Conservation and divergence of meiotic DNA double strand break forming mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana

In the current meiotic recombination initiation model, the SPO11 catalytic subunits associate with MTOPVIB to form a Topoisomerase VI-like complex that generates DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Four additional proteins, PRD1/AtMEI1, PRD2/AtMEI4, PRD3/AtMER2 and the plant specific DFO are required for meiotic DSB formation. Here we show that (i) MTOPVIB and PRD1 provide the link between the catalytic sub-complex and the other DSB proteins, (ii) PRD3/AtMER2, while localized to the axis, does not assemble a canonical pre-DSB complex but establishes a direct link between the DSB-forming and resection machineries, (iii) DFO controls MTOPVIB foci formation and is part of a divergent RMM-like complex including PHS1/AtREC114 and PRD2/AtMEI4 but not PRD3/AtMER2, (iv) PHS1/AtREC114 is absolutely unnecessary for DSB formation despite having a conserved position within the DSB protein network and (v) MTOPVIB and PRD2/AtMEI4 interact directly with chromosome axis proteins to anchor the meiotic DSB machinery to the axis.     

Photochemical processes, carbon assimilation and RNA accumulation of sucrose transporter genes in tomato arbuscular mycorrhiza

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance CO₂ assimilation of their hosts which ensure the demand for carbohydrates of these obligate biotrophic microorganisms. Photosynthetic parameters were measured in tomato colonised or not by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae. In addition, carbohydrate contents and mRNA accumulation of three sucrose transporter genes were analysed. Mycorrhizal plants showed increased opening of stomata and assimilated significant more CO₂. A higher proportion of the absorbed light was used for photochemical processes, while non-photochemical quenching and the content of photoprotective pigments were lower. Analysis of sugar contents showed no significant differences in leaves but enhanced levels of sucrose and fructose in roots, while glucose amounts stayed constant. The three sucrose transporter encoding genes of tomato SlSUT1, SlSUT2 and SlSUT4 were up-regulated providing transport capacities to transfer sucrose into the roots. It is proposed that a significant proportion of sugars is used by the mycorrhizal fungus, because only amounts of fructose were increased, while levels of glucose, which is mainly transferred towards the fungus, were nearly constant.     

Bidirectional Introgressive Hybridization between a Cattle and Human Schistosome Species

Schistosomiasis is a disease of great medical and veterinary importance in tropical and subtropical regions, caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma (subclass Digenea). Following major water development schemes in the 1980s, schistosomiasis has become an important parasitic disease of children living in the Senegal River Basin (SRB). During molecular parasitological surveys, nuclear and mitochondrial markers revealed unexpected natural interactions between a bovine and human Schistosoma species: S. bovis and S. haematobium, respectively. Hybrid schistosomes recovered from the urine and faeces of children and the intermediate snail hosts of both parental species, Bulinus truncatus and B. globosus, presented a nuclear ITS rRNA sequence identical to S. haematobium, while the partial mitochondrial cox1 sequence was identified as S. bovis. Molecular data suggest that the hybrids are not 1st generation and are a result of parental and/or hybrid backcrosses, indicating a stable hybrid zone. Larval stages with the reverse genetic profile were also found and are suggested to be F1 progeny. The data provide indisputable evidence for the occurrence of bidirectional introgressive hybridization between a bovine and a human Schistosoma species. Hybrid species have been found infecting B. truncatus, a snail species that is now very abundant throughout the SRB. The recent increase in urinary schistosomiasis in the villages along the SRB could therefore be a direct effect of the increased transmission through B. truncatus. Hybridization between schistosomes under laboratory conditions has been shown to result in heterosis (higher fecundity, faster maturation time, wider intermediate host spectrum), having important implications on disease prevalence, pathology and treatment. If this new hybrid exhibits the same hybrid vigour, it could develop into an emerging pathogen, necessitating further control strategies in zones where both parental species overlap.     

Genetic variability in sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 influences glycemic control and risk for diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients

BackgroundGluconeogenesis and renal glucose excretion in kidneys both play an important role in glucose homeostasis. Sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT2), coded by the SLC5A2 gene is responsible for reabsorption up to 99% of the filtered glucose in proximal tubules. SLC5A2 genetic polymorphisms were suggested to influence glucose homeostasis. We investigated if common SLC5A2 rs9934336 polymorphism influences glycemic control and risk for macro or microvascular complications in Slovenian type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients.MethodsAll 181 clinically well characterized T2D patients were genotyped for SLC5A2 rs9934336 G>A polymorphism. Associations with glycemic control and T2D complications were assessed with nonparametric tests and logistic regression.ResultsSLC5A2 rs9934336 was significantly associated with increased fasting blood glucose levels (P<0.001) and HbA1c levels under the dominant genetic model (P=0.030). After adjustment for T2D duration, significantly higher risk for diabetic retinopathy was present in carriers of at least one polymorphic SLC5A2 rs9934336 A allele compared to non-carriers (OR=7.62; 95%CI=1.65-35.28; P=0.009).ConclusionsOur pilot study suggests an important role of SLC5A2 polymorphisms in the physiologic process of glucose reabsorption in kidneys in T2D patients. This is also the first report on the association between SLC5A2 polymorphism and diabetic retinopathy.     

Do allopatric male Calopteryx virgo damselflies learn species recognition?

