Sex determination in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) as a model system for molecular biology

Floral biology and sex determination are reviewed in cucumber, one of the best studied monoecious plant systems. Sexual differentiation is controlled by genotypic and environmental factors. Sex conversion has been achieved by a variety of chemical treatments, some of which being extensively used for commercial purposes. Sex expression can be shifted in either direction: femaleness is promoted by ethylene, auxines and ethylene releasing compounds, while maleness is induced by gibberellins and chemicals counteracting ethylene action. Agrobacterium transformation affects, albeit rather nonspecifically, sex expression. An important collection of sex and floral mutants has been developed. The expression of sex genes has been shown to be under the control of modifier genes or the environment. Cloning strategies can take profit of the fact that sex conversion can be modulated alone or in combination by genetical, chemical and/or environmental parameters.     

The abundance of an invasive freshwater snail Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1822) in the Nseleni River,South Africa

The invasive freshwater snail Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1822) was first reported in South Africa in 1999 and it has become widespread across the country, with some evidence to suggest that it reduces benthic macroinvertebrate biodiversity. The current study aimed to identify the primary abiotic drivers behind abundance patterns of T. granifera, by comparing the current abundance of the snail in three different regions, and at three depths, of the highly modified Nseleni River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tarebia granifera was well established throughout the Nseleni River system, with an overall preference for shallow waters and seasonal temporal patterns of abundance. Although it is uncertain what the ecological impacts of the snail in this system are, its high abundances suggest that it should be controlled where possible and prevented from invading other systems in the region.     

Species Invasiveness in Biological Invasions: A Modelling Approach

The study of invasiveness, the traits that enable a species to invade a habitat, and invasibility, the habitat characteristics that determine its susceptibility to the establishment and spread of an invasive species, provide a useful conceptual framework to formulate the biological invasion problem in a modelling context. Another important aspect is the complex interaction emerging among the invader species, the noninvader species already present in the habitat, and the habitat itself. Following a modelling approach to the biological invasion problem, we present a spatially explicit cellular automaton model (Interacting Multiple Cellular Automata (IMCA)). We use field parameters from the invader Gleditsia triacanthos and the native Lithraea ternifolia in montane forests of central Argentina as a case study to compare outputs and performance of different models. We use field parameters from another invader, Ligustrum lucidum, and the native Fagara coco from the same system to run the cellular automaton model. We compare model predictions with invasion values from aerial photographs. We discuss in detail the importance of factors affecting species invasiveness, and give some insights into habitat invasibility and the role of interactions between them. Finally, we discuss the relevance of mathematical modelling for studying and predicting biological invasions. The IMCA model provided a suitable context for integrating invasiveness, invasibility, and the interactions. In the invasion system studied, the presence of an invader's juvenile bank not only accelerated the rate of invasion but was essential to ensure invasion. Using the IMCA model, we were able to determine that not only adult survival but particularly longevity of the native species influenced the spread velocity of the invader, at least when a juvenile bank is present. Other factors determining velocity of invasion detected by the IMCA model were seed dispersal distance and age of reproductive maturity. We derived relationships between species' adult survival, fecundity and longevity of both theoretical and applied relevance for biological invasions. Invasion velocities calculated from the aerial photographs agreed well with predictions of the IMCA model.     

Arundo micrantha,a new reed species for Italy,threatened in the freshwater habitat by the congeneric invasive A. donax

Arundo micrantha Lam., a reed species from southern Mediterranean area, has found in Sardinia. Its presence represents the first record for Italy and the third one for western Europe. Investigations on distribution and ecology of the Sardinian population have been carried out, with special focusing on synecology of the species. A. micrantha has found in 40 localities mainly distributed along temporary streams and permanent rivers in the central and southern part of the island. Most of Sardinian populations occurs on alluvial soils in Thermomediterranean bioclimatic context. The autonomy of Sardinian phytocoenoses was characterized with the definition of exclusive floristic taxa, biological and chorological elements, and syndinamic relationships with other assemblages. Comparing the community with other reed beds from the Mediterranean basin, a marked floristic differentiation arose between the phytocoenoses characterized by autochthonous Arundo species and those dominated by the invasive Arundo donax. Finally, management activities are proposed to ensure the conservation of this threatened autochthonous plant community in freshwater habitat.     

The trimeric coiled‐coil HSBP1 protein promotes WASH complex assembly at centrosomes

The Arp2/3 complex generates branched actin networks that exert pushing forces onto different cellular membranes. WASH complexes activate Arp2/3 complexes at the surface of endosomes and thereby fission transport intermediates containing endocytosed receptors, such as α5β1 integrins. How WASH complexes are assembled in the cell is unknown. Here, we identify the small coiled‐coil protein HSBP1 as a factor that specifically promotes the assembly of a ternary complex composed of CCDC53, WASH, and FAM21 by dissociating the CCDC53 homotrimeric precursor. HSBP1 operates at the centrosome, which concentrates the building blocks. HSBP1 depletion in human cancer cell lines and in Dictyostelium amoebae phenocopies WASH depletion, suggesting a critical role of the ternary WASH complex for WASH functions. HSBP1 is required for the development of focal adhesions and of cell polarity. These defects impair the migration and invasion of tumor cells. Overexpression of HSBP1 in breast tumors is associated with increased levels of WASH complexes and with poor prognosis for patients.     

