Group I aptazymes as genetic regulatory switches

Background  

Allosteric ribozymes (aptazymes) that have extraordinary activation parameters have been generated in vitro by design and selection. For example, hammerhead and ligase ribozymes that are activated by small organic effectors and protein effectors have been selected from random sequence pools appended to extant ribozymes. Many ribozymes, especially self-splicing introns, are known control gene regulation or viral replication in vivo. We attempted to generate Group I self-splicing introns that were activated by a small organic effector, theophylline, and to show that such Group I aptazymes could mediate theophylline-dependent splicing in vivo.     

Onconeural antibodies in sera from patients with various types of tumours

Purpose  We assessed the frequency and levels of onconeural antibodies in 974 patients with various types of tumours, but without apparent paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS). Patients and methods  We included patients with the following tumours: 200 small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients, 253 breast cancer patients, 182 ovarian cancer patients, 266 uterine cancer patients and 73 thymoma patients, as well as 52 patients with PNS and cancer and 300 healthy blood donors. Sera were screened for amphiphysin, CRMP5, Hu, Ma2, Ri and Yo antibodies using a multi-well immunoprecipitation technique. Results  The most frequently detected antibodies were Hu followed by CRMP5. Ma2, Yo, amphiphysin and Ri antibodies were less common, but each was found at similar frequencies. Onconeural antibodies were present at similar levels in sera from the PNS control group and from cancer patients. Hu antibodies were rare in cancers other than SCLC. CRMP5 was the only antibody found in patients with thymoma and this antibody was more common among patients with thymoma than in other tumour patients. With one exception, coexisting antibodies were only found in patients with SCLC. The presence of onconeural antibodies in SCLC patients was not associated with prolonged survival. Conclusion  Onconeural antibodies are associated with various types of tumours suggesting that all antibodies should be included in the serological screening for possible PNS. The levels of onconeural antibody are not sufficiently sensitive to discriminate between cancer patients with PNS and those without.     

Variations in Measures of Udder Health within a Short Period of Time

Foremilk quarter samples were collected at morning and evening milkings on 6 dates during a 9 day period. At the end of the period teat puncture samples were drawn. Mastitis diagnoses based on bacteriological and cytological examinations were established for all 13 sets of samples from 45 cows (180 quarters). The effect of a fixed cell count (SCC) treshold value on mastitis diagnoses was studied as was the effect of variations in bacteriological state. The majority of shifts in diagnoses occurred only at few quarters due to the fact, that variation in the SCC–based diagnoses almost inevitably occurred in quarters with a SCC level close to the threshold. The future bacteriological state depended on both the previous and present bacteriological states in such a way, that changes in the future state seldom occurred when both the previous and present bacteriological states were the same. In conclusion, the quarter health state appeared to be fairly stable during a short period of time and the probability of changing mastitis diagnosis depended not only on the present diagnosis, but also on the actual somatic cell count and the previous bacteriological state.     

Nomenclatural notes to Nordic Macromycetes vol. 1 & 3

A new species, Thanatephorus uniygdalisporirs , is described and a number of new combinations and a new name are proposed: Bryoglossum rehmii comb. nov., Lachnellula juniperinu comb. nov., Lactarius torminosulus nom. nov., Lentaria dendroidea comb. nov., Postia ptyhogaster comb. nov., Stecclierinum collabens comb. nov., S. luteoalbum comb. nov., S. nitidum comb. nov., S. pseudozilingiunum comb. nov., S. separabilimum comb. nov., Syzygospora mycophaga comb. nov., Thanatephorus fusisporus comb. nov., Tremella invasa comb. nov., Uncobasidium albidum comb. nov. and Woldmaria filicina comb. nov. A number of notes on clavarioid fungi are given.     

Patterns and repeatability of multi-ecotype assemblages of sympatric salmonids

Aim

High repeatability among assemblages of closely related but ecologically distinct ecotypes implies predictability in evolution and assembly of communities. The conditions under which ecotype assemblages form predictably, and the reasons, have been little investigated. Here, we test whether repeatability declines as the number of ecotypes builds.

Location

Postglacial lakes with a circumboreal distribution.

Time Period

Data were extracted from studies published between 1982 and 2019.

Major Taxa Studied

Ecotype assemblages from two Salmonid genera – Salvelinus and Coregonus. Fish in postglacial lakes commonly occur as pairs of ecotypes, typically with a pelagic and a littoral/benthic form, but in Salvelinus and Coregonus, assemblages commonly contain multiple sympatric ecotypes.

Methods

We used a meta-analysis of Salvelinus and Coregonus to empirically assess how repeatability varies across assemblages of two to seven ecotypes. We examined repeatability of use of broad niche categories as well as underlying phenotypic traits.

Results

Within Coregonus, repeatability across multi-ecotype assemblages did not break down with the addition of a third or fourth ecotype. However, in Salvelinus, repeatability was largely absent and independent of the number of ecotypes. Repeatability of trait frequency distributions was absent in both genera, yet associations between trait means and niche categories were evident, especially in Coregonus.

Main Conclusions

These results show that repeatability can vary greatly between lineages; that repeatability need not break down as the number of ecotypes builds; and that high repeatability of broad niche categories may result despite marked differences in the underlying frequency distribution of trait means. These findings not only affirm the presence of repeatable ecotype assembly and early stages of divergence in postglacial fishes at a global scale, but also highlight variability among taxa and underlying phenotypic traits.