Eradication of rabbits from islets is essential for conservation of microinsular vegetation and narrow endangered flora: the case of Medicago citrina (Fabaceae) in s’Espartar islet (Balearic Islands,Western Mediterranean Basin)

Biodiversity and Conservation - The introduction of exotic herbivores to islands is one of the most harmful challenges to the conservation of insular biodiversity, causing the extinction or...     

The role of the southern water vole Arvicola sapidus in the diet of predators: a review

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Chromothripsis in Healthy Individuals Affects Multiple Protein-Coding Genes and Can Result in Severe Congenital Abnormalities in Offspring

Chromothripsis represents an extreme class of complex chromosome rearrangements (CCRs) with major effects on chromosomal architecture. Although recent studies have associated chromothripsis with congenital abnormalities, the incidence and pathogenic effects of this phenomenon require further investigation. Here, we analyzed the genomes of three families in which chromothripsis rearrangements were transmitted from a mother to her child. The chromothripsis in the mothers resulted in completely balanced rearrangements involving 8–23 breakpoint junctions across three to five chromosomes. Two mothers did not show any phenotypic abnormalities, although 3–13 protein-coding genes were affected by breakpoints. Unbalanced but stable transmission of a subset of the derivative chromosomes caused apparently de novo complex copy-number changes in two children. This resulted in gene-dosage changes, which are probably responsible for the severe congenital phenotypes of these two children. In contrast, the third child, who has a severe congenital disease, harbored all three chromothripsis chromosomes from his healthy mother, but one of the chromosomes acquired de novo rearrangements leading to copy-number changes. These results show that the human genome can tolerate extreme reshuffling of chromosomal architecture, including breakage of multiple protein-coding genes, without noticeable phenotypic effects. The presence of chromothripsis in healthy individuals affects reproduction and is expected to substantially increase the risk of miscarriages, abortions, and severe congenital disease.     

Understanding non-enzymatic aminophospholipid glycation and its inhibition. Polar head features affect the kinetics of Schiff base formation

Non-enzymatic aminophospholipid glycation is an especially important process because it alters the stability of lipid bilayers and interferes with cell function and integrity as a result. However, the kinetic mechanism behind this process has scarcely been studied. As in protein glycation, the process has been suggested to involve the formation of a Schiff base as the initial, rate-determining step. In this work, we conducted a comparative kinetic study of Schiff base formation under physiological conditions in three low-molecular weight analogues of polar heads in the naturally occurring aminophospholipids O-phosphorylethanolamine (PEA), O-phospho-DL-serine (PSer) and 2-aminoethylphenethylphosphate (APP) with various glycating carbonyl compounds (glucose, arabinose and acetol) and the lipid glycation inhibitor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP). Based on the results, the presence of a phosphate group and a carboxyl group in α position respect to the amino group decrease the formation constant for the Schiff base relative to amino acids. On the other hand, esterifying the phosphate group with a non-polar substituent in APP increases the stability of its Schiff base. The observed kinetic formation constants of aminophosphates with carbonyl groups were smaller than those for PLP. Our results constitute an important contribution to understanding the competitive inhibition effect of PLP on aminophospholipid glycation.     

Effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy for the treatment of catastrophisation in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomised controlled trial

Introduction  

No randomised, controlled trials have been conducted to date on the efficacy of psychological and pharmacological treatments of pain catastrophising (PC) in patients with fibromyalgia. Our aim in this study was to assess the effectiveness of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) and the recommended pharmacological treatment (RPT) compared with treatment as usual (TAU) at the primary care level for the treatment of PC in fibromyalgia patients.     

Indirect DNA readout by an H-NS related protein: structure of the DNA complex of the C-terminal domain of Ler

Ler, a member of the H-NS protein family, is the master regulator of the LEE pathogenicity island in virulent Escherichia coli strains. Here, we determined the structure of a complex between the DNA-binding domain of Ler (CT-Ler) and a 15-mer DNA duplex. CT-Ler recognizes a preexisting structural pattern in the DNA minor groove formed by two consecutive regions which are narrower and wider, respectively, compared with standard B-DNA. The compressed region, associated with an AT-tract, is sensed by the side chain of Arg90, whose mutation abolishes the capacity of Ler to bind DNA. The expanded groove allows the approach of the loop in which Arg90 is located. This is the first report of an experimental structure of a DNA complex that includes a protein belonging to the H-NS family. The indirect readout mechanism not only explains the capacity of H-NS and other H-NS family members to modulate the expression of a large number of genes but also the origin of the specificity displayed by Ler. Our results point to a general mechanism by which horizontally acquired genes may be specifically recognized by members of the H-NS family.     

MASISH: a database for gene expression in maize seeds

Grass seeds are complex organs composed by multiple tissues and cell types that develop coordinately to produce a viable embryo. The identification of genes involved in seed development is of great interest, but systematic spatial analyses of gene expression on maize seeds at the cell level have not yet been performed. MASISH is an online database holding information for gene expression spatial patterns in maize seeds based on in situ hybridization experiments. The web-based query interface allows the execution of gene queries and provides hybridization images, published references and information of the analyzed genes. AVAILABILITY: http://masish.uab.cat/.