Intraspecific trait variation and colonization sequence alter community assembly and disease epidemics

When individuals from multiple populations colonize a new habitat patch, intraspecific trait variation can make the arrival order of colonists an important factor for subsequent population and community dynamics. In particular, intraspecific priority effects (IPEs) allow early arrivers to limit the growth or establishment of later arrivers, even when competitively inferior on a per‐capita basis. Through their effects on genes and traits, IPEs can alter short‐term growth and long‐term evolutionary change in single species metapopulations. Given their importance for intraspecific interactions, IPEs in a dominant species have the potential to affect the composition of entire communities. We conducted an experiment to determine whether and how arrival order and IPEs in the zooplankter Daphnia pulex affected its interactions with both competitors (the cladoceran Simocephalus vetulus) and parasites (the virulent fungus Metschnikowia bicuspidata). We found strong evidence for IPEs in Daphnia, as early arrivers inhibited late arrivers even when competitively inferior. These IPEs in Daphnia altered both the establishment success of interspecific competitors and the size of disease epidemics: early colonization by fast‐growing D. pulex led to large Daphnia populations and low competitor establishment, but large disease epidemics. Early colonization by slow‐growing D. pulex, on the other hand, resulted in small Daphnia populations with high competitor establishment, but smaller disease epidemics. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of intraspecific variation and arrival order for community dynamics, and highlight IPEs as a general mechanism driving variation in natural communities.     

A compact unc45b‐promoter drives muscle‐specific expression in zebrafish and mouse

Summary: Gene therapeutic approaches to cure genetic diseases require tools to express the rescuing gene exclusively within the affected tissues. Viruses are often chosen as gene transfer vehicles but they have limited capacity for genetic information to be carried and transduced. In addition, to avoid off‐target effects the therapeutic gene should be driven by a tissue‐specific promoter in order to ensure expression in the target organs, tissues, or cell populations. The larger the promoter, the less space will be left for the respective gene. Thus, there is a need for small but tissue‐specific promoters. Here, we describe a compact unc45b promoter fragment of 195 bp that retains the ability to drive gene expression exclusively in skeletal and cardiac muscle in zebrafish and mouse. Remarkably, the described unc45b promoter fragment not only drives muscle‐specific expression but presents heat‐shock inducibility, allowing a temporal and spatial quantity control of (trans)gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that the transgenic expression of the smyd1b gene driven by the unc45b promoter fragment is able to rescue the embryonically lethal heart and skeletal muscle defects in smyd1b‐deficient flatline mutant zebrafish. Our findings demonstrate that the described muscle‐specific unc45b promoter fragment might be a valuable tool for the development of genetic therapies in patients suffering from myopathies. genesis 54:431–438, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. Genesis Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Two-tier vessel for photoautotrophic high-density cultures

Two-tier vessels, developed for culturing of microalgae and cyanobacteria at high cell density on a shaken platform, were assembled from a flat lower chamber to be filled with a CO₂ buffer and an upper flat sterile chamber for the culture that was separated from the lower chamber by a porous polypropylene membrane. Diffusive gas exchange with the atmosphere was controlled by the O₂ outlet channel. Referred to surface area, rates of CO₂ transfer to a shaken weakly alkaline buffer solution across the membrane were higher than those reached on the conventional pathway through the free upper liquid surface. Membrane-mediated CO₂ supply enabled rapid growth of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 up to ultrahigh cell density. The biomass (dry weight) concentration of Synechococcus cultures reached more than 30 g L^?1 on a buffered medium with adequate concentrations of mineral nutrients. An increase of 15 to 20 g L^?1 was observed during repeated two-day cycles. Separate pathways for CO₂ supply and oxygen outlet prevented significant loss of CO₂. Convective gas flow through the oxygen outlet channel enabled the estimation of the O₂ generation rate. The permeability of the channel for diffusive O₂/N₂ exchange limited the O₂ concentration to a moderate value. It is concluded that shaken flat cultures using CO₂ supply through a porous hydrophobic membrane and diffusive release of O₂ through a separate pathway are promising for research on microalgae and cyanobacteria.     

Comparison of methods to determine the centre of resistance of teeth

In orthodontic treatment, the locations of the centre of resistance (CR) of individual teeth and the applied load system are the major determinants for the type of tooth movement achieved. Currently, CR locations have only been specified for a relatively small number of tooth specimen for research purposes. Analysing cone beam computed tomography data samples from three upper central incisors, this study explores whether the effort to establish accurate CR estimates can be reduced by (i) morphing a pre-existing simplified finite element (FE) mesh to fit to the segmented 3D tooth-bone model, and (ii) individualizing a mean CR location according to a small parameter set characterising the morphology of the tooth and its embedding. The FE morphing approach and the semi-analytical approach led to CR estimates that differ in average only 0.04 and 0.12 mm respectively from those determined by very time-consuming individual FE modelling (standard method). Both approaches may help to estimate the movement of individual teeth during orthodontic treatment and, thus, increase the therapeutic efficacy.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of altersolanol A and N

The development of the first enantioselective total synthesis of altersolanol N is reported. The decisive step of the synthesis is the enantioselective formation of the tetrahydroanthraquinone nucleus by a [4 + 2]-cycloaddition in high yield and with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity (>95:5 dr and 95:5 er). In addition, a demanding selective monoacetylation of the OH group at the C-2 position was achieved: an epoxide ring opening with the participation of a neighbouring acetyl group could be established. The route proved to be an efficient alternative to also access enantiomerically pure altersolanol A.     

Sorting and pooling strategy: a novel tool to map a virus proteome for CD8 T-cell epitopes

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity in immunocompromised individuals. However, no efficient vaccine has been developed to date. Identification of T-cell target proteins and epitopes is crucial not only for developing a successful immunization strategy, but also for new approaches using adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T-cells. The CMV genome has more than 200 open reading frames potentially coding for as many proteins. Here, we describe a robust, fast, and simple SPOT synthesis strategy, which allowed us to micro-synthesize every possible CD8 T-cell epitope in the entire potential CMV proteome. So far, 9069 of these peptides have been tested in an ex vivo T-cell stimulation assay. As well as confirming a number of previously known epitopes, we identified several new ones.     

Improvement of femoral bone-cement adhesion in cemented revision hip arthroplasty by application of an amphiphilic bonder in a dynamic femur expulsion testing in vitro ]

Cemented femoral stems have shown decreased longevity compared to cementless implants in hip revision arthroplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an amphiphilic bonder on bone cement stability in a biomechanical femur expulsion test. A simplified hip simulator test setup with idealised femur stem specimens was carried out. The stems were implanted into bovine femurs (group 1: no bonder, n=10; group 2: bonder including glutaraldehyde, n=10; group 3: bonder without glutaraldehyde, n=10). A dynamic loading (maximum load: 800 N; minimum load: 100 N; frequency: 3 Hz; 105 cycles) was performed. Subsequently, the stem specimens were expulsed axially out of their implant beds and maximum load at failure was recorded. The static controls showed a mean maximum load to failure of 4123 N in group 1, 8357.5 N in group 2 and 5830.8 N in group 3. After dynamic loading, the specimens of group 2 reached the highest load to failure (8191.5 N), followed by group 3 (5649.5 N) and group 1 (3462 N), respectively. In group 2, we observed nine periprosthetic fractures at a load of 8400 N without signs of interface loosening. Application of an amphiphilic bonder led to a significant improvement of bonding stability, especially when glutaraldehyde was added to the bonder. This technique might offer an increased longevity of cemented femur revision stems in total hip replacement.