Combinatorial materials research applied to the development of new surface coatings IX: An investigation of novel antifouling/fouling-release coatings containing quaternary ammonium salt groups

Polysiloxane coatings containing chemically-bound (“tethered”) quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) moieties were investigated for potential application as environmental-friendly coatings to control marine biofouling. A combinatorial/high-throughput approach was applied to the investigation to enable multiple variables to be probed simultaneously and efficiently. The variables investigated for the moisture-curable coatings included QAS composition, ie alkyl chain length, and concentration as well as silanol-terminated polysiloxane molecular weight. A total of 75 compositionally unique coatings were prepared and characterized using surface characterization techniques and biological assays. Biological assays were based on two different marine microorganisms, a bacterium, Cellulophaga lytica and a diatom, Navicula incerta, as well as a macrofouling alga, Ulva. The results of the study showed that all three variables influenced coating surface properties as well as antifouling (AF) and fouling-release (FR) characteristics. The incorporation of QAS moieties into a polysiloxane matrix generally resulted in an increase in coating surface hydrophobicity. Characterization of coating surface morphology revealed a heterogeneous, two-phase morphology for many of the coatings investigated. A correlation was found between water contact angle and coating surface roughness, with the contact angle increasing with increasing surface roughness. Coatings based on the QAS moiety containing the longest alkyl chain (18 carbons) displayed the highest micro-roughness and, thus, the most hydrophobic surfaces. With regard to AF and FR properties, coatings based on the 18 carbon QAS moieties were very effective at inhibiting C. lytica biofilm formation and enabling easy removal of Ulva sporelings (young plants) while coatings based on the 14 carbon QAS moities were very effective at inhibiting biofilm growth of N. incerta.     

New Arabidopsis Advanced Intercross Recombinant Inbred Lines Reveal Female Control of Nonrandom Mating

