Community ecology theory predicts the effects of agrochemical mixtures on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem properties

Ecosystems are often exposed to mixtures of chemical contaminants, but the scientific community lacks a theoretical framework to predict the effects of mixtures on biodiversity and ecosystem properties. We conducted a freshwater mesocosm experiment to examine the effects of pairwise agrochemical mixtures [fertiliser, herbicide (atrazine), insecticide (malathion) and fungicide (chlorothalonil)] on 24 species‐ and seven ecosystem‐level responses. As postulated, the responses of biodiversity and ecosystem properties to agrochemicals alone and in mixtures was predictable by integrating information on each functional group's (1) sensitivity to the chemicals (direct effects), (2) reproductive rates (recovery rates), (3) interaction strength with other functional groups (indirect effects) and (4) links to ecosystem properties. These results show that community ecology theory holds promise for predicting the effects of contaminant mixtures on biodiversity and ecosystem services and yields recommendations on which types of agrochemicals to apply together and separately to reduce their impacts on aquatic ecosystems.     

Deoxysugar transfer during chromomycin A3 biosynthesis in Streptomyces griseus subsp. griseus: new derivatives with antitumor activity

Chromomycin A3 is an antitumor drug produced by Streptomyces griseus subsp. griseus. It consists of a tricyclic aglycone with two aliphatic side chains and two O-glycosidically linked saccharide chains, a disaccharide of 4-O-acetyl-D-oliose (sugar A) and 4-O-methyl-D-oliose (sugar B), and a trisaccharide of D-olivose (sugar C), D-olivose (sugar D), and 4-O-acetyl-L-chromose B (sugar E). The chromomycin gene cluster contains four glycosyltransferase genes (cmmGI, cmmGII, cmmGIII, and cmmGIV), which were independently inactivated through gene replacement, generating mutants C60GI, C10GII, C10GIII, and C10GIV. Mutants C10GIV and C10GIII produced the known compounds premithramycinone and premithramycin A1, respectively, indicating the involvement of CmmGIV and CmmGIII in the sequential transfer of sugars C and D and possibly also of sugar E of the trisaccharide chain, to the 12a position of the tetracyclic intermediate premithramycinone. Mutant C10GII produced two new tetracyclic compounds lacking the disaccharide chain at the 8 position, named prechromomycin A3 and prechromomycin A2. All three compounds accumulated by mutant C60GI were tricyclic and lacked sugar B of the disaccharide chain, and they were named prechromomycin A4, 4A-O-deacetyl-3A-O-acetyl-prechromomycin A4, and 3A-O-acetyl-prechromomycin A4. CmmGII and CmmGI are therefore responsible for the formation of the disaccharide chain by incorporating, in a sequential manner, two D-oliosyl residues to the 8 position of the biosynthetic intermediate prechromomycin A3. A biosynthetic pathway is proposed for the glycosylation events in chromomycin A3 biosynthesis.     

Community ecology as a framework for predicting contaminant effects

Most ecosystems receive an assortment of anthropogenic chemicals from the thousands possible, making it important to identify a predictive theory for their direct and indirect effects. Here, we propose that the impacts of contaminants can be simplified and unified under the framework of community ecology. This approach offers predictions of the strength and direction of indirect effects, which species are crucial for propagating these effects, which communities will be sensitive to contaminants, and which contaminants will be most insidious to communities. We discuss insights offered by this approach, potential limitations and extensions, outstanding questions, and its value for integrated pest management, ecological risk assessment, and the development of remediation and ecosystem management strategies.     

High-throughput peptide mass mapping using a microdevice containing trypsin immobilized on a porous polymer monolith coupled to MALDI TOF and ESI TOF mass spectrometers

An enzymatic microreactor with a volume of 470 nL has been prepared by immobilizing trypsin on a 10 cm long reactive porous polymer monolith located in a 100 microm i.d. fused silica capillary. This reactor affords suitable degrees of digestion of proteins even after very short residence times of less than 1 min. The performance is demonstrated with the digestion of eight proteins ranging in molecular mass from 2848 to 77 754. The digests were analyzed using mass spectrometry in two modes: off-line MALDI and in-line nanoelectrospray ionization. The large numbers of identified peptides enable a high degree of sequence coverage and positive identification of the proteins. The extent of sequence coverage decreases as the molecular mass of the digested protein increases.     

