A major difference between the divergence patterns within the lines-1 families in mice and voles

L1 retroposons are represented in mice by subfamilies of interspersed sequences of varied abundance. Previous analyses have indicated that subfamilies are generated by duplicative transposition of a small number of members of the L1 family, the progeny of which then become a major component of the murine L1 population, and are not due to any active processes generating homology within preexisting groups of elements in a particular species. In mice, more than a third of the L1 elements belong to a clade that became active approximately 5 Mya and whose elements are > or = 95% identical. We have collected sequence information from 13 L1 elements isolated from two species of voles (Rodentia: Microtinae: Microtus and Arvicola) and have found that divergence within the vole L1 population is quite different from that in mice, in that there is no abundant subfamily of homologous elements. Individual L1 elements from voles are very divergent from one another and belong to a clade that began a period of elevated duplicative transposition approximately 13 Mya. Sequence analyses of portions of these divergent L1 elements (approximately 250 bp each) gave no evidence for concerted evolution having acted on the vole L1 elements since the split of the two vole lineages approximately 3.5 Mya; that is, the observed interspecific divergence (6.7%-24.7%) is not larger than the intraspecific divergence (7.9%-27.2%), and phylogenetic analyses showed no clustering into Arvicola and Microtus clades.      

Multifactorial diversity sustains microbial community stability

Maintenance of a high degree of biodiversity in homogeneous environments is poorly understood. A complex cheese starter culture with a long history of use was characterized as a model system to study simple microbial communities. Eight distinct genetic lineages were identified, encompassing two species: Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The genetic lineages were found to be collections of strains with variable plasmid content and phage sensitivities. Kill-the-winner hypothesis explaining the suppression of the fittest strains by density-dependent phage predation was operational at the strain level. This prevents the eradication of entire genetic lineages from the community during propagation regimes (back-slopping), stabilizing the genetic heterogeneity in the starter culture against environmental uncertainty.     

Immunohistochemical localization of irisin in skin,eye, and thyroid and pineal glands of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata)

Irisin was first identified in muscle cells. We detected irisin immunoreactivity in various organs of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). In the epidermis, irisin immunoreactivity was localized mainly in stratum basale, stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum layers; immunoreactivity was not observed in the stratum corneum. In the dermis, irisin was found in the external and internal root sheath, cortex and medulla of hair follicles, and in sebaceous glands. Irisin immunoreactivity was found in the neural retina and skeletal muscle fibers associated with the eye. The pineal and thyroid glands also exhibited irisin immunoreactivity.     

WHO health risk assessment process for static fields

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a commitment to helping Member States achieve safe, sustainable and health-enhancing human environments, protected from biological, chemical and physical agents. The latter includes advising on the health impact of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and radiation.

The results of the WHO/ICNIRP/NRPB workshop on static magnetic fields, published in this volume, provide a valuable and much needed contribution to the health risk assessment of exposure to static electric and magnetic fields, which is currently being coordinated by the WHO's International EMF Project. This WHO health risk assessment will be published as an environmental health criteria (EHC) monograph in early 2005.

This paper briefly gives an overview of the process of developing the WHO static fields EHC monograph, the criteria applied to studies that could contribute to the EHC, along with the ‘weight-of-evidence’ approach to health risk assessment. In addition, there is an increasing awareness of the need to account for uncertainty in the science database. This is traditionally addressed by further research, and the EMF project addresses these needs through the development of a ‘research agenda’. However, research programmes may take several years to complete, and the long latency associated with diseases such as cancer in people may also preclude a rapid outcome in some studies. The issue of current uncertainty is being addressed by the WHO EMF project through the development of a ‘precautionary framework’ in which precautionary measures will be applied to policy recommendations.     

Estuarine fouling communities are dominated by nonindigenous species in the presence of an invasive crab

Interactions between anthropogenic disturbances and introduced and native species can shift ecological communities, potentially leading to the successful establishment of additional invaders. Since its discovery in New Jersey in 1988, the Asian shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) has continued to expand its range, invading estuarine and coastal habitats in eastern North America. In estuarine environments, H. sanguineus occupies similar habitats to native, panopeid mud crabs. These crabs, and a variety of fouling organisms (both NIS and native), often inhabit man-made substrates (like piers and riprap) and anthropogenic debris. In a series of in situ experiments at a closed dock in southwestern Long Island (New York, USA), we documented the impacts of these native and introduced crabs on hard-substrate fouling communities. We found that while the presence of native mud crabs did not significantly influence the succession of fouling communities compared to caged and uncaged controls, the presence of introduced H. sanguineus reduced the biomass of native tunicates (particularly Molgula manhattensis), relative to caged controls. Moreover, the presence of H. sanguineus favored fouling communities dominated by introduced tunicates (especially Botrylloides violaceous and Diplosoma listerianum). Altogether, our results suggest that H. sanguineus could help facilitate introduced fouling tunicates in the region, particularly in locations where additional solid substrates have created novel habitats.     