Female control of nonrandom mating has never been genetically established, despite being linked to inbreeding depression and sexual selection. In order to map the loci that control female-mediated nonrandom mating, we constructed a new advanced intercross recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions Vancouver (Van-0) and Columbia (Col-0) and mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for nonrandom mating and seed yield traits. We genotyped a population of 490 RILs. A subset of these lines was used to construct an expanded map of 1,061.4 centimorgans with an average interval of 6.7 ± 5.3 centimorgans between markers. QTLs were then mapped for female- and male-mediated nonrandom mating and seed yield traits. To map the genetic loci responsible for female-mediated nonrandom mating and seed yield, we performed mixed pollinations with genetically marked Col-0 pollen and Van-0 pollen on RIL pistils. To map the loci responsible for male-mediated nonrandom mating and seed yield, we performed mixed pollinations with genetically marked Col-0 and RIL pollen on Van-0 pistils. Composite interval mapping of these data identified four QTLs that control female-mediated nonrandom mating and five QTLs that control female-mediated seed yield. We also identified four QTLs that control male-mediated nonrandom mating and three QTLs that control male-mediated seed yield. Epistasis analysis indicates that several of these loci interact. To our knowledge, the results of these experiments represent the first time female-mediated nonrandom mating has been genetically defined.The process of pollination offers plants the opportunity to selectively breed. For example, in pollinations that include more than one pollen population, pollen often show differential siring ability. This process is called nonrandom mating. Although pollen may fail in pollinations because they are self pollen in an obligate outcrossing plant or pollen from a different species, we focus our studies on differential siring ability of compatible, conspecific mates (Hogenboom, 1973, 1975; Williams et al., 1999; de Nettancourt, 2001; Husband et al., 2002; Wheeler et al., 2009; Meng et al., 2011; Nasrallah, 2011). Nonrandom mating at this level has received intense interest for its potential to avoid inbreeding depression and its potential to be the result of sexual selection (Charnov, 1979; Mulcahy, 1979; Willson, 1979; Queller, 1983; Stephenson and Bertin, 1983; Willson and Burley, 1983; Marshall and Ellstrand, 1986; Charlesworth and Charlesworth, 1987; Mulcahy and Mulcahy, 1987; Cruzan, 1990; Quesada et al., 1993; Snow, 1994; Paschke et al., 2002; Skogsmyr and Lankinen, 2002; Stephenson et al., 2003; Armbruster and Rogers, 2004; Bernasconi et al., 2004; Lankinen and Armbruster, 2007). Despite a long history of theoretical and experimental attention, very little is known about the underlying genetics that govern the process (Carlson et al., 2011).One challenge in understanding the genetics of nonrandom mating lies in its complexity, potentially involving multiple distinct pathways specific to either female or male tissues. Physiologically, postpollination nonrandom mating may be a result of intrinsic differences in pollen competitive abilities (male-mediated nonrandom mating). A number of experimental strategies have been employed to demonstrate male-mediated control of nonrandom mating. For example, experiments in radish (Raphanus sativus) found that some pollen sire more seeds than others in mixed pollinations across a range of maternal plants, demonstrating consistency of male function (Marshall and Ellstrand, 1986, 1988; Mitchell and Marshall, 1998). More direct measures of male function, such as in vitro and in vivo pollen tube growth rates, verify variation in male function and demonstrable impact on nonrandom mating (Snow and Spira, 1991a, 1991b; Pasonen et al., 1999; Skogsmyr and Lankinen, 1999; Stephenson et al., 2001; Lankinen and Skogsmyr, 2002; Lankinen et al., 2009). Finally, recent work in our laboratory has directly mapped the genetic loci responsible for the control of male-mediated nonrandom mating in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; Carlson et al., 2011).Alternatively, or concurrently, nonrandom mating can be the result of differential interaction between the female tissue and competing pollen populations or seeds (female-mediated nonrandom mating). Establishing the female role in nonrandom mating has been more challenging, as most study designs involve the deposition of pollen from multiple donors and thus include the confounding variable of pollen competition. Despite this challenge, a number of experimental strategies have been devised to explore the role of the female in nonrandom mating. For example, a number of studies demonstrate that maternal identity influences nonrandom mating patterns (Marshall and Ellstrand, 1986, 1988; Snow and Mazer, 1988; Johnston, 1993; Marshall et al., 2000; Carlson et al., 2009, 2013). Studies have also established that manipulation of watering or nutrient regimes of maternal plants changes the patterns and magnitude of nonrandom mating (Marshall and Diggle, 2001; Shaner and Marshall, 2003; Haileselassie et al., 2005; Marshall et al., 2007). These studies and others implicate the identity and condition of the female in the process of nonrandom mating. Despite a long history of research, genetic control of female-mediated nonrandom mating has never been demonstrated, and the identity of the genes involved remains unexplored.In previous work, we developed a system in Arabidopsis to assay nonrandom mating and showed its utility for genetically mapping the loci responsible (Carlson et al., 2009, 2011). Pursuing the genetics of nonrandom mating in a largely selfing plant such as Arabidopsis provides both theoretical and practical advantages. First, outcrossing plants carry higher levels of heterozygosity that produce pollen populations that display different phenotypes because of segregating alleles. This complicates genetic analysis. Also, in outcrossing plants that carry genetic load, reproductive success is context dependent. Pollinations with self pollen or pollen from genetically similar plants often lead to poor reproductive outcomes. For example, in mixed pollinations in generally outcrossing self-compatible plants that include self pollen, self pollen often sire a disproportionally low number of seeds (Bateman, 1956; Weller and Ornduff, 1977; Bowman, 1987; Eckert and Barrett, 1994; Jones, 1994; Hauser and Siegismund, 2000; Teixeira et al., 2009), but other findings have been reported (Sork and Schemske, 1992; Johnston, 1993). Thus, in outcrossing plants, gene variants that influence reproductive success, parental relatedness, and segregating heterozygosity all influence reproductive outcomes. Two of these factors are essentially eliminated by studying plant populations that have historically selfed. As outcrossing populations become increasingly self-fertilizing, they both lose heterozygosity, and their genetic load is purged (Lande and Schemske, 1985; Schemske and Lande, 1985; Charlesworth and Charlesworth, 1987; Lande et al., 1994; Byers and Waller, 1999; Crnokrak and Barrett, 2002). This is the case for Arabidopsis, whose tested populations show relatively low levels of heterozygosity and little evidence for the early-acting inbreeding depression that is indicative of genetic load (Bakker et al., 2006; Bomblies et al., 2010; Platt et al., 2010; Carlson et al., 2013). Thus, this system provides an excellent opportunity to identify and explore the genetic variation in differential reproduction that develops or persists in plant populations unrelated to inbreeding depression.Using this system, we previously identified potential female control of nonrandom mating in mixed pollinations between Vancouver (Van-0) and Columbia (Col-0) accessions of Arabidopsis (Carlson et al., 2009). When Van-0 and genetically marked Col-0 (Col-NPTII) pollen compete on Col-0 pistils, Col-NPTII pollen sire 43% of the progeny, while Van-0 pollen sire 57%. When these pollen compete on Van-0 pistils, Col-NPTII pollen sire 67.5% of the progeny, while Van-0 pollen sire 32.5%. This system offers us, to our knowledge for the first time, the opportunity to genetically define female-mediated nonrandom mating and map the loci responsible.In order to genetically map female control of nonrandom mating, we constructed a new advanced intercross recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population derived from a cross between Van-0 and Col-0 accessions of Arabidopsis. RILs are powerful tools that allow high-resolution genetic mapping of loci that direct complex traits. Each RIL contains chromosomes that are defined homozygous patchworks of parental DNA, in this case Van-0 and Col-0. By phenotyping these lines, we can statistically associate nonrandom mating and seed yield phenotypes with chromosomal regions. We chose these two accessions because (1) our previous experiments predict clear female control of nonrandom mating and (2) we have previously mapped male-mediated nonrandom mating controls using a Col-4/Landsberg mapping population (a population that does not display female control of nonrandom mating; Carlson et al., 2011). Thus, this new population provides us the opportunity to map loci that control female nonrandom mating and investigate the degree of conservation of loci that affect male-mediated nonrandom mating. We use this new mapping population to perform quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and identify multiple loci that direct both female- and male-mediated control of nonrandom mating and seed yield traits.     

