The mlo resistance alleles to powdery mildew infection in barley trigger a developmentally controlled defence mimic phenotype

Recessive mlo resistance alleles of the Mlo locus in barley control a non race-specific resistance response to infection by the obligate biotrophic fungus Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei. All the mlo alleles analysed stop fungal growth at the same developmental stage within a subcellularly restricted, highly localized cell wall apposition directly beneath the site of abortive fungal penetration. We report that near-isogenic lines carrying the alleles mlo ₁, mlo ₃ or mlo ₅ undergo dramatic spontaneous formation of cell wall appositions, not only in the absence of the fungal pathogen but also in sterile grown plants. A comparative study of spontaneous and infection-triggered cell wall appositions reveals a high degree of similarity with respect to structure, chemical composition and distinct localization within plant tissue. We show that the rate of spontaneous apposition formation is dependent on the genetic background of the plant and that its onset is under developmental control. Furthermore, spontaneous formation of wall appositions is specifically triggered by mlo alleles, since it is unaffected in the presence of the race-specific resistance allele Mlg. We propose a model for the function of the Mlo locus that suggests that both Mlo and mlo alleles control qualitatively the same apposition-based resistance mechanism, which, in the presence of the wild-type Mlo allele, is merely less efficient to provide protection against the currently common races of E. graminis f.sp. hordei.     

The dopamine circuit as a reward-taxis navigation system

Studying the brain circuits that control behavior is challenging, since in addition to their structural complexity there are continuous feedback interactions between actions and sensed inputs from the environment. It is therefore important to identify mathematical principles that can be used to develop testable hypotheses. In this study, we use ideas and concepts from systems biology to study the dopamine system, which controls learning, motivation, and movement. Using data from neuronal recordings in behavioral experiments, we developed a mathematical model for dopamine responses and the effect of dopamine on movement. We show that the dopamine system shares core functional analogies with bacterial chemotaxis. Just as chemotaxis robustly climbs chemical attractant gradients, the dopamine circuit performs ‘reward-taxis’ where the attractant is the expected value of reward. The reward-taxis mechanism provides a simple explanation for scale-invariant dopaminergic responses and for matching in free operant settings, and makes testable quantitative predictions. We propose that reward-taxis is a simple and robust navigation strategy that complements other, more goal-directed navigation mechanisms.     

Effect of hemicellulose and lignin removal on enzymatic hydrolysis of steam pretreated corn stover

Ethanol can be produced from lignocellulosic biomass using steam pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. The sugar yields, from both hemicellulose and cellulose are critical parameters for an economically-feasible ethanol production process. This study shows that a near-theoretical glucose yield (96-104%) from acid-catalysed steam pretreated corn stover can be obtained if xylanases are used to supplement cellulases during hydrolysis. Xylanases hydrolyse residual hemicellulose, thereby improving the access of enzymes to cellulose. Under these conditions, xylose yields reached 70-74%. When pre-treatment severity was reduced by using autocatalysis instead of acid-catalysed steam pretreatment, xylose yields were increased to 80-86%. Partial delignification of pretreated material was also evaluated as a way to increase the overall sugar yield. The overall glucose yield increased slightly due to delignification but the overall xylose yield decreased due to hemicellulose loss in the delignification step. The data also demonstrate that steam pretreatment is a robust process: corn stover from Europe and North America showed only minor differences in behaviour.     

Unraveling the Genetic Etiology of Adult Antisocial Behavior: A Genome-Wide Association Study

Crime poses a major burden for society. The heterogeneous nature of criminal behavior makes it difficult to unravel its causes. Relatively little research has been conducted on the genetic influences of criminal behavior. The few twin and adoption studies that have been undertaken suggest that about half of the variance in antisocial behavior can be explained by genetic factors. In order to identify the specific common genetic variants underlying this behavior, we conduct the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) on adult antisocial behavior. Our sample comprised a community sample of 4816 individuals who had completed a self-report questionnaire. No genetic polymorphisms reached genome-wide significance for association with adult antisocial behavior. In addition, none of the traditional candidate genes can be confirmed in our study. While not genome-wide significant, the gene with the strongest association (p-value = 8.7×10⁻⁵) was DYRK1A, a gene previously related to abnormal brain development and mental retardation. Future studies should use larger, more homogeneous samples to disentangle the etiology of antisocial behavior. Biosocial criminological research allows a more empirically grounded understanding of criminal behavior, which could ultimately inform and improve current treatment strategies.     

Soil biotic processes remain remarkably stable after 100-year extreme weather events in experimental grassland and heath

Climate change will increase the recurrence of extreme weather events such as drought and heavy rainfall. Evidence suggests that extreme weather events pose threats to ecosystem functioning, particularly to nutrient cycling and biomass production. These ecosystem functions depend strongly on below-ground biotic processes, including the activity and interactions among plants, soil fauna, and micro-organisms. Here, experimental grassland and heath communities of three phytodiversity levels were exposed either to a simulated single drought or to a heavy rainfall event. Both weather manipulations were repeated for two consecutive years. The magnitude of manipulations imitated the local 100-year extreme weather event. Heavy rainfall events increased below-ground plant biomass and stimulated soil enzyme activities as well as decomposition rates for both plant communities. In contrast, extreme drought did not reduce below-ground plant biomass and root length, soil enzyme activities, and cellulose decomposition rate. The low responsiveness of the measured ecosystem properties in face of the applied weather manipulations rendered the detection of significant interactions between weather events and phytodiversity impossible. Our data indicate on the one hand the close interaction between below ground plant parameters and microbial turnover processes in soil; on the other hand it shows that the plant–soil system can buffer against extreme drought events, at last for the period of investigation.     

Effect of sedation with detomidine and butorphanol on pulmonary gas exchange in the horse

Background  

Sedation with α₂-agonists in the horse is reported to be accompanied by impairment of arterial oxygenation. The present study was undertaken to investigate pulmonary gas exchange using the Multiple Inert Gas Elimination Technique (MIGET), during sedation with the α₂-agonist detomidine alone and in combination with the opioid butorphanol.     

Cooperative strand invasion of supercoiled plasmid DNA by mixed linear PNA and PNA-peptide chimeras

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a DNA analog with broad biotechnical applications, and possibly also treatment applications. Its suggested uses include that of a specific anchor sequence for biologically active peptides to plasmids in a sequence-specific manner. Such complexes, referred to as Bioplex, have already been used to enhance non-viral gene transfer in vitro. To investigate how hybridization of PNAs to supercoiled plasmids would be affected by the binding of multiple PNA-peptides to the same strand of DNA, we have developed a method of quantifying the specific binding of PNA using a PNA labeled with a derivative of the fluorophore thiazole orange (TO). Cooperative effects were found at a distance of up to three bases. With a peptide present at the end of one of the PNAs, steric hindrance occurred, reducing the increase in binding rate when the distance between the two sites was less than two bases. In addition, we found increased binding kinetics when two PNAs binding to overlapping sites on opposite DNA strands were used, without the use of chemically modified bases in the PNAs.