Canopy interactions and physical stress gradients in subtidal communities

Species interactions are integral drivers of community structure and can change from competitive to facilitative with increasing environmental stress. In subtidal marine ecosystems, however, interactions along physical stress gradients have seldom been tested. We observed seaweed canopy interactions across depth and latitudinal gradients to test whether light and temperature stress structured interaction patterns. We also quantified interspecific and intraspecific interactions among nine subtidal canopy seaweed species across three continents to examine the general nature of interactions in subtidal systems under low consumer pressure. We reveal that positive and neutral interactions are widespread throughout global seaweed communities and the nature of interactions can change from competitive to facilitative with increasing light stress in shallow marine systems. These findings provide support for the stress gradient hypothesis within subtidal seaweed communities and highlight the importance of canopy interactions for the maintenance of subtidal marine habitats experiencing environmental stress.     

Type III secretion and effectors shape the survival and growth pattern of Pseudomonas syringae on leaf surfaces

The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae B728a (PsyB728a) uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into plant cells, a process that modulates the susceptibility of different plants to infection. Analysis of GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN-expressing PsyB728a after spray inoculation without additives under moderate relative humidity conditions permitted (1) a detailed analysis of this strain's survival and growth pattern on host (Nicotiana benthamiana) and nonhost (tomato [Solanum lycopersicum]) leaf surfaces, (2) an assessment of the role of plant defenses in affecting PsyB728a leaf surface (epiphytic) growth, and (3) the contribution of the T3SS and specific effectors to PsyB728a epiphytic survival and growth. On host leaf surfaces, PsyB728a cells initially persist without growing, and show an increased population only after 48 h, unless plants are pretreated with the defense-inducing chemical benzothiazole. During the persistence period, some PsyB728a cells induce a T3SS reporter, whereas a T3SS-deficient mutant shows reduced survival. By 72 h, rare invasion by PsyB728a to the mesophyll region of host leaves occurs, but endophytic and epiphytic bacterial growths are not correlated. The effectors HopZ3 and HopAA1 delay the onset of epiphytic growth of PsyB728a on N. benthamiana, whereas they promote epiphytic survival/growth on tomato. These effectors localize to distinct sites in plant cells and likely have different mechanisms of action. HopZ3 may enzymatically modify host targets, as it requires residues important for the catalytic activity of other proteins in its family of proteases. Thus, the T3SS, HopAA1, HopZ3, and plant defenses strongly influence epiphytic survival and/or growth of PsyB728a.     

Assay of tannase (tanin acylhydrolase EC 3.1.1.20) by gas chromatography

A gas chromatographic method has been satisfactorily developed for the determination of gallic acid after enzymatic hydrolysis of methyl gallate by fungal tannase. The technique described herein permits a specific, quantitative analysis of the enzyme. The separate determination of both soluble and fixed tannase is described.     

Evidence that the methylation state of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene predicts brain activity of MAOA enzyme in healthy men

Human brain function is mediated by biochemical processes, many of which can be visualized and quantified by positron emission tomography (PET). PET brain imaging of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA)—an enzyme metabolizing neurotransmitters—revealed that MAOA levels vary widely between healthy men and this variability was not explained by the common MAOA genotype (VNTR genotype), suggesting that environmental factors, through epigenetic modifications, may mediate it. Here, we analyzed MAOA methylation in white blood cells (by bisulphite conversion of genomic DNA and subsequent sequencing of cloned DNA products) and measured brain MAOA levels (using PET and [¹¹C]clorgyline, a radiotracer with specificity for MAOA) in 34 healthy non-smoking male volunteers. We found significant interindividual differences in methylation status and methylation patterns of the core MAOA promoter. The VNTR genotype did not influence the methylation status of the gene or brain MAOA activity. In contrast, we found a robust association of the regional and CpG site-specific methylation of the core MAOA promoter with brain MAOA levels. These results suggest that the methylation status of the MAOA promoter (detected in white blood cells) can reliably predict the brain endophenotype. Therefore, the status of MAOA methylation observed in healthy males merits consideration as a variable contributing to interindividual differences in behavior.     

Grazing-induced changes in cell wall silicification in a marine diatom

In aquatic environments, diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) constitute a central group of microalgae which contribute to about 40% of the oceanic primary production. Diatoms have an absolute requirement for silicon to build-up their silicified cell wall in the form of two shells (the frustule). To date, changes in diatom cell wall silicification have been only studied in response to changes in the growth environment, with consistent increase in diatom silica content when specific growth rates decrease under nutrient or light limitations. Here, we report the first evidence for grazing-induced changes in cell wall silicification in a marine diatom. Cells grown in preconditioned media that had contained both diatoms and herbivores are significantly more silicified than diatoms grown in media that have contained diatoms alone or starved herbivores. These observations suggest that grazing-induced increase in cell wall silicification can be viewed as an adaptive reaction in habitats with variable grazing pressure, and demonstrate that silicification in diatoms is not only a constitutive mechanical protection for the cell, but also a phenotypically plastic trait modulated by grazing. In turn, our results corroborate the idea that plant-herbivore interactions, beyond grazing sensu stricto, contribute to drive ecosystem structure and biogeochemical cycles in the ocean.