Expression of polypeptide GalNAc-transferases in stratified epithelia and squamous cell carcinomas: immunohistological evaluation using monoclonal antibodies to three members of the GalNAc-transferase family

Mucin-type O-glycosylation is initiated by a large family of UDP- GalNAc: polypeptide N -acetyl-galactosaminyltransferases (GalNAc- transferases). Individual GalNAc-transferases appear to have different functions and Northern analysis indicates that they are differently expressed in different organs. This suggests that O-glycosylation may vary with the repertoire of GalNAc-transferases expressed in a given cell. In order to study the repertoire of GalNAc-transferases in situ in tissues and changes in tumors, we have generated a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) with well defined specificity for human GalNAc-T1, -T2, and -T3. Application of this panel of novel antibodies revealed that GalNAc- transferases are differentially expressed in different cell lines, in spermatozoa, and in oral mucosa and carcinomas. For example, GalNAc-T1 and -T2 but not -T3 were highly expressed in WI38 cells, and GalNAc-T3 but not GalNAc-T1 or -T2 was expressed in spermatozoa. The expression patterns in normal oral mucosa were found to vary with cell differentiation, and for GalNAc-T2 and -T3 this was reflected in oral squamous cell carcinomas. The expression pattern of GalNAc-T1 was on the other hand changed in tumors to either total loss or expression in cytological poorly differentiated tumor cells, where the normal undifferentiated cells lacked expression. These results demonstrate that the repertoire of GalNAc-transferases is different in different cell types and vary with cellular differentiation, and malignant transformation. The implication of this is not yet fully understood, but it suggests that specific changes in sites of O-glycosylation of proteins may occur as a result of changes in the repertoire of GalNAc-transferases.      

Low-level exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: Health effects and research needs

The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), and the German and Austrian Governments jointly sponsored an international seminar in November of 1996 on the biological effects of low-level radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. For purposes of this seminar, RF fields having frequencies only in the range of about 10 MHz to 300 GHz were considered. This is one of a series of scientific review seminars held under the International Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Project to identify any health hazards from EMF exposure. The scientific literature was reviewed during the seminar and expert working groups formed to provide a status report on possible health effects from exposure to low-level RF fields and identify gaps in knowledge requiring more research to improve health risk assessments. It was concluded that, although hazards from exposure to high-level (thermal) RF fields were established, no known health hazards were associated with exposure to RF sources emitting fields too low to cause a significant temperature rise in tissue. Biological effects from low-level RF exposure were identified needing replication and further study. These included in vitro studies of cell kinetics and proliferation effects, effects on genes, signal transduction effects and alterations in membrane structure and function, and biophysical and biochemical mechanisms for RF field effects. In vivo studies should focus on the potential for cancer promotion, co-promotion and progression, as well as possible synergistic, genotoxic, immunological, and carcinogenic effects associated with chronic low-level RF exposure. Research is needed to determine whether low-level RF exposure causes DNA damage or influences central nervous system function, melatonin synthesis, permeability of the blood brain barrier (BBB), or reaction to neurotropic drugs. Reported RF-induced changes to eye structure and function should also be investigated. Epidemiological studies should investigate: the use of mobile telephones with hand-held antennae and incidence of various cancers; reports of headache, sleep disturbance, and other subjective effects that may arise from proximity to RF emitters, and laboratory studies should be conducted on people reporting these effects; cohorts with high occupational RF exposure for changes in cancer incidence; adverse pregnancy outcomes in various highly RF exposed occupational groups; and ocular pathologies in mobile telephone users and in highly RF exposed occupational groups. Studies of populations with residential exposure from point sources, such as broadcasting transmitters or mobile telephone base stations have caused widespread health concerns among the public, even though RF exposures are very low. Recent studies that may indicate an increased incidence of cancer in exposed populations should be investigated further. Bioelectromagnetics 19:1–19, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.