Novel membrane bioreactor: Able to cope with fluctuating loads, poorly water soluble VOCs, and biomass accumulation

We determined the effect of different mixing intensities on the performance, methanogenic population dynamics, and juxtaposition of syntrophic microbes in anaerobic digesters treating cow manure from a dairy farm. Computer automated radioactive particle tracking in conjunction with computational fluid dynamics was performed to quantify the shear levels locally. Four continuously stirred anaerobic digesters were operated at different mixing intensities of 1,500, 500, 250, and 50 revolutions per min (RPM) over a 260-day period at a temperature of 34 +/- 1 degrees C. Animal manure at a volatile solids (VS) concentration of 50 g/L was fed into the digesters daily at five different organic loading rates between 0.6 and 3.5 g VS/L day. The different mixing intensities had no effect on the biogas production rates and yields at steady-state conditions. A methane yield of 0.241 +/- 0.007 L CH(4)/g VS fed was obtained by pooling the data of all four digesters during steady-state periods. However, digester performance was affected negatively by mixing intensity during startup of the digesters, with lower biogas production rates and higher volatile fatty acids concentrations observed for the 1,500-RPM digester. Despite similar methane production yields and rates, the acetoclastic methanogenic populations were different for the high- and low-intensity mixed digesters with Methanosarcina spp. and Methanosaeta concilii as the predominant methanogens, respectively. For all four digesters, epifluorescence microscopy revealed decreasing microbial floc sizes beginning at week 4 and continuing through week 26 after which no microbial flocs remained. This decrease in size, and subsequent loss of microbial flocs did not, however, produce any long-term upsets in digester performance.     

Characterization of the terminal activation step catalyzed by oxygenase CmmOIV of the chromomycin biosynthetic pathway from Streptomyces griseus

Inactivation and initial interrogation of key oxygenase CmmOIV of the biosynthetic pathway of chromomycin A(3) in Streptomyces griseus ssp. griseus revealed that a completely methylated and acetylated prechromomycin is the preferred substrate of this enzyme. This suggests that the three sugar decoration reactions, two O-acetylations and an O-methylation, which were previously believed to occur as the final steps of chromomycin A(3) biosynthesis, indeed take place prior to the CmmOIV reaction. Upon inactivation of CmmOIV, four new compounds accumulated; the fully decorated prechromomycin and its incompletely acetylated precursor along with a diketoprechromomycin-type compound were fully characterized and assayed with CmmOIV.     

Seasonal Variation of Dystocia in a Large Danish Cohort

Background

Dystocia is one of the most frequent causes of cesarean delivery in nulliparous women. Despite this, its causes are largely unknown. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been found in the myometrium. Thus, it is possible that vitamin D affects the contractility of the myometrium and may be involved in the pathogenesis of dystocia. Seasonal variation of dystocia in areas with distinct seasonal variation in sunlight exposure, like Denmark, could imply that vitamin D may play a role. This study examined whether there was seasonal variation in the incidence of dystocia in a Danish population.

Method

We used information from a cohort of 34,261 nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies, spontaneous onset of labor between 37 and 42 completed gestational weeks, and vertex fetal presentation. All women gave birth between 1992 and 2010 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby. Logistic regression combined with cubic spline was used to estimate the seasonal variation for each outcome after adjusting for calendar time.

Results

No evidence for seasonal variation was found for any of the outcomes: acute cesarean delivery due to dystocia (p = 0.44); instrumental vaginal delivery due to dystocia (p = 0.69); oxytocin augmentation due to dystocia (p = 0.46); and overall dystocia (p = 0.91).

Conclusion

No seasonal variation in the incidence of dystocia was observed in a large cohort of Danish women. This may reflect no association between vitamin D and dystocia, or alternatively that other factors with seasonal variation and influence on the occurrence of dystocia attenuate such an association.     

Epiphyte and herbivore interactions impact recruitment in a marine subtidal system

Marine assemblages are influenced by the rate and timing of species settlement and recruitment. Both abiotic factors and biotic interactions can impact recruitment rates of marine species in a variety of systems. However, the impacts of species which recruit at the same time upon each other are less well understood. We investigated the relationship between the recruitment of Lacuna vincta, a small (<6 mm shell diameter) marine snail, and two species of algal epiphytes, the native Ceramium virgatum and the invasive Neosiphonia harveyi, in the shallow subtidal zone of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. All three species exhibit peak recruitment densities during two months in the summer. We found that the presence of algal epiphytes facilitates the recruitment rate of L. vincta, regardless of the epiphyte species composition. We also found a positive relationship between the number of L. vincta present and epiphyte recruitment, which is disproportionately driven by higher recruitment of N. harveyi than C. virgatum. Understanding recruitment dynamics and interactions is vital to effectively mitigate the effects of and adaptations to changes due to the establishment of non-native species.