Eutrophication and recovery of Lake Vesijärvi (south Finland): Diatom frustules in varved sediments over a 30-year period

Lake Vesijärvi was loaded by sewage from the City of Lahti for 60 years until 1976 when the discharge was diverted. Paleolimnological analyses of the varved bottom sediment indicate that the sedimentation rate within the Enonselka basin, the most eutrophic part of the lake, has been as high as 2 cm yr^–1, and total phosphorus accumulation was 20–40 g P m^–2 yr^–1, during the last 20 years. Within the less eutrophic Laitialanselkä basin, the sedimentation rate did not exceed 1 cm yr^–1, and the formation of varved sediment only began at the end of the 1960's, i.e. about 10 years later than in Enonselkä.Planktonic diatom production was highest in the Enonselka basin. The most abundant diatoms in the sediment between 1970–1985 were Asterionella formosa, Aulacoseira islandica and Stephanodiscus spp. Fragilaria crotonensis and Tabellaria fenestrata had low abundances in the middle of the 1970's but increased again at the end of the 1970's. Asterionella formosa and Diatoma elongatum reached their maxima between 1979–1984 when the hypolimnion of the Enonselk/:a basin was aerated artificially. In the Laitialanselkä basin, the production of planktonic diatoms has been lower and the species composition of the diatom community differed from that in Enonselkä. However, at the end of 1980's the total accumulation of diatoms in Laitialanselkä approached levels which were observed at the end of 1950's in Enonselkä, prior to the rapid eutrophication period.The production and thereby the sedimentation of diatoms has decreased towards the end of the 1980's in Enonselkä, indicating reduced nutrient availability in the lake water. This reduction was due to the decreased external loading of phosphorus as well as to the decreased release of phosphorus from the sediment as a result of improved oxygen balance in the hypolimnion.     

Maximum shear strain-based algorithm can predict proteoglycan loss in damaged articular cartilage

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a common disease, where the mechanical integrity of articular cartilage is compromised. PTOA can be a result of chondral defects formed due to injurious loading. One of the first changes around defects is proteoglycan depletion. Since there are no methods to restore injured cartilage fully back to its healthy state, preventing the onset and progression of the disease is advisable. However, this is problematic if the disease progression cannot be predicted. Thus, we developed an algorithm to predict proteoglycan loss of injured cartilage by decreasing the fixed charge density (FCD) concentration. We tested several mechanisms based on the local strains or stresses in the tissue for the FCD loss. By choosing the degeneration threshold suggested for inducing chondrocyte apoptosis and cartilage matrix damage, the algorithm driven by the maximum shear strain showed the most substantial FCD losses around the lesion. This is consistent with experimental findings in the literature. We also observed that by using coordinate system-independent strain measures and selecting the degeneration threshold in an ad hoc manner, all the resulting FCD distributions would appear qualitatively similar, i.e., the greatest FCD losses are found at the tissue adjacent to the lesion. The proposed strain-based FCD degeneration algorithm shows a great potential for predicting the progression of PTOA via biomechanical stimuli. This could allow identification of high-risk defects with an increased risk of PTOA progression.

     

Do migrant birds have more pointed wings?: A comparative study

Summary Do birds that migrate over longer distances have more pointed wings than more sedentary birds? Within several bird genera, species differ considerably in their migration distances. This makes it possible to study the extent to which different taxa show similar morphological solutions to common selection pressures. I selected 14 species, two from each of seven passerine genera, to maximize within-genus differences in migration distance. Wing lengths and the lengths of eight primary feathers around the wing tip were measured to assess wing length and shape. Primary lengths were transformed to take into account the allometric relationship between the length of each feather and wing length and then collapsed into summary measures of shape by principal component analysis. I used the method of independent contrasts to address the effects of phylogeny. Wing length showed no relationship with migration distance. There was a correlation between migration distance and wing shape. It is concluded that long-distance migration has resulted in convergent morphological evolution of long distal and short proximal primaries, resulting in wing tips close to the leading edge of the wing.     

CRISPR/Cas9 screening using unique molecular identifiers

Loss‐of‐function screening by CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout with pooled, lentiviral guide libraries is a widely applicable method for systematic identification of genes contributing to diverse cellular phenotypes. Here, Random Sequence Labels (RSLs) are incorporated into the guide library, which act as unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) to allow massively parallel lineage tracing and lineage dropout screening. RSLs greatly improve the reproducibility of results by increasing both the precision and the accuracy of screens. They reduce the number of cells needed to reach a set statistical power, or allow a more robust screen using the same number of cells.     

Ubiquilin 1 modulates amyloid precursor protein trafficking and Abeta secretion

Ubiquilin 1 (UBQLN1) is a ubiquitin-like protein, which has been shown to play a central role in regulating the proteasomal degradation of various proteins, including the presenilins. We recently reported that DNA variants in UBQLN1 increase the risk for Alzheimer disease, by influencing expression of this gene in brain. Here we present the first assessment of the effects of UBQLN1 on the metabolism of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). For this purpose, we employed RNA interference to down-regulate UBQLN1 in a variety of neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines. We demonstrate that down-regulation of UBQLN1 accelerates the maturation and intracellular trafficking of APP, while not interfering with alpha-, beta-, or gamma-secretase levels or activity. UBQLN1 knockdown increased the ratio of APP mature/immature, increased levels of full-length APP on the cell surface, and enhanced the secretion of sAPP (alpha- and beta-forms). Moreover, UBQLN1 knockdown increased levels of secreted Abeta40 and Abeta42. Finally, employing a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based assay, we show that UBQLN1 and APP come into close proximity in intact cells, independently of the presence of the presenilins. Collectively, our findings suggest that UBQLN1 may normally serve as a cytoplasmic "gatekeeper" that may control APP trafficking from intracellular compartments to the cell surface. These findings suggest that changes in UBQLN1 steady-state levels affect APP trafficking and processing, thereby influencing the generation of Abeta.     

Kinetic modeling of hyperpolarized 13C label exchange between pyruvate and lactate in tumor cells

Measurements of the kinetics of hyperpolarized (13)C label exchange between [1-(13)C]pyruvate and lactate in suspensions of intact and lysed murine lymphoma cells, and in cells in which lactate dehydrogenase expression had been modulated by inhibition of the PI3K pathway, were used to determine quantitatively the role of enzyme activity and membrane transport in controlling isotope flux. Both steps were shown to share in the control of isotope flux in these cells. The kinetics of label exchange were well described by a kinetic model that employed rate constants for the lactate dehydrogenase reaction that had been determined previously from steady state kinetic studies. The enzyme showed pyruvate inhibition in steady state kinetic measurements, which the kinetic model predicted should also be observed in the isotope exchange measurements. However, no such pyruvate inhibition was observed in either intact cells or cell lysates and this could be explained by the much higher enzyme concentrations present in the isotope exchange experiments. The kinetic analysis presented here shows how lactate dehydrogenase activity can be determined from the isotope exchange measurements. The kinetic model should be useful for modeling the exchange reaction in vivo, particularly as this technique progresses to the clinic.