There is a growing amount of empirical evidence that premating reproductive isolation of two closely related species can be reinforced by natural selection arising from avoidance of maladaptive hybridization. However, as an alternative for this popular reinforcement theory, it has been suggested that learning to prefer conspecifics or to discriminate heterospecifics could cause a similar pattern of reinforced premating isolation, but this possibility is much less studied. Here, we report results of a field experiment in which we examined (i) whether allopatric Calopteryx virgo damselfly males that have not encountered heterospecific females of the congener C. splendens initially show discrimination, and (ii) whether C. virgo males learn to discriminate heterospecifics or learn to associate with conspecifics during repeated experimental presentation of females. Our experiment revealed that there was a statistically nonsignificant tendency for C. virgo males to show initial discrimination against heterospecific females but because we did not use sexually naïve individuals in our experiment, we were not able to separate the effect of innate or associative learning. More importantly, however, our study revealed that species discrimination might be further strengthened by learning, especially so that C. virgo males increase their association with conspecific females during repeated presentation trials. The role of learning to discriminate C. splendens females was less clear. We conclude that learning might play a role in species recognition also when individuals are not naïve but have already encountered potential conspecific mates.     

Differential distribution of competence for panplacodal and neural crest induction to non-neural and neural ectoderm

It is still controversial whether cranial placodes and neural crest cells arise from a common precursor at the neural plate border or whether placodes arise from non-neural ectoderm and neural crest from neural ectoderm. Using tissue grafting in embryos of Xenopus laevis, we show here that the competence for induction of neural plate, neural plate border and neural crest markers is confined to neural ectoderm, whereas competence for induction of panplacodal markers is confined to non-neural ectoderm. This differential distribution of competence is established during gastrulation paralleling the dorsal restriction of neural competence. We further show that Dlx3 and GATA2 are required cell-autonomously for panplacodal and epidermal marker expression in the non-neural ectoderm, while ectopic expression of Dlx3 or GATA2 in the neural plate suppresses neural plate, border and crest markers. Overexpression of Dlx3 (but not GATA2) in the neural plate is sufficient to induce different non-neural markers in a signaling-dependent manner, with epidermal markers being induced in the presence, and panplacodal markers in the absence, of BMP signaling. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a non-neural versus neural origin of placodes and neural crest, respectively, strongly implicate Dlx3 in the regulation of non-neural competence, and show that GATA2 contributes to non-neural competence but is not sufficient to promote it ectopically.     

Anaerobic Co-Culture of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Anaerobic Pathogens - A New In Vitro Model System

Background

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent by nature and are originally isolated from bone marrow. In light of a future application of hMSCs in the oral cavity, a body compartment with varying oxygen partial pressures and an omnipresence of different bacterial species i.e. periodontitis pathogens, we performed this study to gain information about the behavior of hMSC in an anaerobic system and the response in interaction with oral bacterial pathogens.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We established a model system with oral pathogenic bacterial species and eukaryotic cells cultured in anaerobic conditions. The facultative anaerobe bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were studied. Their effects on hMSCs and primary as well as permanent gingival epithelial cells (Ca9-22, HGPEC) were comparatively analyzed. We show that hMSCs cope with anoxic conditions, since 40% vital cells remain after 72 h of anaerobic culture. The Ca9-22 and HGPEC cells are significantly more sensitive to lack of oxygen. All bacterial species reveal a comparatively low adherence to and internalization into hMSCs (0.2% and 0.01% of the initial inoculum, respectively). In comparison, the Ca9-22 and HGPEC cells present better targets for bacterial adherence and internalization. The production of the pro-inflammatory chemokine IL-8 is higher in both gingival epithelial cell lines compared to hMSCs and Fusobacterium nucleatum induce a time-dependent cytokine secretion in both cell lines. Porphyromonas gingivalis is less effective in stimulating secretion of IL-8 in the co-cultivation experiments.

Conclusions/significance

HMSCs are suitable for use in anoxic regions of the oral cavity. The interaction with local pathogenic bacteria does not result in massive pro-inflammatory cytokine responses. The test system established in this study allowed further investigation of parameters prior to set up of oral hMSC in vivo studies.     

Oviposition,larval preference,and larval performance in two polyphagous species: does the larva know best?

It is expected that females preferentially oviposit on plant hosts that allow for optimal larval performance. However, this expectation contradicts empirical evidence where adults do not always choose the best host for their descendants. Recent evidence suggests that females’ host selection depends on the number of potential hosts. Females from oligophagous species seem to be able to choose an appropriate host in terms of larval performance, whereas in polyphagous species, adult oviposition preference is not related with larval performance. This suggests that larvae in polyphagous species could be taking a more active role in host selection than their mothers. Here, we evaluated the oviposition preference and the larval preference and performance of two polyphagous species of economic importance, Copitarsia decolora (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Cuculliinae) and Peridroma saucia (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae), on eight species of cultivated plants. In laboratory and greenhouse choice assays, we tested adult preference for oviposition and larval preference at 1 and 24 h. Larval performance was measured in terms of survival to adulthood, length of larval period, and pupal weight. We found that both adult females and larvae actively choose their hosts and that the larval preference toward the hosts is related to the females’ preference in both herbivore species. However, the females and larvae did not preferentially select the host with the best larval performance, indicating that larval performance is not related to female or larval preference and that other selective pressures are influencing the choice of the host plant in these two species.