Evaluation of tree mortality and parasitoid recoveries on the contiguous western invasion front of emerald ash borer

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Rock geochemistry induces stress and starvation responses in the bacterial proteome

Interactions between microorganisms and rocks play an important role in Earth system processes. However, little is known about the molecular capabilities microorganisms require to live in rocky environments. Using a quantitative label‐free proteomics approach, we show that a model bacterium (Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34) can use volcanic rock to satisfy some elemental requirements, resulting in increased rates of cell division in both magnesium‐ and iron‐limited media. However, the rocks also introduced multiple new stresses via chemical changes associated with pH, elemental leaching and surface adsorption of nutrients that were reflected in the proteome. For example, the loss of bioavailable phosphorus was observed and resulted in the upregulation of diverse phosphate limitation proteins, which facilitate increase phosphate uptake and scavenging within the cell. Our results revealed that despite the provision of essential elements, rock chemistry drives complex metabolic reorganization within rock‐dwelling organisms, requiring tight regulation of cellular processes at the protein level. This study advances our ability to identify key microbial responses that enable life to persist in rock environments.     

Identification and molecular characterization of the nicotianamine synthase gene family in bread wheat

Nicotianamine (NA) is a non‐protein amino acid involved in fundamental aspects of metal uptake, transport and homeostasis in all plants and constitutes the biosynthetic precursor of mugineic acid family phytosiderophores (MAs) in graminaceous plant species. Nicotianamine synthase (NAS) genes, which encode enzymes that synthesize NA from S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine (SAM), are differentially regulated by iron (Fe) status in most plant species and plant genomes have been found to contain anywhere from 1 to 9 NAS genes. This study describes the identification of 21 NAS genes in the hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genome and their phylogenetic classification into two distinct clades. The TaNAS genes are highly expressed during germination, seedling growth and reproductive development. Fourteen of the clade I NAS genes were up‐regulated in root tissues under conditions of Fe deficiency. Protein sequence analyses revealed the presence of endocytosis motifs in all of the wheat NAS proteins as well as chloroplast, mitochondrial and secretory transit peptide signals in four proteins. These results greatly expand our knowledge of NAS gene families in graminaceous plant species as well as the genetics underlying Fe nutrition in bread wheat.     

Quantitative Analysis of Pedogenic Thresholds and Domains in Volcanic Soils

Ecosystems - Pedogenic thresholds describe where soil properties or processes change in an abrupt/nonlinear fashion in response to small changes in environmental forcing. Contrastingly, soil...     

Selection for genetics‐based architecture traits in a native cottonwood negatively affects invasive tamarisk in a restoration field trial

Climate change and competition from invasive species remain two important challenges in restoration. We examined the hypothesis that non‐native tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) reestablishment after aboveground removal is affected by genetics‐based architecture of native Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) used in restoration. As cottonwood architecture (height, canopy width, number of stems, and trunk diameter) is, in part, determined by genetics, we predicted that trees from different provenances would exhibit different architecture, and mean annual maximum temperature transfer distance from the provenances would interact with the architecture to affect tamarisk. In a common garden in Chevelon, AZ, U.S.A. (elevation 1,496 m), with cottonwoods from provenances spanning its elevation distribution, we measured the performance of both cottonwoods and tamarisk. Several key findings emerged. On average, cottonwoods from higher elevations were (1) two times taller and wider, covered approximately 3.5 times more basal area, and were less shrubby in appearance, by exhibiting four times fewer number of stems than cottonwoods from lower elevations; (2) had 50% fewer tamarisk growing underneath, which were two times shorter and covered 6.5 times less basal area than tamarisk growing underneath cottonwoods of smaller stature; and (3) the number of cottonwood stems did not affect tamarisk growth, possibly because the negative relationship between cottonwood stems and basal area. In combination, these findings argue that cottonwood architecture is affected by local conditions that interact with genetics‐based architecture. These interactions can negatively affect the growth of reinvading tamarisk and enhance restoration success. Our study emphasizes the importance of incorporating genetic and environmental interactions of plants used in restoration.     

