Using taxonomically unbiased criteria to prioritize resource allocation for oceanic island species conservation

Oceanic islands have been the grand stage of documented extinctions. In view of limited resources, efficient prioritization is crucial to avoid the extinction of taxa. This work lists the top 100 management priority species for the European archipelagos of the Macaronesian region (Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands), taking into account both their protection priority and their management feasibility. Bryophytes, vascular plants, molluscs, arthropods and vertebrates were scored by species experts following two sets of criteria: (i) protection priority, including ecological value, singularity, public institutions’ management responsibilities and social value; (ii) management feasibility, including threats knowledge and control feasibility, external socio-economical support for management and biological recovery potential. Environmental managers weighted the same criteria according to their management importance. Final species scores were determined by the combination of both species valuation and criteria weighting. Vascular plants dominate the Top 100 list, followed by arthropods and vertebrates. The majority of listed taxa are endemic to one archipelago or even to a single island. The management feasibility criteria did not dictate that all taxa must be eminently endangered, as for most of the species it should be relatively easy to control threats. The main advantages of this process are the independent participation of scientists and conservation managers, the inclusion of criteria on both protection priority and management feasibility and the taxonomically unbiased nature of the process. This study provides a potentially useful biodiversity conservation tool for the Macaronesian archipelagos that could be readily implemented by the respective regional governments in future legislation.     

Increased oxidation, glycoxidation, and lipoxidation of brain proteins in prion disease

The basic molecular underpinnings of the pathological changes that unfold in prion disease remain elusive. A key role of increased oxidative stress has been hypothesized. Given the transient nature of most intermediate molecules implicated, increased oxidative stress is better assessed by quantitating the damage it causes to macromolecules. We used mass spectrometry-based methods to measure specific products of protein oxidation, glycoxidation, and lipoxidation in brains from patients suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Syrian hamsters affected by scrapie. In both cases, increased amounts of glutamic and aminoadipic semialdehydes, products of metal-catalyzed oxidation, malondialdehydelysine (a product of lipoxidation), N-epsilon-carboxyethyllysine (a product of glycoxidation), and N-epsilon-carboxymethyllysine (generated by lipoxidation and glycoxidation) were measured. PrP(Sc), the infectious isoform of the prion protein that accumulates in prion disease, was itself shown to be a target of increased oxidative modification. These changes were accompanied by alterations in fatty acid composition and increased phosphorylation of ERK(1/2) and p38, protein kinases known to respond to increased flows of ROS. These data support an important role of oxidative damage in the pathology of prion disease.     

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) as neuronal receptor for α-synuclein

The term ‘prion-like’ is used to define some misfolded protein species that propagate intercellularly, triggering protein aggregation in recipient cells. For cell binding, both direct plasma membrane interaction and membrane receptors have been described for particular amyloids. In this respect, emerging evidence demonstrates that several β-sheet enriched proteins can bind to the cellular prion protein (PrP^C). Among other interactions, the physiological relevance of the binding between β-amyloid and PrP^C has been a relevant focus of numerous studies. At the molecular level, published data point to the second charged cluster domain of the PrP^C molecule as the relevant binding domain of the β-amyloid/PrP^C interaction. In addition to β-amyloid, participation of PrP^C in binding α-synuclein, responsible for neurodegenerative synucleopathies, has been reported. Although results indicate relevant participation of PrP^C in the spreading of α-synuclein in living mice, the physiological relevance of the interaction remains elusive. In this comment, we focus our attention on summarizing current knowledge of PrP^C as a receptor for amyloid proteins and its physiological significance, with particular focus on α-synuclein.     

A colonization factor (production of lateral flagella) of mesophilic Aeromonas spp. is inactive in Aeromonas salmonicida strains

The nine laf (lateral flagellum) genes of mesophilic aeromonads are in the Aeromonas salmonicida genome. The laf genes are functional, except for lafA (flagellin gene), which was inactivated by transposase 8 (IS3 family). A pathogenic characteristic of mesophilic aeromonads (lateral flagella) is abolished in this specialized pathogen with a narrow host range.     

A Colonization Factor (Production of Lateral Flagella) of Mesophilic Aeromonas spp. Is Inactive in Aeromonas salmonicida Strains

The nine laf (lateral flagellum) genes of mesophilic aeromonads are in the Aeromonas salmonicida genome. The laf genes are functional, except for lafA (flagellin gene), which was inactivated by transposase 8 (IS3 family). A pathogenic characteristic of mesophilic aeromonads (lateral flagella) is abolished in this specialized pathogen with a narrow host range.     

Capturing candidate drought tolerance traits in two native Andean potato clones by transcription profiling of field grown plants under water stress.

Candidate traits for drought tolerance were targeted by analyzing water stress responses in two moderately drought-tolerant native Andean potato clones, SA2563 and Sullu (Solanum tuberosum L. subsp, andigena (Juz, Bukasov) Hawkes) under field conditions. SA2563 exhibited increased root growth under drought, while Sullu retained a higher relative leaf water content. Gene expression profiling using the TIGR 10 K microarray revealed 1713 significantly differentially expressed genes, 186 of these genes were up-regulated in both clones. In addition to these commonly up-regulated genes, each clone induced a specific gene set in response to drought. Gene expression and metabolite analysis pinpointed candidate traits for drought tolerance present either in one or both of the clones under investigation. These traits included osmotic adjustment, changes in carbohydrate metabolism, membrane modifications, strengthening of cuticle and cell rescue mechanisms, such as detoxification of oxygen radicals and protein stabilization. Many of the up-regulated genes have been identified previously in laboratory studies on model plants using shock treatments, and the present study confirms the importance of these factors under field conditions.     

Development and comparison of stream indices of biotic integrity using diatoms vs. non-diatom algae vs. a combination

Stream algal indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) are generally based entirely or largely on diatoms, because non-diatom (“soft”) algae can be difficult to quantify and taxonomically challenging, thus calling into question their practicality and cost-effectiveness for use as bioindicators. Little has been published rigorously evaluating the strengths of diatom vs. soft algae-based indices, or how they compare to indices combining these assemblages. Using a set of ranked evaluation criteria, we compare indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) (developed for southern California streams) that incorporate different combinations of algal assemblages. We split a large dataset into independent “calibration” and “validation” subsets, then used the calibration subset to screen candidate metrics with respect to degree of responsiveness to anthropogenic stress, metric score distributions, and signal-to-noise ratio. The highest-performing metrics were combined into a total of 25 IBIs comprising either single-assemblage metrics (based on either diatoms or soft algae, including cyanobacteria) or combinations of metrics representing the two assemblages (for “hybrid IBIs”). Performance of all IBIs was assessed based on: responsiveness to anthropogenic stress (in terms of surrounding land uses and a composite water-chemistry gradient) using the validation data, and evaluated based on signal-to-noise ratio, metric redundancy, and degree of indifference to natural gradients. Hybrid IBIs performed best overall based on our evaluation. Single-assemblage IBIs ranked lower than hybrids vis-à-vis the abovementioned performance attributes, but may be considered appropriate for routine monitoring applications. Trade-offs inherent in the use of the different algal assemblages, and types of IBI, should be taken into consideration when designing an algae-based stream bioassessment program.