Association of common WRAP 53 variant with ovarian cancer risk in the Polish population

Among many alterations within the TP53 gene the rs1042522 (C72G, p.Pro72Arg) has been associated with numerous cancers , however the results differ between populations for opposite Pro or Arg alleles. Similar thus inconclusive results are observed in ovarian cancer, which may suggest that the rs1042522 does not influence ovarian carcinogensis directly, but might be linked to another pathogenic alteration. WRAP53 which overlaps the TP53 is required to maintain normal levels of p53 upon DNA damage, but also when altered may independently increase the risk of cancer. To evaluate the association between three SNPs located in WRAP53–TP53 region: rs1042522, rs2287497, rs2287498 and ovarian cancer risk in Polish population we genotyped 626 cases and 1,045 healthy controls. Our results provide the evidence for an association between studied SNPs and a risk of invasive ovarian cancer in Poland. We found that CC homozygotes in rs1042522 were more frequent in cancers when compared to controls (OR = 1.46, p = 0.03). Similarly in WRAP53 both TT homozygotes in rs2287497 (OR = 1.95, p = 0.03) and AA homozygotes in rs2287498 (OR = 2.65, p = 0,01) were more frequent among cases than healthy individuals. There is also a suggestive evidence that specific homozygosity of studied SNPs in TP53–WRAP53 region is significantly overrepresented in ovarian cancer patients. In conclusion SNPs in WRAP53 (rs2287497 and rs2287498) have stronger association with an ovarian cancer risk than rs1042522 in TP53.     

Nutlin-3a, an MDM2 antagonist and p53 activator, helps to preserve the replicative potential of cancer cells treated with a genotoxic dose of resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural compound that has been intensely studied due to its role in cancer prevention and potential as an anti-cancer therapy. Its effects include induction of apoptosis and senescence-like growth inhibition. Here, we report that two cancer cell lines (U-2 OS and A549) differ significantly in their molecular responses to resveratrol. Specifically, in U-2 OS cells, the activation of the p53 pathway is attenuated when compared to the activation in A549 cells. This attenuation is accompanied by a point mutation (458: CGA→TGA) in the PPM1D gene and overexpression of the encoded protein, which is a negative regulator of p53. Experimentally induced knockdown of PPM1D in U-2 OS cells resulted in slightly increased activation of the p53 pathway, most clearly visible as stronger phosphorylation of p53 Ser³⁷. When treated with nutlin-3a, a non-genotoxic activator of p53, U-2 OS and A549 cells both responded with substantial activation of the p53 pathway. Nutlin-3a improved the clonogenic survival of both cell lines treated with resveratrol. This improvement was associated with lower activation of DNA-damage signaling (phosphorylation of ATM, CHK2, and histone H2AX) and higher accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Thus, the hyperactivation of p53 by nutlin-3a helps to preserve the replicative potential of cells exposed to resveratrol.     

Exogenously applied 20-hydroxyecdysone increases the net photosynthetic rate but does not affect the photosynthetic electron transport or the content of photosynthetic pigments in Tetragonia tetragonioides L.

Phytoecdysteroids are steroid compounds present in many plant species (sometimes in rather large amounts), but their biological role is still far from being clear. We have found that the exogenous application of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) to leaves of Tetragonia tetragonioides L. causes stimulation of its net photosynthetic rate (P _N) but does not positively affect the photosynthetic electron transport or the content of photosynthetic pigments. The increase in P _N was observed shortly after 20E treatment and was statistically significant during the 4th and 6th hours after treatment but not later, which could be perhaps caused by a strictly short-term window of opportunity for ecdysteroids to significantly affect photosynthetic processes. To our knowledge, these results are the first to suggest a new potential biological function of phytoecdysteroids—regulation of photosynthesis.     

Response of Norway spruce root system to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration

Root structure parameters, root biomass and allometric relationships between above- and belowground biomass were investigated in young Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) trees cultivated inside the glass domes with ambient (AC, 375 μmol(CO₂) mol^?1) and elevated (EC, A + 375 μmol(CO₂) mol^?1) atmospheric CO₂ concentrations ([CO₂]). After 8 years of fumigation, a mean EC tree in comparison with AC one exhibited about 37 % higher belowground biomass. The growth of primary root structure was unaffected by elevated [CO₂]; however, the biomass of secondary roots growing on the primary root structure and the biomass of secondary roots growing in the zone between the soil surface and the first primary root ramification were significantly higher in EC comparing with AC treatment about 58 and 70 %, respectively. The finest root’s (diameter up to 1 mm) biomass as well as length and surface area of both primary and secondary root structures showed the highest difference between the treatments; advancing EC to AC by 43 % on average. Therefore, Norway spruce trees cultivated under well-watered and rather nitrogen-poor soil conditions responded to the air elevated [CO₂] environment by the enhancement of the secondary root structure increment, by enlargement of root length and root absorbing area, and also by alternation of root to aboveground organ biomass proportion. Higher root to leaf and root to stem basal area ratios could be beneficial for Norway spruce trees to survive periods with limited soil water availability.     

