subfamily-3 (PSF-3), a previously undefined subfamily of Alu elements. The evolutionary relationships of PSF-3 to other Alu subfamilies support the hypothesis that recently inserted elements result from multiple source genes. The frequency of the YAP element is described in 340 individuals from 14 populations, and the data are combined with those from other populations. There is both significant heterogeneity among populations and a clear pattern in the frequencies of the insertion: sub-Saharan Africans have the highest frequencies, followed by northern Africans, Europeans, Oceanians, and Asians. An interesting exception is the relatively high frequency of the YAP element in Japanese. The greatest genetic distance is observed between the African and non-African populations. The YAP is especially useful for studying human population history from the perspective of male lineages.      

Spermatogonial stem cell sensitivity to capsaicin: An in vitro study

Background

The placenta is an important site for iron metabolism in humans. It transfers iron from the mother to the fetus. One of the major iron transport proteins is transferrin, which is a blood plasma protein crucial for iron uptake. Its localization and expression may be one of the markers to distinguish placental dysfunction.

Methods

In the experimental study we used antibody preparation, mass spectrometric analysis, biochemical and immunocytochemical methods for characterization of transferrin expression on the human choriocarcinoma cell line JAR (JAR cells), placental lysates, and cryostat sections. Newly designed monoclonal antibody TRO-tf-01 to human transferrin was applied on human placentae from normal (n = 3) and abnormal (n = 9) pregnancies.

Results

Variations of transferrin expression were detected in villous syncytiotrophoblast, which is in direct contact with maternal blood. In placentae from normal pregnancies, the expression of transferrin in the syncytium was significantly lower (p < 0.001) when compared to placentae from abnormal ones (gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, drug abuse).

Conclusion

These observations suggest that in the case of abnormal pregnancies, the fetus may require higher levels of transferrin in order to prevent iron depletion due to the stress from the placental dysfunction.