Genome sequence of Ensifer medicae strain WSM1115; an acid-tolerant Medicago-nodulating microsymbiont from Samothraki,Greece

Ensifer medicae strain WSM1115 forms effective nitrogen fixing symbioses with a range of annual Medicago species and is used in commercial inoculants in Australia. WSM1115 is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod. It was isolated from a nodule recovered from the root of burr medic (Medicago polymorpha) collected on the Greek Island of Samothraki. WSM1115 has a broad host range for nodulation and N₂ fixation capacity within the genus Medicago, although this does not extend to all medic species. WSM1115 is considered saprophytically competent in moderately acid soils (pH(CaCl₂) 5.0), but it has failed to persist at field sites where soil salinity exceeded 10 ECe (dS/m). Here we describe the features of E. medicae strain WSM1115, together with genome sequence information and its annotation. The 6,861,065 bp high-quality-draft genome is arranged into 7 scaffolds of 28 contigs, contains 6,789 protein-coding genes and 83 RNA-only encoding genes, and is one of 100 rhizobial genomes sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Genomic Encyclopedia for Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria (GEBA-RNB) project.     

Distribution and Environmental Suitability of the Smallscaled Rock Agama,Paralaudakia microlepis （Sauria： Agamidae） in the Iranian Plateau

Predictive potential distribution modeling is of increasing importance in modern herpetological studies and determination of environmental and conservation priorities. In this article we provided results of analysis and forecasts of the potential distribution of smallscaled rock agama Paralaudakia microlepis （Blanford, 1874） using the distribution models through Maxent （www.cs.princeton.edu/- schapire / maxent）. We made an attempt for comparison of input of bioclimatic factors and characteristics of biotope distribution for three species of genus Paralaudalda. Constructed model identified dissemination of Paralaudakia microlepis enough performance （AUC = 0.972 with dispersion 0.003）. According to the map constructed, the most suitable habitats of smallscaled rock agama Paralaudakia microlepis are located in southern and eastern Iran, the west of central Pakistan and southeastern Afghanistan.     

Muscle‐derived exophers promote reproductive fitness

Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscles release vesicles called exophers that transport muscle‐synthesized yolk proteins to nourish the next generation.     

Ten simple rules to host an inclusive conference

Conferences are spaces to meet and network within and across academic and technical fields, learn about new advances, and share our work. They can help define career paths and create long-lasting collaborations and opportunities. However, these opportunities are not equal for all. This article introduces 10 simple rules to host an inclusive conference based on the authors’ recent experience organizing the 2021 edition of the useR! statistical computing conference, which attracted a broad range of participants from academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. Coming from different backgrounds, career stages, and even continents, we embraced the challenge of organizing a high-quality virtual conference in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and making it a kind, inclusive, and accessible experience for as many people as possible. The rules result from our lessons learned before, during, and after the organization of the conference. They have been written mainly for potential organizers and selection committees of conferences and contain multiple practical tips to help a variety of events become more accessible and inclusive. We see this as a starting point for conversations and efforts towards building more inclusive conferences across the world. * Translated versions of the English abstract and the list of rules are available in 10 languages in S1 Text: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, and Thai.     

Cryptic phenology in plants: Case studies,implications, and recommendations

Plant phenology—the timing of cyclic or recurrent biological events in plants—offers insight into the ecology, evolution, and seasonality of plant‐mediated ecosystem processes. Traditionally studied phenologies are readily apparent, such as flowering events, germination timing, and season‐initiating budbreak. However, a broad range of phenologies that are fundamental to the ecology and evolution of plants, and to global biogeochemical cycles and climate change predictions, have been neglected because they are “cryptic”—that is, hidden from view (e.g., root production) or difficult to distinguish and interpret based on common measurements at typical scales of examination (e.g., leaf turnover in evergreen forests). We illustrate how capturing cryptic phenology can advance scientific understanding with two case studies: wood phenology in a deciduous forest of the northeastern USA and leaf phenology in tropical evergreen forests of Amazonia. Drawing on these case studies and other literature, we argue that conceptualizing and characterizing cryptic plant phenology is needed for understanding and accurate prediction at many scales from organisms to ecosystems. We recommend avenues of empirical and modeling research to accelerate discovery of cryptic phenological patterns, to understand their causes and consequences, and to represent these processes in terrestrial biosphere models.     

