Global warming is increasing the discrepancy between green (actual) and thermal (potential) seasons of temperate trees

Over the past decades, global warming has led to a lengthening of the time window during which temperatures remain favorable for carbon assimilation and tree growth, resulting in a lengthening of the green season. The extent to which forest green seasons have tracked the lengthening of this favorable period under climate warming, however, has not been quantified to date. Here, we used remote sensing data and long-term ground observations of leaf-out and coloration for six dominant species of European trees at 1773 sites, for a total of 6060 species–site combinations, during 1980–2016 and found that actual green season extensions (GS: 3.1 ± 0.1 day decade⁻¹) lag four times behind extensions of the potential thermal season (TS: 12.6 ± 0.1 day decade⁻¹). Similar but less pronounced differences were obtained using satellite-derived vegetation phenology observations, that is, a lengthening of 4.4 ± 0.13 and 7.5 ± 0.13 day decade⁻¹ for GS and TS, respectively. This difference was mainly driven by the larger advance in the onset of the thermal season compared to the actual advance of leaf-out dates (spring mismatch: 7.2 ± 0.1 day decade⁻¹), but to a less extent caused by a phenological mismatch between GS and TS in autumn (2.4 ± 0.1 day decade⁻¹). Our results showed that forest trees do not linearly track the new thermal window extension, indicating more complex interactions between winter and spring temperatures and photoperiod and a justification of demonstrating that using more sophisticated models that include the influence of chilling and photoperiod is needed to accurately predict spring phenological changes under warmer climate. They urge caution if such mechanisms are omitted to predict, for example, how vegetative health and growth, species distribution and crop yields will change in the future.     

The gene for a novel member of the whey acidic protein family encodes three four-disulfide core domains and is asynchronously expressed during lactation

Secretion of whey acidic protein (WAP) in milk throughout lactation has previously been reported for a limited number of species, including the mouse, rat, rabbit, camel, and pig. We report here the isolation of WAP from the milk of a marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Tammar WAP (tWAP) was isolated by reverse-phase HPLC and migrates in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at 29.9 kDa. tWAP is the major whey protein, but in contrast to eutherians, secretion is asynchronous and occurs only from approximately days 130 through 240 of lactation. The full-length cDNA codes for a mature protein of 191 amino acids, which is comprised of three four-disulfide core domains, contrasting with the two four-disulfide core domain arrangement in all other known WAPs. A three-dimensional model for tWAP has been constructed and suggests that the three domains have little interaction and could function independently. Analysis of the amino acid sequence suggests the protein belongs to a family of protease inhibitors; however, the predicted active site of these domains is dissimilar to the confirmed active site for known protease inhibitors. This suggests that any putative protease ligand may be unique to either the mammary gland, milk, or gut of the pouch young. Examination of the endocrine regulation of the tWAP gene showed consistently that the gene is prolactin-responsive but that the endocrine requirements for induction and maintenance of tWAP gene expression are different during lactation.     

L-carnitine supplementation in breeding pigeons: impact on zootechnical performance and carnitine metabolism

In the first experiment (Exp1), three consecutive breeding rounds were performed by two groups of six pigeon couples in order to study the impact of L-carnitine supplementation (80 mg x d(-1)) of parent pigeons on zootechnical performance. Both in the second and third experiments (Exp2, Exp3), one breeding round was performed by two groups of six pigeon couples to reveal the biochemical background of the increase in squab growth, the limitation of body weight decrease in male parent birds and the tendency for an improved cumulative feed efficiency due to L-carnitine supplementation in Exp1. Growth improvement of the squabs with L-carnitine was only seen when the parent pigeons were supplemented, together with a marked rise in the body weight of the parent birds around hatching. Based on the results of the crop milk analysis, growth improvement was probably due to a quantitative impact on crop milk production. The crop milk from the supplemented groups in both Exp2 and Exp3 had increased levels of carnitine. Carnitine, gamma-butyrobetaine and acetylcarnitine were increased in plasma samples of the supplemented parent pigeons. No differences were present in the squabs' plasma for these parameters. In the squabs of Exp3, no changes were seen in the proportional growth or the protein content of the heart, breast muscle and liver, but the breast muscle of the squabs from the supplemented group in Exp3 showed a considerable rise in carnitine and a marked decrease in gamma-butyrobetaine.     

PIDD mediates NF-kappaB activation in response to DNA damage

Activation of NF-kappaB following genotoxic stress allows time for DNA-damage repair and ensures cell survival accounting for acquired chemoresistance, an impediment to effective cancer therapy. Despite this clinical relevance, little is known about pathways that enable genotoxic-stress-induced NF-kappaB induction. Previously, we reported a role for the p53-inducible death-domain-containing protein, PIDD, in caspase-2 activation and apoptosis in response to DNA damage. We now demonstrate that PIDD plays a critical role in DNA-damage-induced NF-kappaB activation. Upon genotoxic stress, a complex between PIDD, the kinase RIP1, and a component of the NF-kappaB-activating kinase complex, NEMO, is formed. PIDD expression enhances genotoxic-stress-induced NF-kappaB activation through augmented sumoylation and ubiquitination of NEMO. Depletion of PIDD and RIP1, but not caspase-2, abrogates DNA-damage-induced NEMO modification and NF-kappaB activation. We propose that PIDD acts as a molecular switch, controlling the balance between life and death upon DNA damage.     