One-dimensional TRFLP-SSCP is an effective DNA fingerprinting strategy for soil Archaea that is able to simultaneously differentiate broad taxonomic clades based on terminal fragment length polymorphisms and closely related sequences based on single stranded conformation polymorphisms

DNA fingerprinting methods provide a means to rapidly compare microbial assemblages from environmental samples without the need to first cultivate species in the laboratory. The profiles generated by these techniques are able to identify statistically significant temporal and spatial patterns, correlations to environmental gradients, and biological variability to estimate the number of replicates for clone libraries or next generation sequencing (NGS) surveys. Here we describe an improved DNA fingerprinting technique that combines terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (TRFLP) and single stranded conformation polymorphisms (SSCP) so that both can be used to profile a sample simultaneously rather than requiring two sequential steps as in traditional two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. For the purpose of profiling Archaeal 16S rRNA genes from soil, the dynamic range of this combined 1-D TRFLP-SSCP approach was superior to TRFLP and SSCP. 1-D TRFLP-SSCP was able to distinguish broad taxonomic clades with genetic distances greater than 10%, such as Euryarchaeota and the Thaumarchaeal clades g_Ca. Nitrososphaera (formerly 1.1b) and o_NRP-J (formerly 1.1c) better than SSCP. In addition, 1-D TRFLP-SSCP was able to simultaneously distinguish closely related clades within a genus such as s_SCA1145 and s_SCA1170 better than TRFLP. We also tested the utility of 1-D TRFLP-SSCP fingerprinting of environmental assemblages by comparing this method to the generation of a 16S rRNA clone library of soil Archaea from a restored Tallgrass prairie. This study shows 1-D TRFLP-SSCP fingerprinting provides a rapid and phylogenetically informative screen of Archaeal 16S rRNA genes in soil samples.     

RESTRICTED PLEIOTROPY FACILITATES MUTATIONAL EROSION OF MAJOR LIFE‐HISTORY TRAITS

Radical shifts to new natural and human made niches can make some functions unneeded and thus exposed to genetic degeneration. Here we ask not about highly specialized and rarely used functions but those relating to major life‐history traits, rate of growth, and resistance to prolonged starvation. We found that in yeast each of the two traits was visibly impaired by at least several hundred individual gene deletions. There were relatively few deletions affecting negatively both traits and likely none harming one but improving the other. Functional profiles of gene deletions affecting either growth or survival were strikingly different: the first related chiefly to synthesis of macromolecules whereas the second to maintenance and recycling of cellular structures. The observed pattern of gene indispensability corresponds to that of gene induction, providing a rather rare example of agreement between the results of deletion and expression studies. We conclude that transitions to new environments in which the ability to grow at possibly fastest rate or survive under very long starvation become practically unnecessary can result in rapid erosion of these vital functions because they are coded by many genes constituting large mutational targets and because restricted pleiotropy is unlikely to constrain this process.     

Basal metabolic rate is positively correlated with parental investment in laboratory mice

The assimilation capacity (AC) hypothesis for the evolution of endothermy predicts that the maternal basal metabolic rate (BMR) should be positively correlated with the capacity for parental investment. In this study, we provide a unique test of the AC model based on mice from a long-term selection experiment designed to produce divergent levels of BMR. By constructing experimental families with cross-fostered litters, we were able to control for the effect of the mother as well as the type of pup based on the selected lines. We found that mothers with genetically determined high levels of BMR were characterized by higher parental investment capacity, measured as the offspring growth rate. We also found higher food consumption and heavier visceral organs in the females with high BMR. These findings suggested that the high-BMR females have higher energy acquisition abilities. When the effect of the line type of a foster mother was controlled, the pup line type significantly affected the growth rate only in the first week of life, with young from the high-BMR line type growing more rapidly. Our results support the predictions of the AC model.     

Sunflower genetic,genomic and ecological resources

Long a major focus of genetic research and breeding, sunflowers (Helianthus) are emerging as an increasingly important experimental system for ecological and evolutionary studies. Here, we review the various attributes of wild and domesticated sunflowers that make them valuable for ecological experimentation and describe the numerous publicly available resources that have enabled rapid advances in ecological and evolutionary genetics. Resources include seed collections available from germplasm centres at the USDA and INRA, genomic and EST sequences, mapping populations, genetic markers, genetic and physical maps and other forward‐ and reverse‐genetic tools. We also discuss some of the key evolutionary, genetic and ecological questions being addressed in sunflowers, as well as gaps in our knowledge and promising areas for future research.