Seasonal depth distribution and thermal experience of the non-indigenous round goby Neogobius melanostomus in the Baltic Sea: implications to key trophic relations

Biological Invasions - Native to the Ponto-Caspian region, the benthic round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) has invaded several European inland waterbodies as well as the North American Great Lakes...     

Applications of mineral nutrients to heavily N-fertilized Scots pine trees: Effects on arginine and mineral nutrient concentrations

The aim of the investigation was to study if improved nutrient status in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L) trees would be reflected in decreased concentrations of arginine in the needles. The studies trees had imbalanced mineral nutrient composition and elevated needle arginine concentrations caused by long-term fertilization with N. Concentrations of arginine and mineral nutrients in needles were followed over three consecutive years of additional fertilization with N alone or with P, K, Mg and micronutrients in combination with and without N.Analysis of needle mineral concentrations suggested that there were deficiencies only in K and Mg. The N concentration increased both in trees fertilized with N alone and in trees fertilized with N in combination with mineral nutrients. In the control treatment and in trees fertilized with mineral nutrients other than N the N concentration remained fairly constant. The highest Ca/N, K/N and P/N ratios were found in trees fertilized with mineral nutrients other than N while the lowest ratios were found in trees fertilized with N alone. Arginine concentrations in needles from trees fertilized with N alone remained at a high level throughout the experiment while arginine concentrations in trees given the other treatments decreased.The results show that the mineral nutrient balance can be improved with appropriate fertilization and that this improvement is reflected in decreasing arginine levels. Furthermore the study demonstrates that when N supply is reduced the arginine concentration also decreases also as an effect of reduced N supply per se. The study also indicates that arginine may be a better measure of the N status in pine trees than total N.     

Dynamics of biological invasions and pathways over time: a case study of a temperate coastal sea

Coastal and regional sea ecosystems suffer from several human-induced stressors, including human mediated bioinvasions. The Baltic Sea is generally considered to be susceptible to invasions by non-indigenous species (NIS). Out of the total of 132 NIS and cryptogenic species recorded, 59% are currently established in at least one country surrounding the Baltic Sea. On average, each country currently hosts 27 such species with 15% of the established species being found in at least 50% of the countries. Benthic macroinvertebrates dominate, both among those recorded (48%) and established (59%) species. Shipping, deliberate stocking and natural spread of NIS previously introduced to the North Sea are the main introduction pathways, with considerable dynamics over time. Amongst the pathways responsible for the currently established species, shipping and natural spread strongly dominate. Substantial uncertainty in the information on introduction pathways (except for deliberate releases) hampers detailed analyses and poses major challenges for management. Spatio-temporal variability in the invasion dynamics reflects both the spatial differences in the main hydrographic conditions of the Baltic Sea as well as the availability of introduction pathways. We conclude that the Baltic Sea cannot be considered as a uniform waterbody in terms of the established introduced species and at least two major regions with differing hydrographic conditions and introduction pathways can be clearly distinguished. Due to the importance of natural spread of NIS from the North Sea, regional cooperation in bioinvasion management should be enhanced in the future.     

Compromised epidermal barrier stimulates Harderian gland activity and hypertrophy in ACBP−/− mice

Acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) is a small, ubiquitously expressed intracellular protein that binds C₁₄-C₂₂ acyl-CoA esters with very high affinity and specificity. We have recently shown that targeted disruption of the Acbp gene leads to a compromised epidermal barrier and that this causes delayed adaptation to weaning, including the induction of the hepatic lipogenic and cholesterogenic gene programs. Here we show that ACBP is highly expressed in the Harderian gland, a gland that is located behind the eyeball of rodents and involved in the production of fur lipids and lipids used for lubrication of the eye lid. We show that disruption of the Acbp gene leads to a significant enlargement of this gland with hypertrophy of the acinar cells and increased de novo synthesis of monoalkyl diacylglycerol, the main lipid species produced by the gland. Mice with conditional targeting of the Acbp gene in the epidermis recapitulate this phenotype, whereas generation of an artificial epidermal barrier during gland development reverses the phenotype. Our findings indicate that the Harderian gland is activated by the compromised epidermal barrier as an adaptive and protective mechanism to overcome the barrier defect.     

Interaction of a monoclonal antibody with the urease of Ureaplasma urealyticum

The monoclonal antibody (mAb) U.u. 5B2 against the urease of U. urealyticum (U.u) serotype 8, was affinity purified and was found to be an IgG 1 type, with an apparent dissociation constant of 2.9 × 10⁻¹⁰ M. Immunoblot analysis of the cytoplasmic proteins of U.u electrophoresed under non-denaturing conditions showed a reaction with a major and a minor band corresponding to the urease activity. The mAb, U.u.5B2 inhibited the urease activity up to 93% and precipitated a protein from the cytoplasm with a molecular weight of 75 kDa, corresponding to the purified urease subunit. This mAb also reacted with six other U.u serotypes but not with Jack bean urease, other urease containing bacteria or genital mycoplasma.     

