Editorial: Twin peaks mission

The Y human chromosome has many ancient genes whose fidelity seems to have been preserved by tandem sequences and palindromic ‘hairpins’, compared/repaired by ‘gene conversion’. That a primary function of recombination machinery is DNA repair has been suggested, and rejected, several times; this new evidence is very persuasive. The process, better called gene conservation than gene conversion, could operate in all diploid organisms, accounting for the retention of long gene sequences without ‘informational meltdown’ ('concerted evolution'). It resembles rocket‐science computer‐redundancy error‐checking, comparison of three or four sequences, not just two. If recognition of errors in ‘converted’ sequences can be followed by either repair or rejection, the rejection option can account for the vast wastage of meiotic products. The repair option might be used in Drosophila oocytes and even zygotic nuclei, possibly other oocytes, ancient asexual lineages such as mycorrhizal fungi, perhaps the Y itself. Both evolutionary stasis (conservatism) and development and deployment of complex developmental modules can be understood in these terms so both the evolution of biodiversity and the practice of systematics may have these mechanisms as their bases. The main individual‐fitness and evolutionary advantages of diploidy were not primarily cloaking of recessive al‐leles, or allelic recombination and Mendelism, but conserving long DNA sequences.     

Isolation and partial characterization of 3 nontoxic d‐galactose–specific isolectins from seeds of Momordica balsamina

Three isolectins denoted hereforth MBaL‐30, MBaL‐60, and MBaL‐80 were isolated from seeds extract of Momordica balsamina by 30%, 60%, and 80% ammonium sulfate saturations, respectively. The native molecular weights of these lectins, as judged by gel filtration, were 108, 56, and 160 kDa, respectively. On SDS‐PAGE, under reduced condition, 27 kDa band was obtained for all isolectins. The lectins hemagglutinating activities were variably inhibited by d ‐galactose (minimum inhibitory concentrations = 12.5mM, 50mM, and 0.391mM, respectively). MBaL‐30 and ‐60 could agglutinate all human blood types with slight preference for the A and O blood groups, whereas MBaL‐80 did not agglutinate B and AB blood types. The 3 isolectins were purified from crude seeds extract, collectively, in a single step on the affinity matrix Lactamyl‐Seralose 4B; this purified lectin fraction, which contains all isolectins, is termed MBaL. The N‐terminal of MBaL till the 25th amino acid was NLSLSELDFSADTYKSFIKNLRKQL, which shares 88% sequence identity with Momordica charantia lectin type‐2 ribosomal inactivating protein from Momordica charantia and 50% with momordin II from Momordica balsamina . MBaL retained 100% activity at up to 50°C for 30 minutes. MBaL‐30 and MBaL‐60 exhibited maximum activities in the pH range between 4 and 8, while MBaL‐80 was showing maximum activity in the pH range between 3 and 5. Treatment of MBaL‐30 and MBaL‐60 with EDTA completely abolished their hemagglutinating activities. Addition of Zn and Fe ions to the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid–treated MBaL‐30 and MBaL‐60 lectins did not only regained the loss of activity but also resulted in 200% to 300% increase in activity, respectively. MBaL‐30 and ‐60 agglutinated gram positive Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas MBaL‐30 could merely agglutinate Escherichia coli . None of these lectins could arrest bacterial growth. Addition of MBaL to cancer cell lines (Gastric cancer cell line (AGS) and Gastric cencer cell line (MKN45), Glioblastoma (ECV‐304), and Human urinary bladder cancer cell line (U87‐MG)) at varying concentrations did not cause statistically significant changes on cell growth and viability.     

Proteomic profiling of lymphedema development in mouse model

The lymphatic vascular system plays an important role in tissue fluid homeostasis. Lymphedema is a chronic, progressive, and incurable condition that leads to lymphatic fluid retention; it may be primary (heritable) or secondary (acquired) in nature. Although there is a growing understanding of lymphedema, methods for the prevention and treatment of lymphedema are still limited. In this study, we investigated differential protein expressions in sham‐operated and lymphedema‐operated mice for 3 days, using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) and mass spectrometry analysis. Male improved methodology for culturing noninbred (ICR) mice developed lymphedema in the right hindlimb. Twenty functional proteins were found to be differentially expressed between lymphedema induced‐right leg tissue and normal left leg tissue. Out of these proteins, the protein levels of apolipoprotein A‐1 preprotein, alpha‐actinin‐3, mCG21744, parkinson disease, serum amyloid P‐component precursor, annexin A8, mKIAA0098 protein, and fibrinogen beta chain precursor were differentially upregulated in the lymphedema mice compared with the sham‐operated group. Western blotting analysis was used to validate the proteomics results. Our results showing differential up‐regulation of serum amyloid P‐component precursor, parkinson disease, and apolipoprotein A‐1 preprotein in lymphedema model over sham‐operated model suggest important insights into pathophysiological target for lymphedema. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The functions of foliar nyctinasty: a review and hypothesis

Foliar nyctinasty is a plant behaviour characterised by a pronounced daily oscillation in leaf orientation. During the day, the blades of nyctinastic plant leaves (or leaflets) assume a more or less horizontal position that optimises their ability to capture sunlight for photosynthesis. At night, the positions that the leaf blades assume, regardless of whether they arise by rising, falling or twisting, are essentially vertical. Among the ideas put forth to explain the raison d'être of foliar nyctinasty are that it: (i) improves the temperature relations of plants; (ii) helps remove surface water from foliage; (iii) prevents the disruption of photoperiodism by moonlight; and (iv) directly discourages insect herbivory. After discussing these previous hypotheses, a novel tritrophic hypothesis is introduced that proposes that foliar nyctinasty constitutes an indirect plant defence against nocturnal herbivores. It is suggested that the reduction in physical clutter that follows from nocturnal leaf closure may increase the foraging success of many types of animals that prey upon or parasitise herbivores. Predators and parasitoids generally use some combination of visual, auditory or olfactory cues to detect prey. In terrestrial environments, it is hypothesised that the vertical orientation of the blades of nyctinastic plants at night would be especially beneficial to flying nocturnal predators (e.g. bats and owls) and parasitoids whose modus operandi is death from above. The movements of prey beneath a plant with vertically oriented foliage would be visually more obvious to gleaning or swooping predators under nocturnal or crepuscular conditions. Such predators could also detect sounds made by prey better without baffling layers of foliage overhead to damp and disperse the signal. Moreover, any volatiles released by the prey would diffuse more directly to the awaiting olfactory apparatus of the predators or parasitoids. In addition to facilitating the demise of herbivores by carnivores and parasitoids, foliar nyctinasty, much like the enhanced illumination of the full moon, may mitigate feeding by nocturnal herbivores by altering their foraging behaviour. Foliar nyctinasty could also provide a competitive advantage by encouraging herbivores, seeking more cover, to forage on or around non‐nyctinastic species. As an added advantage, foliar nyctinasty, by decreasing the temperature between plants through its effects on re‐radiation, may slow certain types of ectothermic herbivores making them more vulnerable to predation. Foliar nyctinasty also may not solely be a behavioural adaptation against folivores; by discouraging foraging by granivores, the inclusive fitness of nyctinastic plants may be increased.