Current perspectives on biosimilars

In this work, an overview of the biosimilars market, pipeline and industry targets is discussed. Biosimilars typically have a shorter timeline for approval (8 years) compared to 12 years for innovator drugs and the development cost can be 10–20% of the innovator drug. The biosimilar pipeline is reviewed as well as the quality management system (QMS) that is needed to generate traceable, trackable data sets. One difference between developing a biosimilar compared to an originator is that a broader analytical foundation is required for biosimilars and advances made in developing analytical similarity to characterize these products are discussed. An example is presented on the decisions and considerations explored in the development of a biosimilar and includes identification of the best process parameters and methods based on cost, time, and titer. Finally factors to consider in the manufacture of a biosimilar and approaches used to achieve the target-directed development of a biosimilar are discussed.

     

Thermodynamics of neutral protein evolution

Naturally evolving proteins gradually accumulate mutations while continuing to fold to stable structures. This process of neutral evolution is an important mode of genetic change and forms the basis for the molecular clock. We present a mathematical theory that predicts the number of accumulated mutations, the index of dispersion, and the distribution of stabilities in an evolving protein population from knowledge of the stability effects (delta deltaG values) for single mutations. Our theory quantitatively describes how neutral evolution leads to marginally stable proteins and provides formulas for calculating how fluctuations in stability can overdisperse the molecular clock. It also shows that the structural influences on the rate of sequence evolution observed in earlier simulations can be calculated using just the single-mutation delta deltaG values. We consider both the case when the product of the population size and mutation rate is small and the case when this product is large, and show that in the latter case the proteins evolve excess mutational robustness that is manifested by extra stability and an increase in the rate of sequence evolution. All our theoretical predictions are confirmed by simulations with lattice proteins. Our work provides a mathematical foundation for understanding how protein biophysics shapes the process of evolution.     

Removal of FKBP12.6 does not alter the conductance and activation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor or the susceptibility to stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias

The 12.6-kDa FK506-binding protein (FKBP12.6) is considered to be a key regulator of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2), but its precise role in RyR2 function is complex and controversial. In the present study we investigated the impact of FKBP12.6 removal on the properties of the RyR2 channel and the propensity for spontaneous Ca(2+) release and the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. Single channel recordings in lipid bilayers showed that FK506 treatment of recombinant RyR2 co-expressed with or without FKBP12.6 or native canine RyR2 did not induce long-lived subconductance states. [(3)H]Ryanodine binding studies revealed that coexpression with or without FKBP12.6 or treatment with or without FK506 did not alter the sensitivity of RyR2 to activation by Ca(2+) or caffeine. Furthermore, single cell Ca(2+) imaging analyses demonstrated that HEK293 cells co-expressing RyR2 and FKBP12.6 or expressing RyR2 alone displayed the same propensity for spontaneous Ca(2+) release or store overload-induced Ca(2+) release (SOICR). FK506 increased the amplitude and decreased the frequency of SOICR in HEK293 cells expressing RyR2 with or without FKBP12.6, indicating that the action of FK506 on SOICR is independent of FKBP12.6. As with recombinant RyR2, the conductance and ligand-gating properties of single RyR2 channels from FKBP12.6-null mice were indistinguishable from those of single wild type channels. Moreover, FKBP12.6-null mice did not exhibit enhanced susceptibility to stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias, in contrast to previous reports. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the loss of FKBP12.6 has no significant effect on the conduction and activation of RyR2 or the propensity for spontaneous Ca(2+) release and stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias.     

Angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist losartan, reduces MPTP-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra

Background

Recent attention has focused on understanding the role of the brain-renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) in stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Direct evidence of a role for the brain-RAS in Parkinson's disease (PD) comes from studies demonstrating the neuroprotective effect of RAS inhibitors in several neurotoxin based PD models. In this study, we show that an antagonist of the angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT₁) receptor, losartan, protects dopaminergic (DA) neurons against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) toxicity both in primary ventral mesencephalic (VM) cultures as well as in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of C57BL/6 mice (Fig. 1).

Results

In the presence of exogenous Ang II, losartan reduced MPP⁺ (5 μM) induced DA neuronal loss by 72% in vitro. Mice challenged with MPTP showed a 62% reduction in the number of DA neurons in the SNpc and a 71% decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining of the striatum, whereas daily treatment with losartan lessened MPTP-induced loss of DA neurons to 25% and reduced the decrease in striatal TH⁺ immunostaining to 34% of control.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that the brain-RAS plays an important neuroprotective role in the MPTP model of PD and points to AT₁ receptor as a potential novel target for neuroprotection.