Biases in Demographic Modeling Affect Our Understanding of Recent Divergence

Testing among competing demographic models of divergence has become an important component of evolutionary research in model and non-model organisms. However, the effect of unaccounted demographic events on model choice and parameter estimation remains largely unexplored. Using extensive simulations, we demonstrate that under realistic divergence scenarios, failure to account for population size (N_e) changes in daughter and ancestral populations leads to strong biases in divergence time estimates as well as model choice. We illustrate these issues reconstructing the recent demographic history of North Sea and Baltic Sea turbots (Scophthalmus maximus) by testing 16 isolation with migration (IM) and 16 secondary contact (SC) scenarios, modeling changes in N_e as well as the effects of linked selection and barrier loci. Failure to account for changes in N_e resulted in selecting SC models with long periods of strict isolation and divergence times preceding the formation of the Baltic Sea. In contrast, models accounting for N_e changes suggest recent (<6 kya) divergence with constant gene flow. We further show how interpreting genomic landscapes of differentiation can help discerning among competing models. For example, in the turbot data, islands of differentiation show signatures of recent selective sweeps, rather than old divergence resisting secondary introgression. The results have broad implications for the study of population divergence by highlighting the potential effects of unmodeled changes in N_e on demographic inference. Tested models should aim at representing realistic divergence scenarios for the target taxa, and extreme caution should always be exercised when interpreting results of demographic modeling.     

Disruption of the acyl-CoA-binding protein gene delays hepatic adaptation to metabolic changes at weaning

The acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP)/diazepam binding inhibitor is an intracellular protein that binds C(14)-C(22) acyl-CoA esters and is thought to act as an acyl-CoA transporter. In vitro analyses have indicated that ACBP can transport acyl-CoA esters between different enzymatic systems; however, little is known about the in vivo function in mammalian cells. We have generated mice with targeted disruption of ACBP (ACBP(-/-)). These mice are viable and fertile and develop normally. However, around weaning, the ACBP(-/-) mice go through a crisis with overall weakness and a slightly decreased growth rate. Using microarray analysis, we show that the liver of ACBP(-/-) mice displays a significantly delayed adaptation to weaning with late induction of target genes of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) family. As a result, hepatic de novo cholesterogenesis is decreased at weaning. The delayed induction of SREBP target genes around weaning is caused by a compromised processing and decreased expression of SREBP precursors, leading to reduced binding of SREBP to target sites in chromatin. In conclusion, lack of ACBP interferes with the normal metabolic adaptation to weaning and leads to delayed induction of the lipogenic gene program in the liver.     

Methods and applications to control the uptake rate of carbon

Methods to control carbon and nutrient uptake at different availability of carbon were tested on plants of birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Solentos). The present paper accounts for the methods and the possibility to maintain steady-state, i.e., a long-term and stable physiological state of acclimated plants. Steady-state comprises, by definition, equality between constant relative growth rates, and relative uptake rates of carbon and nutrients. Two methods were tested. The first, not previously applied, method (a), was based on a constant relative addition rate of carbon, R_AC. In the second method (b), a constant concentration of CO₂ in the air, c_a, was used to attain non-limiting conditions. The methods are analogous to those used by us to control plant nutrition, and the generality of fluxes to quantify supply as well as uptake and growth was verified. Thus, different R_AC resulted in clear-cut responses, from strong reduction to non-limitation of uptake and growth, whereas different c_a levels in the range 100 to 700 ppm had comparatively small effects, with an unclear causality. Non-limiting conditions were achieved at c_a≥ 200 ppm. Effects reported in the literature have been based upon the control of c_a, similarly to method (b), whereas results comparable to those obtained with method (a) are lacking. Transpiration rate increased rapidly at c_a < 200 ppm CO₂, and at low R_AC levels, ≤ 0.1 day^?1, wilting tendencies were observed. Elevated c_a, 500 or 700 ppm, did not increase the relative growth rate (R_G) but reduced transpiration and increased both nitrogen productivity (growth rate per unit of nitrogen in the plant) and transpiration productivity (growth rate per unit of water transpired by the plant). Obviously, effects of c_a may be due to changed transpiration rate rather than to changed quantitative availability of CO₂. Relative uptake (R_UC) and growth (R_G) rates were closely equal to the R_AC applied (R_AC? R_UC? R_G); i.e., the purely mathematical conditions defining steady-state were fulfilled. This unambiguous and straightforward test of reliability confirms that experimental artefacts did not produce uncontrolled or unintended effects, so that the new technique allows an accurate control of CO₂ uptake and plant growth. The results add to previous databases and reference systems, where limiting conditions grade and classify plant performance as deviations from maximum growth. Evidently, methodology in experimentation and in evaluation of plant responses, can be based upon unifying concepts and general theories.     

Does availability of potassium affect cold hardening of Scots pine through polyamine metabolism?

The effect of different potassium availability on the polyamines and frost resistance of Scots pine seedlings ( Pinus sylvestris L.) during cold hardening was studied. Scots pine seedlings were grown applying different rates of potassium by using the relative addition rate technique followed by a 2- or 9-week hardening period with decreased light intensity, day length and temperature. After 2 weeks of treatment the seedlings were not hardened (LT₅₀, =−11°C) and showed no differences in frost resistance, although differences in the polyamine levels between the K levels were observed. After 9 weeks of hardening the seedlings at the low, medium and high K levels showed a mean frost resistance (LTs.₅₀) of −81, −63, and −47°C, respectively. A negative effect of K on the frost resistance of the needles was also found in adult trees in September. The results indicate that at the early stage of cold hardening, potassium or free polyamine levels do not affect the frost resistance of Scots pine needles. However, in hardened seedlings and adult trees potassium displays a negative and putrescine a positive correlation with frost resistance, whereas spermidine and spermine show no correlation.