M@CBETH: a microarray classification benchmarking tool

Microarray classification can be useful to support clinical management decisions for individual patients in, for example, oncology. However, comparing classifiers and selecting the best for each microarray dataset can be a tedious and non-straightforward task. The M@CBETH (a MicroArray Classification BEnchmarking Tool on a Host server) web service offers the microarray community a simple tool for making optimal two-class predictions. M@CBETH aims at finding the best prediction among different classification methods by using randomizations of the benchmarking dataset. The M@CBETH web service intends to introduce an optimal use of clinical microarray data classification.     

Synthesis and biodistribution of [(11)C]R116301, a promising PET ligand for central NK(1) receptors

N1-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-2-(4-{(2R,4S)-2-benzyl-1-[3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)[carbonyl-(11)C]benzoyl]hexahydro-4-pyridinyl}piperazino)acetamide ([(11)C]R116301) was prepared and evaluated as a potential positron emission tomography (PET) ligand for investigation of central neurokinin(1) (NK(1)) receptors. 1-Bromo-3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)benzene was converted in three steps into 3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)[carbonyl-(11)C]benzoyl chloride, which was reacted with N1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-{4-[(2R,4S)-2-benzylhexahydro-4-pyridinyl]piperazino}acetamide providing [(11)C]R116301 in 45-57% decay-corrected radiochemical yield. The total synthesis time, from end of bombardment (EOB) to the formulated product, was 35 min. Specific activity (SA) was 82-172 GBq/micromol (n=10) at the end of synthesis. N1-([4-(3)H]-2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-2-(4-{(2R,4S)-2-benzyl-1-[3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]hexahydro-4-pyridinyl}piperazino)acetamide ([(3)H]R116301) was also synthesized (SA: 467 GBq/mmol). The B(max) for [(3)H]R116301 measured in vitro on Chinese hamster ovary cell membranes stably transfected with the human NK(1) receptor was 19.10+/-1.02 pmol/mg protein with an apparent dissociation constant of 0.08+/-0.01 nM. Ex vivo, in vivo and in vitro autoradiography studies with [(3)H]R116301 in gerbils demonstrated a preferential accumulation of the radioactivity in the striatum, olfactory tubercule, olfactory bulb and locus coeruleus. In vivo, the biodistribution of [(11)C]R116301 in gerbils revealed that the highest initial uptake is in the lung, followed by the liver and kidney. In the brain, maximum accumulation was found in the olfactory tubercules (1.10+/-0.08 injected dose (ID)/g 20 min post injection (p.i.)) and the nucleus accumbens (1.00+/-0.12ID/g 10 min p.i.). Tissue/cerebellum concentration ratios for striatum and nucleus accumbens increased with time due to rapid uptake followed by a slow wash out (1.29 and 1.64, respectively, 30 min p.i.). A tissue to cerebellum ratio of 1.33 and 1.62 was also observed for olfactory bulb and olfactory tubercules, respectively (20 min p.i.). In summary, [(11)C]R116301 appears to be a promising radioligand suitable for the visualization of NK(1) receptors in vivo using PET.     

Mediterranean views on epithelial polarity

Developmental and cell biologists viewed polarity through each other's eyes at the EMBO workshop on Epithelial Polarity in Development and Disease, March 27-31 2004, in Carry-le-Rouet, France, a small village west of Marseille on the rocky Mediterranean coast. The presentations highlighted our growing understanding, not only of the molecular mechanisms underlying polarity and the conservation of polarity complexes from worms to mammals, but also the diverse roles that epithelial polarity has during development.     

Differences between subcultures of the Mesorhizobium loti type strain from different culture collections

Because of differences in the reported 16S rRNA gene sequence of the Mesorhizobium loti type strain available from different culture collections, we collected different subcultures of this strain and compared them by 16S rDNA sequencing, SDS-PAGE of whole-cell protein extracts and RAPD-PCR. Our results indicate that the 16S rDNA sequence differences can be explained by the presence of two different organisms in one of the subcultures. In addition, even for subcultures of the type strain that had identical 16S rDNA sequences, small differences could be observed in the protein profiles and in the RAPD-PCR patterns. These latter observations indicate that maintenance procedures necessary for long-term preservation by freeze-drying can cause subcultures of the same original strain to undergo changes, effectively leading to different fingerprints even though 16S rDNA sequences remain identical.