Carbon uptake in Eurasian boreal forests dominates the high-latitude net ecosystem carbon budget

Arctic-boreal landscapes are experiencing profound warming, along with changes in ecosystem moisture status and disturbance from fire. This region is of global importance in terms of carbon feedbacks to climate, yet the sign (sink or source) and magnitude of the Arctic-boreal carbon budget within recent years remains highly uncertain. Here, we provide new estimates of recent (2003–2015) vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (R_eco), net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE; R_eco − GPP), and terrestrial methane (CH₄) emissions for the Arctic-boreal zone using a satellite data-driven process-model for northern ecosystems (TCFM-Arctic), calibrated and evaluated using measurements from >60 tower eddy covariance (EC) sites. We used TCFM-Arctic to obtain daily 1-km² flux estimates and annual carbon budgets for the pan-Arctic-boreal region. Across the domain, the model indicated an overall average NEE sink of −850 Tg CO₂-C year⁻¹. Eurasian boreal zones, especially those in Siberia, contributed to a majority of the net sink. In contrast, the tundra biome was relatively carbon neutral (ranging from small sink to source). Regional CH₄ emissions from tundra and boreal wetlands (not accounting for aquatic CH₄) were estimated at 35 Tg CH₄-C year⁻¹. Accounting for additional emissions from open water aquatic bodies and from fire, using available estimates from the literature, reduced the total regional NEE sink by 21% and shifted many far northern tundra landscapes, and some boreal forests, to a net carbon source. This assessment, based on in situ observations and models, improves our understanding of the high-latitude carbon status and also indicates a continued need for integrated site-to-regional assessments to monitor the vulnerability of these ecosystems to climate change.     

Characterization of the Burkholderia mallei tonB Mutant and Its Potential as a Backbone Strain for Vaccine Development

BackgroundIn this study, a Burkholderia mallei tonB mutant (TMM001) deficient in iron acquisition was constructed, characterized, and evaluated for its protective properties in acute inhalational infection models of murine glanders and melioidosis.Conclusions/SignificanceAlthough further work is needed to prevent chronic infection by TMM001 while maintaining immunogenicity, our attenuated strain demonstrates great potential as a backbone strain for future vaccine development against both glanders and melioidosis.     

A slow, tight-binding inhibitor of the zinc-dependent deacetylase LpxC of lipid A biosynthesis with antibiotic activity comparable to ciprofloxacin

The zinc-dependent enzyme LpxC catalyzes the deacetylation of UDP-3-O-acyl-GlcNAc, the first committed step of lipid A biosynthesis. Lipid A is an essential component of the outer membranes of most Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, making LpxC an attractive target for antibiotic design. The inhibition of LpxC by a novel N-aroyl-l-threonine hydroxamic acid (CHIR-090) from a recent patent application (International Patent WO 2004/062601 A2 to Chiron and the University of Washington) is reported here. CHIR-090 possesses remarkable antibiotic activity against both E. coli and P. aeruginosa, comparable to that of ciprofloxacin. The biological activity of CHIR-090 is explained by its inhibition of diverse LpxC orthologues at low nanomolar concentrations, including that of Aquifex aeolicus, for which structural information is available. The inhibition of A. aeolicus LpxC by CHIR-090 occurs in two steps. The first step is rapid and reversible, with a K(i) of 1.0-1.7 nM, depending upon the method of assay. The second step involves the conversion of the EI complex with a half-life of about a minute to a tightly bound form. The second step is functionally irreversible but does not result in the covalent modification of the enzyme, as judged by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. CHIR-090 is the first example of a slow, tight-binding inhibitor for LpxC and may be the prototype for a new generation of LpxC inhibitors with therapeutic applicability.