Could 2021–2030 be the decade to couple new human values with ecological restoration? Valuable insights and actions are emerging from the Colombian Amazon

Looking ahead to the United Nations' 2021–2030 Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, we would like to ponder and discuss two fundamental goals to improve, mainstream, and scale up ecological restoration. The first is to cultivate alternative visions of the human dimension in relation to ecological restoration and other restorative activities. The second is to develop shared protocols for planning, revamping, and monitoring the progress of social goals related to ecological restoration within the social construction theoretical framework, based on three interrelated dimensions: stakeholder‐based problem definition, social representations, and legitimation. We draw on ongoing work in Caquetá (Colombian Amazonia) to consider how these dimensions may be incorporated into tangible restoration practices. Caquetá is facing the highest deforestation rates in the Amazonian region due to a highly volatile sociopolitical context and recent armed conflicts that have claimed thousands of victims to date. We conclude that the work in Caquetá demonstrates a process of social construction that effectively couples new human values with ecological restoration. Our work also provides evidence that the human dimension of restoration is a central issue in the restoration of human, social, and ecosystem health and must be integrated into the framework of the coming Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.     

Growth hormone transgenesis affects osmoregulation and energy metabolism in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Growth hormone (GH) transgenic fish are at a critical step for possible approval for commercialization. Since this hormone is related to salinity tolerance in fish, our main goal was to verify whether the osmoregulatory capacity of the stenohaline zebrafish (Danio rerio) would be modified by GH-transgenesis. For this, we transferred GH-transgenic zebrafish (T) from freshwater to 11 ppt salinity and analyzed survival as well as relative changes in gene expression. Results show an increased mortality in T versus non-transgenic (NT) fish, suggesting an impaired mechanism of osmotic acclimation in T. The salinity effect on expression of genes related to osmoregulation, the somatotropic axis and energy metabolism was evaluated in gills and liver of T and NT. Genes coding for Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase, H⁺-ATPase, plasma carbonic anhydrase and cytosolic carbonic anhydrase were up-regulated in gills of transgenics in freshwater. The growth hormone receptor gene was down-regulated in gills and liver of both NT and T exposed to 11 ppt salinity, while insulin-like growth factor-1 was down-regulated in liver of NT and in gills of T exposed to 11 ppt salinity. In transgenics, all osmoregulation-related genes and the citrate synthase gene were down-regulated in gills of fish exposed to 11 ppt salinity, while lactate dehydrogenase expression was up-regulated in liver. Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity was higher in gills of T exposed to 11 ppt salinity as well as the whole body content of Na⁺. Increased ATP content was observed in gills of both NT and T exposed to 11 ppt salinity, being statistically higher in T than NT. Taking altogether, these findings support the hypothesis that GH-transgenesis increases Na⁺ import capacity and energetic demand, promoting an unfavorable osmotic and energetic physiological status and making this transgenic fish intolerant of hyperosmotic environments.     

The socioecological complexity of ecological restoration in Mexico

Almost half of Mexican territory has been classified as environmentally degraded. The main response for the last 60 years has been reforestation to combat soil erosion and loss of forest cover, mostly carried out on private lands where negotiations with local stakeholders were critical. Despite four legal instruments referring to ecological restoration, no specific instrument that defines basic concepts, criteria and standards, required actions, or regulations to implement and evaluate ecological restoration exists. The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources is now solely in charge of restoration and only recently have external scientists been invited to be part of the process. Following important national and international events in Latin America and the Caribbean region, the First Mexican Symposium on Ecological Restoration was held in November, 2014. This historic event was the first action undertaken in Mexico to meet Objective 3 of the Global Strategy of Plant Conservation, coordinated in Mexico by the National Council for the Use and Knowledge of Biodiversity. Although mangrove ecosystems are the most endangered ecosystem type in Mexico, they were not well represented at the symposium. In contrast, several other ecosystem types, such as tropical dry forest and islands, have received increased attention. Overall, while the Symposium and above‐cited policy initiatives are important steps, Mexico needs to increase its institutional capacities and social organization of the rural sector with regard to ecological restoration. Better integration of social and natural scientists and increased participation of Mexico internationally is also needed.     

