A spatial analytical approach for selecting reintroduction sites for burbot in English rivers

1. Availability of suitable habitat is a prerequisite for species reintroduction success, and to ensure population persistence, investigations of a species’ habitat utilisation throughout its life history should be conducted as part of a feasibility study. 2. Habitat utilisation models for burbot, Lota lota, developed using data from field studies conducted in France and Germany and information from the literature were used to assess the feasibility of reintroducing burbot into rivers of its former native range in eastern England. 3. Per cent tree roots, aquatic vegetation and flow types were important predictors of adult burbot abundance. Furthermore, the habitat utilisation models were supplemented with information from the literature, which suggested that off‐channel habitat such as wetlands and backwaters is important for spawning and nursery stages. 4. An assessment of the habitat availability in the rivers of the burbot’s former native range using variables related to spawning and nursery and adult life stages showed that although adult habitat was widely distributed, the availability of spawning and nursery habitat was less abundant, potentially limiting successful reestablishment. 5. Potential suitable habitat was concentrated in the central and southern areas of the species’ former English distribution. Overall, rivers of the burbot’s former range potentially afford suitable habitat to sustain a reintroduced population. However, sites should be preferentially selected on the basis of having appropriate spawning and nursery areas.     

Cell Therapy: A Safe and Efficacious Therapeutic Treatment for Alzheimer��s Disease in APP+PS1 Mice

Previously, our lab was the first to report the use of antigen-sensitized dendritic cells as a vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In preparation of this vaccine, we sensitized the isolated dendritic cells ex vivo with Aβ peptide, and administered these sensitized dendritic cells as a therapeutic agent. This form of cell therapy has had success in preventing and/or slowing the rate of cognitive decline when administered prior to the appearance of Aβ plaques in PDAPP mice, but has not been tested in 2×Tg models. Herein, we test the efficacy and safety of this vaccine in halting and reversing Alzheimer’s pathology in 9-month-old APP+PS1 mice. The results showed that administration of this vaccine elicits a long-lasting antibody titer, which correlated well with a reduction of Aβ burden upon histological analysis. Cognitive function in transgenic responders to the vaccine was rescued to levels similar to those found in non-transgenic mice, indicating that the vaccine is capable of providing therapeutic benefit in APP+PS1 mice when administered after the onset of AD pathology. The vaccine also shows indications of circumventing past safety problems observed in AD immunotherapy, as Th1 pro-inflammatory cytokines were not elevated after long-term vaccine administration. Moreover, microhemorrhaging and T-cell infiltration into the brain are not observed in any of the treated subjects. All in all, this vaccine has many advantages over contemporary vaccines against Alzheimer’s disease, and may lead to a viable treatment for the disease in the future.     

Does genetic diversity of restored sites differ from natural sites? A comparison of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vallisneria americana</Emphasis> (Hydrocharitaceae) populations within the Chesapeake Bay

The goal of ecological restoration is to re-establish self-sustaining ecosystems that will resist future perturbation without additional human input. We focus here on the re-establishment of submersed aquatic macrophyte beds in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay estuary. Degraded environmental conditions are often to blame for poor bed establishment, but genetic factors could also be contributing to low survival. We quantified the effect of restoration practices on genetic diversity in the submersed aquatic plant species Vallisneria americana Michx. (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Chesapeake Bay. In 2007, we collected 440 shoots from 8 restored/natural site pairs and 4 restoration stock repositories, and genotyped those individuals at 10 microsatellite loci. Restoration practices do not appear to negatively impact genetic diversity, and basic measures of genetic diversity within restored sites overlap with natural sites. However, small population size of restored sites, significant inbreeding coefficients within 3 sites, and low overlap of allele composition among sites provide cause for concern. These problems are relatively minor, and we propose several corrections that would alleviate them altogether. Managers should be encouraged by our findings as well as the current state of the genetic diversity within V. americana restoration efforts.     

The immunoglobulin allotypes (Gm and Km) of twelve Indian Tribes of Central and South America

The Gm and Km immunoglobulin allotypes are presented, for the first time, for six South American Indian tribes (Baniwa, Kanamari, Kraho, Makiritare, Panoa, and Ticuna) and one Central American tribe (Guaymi). Additional allotype information is presented for five previously reported South American tribes (Cayapo, Piaroa, Trio, Xavante and Yanomama). The distributions of the Gm and Km allotypes among all the tribal populations tested to date are reviewed and evidence is presented for the presence of a north (high) -south (low) cline in Km frequency. The wave theory of the populating of the South American continent was tested by an examination of the distribution of six alleles (Gm^ax;g, Gm^a;b0,3,t, Di^a, R^z, TF^D Chi, and 6PGD^C), absent in some populations but with polymorphic proportions in others. The present, limited, data failed to confirm the theory.     

Organization of Enzyme Concentration across the Metabolic Network in Cancer Cells

Rapid advances in mass spectrometry have allowed for estimates of absolute concentrations across entire proteomes, permitting the interrogation of many important biological questions. Here, we focus on a quantitative aspect of human cancer cell metabolism that has been limited by a paucity of available data on the abundance of metabolic enzymes. We integrate data from recent measurements of absolute protein concentration to analyze the statistics of protein abundance across the human metabolic network. At a global level, we find that the enzymes in glycolysis comprise approximately half of the total amount of metabolic proteins and can constitute up to 10% of the entire proteome. We then use this analysis to investigate several outstanding problems in cancer metabolism, including the diversion of glycolytic flux for biosynthesis, the relative contribution of nitrogen assimilating pathways, and the origin of cellular redox potential. We find many consistencies with current models, identify several inconsistencies, and find generalities that extend beyond current understanding. Together our results demonstrate that a relatively simple analysis of the abundance of metabolic enzymes was able to reveal many insights into the organization of the human cancer cell metabolic network.