Gogorevia,a New Monoraphid Diatom Genus for Achnanthes exigua and Allied Taxa (Achnanthidiaceae) Described on the Basis of an Integrated Molecular and Morphological Approach

A new diatom genus, Gogorevia, is described on the basis of an integrated molecular and morphological investigation. Two species are described from Vietnam: the generitype, G. rinatii sp. nov., and G. ovalis sp. nov. These species share many morphological features with Achnanthes exigua and allied taxa that were previously transferred to the genera Achnanthidium or Lemnicola. Our current molecular investigation shows that Gogorevia is distinct and phylogenetically removed from the above-mentioned genera. Morphologically, Gogorevia differs from Achnanthidium and Lemnicola by the shape of the valves, possessing uniseriate striae, raphe morphology, and the presence of an evident sternum. The recently described species Lemnicola uniseriata is transferred to Gogorevia on the basis that it possesses the same morphological features and phylogenetic position as other members of the genus.     

A comparative electron paramagnetic resonance study of the nucleotide-binding domains' catalytic cycle in the assembled maltose ATP-binding cassette importer

We present a quantitative analysis of conformational changes of the nucleotide-binding subunits, MalK₂, of the maltose ATP-binding cassette importer MalFGK₂ during the transport cycle. Distance changes occurring between selected residues were monitored in the full transporter by site-directed spin-labeling electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and site-directed chemical cross-linking. We considered S83C and A85C from the conserved Q-loop and V117C located on the outer surface of MalK. Additionally, two native cysteines (C350, C360) were included in the study. On ATP binding, small rearrangements between the native sites, and no distance changes between positions 117 were detected. In contrast, positions 85 come closer together in the ATP-bound state and in the vanadate-trapped intermediate and move back toward the apo-state after ATP hydrolysis. The distance between positions 83 is shown to slightly decrease on ATP binding, and to further decrease after ATP hydrolysis. Results from cross-linking experiments are in agreement with these findings. The data are compared with in silico spin-labeled x-ray structures from both isolated MalK₂ and the MalFGK₂-E complex. Our results are consistent with a slightly modified “tweezers-like” model of closure and reopening of MalK₂ during the catalytic cycle, and show an unforeseen potential interaction between MalK and the transmembrane subunit MalG.     

Description of a new diatom genus Dorofeyukea gen. nov. with remarks on phylogeny of the family Stauroneidaceae

Type material of Navicula kotschyi was studied, and this species was transferred to Dorofeyukea gen. nov. as D. kotschyi comb. nov. Dorofeyukea was described on the basis of DNA sequence and morphological data. Additional species assigned to this genus that were previously included in Navicula include: D. ancisa comb. nov., D. grimmei comb. nov., D. ivatoensis comb. nov., D. orangiana comb. nov., D. rostellata comb. nov. & stat. nov., D. savannahiana comb. nov., D. tenuipunctata comb. nov., and D. texana comb. nov. All Dorofeyukea species share the same morphological features, including having a narrow stauroid fascia surrounded by 1–3 irregularly shortened striae, uniseriate, and weakly radiate striae, circular, or rectangular puncta in the striae that are covered internally by dome‐shaped hymenes, presence of a pseudoseptum at each apex and absence of septa. Partial DNA sequences of SSU and rbcL loci show Dorofeuykae belongs to the clade of stauroneioid diatoms together with Stauroneis, Prestauroneis, Craticula, Karayevia, Madinithidium, Fistulifera, Parlibellus, and, possibly, Schizostauron. A new species from the monoraphid genus Madinithidium, M. vietnamica sp. nov., was described based on valve and chloroplast morphology as well as DNA sequence data.     

Modeling of the N-terminal Section and the Lumenal Loop of Trimeric Light Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) by Using EPR

The major light harvesting complex II (LHCII) of green plants plays a key role in the absorption of sunlight, the regulation of photosynthesis, and in preventing photodamage by excess light. The latter two functions are thought to involve the lumenal loop and the N-terminal domain. Their structure and mobility in an aqueous environment are only partially known. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been used to measure the structure of these hydrophilic protein domains in detergent-solubilized LHCII. A new technique is introduced to prepare LHCII trimers in which only one monomer is spin-labeled. These heterogeneous trimers allow to measure intra-molecular distances within one LHCII monomer in the context of a trimer by using double electron-electron resonance (DEER). These data together with data from electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) allowed to model the N-terminal protein section, which has not been resolved in current crystal structures, and the lumenal loop domain. The N-terminal domain covers only a restricted area above the superhelix in LHCII, which is consistent with the “Velcro” hypothesis to explain thylakoid grana stacking (Standfuss, J., van Terwisscha Scheltinga, A. C., Lamborghini, M., and Kühlbrandt, W. (2005) EMBO J. 24, 919–928). The conformation of the lumenal loop domain is surprisingly different between LHCII monomers and trimers but not between complexes with and without neoxanthin bound.     