Cofacial and antarafacial indenyl bimetallic isomers: a descriptive MO picture and implications for the indenyl effect on ligand substitution reactions

The hetero-bimetallic Ind complexes (Ind=indenyl anion) with the formula (CO)₃Cr(μ-Ind)RhL₂ (L=CO, ethylene; L₂=COD, COT, NBD) have two possible conformers, one with the metals at antipodal sides of the condensed bicyclic polyene (antarafacial, anti) and the other with both metals on the same side (cofacial, syn). These systems can be considered to contain 34 valence electrons by assuming that Ind is capable of donating all of its ten π electrons to the metals. A qualitative MO analysis, based on EHMO calculations, is presented. The anti conformer is compared to the homometallic 34e species, namely [CpRu(μ-Ind)RuCp]⁺. Here, the pseudo-symmetrical relationship between the two identical metal fragments strongly suggests that one Ind σ-bonding MO donates part of its electron density to each of the two metals, which thus become formally saturated (36e). This argument is extended to the anti Cr---Rh derivative in which a critical role is played by an empty FMO of the (CO)₂Rh(I) fragment with π symmetry (i.e. lying in the molecular mirror plane). The latter, in spit the large π_CO^* contributions, has good acceptor capabilities at the metal.The calculations suggest that the so-called indenyl effect, namely the increased rate of substitution of one CO ligand by another σ donor (e.g. a phosphine), although a structurally dynamic process, also depends on the electron density which accumulates on the aforementioned π FMO. In the series (η⁵-C₅H₅)Rh(CO)₂, (η⁵-C₇H₉Rh(CO)₂ and {η⁵-[(CO)₃CrC₇H₉]}-Rh(CO)₂ the progressively reduced donor capabilities of the cyclic polyene toward the (CO)₂Rh(I) fragment induce a larger electrophilicity in rhodium, in good agreement with the experimental data on substitution reactivity. Finally, the electronic features of the cofacial conformer (CO)₃Cr(μ-Ind)Rh(CO)₂ are examined. In spite of the long Cr---Rh separation (> 3 Å) the graphically illustrated MO analysis indicates a direct, heterodox, intermetallic linkage, which helps the metals to achieve a formal electronic saturation. In this case, the limited propensity of the complex toward any CO substitution reactions is likely attributable to the hindered mobility of the (CO)₂Rh(I) fragment.     

Antioxidant defences and homeostasis of reactive oxygen species in different human mitochondrial DNA-depleted cell lines.

Three pairs of parental (rho+) and established mitochondrial DNA depleted (rho0) cells, derived from bone, lung and muscle were used to verify the influence of the nuclear background and the lack of efficient mitochondrial respiratory chain on antioxidant defences and homeostasis of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrial DNA depletion significantly lowered glutathione reductase activity, glutathione (GSH) content, and consistently altered the GSH2 : oxidized glutathione ratio in all of the rho0 cell lines, albeit to differing extents, indicating the most oxidized redox state in bone rho0 cells. Activity, as well as gene expression and protein content, of superoxide dismutase showed a decrease in bone and muscle rho0 cell lines but not in lung rho0 cells. GSH peroxidase activity was four times higher in all three rho0 cell lines in comparison to the parental rho+, suggesting that this may be a necessary adaptation for survival without a functional respiratory chain. Taken together, these data suggest that the lack of respiratory chain prompts the cells to reduce their need for antioxidant defences in a tissue-specific manner, exposing them to a major risk of oxidative injury. In fact bone-derived rho0 cells displayed the highest steady-state level of intracellular ROS (measured directly by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin, or indirectly by aconitase activity) compared to all the other rho+ and rho0 cells, both in the presence or absence of glucose. Analysis of mitochondrial and cytosolic/iron regulatory protein-1 aconitase indicated that most ROS of bone rho0 cells originate from sources other than mitochondria.     

