Acknowledging uncertainty in evolutionary reconstructions of ecological niches

Reconstructing ecological niche evolution can provide insight into the biogeography and diversification of evolving lineages. However, comparative phylogenetic methods may infer the history of ecological niche evolution inaccurately because (a) species' niches are often poorly characterized; and (b) phylogenetic comparative methods rely on niche summary statistics rather than full estimates of species' environmental tolerances. Here, we propose a new framework for coding ecological niches and reconstructing their evolution that explicitly acknowledges and incorporates the uncertainty introduced by incomplete niche characterization. Then, we modify existing ancestral state inference methods to leverage full estimates of environmental tolerances. We provide a worked empirical example of our method, investigating ecological niche evolution in the New World orioles (Aves: Passeriformes: Icterus spp.). Temperature and precipitation tolerances were generally broad and conserved among orioles, with niche reduction and specialization limited to a few terminal branches. Tools for performing these reconstructions are available in a new R package called nichevol.     

S-adenosylmethionine induces mitochondrial dysfunction,permeability transition pore opening and redox imbalance in subcellular preparations of rat liver

Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes - S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) predominantly accumulates in tissues and biological fluids of patients affected by liver dysmethylating diseases,...     

Gibberellin reverses the negative effect of paclobutrazol but not of chlorocholine chloride on the expression of SGs/GAs biosynthesis-related genes and increases the levels of relevant metabolites in Stevia rebaudiana

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - Steviol glycosides (SGs) and gibberellins (GAs) share the same molecular basis. However, the coordination of their respective biosynthetic pathways is...     

Tropical Bacillus Strains Inoculation Enhances Maize Root Surface Area,Dry Weight,Nutrient Uptake and Grain Yield

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - The rising demand for agricultural commodities in developing countries has put increasing pressure on land resources for higher yields, with associated growth...     

Arginine methylation: the promise of a ‘silver bullet’ for brain tumours?

Despite intense research efforts, our pharmaceutical repertoire against high-grade brain tumours has not been able to increase patient survival for a decade and life expectancy remains at less than 16 months after diagnosis, on average. Inhibitors of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) have been developed and investigated over the past 15 years and have now entered oncology clinical trials, including for brain tumours. This review collates recent advances in the understanding of the role of PRMTs and arginine methylation in brain tumours. We provide an up-to-date literature review on the mechanisms for PRMT regulation. These include endogenous modulators such as alternative splicing, miRNA, post-translational modifications and PRMT–protein interactions, and synthetic inhibitors. We discuss the relevance of PRMTs in brain tumours with a particular focus on PRMT1, -2, -5 and -8. Finally, we include a future perspective where we discuss possible routes for further research on arginine methylation and on the use of PRMT inhibitors in the context of brain tumours.