Does General Motivation Energize Financial Reward-Seeking Behavior? Evidence from an Effort Task

We aimed to predict how hard subjects work for financial rewards from their general trait and state reward-motivation. We specifically asked 1) whether individuals high in general trait “reward responsiveness” work harder 2) whether task-irrelevant cues can make people work harder, by increasing general motivation. Each trial of our task contained a 1 second earning interval in which male subjects earned money for each button press. This was preceded by one of three predictive cues: an erotic picture of a woman, a man, or a geometric figure. We found that individuals high in trait “reward responsiveness” worked harder and earned more, irrespective of the predictive cue. Because female predictive cues are more rewarding, we expected them to increase general motivation in our male subjects and invigorate work, but found a more complex pattern.     

The formation of the central element of the synaptonemal complex may occur by multiple mechanisms: the roles of the N- and C-terminal domains of the Drosophila C(3)G protein in mediating synapsis and recombination

In Drosophila melanogaster oocytes, the C(3)G protein comprises the transverse filaments (TFs) of the synaptonemal complex (SC). Like other TF proteins, such as Zip1p in yeast and SCP1 in mammals, C(3)G is composed of a central coiled-coil-rich domain flanked by N- and C-terminal globular domains. Here, we analyze in-frame deletions within the N- and C-terminal regions of C(3)G in Drosophila oocytes. As is the case for Zip1p, a C-terminal deletion of C(3)G fails to attach to the lateral elements of the SC. Instead, this C-terminal deletion protein forms a large cylindrical polycomplex structure. EM analysis of this structure reveals a polycomplex of concentric rings alternating dark and light bands. However, unlike both yeast and mammals, all three proteins deleted for N-terminal regions completely abolished both SC and polycomplex formation. Both the N- and C-terminal deletions significantly reduce or abolish meiotic recombination similarly to c(3)G null homozygotes. To explain these data, we propose that in Drosophila the N terminus, but not the C-terminal globular domain, of C(3)G is critical for the formation of antiparallel pairs of C(3)G homodimers that span the central region and thus for assembly of complete TFs, while the C terminus is required to affix these homodimers to the lateral elements.     

Loss of the tumor suppressor Snf5 leads to aberrant activation of the Hedgehog-Gli pathway

Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway can drive tumorigenesis. To investigate the mechanism by which glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger-1 (GLI1), a crucial effector of Hh signaling, regulates Hh pathway activation, we searched for GLI1-interacting proteins. We report that the chromatin remodeling protein SNF5 (encoded by SMARCB1, hereafter called SNF5), which is inactivated in human malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs), interacts with GLI1. We show that Snf5 localizes to Gli1-regulated promoters and that loss of Snf5 leads to activation of the Hh-Gli pathway. Conversely, re-expression of SNF5 in MRT cells represses GLI1. Consistent with this, we show the presence of a Hh-Gli-activated gene expression profile in primary MRTs and show that GLI1 drives the growth of SNF5-deficient MRT cells in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, our studies reveal that SNF5 is a key mediator of Hh signaling and that aberrant activation of GLI1 is a previously undescribed targetable mechanism contributing to the growth of MRT cells.     