Nucleotide Enrichment of Live Feed: A Promising Protocol for Rearing of Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua Larvae

We investigated the effect of two commercial nucleotide products (NT1 and NT2), administered through live feed, on growth and stress tolerance of Atlantic cod larvae. Expression of genes related to muscle growth (igf-1, igf1r, igf-2, fst, fgf6, myod, and myhc) and nucleotide metabolism (uox, hprt, ndk, and uck) was evaluated during larval development. In addition, the expression of genes related to stress (hif-1α, hif-2α, hif-3α, and mb) was studied after an air exposure stress test. The enrichment of rotifers with nucleotides did not reveal any difference in nucleotide profiles, the exception being the RNA level of the NT1-enriched group that was significantly higher than the unenriched rotifer. Unenriched Artemia showed poor nucleotide profiles compared to enriched Artemia since 5' UMP, 5' GMP, and 5' AMP were observed only in the nucleotide groups. At 38?days post-hatch (dph), NT1 group had significantly higher dry weight (3.1?±?0.1?mg) than the control (CON; 2.3?±?0.1?mg). The treatments did not produce any significant differences in the expression of the key myogenic genes. Among the genes associated with nucleotide metabolism, ndk was down-regulated in NT1 at 38 dph. In the air exposure test, survival was significantly higher in the CON (77?±?6?%) than in NT1 (48?±?3?%) and NT2 (50?±?3?%). After air exposure, mb was expressed at lower levels in NT2 group, hif-2α was induced in NT1 group, and hif-3α was upregulated in all groups. Our findings indicate that the improvement in the nucleotide profile of Artemia upon nucleotide enrichment could eventuate in the rapid growth of larvae.     

The role of dynamics in modulating ligand exchange in intracellular lipid binding proteins

Lipids are essential for many biological processes and crucial in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Intracellular lipid-binding proteins (iLBPs) provide mobile hydrophobic binding sites that allow hydrophobic or amphipathic lipid molecules to penetrate into and across aqueous layers. Thus iLBPs mediate the lipid transport within the cell and participate to a spectrum of tissue-specific pathways involved in lipid homeostasis. Structural studies have shown that iLBPs' binding sites are inaccessible from the bulk, implying that substrate binding should involve a conformational change able to produce a ligand entry portal. Many studies have been reported in the last two decades on iLBPs indicating that their dynamics play a pivotal role in regulating ligand binding and targeted release. The ensemble of reported data has not been reviewed until today. This review is thus intended to summarize and possibly generalize the results up to now described, providing a picture which could help to identify the missing notions necessary to improve our understanding of the role of dynamics in iLBPs' molecular recognition. Such notions would clarify the chemistry of lipid binding to iLBPs and set the basis for the development of new drugs.     

Young restored forests increase seedling recruitment in abandoned pastures in the Southern Atlantic rainforest

Planting seedlings is a common technique for abandoned pastures restoration in the tropics, supposedly by increasing the seedling recruitment and accelerating succession. In this study we evaluated the role of a young restored forest (one year old) in enhancing seedling establishment from two sources (seed rain and seed bank), in the Atlantic Rainforest region in Southern Brazil. We compared abandoned pasture, young restored forest and old-growth forest with respect to the seedlings recruited from different sources, by monitoring 40 permanent plots (0.5 m x 0.5 m) over 20 months. From the three studied areas a total of 392 seedlings of 53 species were recruited. Species were mainly herbaceous (85%), pioneers (88%), zoochorous (51%) and small-seeded species (60%). Seedling recruitment from the seed bank (density and species richness) was higher and dominated by herbaceous species in the abandoned pasture and in the young restored forest; on the other hand, the recruitment of woody species from seed rain was more pronounced in the old-growth forest. The young restored forest increased the species richness of woody seedlings recruitment from the seed bank (two-fold) and from seed rain (three-fold) compared to the abandoned pasture. Also, the seedling density in young restored forest was still higher than abandoned pastures (seed bank: four times; seed rain: ten times). Our results show that even young restored areas enhance the establishment of woody species and should be considered an important step for pasture restoration.