THE UTILITY OF PROTEOMICS IN ALGAL TAXONOMY: BOSTRYCHIA RADICANS/B. MORITZIANA (RHODOMELACEAE,RHODOPHYTA) AS A MODEL STUDY1

A comparison of the proteome of eight genetically well‐characterized isolates of the Bostrychia radicans (Mont.) Mont./B. moritziana (Sond. ex Kütz.) J. Agardh species complex was undertaken to establish if genetic relationships among them can be determined using proteome data. Genetic distances were calculated on the basis of common and distinct spots in two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE). Proteomes of the male and female plants of each population were compared to analyze the range of genetic difference within an isolate. Haploid male and female plants of the same species had 3.7%–7.1% sex‐specific proteins. The degree of similarity of the proteome was consistent with previous DNA sequence data and sexual compatibility studies between the isolates. Two sexually compatible isolates from Venezuela showed a pair‐wise distance ranging from 0.14 to 0.21. The isolates from Mexico and Venezuela, which were partially compatible, showed a maximum pair‐wise distance of 0.26. A high level of genetic difference was found among isolates that were sexually incompatible. The isolate from Brazil was reproductively isolated from the Mexico and Venezuela isolates and showed a maximum pair‐wise distance of 0.65 and 0.58, respectively. Comparative proteomics may be helpful for studying genetic distances among algal samples, if intraisolate variation (gene expression) can be minimized or tested.     

Oil Palm Use by Adjacent Communities of Chimpanzees at Bossou and Nimba Mountains,West Africa

We investigated oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) use for feeding in 3 chimpanzee communities: Bossou and Seringbara in Guinea and Yealé in Côte d'Ivoire. Bossou was used as the benchmark for comparison. Bossou chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) exhibit a wide range of oil palm targeted behaviors. We used direct observations of their two tool use, i.e., nut-cracking and pestle pounding, to establish strict and reliable criteria to ascertain the presence of comparable behaviors at the two adjacent Nimba sites. Based on monthly surveys of oil palms across the three sites, significant differences in patterns of use emerged. Bossou chimpanzees demonstrated the greatest frequency of oil palm use, while Seringbara chimpanzees, 6 km away, failed to exhibit any use and Yealé chimpanzees, 12 km away, showed all uses comparable to Bossou chimpanzees except pestle pounding and mature leaf pith-feeding. We examined the density and distribution of oil palms, tool availability for nut-cracking and pestle pounding, fruit, flower and nut availability, competition with sympatric species for fruit and nuts and the diversity of fruit species in the diet across the 3 sites. We found no clear difference in proximate environmental variables underlying observed variations in oil palm use among the 3 sites, yielding the conclusion that the differences are cultural. Assuming individual interchange between communities and the involvement of social learning in the intracommunity transmission and maintenance of oil palm uses, the result raises interesting questions about diffusion of behavior between neighboring chimpanzee communities.     

TDZ-induced axillary shoot proliferation of Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz and assessment of clonal fidelity using DNA-based markers and flow cytometry

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant - In order to induce in vitro axillary shoot proliferation from single-node explants of Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz., two techniques of...     

A Crosstalk between the Biorhythms and Gatekeepers of Longevity: Dual Role of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3

Biochemistry (Moscow) - This review discusses genetic and molecular pathways that link circadian timing with metabolism, resulting in the emergence of positive and negative regulatory feedback...     

Oogenesis (Prophase 1 of Meiosis) and Mitotic Chromosomes of Parthenogenetic Species Darevskia armeniaca (Family Lacertidae)

Biology Bulletin - In parthenogenetic hybrid Darevskia armeniaca species, the development of early oogenesis and early meiosis were analyzed. It has been shown for the first time that the number of...     

Study of the effect of the gene ERECTA2 on the development of Arabidopsis thaliana shoot

The role of the gene ER2 in plant development has been studied by the analysis of the erecta2 (er2) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. It was shown that the mutation er2 provides pleiotropic effect on the development of all aboveground organs. It induces shortening and thickening of the stem, leaves and all flower organs, though it does not change the sensitivity to gibberellin. Changes in the morphology of the shoot organs are due to the changes in cell polarity. The cells get wider and shorter compared to the wild type. It was found that the gene ER2 is located in the lower arm of the chromosome 1. It complementarily interacts with the gene ER that plays an important role in the control of intercellular interactions.     