Stimulus-Rate Sensitivity Discerns Area 3b of the Human Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Previous studies have shown that the hemodynamic response of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) to electrical median nerve stimulation doubles in strength when the stimulus rate (SR) increases from 1 to 5 Hz. Here we investigated whether such sensitivity to SR is homogenous within the functionally different subareas of the SI cortex, and whether SR sensitivity would help discern area 3b among the other SI subareas. We acquired 3-tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from nine healthy adults who received pneumotactile stimuli in 25-s blocks to three right-hand fingers, either at 1, 4, or 10 Hz. The main contrast (all stimulations pooled vs. baseline), applied to the whole brain, first limited the search to the whole SI cortex. The conjunction of SR-sensitive contrasts [4 Hz − 1 Hz] > 0 and [10 Hz − 1 Hz] > 0 ([4Hz − 1Hz] + [10Hz − 1Hz] > 0), applied to the SI cluster, then revealed an anterior-ventral subcluster that reacted more strongly to both 10-Hz and 4-Hz stimuli than to the 1-Hz stimuli. No other SR-sensitive clusters were found at the group-level in the whole-brain analysis. The site of the SR-sensitive SI subcluster corresponds to the canonical position of area 3b; such differentiation was also possible at the individual level in 5 out of 9 subjects. Thus the SR sensitivity of the BOLD response appears to discern area 3b among other subareas of the human SI cortex.     

Functional Subdivision of Group-ICA Results of fMRI Data Collected during Cinema Viewing

Independent component analysis (ICA) can unravel functional brain networks from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. The number of the estimated components affects both the spatial pattern of the identified networks and their time-course estimates. Here group-ICA was applied at four dimensionalities (10, 20, 40, and 58 components) to fMRI data collected from 15 subjects who viewed a 15-min silent film ("At land" by Maya Deren). We focused on the dorsal attention network, the default-mode network, and the sensorimotor network. The lowest dimensionalities demonstrated most prominent activity within the dorsal attention network, combined with the visual areas, and in the default-mode network; the sensorimotor network only appeared with ICA comprising at least 20 components. The results suggest that even very low-dimensional ICA can unravel the most prominent functionally-connected brain networks. However, increasing the number of components gives a more detailed picture and functionally feasible subdivision of the major networks. These results improve our understanding of the hierarchical subdivision of brain networks during viewing of a movie that provides continuous stimulation embedded in an attention-directing narrative.     

Sucking herbivore assemblage composition on greenhouse <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficus</Emphasis> correlates with host plant leaf architecture

Understanding arthropod herbivore selectivity trends towards host plant attributes is essential for predicting plant-associated herbivore assemblage structure. Little is known about such interactions between spontaneous herbivore species and cultivated plants under specific conditions of botanical garden greenhouses. In this study, the taxonomic and functional composition of sucking arthropod herbivore assemblages were correlated with leaf anatomical and surface features of 33 host species of Ficus L. (Moraceae) across four distantly located greenhouse complexes of botanical gardens. The analyses revealed that the species number and abundance of scale insects and their individual families, sessile phloem feeders, total phloem feeders and total herbivores were significantly positively correlated with the thickness of leaf lamina, epidermis and mesophyll, stomatal length and width, and the presence of abaxial multiple epidermis and weak ferruginous non-glandular trichomes. Significant negative correlations were revealed between the same herbivore parameters and the density of glandular trichomes. Heliomorphic leaves supported higher abundance and species richness of sessile phloem feeders compared to sciomorphic ones. The parameters of some phloem and mesophyll feeder taxa also correlated with non-glandular trichome length and density, type of trichomes and epicuticular wax layer, and the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in the epidermis. Results of the study suggest that the leaf architecture-related herbivory trends under greenhouse conditions are similar to those occurring in natural ecosystems when considering the functional significance of particular leaf traits, and remain relevant at the scale of particular plant taxa with disregard of spatial factor.     

Glu-311 in External Loop 4 of the Sodium/Proline Transporter PutP Is Crucial for External Gate Closure

The available structural information on LeuT and structurally related transporters suggests that external loop 4 (eL4) and the outer end of transmembrane domain (TM) 10′ participate in the reversible occlusion of the outer pathway to the solute binding sites. Here, the functional significance of eL4 and the outer region of TM10′ are explored using the sodium/proline symporter PutP as a model. Glu-311 at the tip of eL4, and various amino acids around the outer end of TM10′ are identified as particularly crucial for function. Substitutions at these sites inhibit the transport cycle, and affect in part ligand binding. In addition, changes at selected sites induce a global structural alteration in the direction of an outward-open conformation. It is suggested that interactions between the tip of eL4 and the peptide backbone at the end of TM10′ participate in coordinating conformational alterations underlying the alternating access mechanism of transport. Together with the structural information on LeuT-like transporters, the results further specify the idea that common design and functional principles are maintained across different transport families.