Regional mutagenesis using Dissociation in maize

We describe genetic screens, molecular methods and web resources newly available to utilize Dissociation (Ds) as an insertional mutagen in maize. Over 1700 Ds elements have been distributed throughout the maize genome to serve as donor elements for local or regional mutagenesis. Two genetic screens are described to identify Ds insertions in genes-of-interest (goi). In scheme I, Ds is used to generate insertion alleles when a recessive reference allele is available. A Ds insertion will enable the cloning of the target gene and can be used to create an allelic series. In scheme II, Ds insertions in a goi are identified using a PCR-based screen to identify the rare insertion alleles among a population of testcross progeny. We detail an inverse PCR protocol to rapidly amplify sequences flanking Ds insertion alleles and describe a high-throughput 96-well plate-based DNA extraction method for the recovery of high-quality genomic DNA from seedling tissues. We also describe several web-based tools for browsing, searching and accessing the genetic materials described. The development of these Ds insertion lines promises to greatly accelerate functional genomics studies in maize.     

Praf2 is a novel Bcl-xL/Bcl-2 interacting protein with the ability to modulate survival of cancer cells

Increased expression of Bcl-xL in cancer has been shown to confer resistance to a broad range of apoptotic stimuli and to modulate a number of other aspects of cellular physiology, including energy metabolism, cell cycle, autophagy, mitochondrial fission/fusion and cellular adhesion. However, only few of these activities have a mechanistic explanation. Here we used Tandem Affinity purification to identify novel Bcl-xL interacting proteins that could explain the pleiotropic effects of Bcl-xL overexpression. Among the several proteins co-purifying with Bcl-xL, we focused on Praf2, a protein with a predicted role in trafficking. The interaction of Praf2 with Bcl-xL was found to be dependent on the transmembrane domain of Bcl-xL. We found that Bcl-2 also interacts with Praf2 and that Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 can interact also with Arl6IP5, an homologue of Praf2. Interestingly, overexpression of Praf2 results in the translocation of Bax to mitochondria and the induction of apoptotic cell death. Praf2 dependent cell death is prevented by the co-transfection of Bcl-xL but not by its transmembrane domain deleted mutant. Accordingly, knock-down of Praf2 increases clonogenicity of U2OS cells following etoposide treatment by reducing cell death. In conclusion a screen for Bcl-xL-interacting membrane proteins let us identify a novel proapoptotic protein whose activity is strongly counteracted exclusively by membrane targeted Bcl-xL.     

How to Study Basement Membrane Stiffness as a Biophysical Trigger in Prostate Cancer and Other Age-related Pathologies or Metabolic Diseases

Here we describe a protocol that can be used to study the biophysical microenvironment related to increased thickness and stiffness of the basement membrane (BM) during age-related pathologies and metabolic disorders (e.g. cancer, diabetes, microvascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy). The premise of the model is non-enzymatic crosslinking of reconstituted BM (rBM) matrix by treatment with glycolaldehyde (GLA) to promote advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) generation via the Maillard reaction. Examples of laboratory techniques that can be used to confirm AGE generation, non-enzymatic crosslinking and increased stiffness in GLA treated rBM are outlined. These include preparation of native rBM (treated with phosphate-buffered saline, PBS) and stiff rBM (treated with GLA) for determination of: its AGE content by photometric analysis and immunofluorescent microscopy, its non-enzymatic crosslinking by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) as well as confocal microscopy, and its increased stiffness using rheometry. The procedure described here can be used to increase the rigidity (elastic moduli, E) of rBM up to 3.2-fold, consistent with measurements made in healthy versus diseased human prostate tissue. To recreate the biophysical microenvironment associated with the aging and diseased prostate gland three prostate cell types were introduced on to native rBM and stiff rBM: RWPE-1, prostate epithelial cells (PECs) derived from a normal prostate gland; BPH-1, PECs derived from a prostate gland affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); and PC3, metastatic cells derived from a secondary bone tumor originating from prostate cancer. Multiple parameters can be measured, including the size, shape and invasive characteristics of the 3D glandular acini formed by RWPE-1 and BPH-1 on native versus stiff rBM, and average cell length, migratory velocity and persistence of cell movement of 3D spheroids formed by PC3 cells under the same conditions. Cell signaling pathways and the subcellular localization of proteins can also be assessed.