MET-dependent cancer invasion may be preprogrammed by early alterations of p53-regulated feedforward loop and triggered by stromal cell-derived HGF

MET, a receptor protein tyrosine kinase activated by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), is a crucial determinant of metastatic progression. Recently, we have identified p53 as an important regulator of MET-dependent cell motility and invasion. This regulation occurs via feedforward loop suppressing MET expression by miR-34-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Here, by using Dicer conditional knockout, we provide further evidence for microRNA-independent MET regulation by p53. Furthermore, we show that while MET levels increase immediately after p53 inactivation, mutant cells do not contain active phosphorylated MET and remain non-invasive for a long latency period at contrary to cell culture observations. Evaluation of mouse models of ovarian and prostate carcinogenesis indicates that formation of desmoplastic stroma, associated production of HGF by stromal cells and coinciding MET phosphorylation precede cancer invasion. Thus, initiation mutation of p53 is sufficient for preprogramming motile and invasive properties of epithelial cells, but the stromal reaction may represent a critical step for their manifestation during cancer progression.     

西南特有濒危植物大王杜鹃种群结构及动态特征

为了揭示高山杜鹃种群生存潜力和濒危原因,以西南特有濒危植物大王杜鹃(Rhododendron rex subsp. rex)为研究对象,通过对云南省轿子雪山和小百草岭2个大王杜鹃自然种群的野外植株胸径及数量的调查,采用空间代替时间的方法建立大王杜鹃种群的径级结构、静态生命表并绘制种群存活曲线,阐明其种群的结构特征,利用种群数量动态预测和时间序列预测来分析种群未来的发展趋势。结果表明：(1)云南轿子雪山和小百草岭两个样地大王杜鹃均表现出第Ⅰ~Ⅱ龄级个体不足的现象,尽管两个样地内大王杜鹃种群仍表现为稳定型种群,但其均对外界干扰具有很高的敏感性。(2)大王杜鹃存活曲线在云南轿子雪山和小百草岭2个样地都趋于Deevey Ⅱ型,个体平均生存能力的期望值均在幼年(Ⅰ和Ⅱ龄级)个体中最大,死亡率和消失率曲线的变化趋势基本一致。(3)时间序列预测分析表明,云南轿子雪山大王杜鹃种群在未来2、4、6年龄级后总体均呈下降趋势,种群面临衰退危险;小百草岭样地内,大王杜鹃种群总体上呈增长趋势,种群具有一定的恢复潜力。建议加强大王杜鹃自然种群生境的保护与管理从而维持其种群自然更新与发展的能力。     

Divergent seed production responses of white and blue flowers of Gentiana leucomelaena (Gentianaceae) to warming and watering

Background: The adaptation, evolution and function of flower colour diversity in response to changing environments are one of the oldest puzzles in plant ecology. It is logical that comparative studies on fitness of flower colour would be the most meaningful if they were conducted on the same genotype.

Aims: We used Gentiana leucomelaena, which produces both white and blue flowers on different tillers of the same individual, as a model species to test adaption and fitness differences of contrasting flowers in contrasting environments.

Methods: We examined seed production by white and blue flowers in response to increased temperatures (28 °C/2 °C vs. 12 °C/2 °C; 12 h light/12 h dark) in a climate chamber study and to watering in the field (+1.5 l m^?2 d^?1 vs. control with no supplementary irrigation).

Results: For white and blue flowers warming decreased but watering increased seed number. Increased temperature and watering increased the size of seeds from white flowers, but neither warming nor watering significantly changed seed size of blue flowers. Seed size was significantly negatively correlated with seed number in the temperature treatments but positively correlated in watering treatments. The positive correlation was strong in white flowers, but the negative correlation was stronger in blue than in white flowers.

Conclusions: Water availability and low temperature confer an advantage to white flowers, while warming and dry habitats favour blue flowers. These divergent responses may influence total plant fitness and thus help explain the adaptive value and evolution of flower colour diversity.     

The EGFR-GEP100-Arf6 pathway in breast cancer

Arf6 and its effector AMAP1 are overexpressed in malignant breast cancer cells, and are involved in their invasion and metastasis. We recently revealed that GEP100, a guanine nucleotide exchanging factor, is responsible for the activation of Arf6 which induces invasion and metastasis. GEP100 associated directly with ligand-activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to be activated. Disruption of E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion is one of the major steps involved in acquisition of invasive phenotypes of most carcinomas. The EGFR-GEP100-Arf6 pathway not only activated matrix invasion activity but also perturbed E-cadherin function. GEP100 was found to be expressed in more than 80% of invasive ductal carcinomas. However, 60% of ductal carcinomas in situ were also positive for GEP100, in which GEP100 was preferentially coexpressed with EGFR in their malignant cases. Microenvionments have been highly implicated in the development of tumor malignancy. Our results reveal an aspect of the precise molecular mechanism of cancer invasion and metastasis, in which full invasiveness is not acquired just by alterations of cancer cells themselves, but their microenvironments may also play pivotal roles.