Molecular identity,morphology and taxonomy of the Rhynchospio glutaea complex with a key to Rhynchospio species (Annelida,Spionidae)

Rhynchospio glutaea (Ehlers, 1897 Ehlers, E. 1897. Polychaeten. Ergebnisse der Hamburger Magalhaensischen Sammelreise 1892/93. L. Friederichsen & Co., Hamburg, Germany. [Google Scholar]), Rhynchospio arenincola Hartman, 1936 Hartman, O. 1936. New species of Spionidae (Annelida Polychaeta) from the coast of California. University of California Publications in Zoology 41, 45–52. [Google Scholar] and Rhynchospio arenincola asiatica Chlebovitsch, 1959 Chlebovitsch, V.V. 1959. Species of Polychaeta worms from the Kurile Islands, which are new or recorded for the first time in the USSR fauna. Zoologichesky Zhurnal 38, 167–181. [Google Scholar], originally described from Strait of Magellan, California, and South Kurile Islands respectively, appear similar to each other in adult morphology. These species and subspecies have been considered by some authors as subjective synonyms and are here referred to as members of the R. glutaea complex. Sequence data of four gene fragments (2465 bp in total) of the mitochondrial 16S rDNA, nuclear 18S and 28S rDNA, and Histone 3 have shown that R. glutaea complex individuals from the South West Atlantic (Argentina), North East Pacific (British Columbia and Oregon) and North West Pacific (South Korea) were genetically distant and not conspecific. These data also indicate that R. arenincola from North America and R. aff. asiatica from South Korea are more closely related to each other, and both are closer to R. glutaea from South America than to R. nhatrangi from Vietnam: nhatrangi (glutaea (arenincola-aff. asiatica)). Adults of the R. glutaea complex are hermaphrodites and the arrangement of gametes is suggested to be a crucial reproductive character for distinguishing these species. Based on this character, two species of the complex are apparent in the North West Pacific: R. asiatica Chlebovitsch, 1959 Chlebovitsch, V.V. 1959. Species of Polychaeta worms from the Kurile Islands, which are new or recorded for the first time in the USSR fauna. Zoologichesky Zhurnal 38, 167–181. [Google Scholar] stat. nov. from the Kurile Islands (not analysed here) and an unnamed species from the mainland coast of Asia (here referred to as R. aff. asiatica). Adult morphology of R. asiatica stat. nov. is briefly described and illustrated. The lectotype and the type locality of the species on Iturup Is. are established for the first time. An identification key is provided to the 10 currently recognized Rhynchospio species.     

Recruitment into stress granules prevents irreversible aggregation of FUS protein mislocalized to the cytoplasm

Fused in sarcoma (FUS) belongs to the group of RNA-binding proteins implicated as underlying factors in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and certain other neurodegenerative diseases. Multiple FUS gene mutations have been linked to hereditary forms, and aggregation of FUS protein is believed to play an important role in pathogenesis of these diseases. In cultured cells, FUS variants with disease-associated amino acid substitutions or short deletions affecting nuclear localization signal (NLS) and causing cytoplasmic mislocalization can be sequestered into stress granules (SGs). We demonstrated that disruption of motifs responsible for RNA recognition and binding not only prevents SG recruitment, but also dramatically increases the protein propensity to aggregate in the cell cytoplasm with formation of juxtanuclear structures displaying typical features of aggresomes. Functional RNA-binding domains from TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) fused to highly aggregation-prone C-terminally truncated FUS protein restored the ability to enter SGs and prevented aggregation of the chimeric protein. Truncated FUS was also able to trap endogenous FUS molecules in the cytoplasmic aggregates. Our data indicate that RNA binding and recruitment to SGs protect cytoplasmic FUS from aggregation, and loss of this protection may trigger its pathological aggregation in vivo.