Effect of copper nanoparticles administered in ovo on the activity of proliferating cells and on the resistance of femoral bones in broiler chickens

The objective of this study was to evaluate bone resistance after in ovo administration of copper nanoparticles (NanoCu) and to determine the number of cells positive for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the femoral bones of broiler chickens (n = 12 per group). The study demonstrated that femoral bones from the NanoCu group were characterised by a higher weight and volume and by significantly greater resistance to fractures compared to the Control group. NanoCu promoted the proliferation of PCNA-positive cells in the long bones of chickens. A significantly higher number of PCNA-positive cells in the bones of birds in the NanoCu group compared with the Control group (137 and 122, respectively) indicate a stimulatory effect during embryogenesis. Considering the improvement in bone resistance to fractures and the effect of NanoCu on the number of PCNA-positive cells in femoral bones, NanoCu may be an alternative agent to minimise the ever-present problem of weak bones in broiler chickens.     

Mutation Analysis of BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 and BRD7 in a Hospital-Based Series of German Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast carcinoma with a poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that some patients with TNBC harbour germ-line mutations in DNA repair genes which may render their tumours susceptible to novel therapies such as treatment with PARP inhibitors. In the present study, we have investigated a hospital-based series of 40 German patients with TNBC for the presence of germ-line mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, and BRD7 genes. Microfluidic array PCR and next-generation sequencing was used for BRCA1 and BRCA2 analysis while conventional high-resolution melting and Sanger sequencing was applied to study the coding regions of PALB2 and BRD7, respectively. Truncating mutations in BRCA1 were found in six patients, and truncating mutations in BRCA2 and PALB2 were detected in one patient each, whereas no truncating mutation was identified in BRD7. One patient was a double heterozygote for the PALB2 mutation, c.758insT, and a BRCA1 mutation, c.927delA. Our results confirm in a hospital-based setting that a substantial proportion of German TNBC patients (17.5%) harbour germ-line mutations in genes involved in homology-directed DNA repair, with a preponderance of BRCA1 mutations. Triple-negative breast cancer should be considered as an additional criterion for future genetic counselling and diagnostic sequencing.     

DNA vaccination can break immunological tolerance to PrP in wild-type mice and attenuates prion disease after intracerebral challenge

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) can be ameliorated by prion protein (PrP)-specific antibodies, but active immunization is complicated by immune tolerance to the normal cellular host protein (PrP(C)). Here, we show that DNA immunization of wild-type mice can break immune tolerance against the prion protein, resulting in the induction of PrP-specific antibody and T-cell responses. PrP immunogenicity was increased by fusion to the lysosomal targeting signal from LIMPII (lysosomal integral membrane protein type II). Although mice immunized with a PrP-LIMPII DNA vaccine showed a dramatic delay in the onset of early disease signs after intracerebral challenge, immunization against PrP also had some deleterious effects. These results clearly confirm the feasibility of using active immunization to protect against TSEs and, in the absence of effective treatments, indicate a suitable alternative for combating the spread of these diseases.     

N-terminal region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eRF3 is essential for the functioning of the eRF1/eRF3 complex beyond translation termination

Background  

Termination of translation in eukaryotes requires two release factors, eRF1, which recognizes all three nonsense codons and facilitates release of the nascent polypeptide chain, and eRF3 stimulating translation termination in a GTP-depended manner. eRF3 from different organisms possess a highly conservative C region (eRF3C), which is responsible for the function in translation termination, and almost always contain the N-terminal extension, which is inessential and vary both in structure and length. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the N-terminal region of eRF3 is responsible for conversion of this protein into the aggregated and functionally inactive prion form.