bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COP9 signalosome controls the Carma1–Bcl10–Malt1 complex upon T‐cell stimulation
Authors: Welteke Verena , Eitelhuber Andrea , Düwel Michael , Schweitzer Katrin , Naumann Michael , Krappmann Daniel
Published: May 2009

The Carma1–Bcl10–Malt1 (CBM) complex connects T‐cell receptor (TCR) signalling to the canonical IκB kinase (IKK)/NF (nuclear factor)‐κB pathway. Earlier studies have indicated that the COP9 signalosome (CSN), a pleiotropic regulator of the ubiquitin/26S proteasome system, controls antigen responses in T cells. The CSN is required for the degradation of the NF‐κB inhibitor IκBα, but other molecular targets involved in T‐cell signalling remained elusive. Here, we identify the CSN subunit 5 (CSN5) as a new interactor of Malt1 and Carma1. T‐cell activation triggers the recruitment of the CSN to the CBM complex, and CSN downregulation impairs TCR‐induced IKK activation. Furthermore, the CSN is required for maintaining the stability of Bcl10 in response to T‐cell activation. Taken together, our data provide evidence for a functional link between the evolutionarily conserved CSN and the adaptive immunoregulatory CBM complex in T cells.
Glycyrrhizin, the main active compound in liquorice, attenuates pro-inflammatory responses by interfering with membrane-dependent receptor signalling
Authors: Schröfelbauer Bärbel , Raffetseder Johanna , Hauner Maria , Wolkerstorfer Andrea , Ernst Wolfgang , Szolar Oliver H. J.
Published: May 2009

The triterpene glycoside glycyrrhizin is the main active compound in liquorice. It is used as a herbal medicine owing to its anticancer, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Its mode of action, however, remains widely unknown. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of glycyrrhizin in attenuating inflammatory responses in macrophages. Using microarray analysis, we found that glycyrrhizin caused a broad block in the induction of pro-inflammatory mediators induced by the TLR (Toll-like receptor) 9 agonist CpG-DNA in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, we found that glycyrrhizin also strongly attenuated inflammatory responses induced by TLR3 and TLR4 ligands. The inhibition was accompanied by decreased activation not only of the NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) pathway but also of the parallel MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signalling cascade upon stimulation with TLR9 and TLR4 agonists. Further analysis of upstream events revealed that glycyrrhizin treatment decreased cellular attachment and/or uptake of CpG-DNA and strongly impaired TLR4 internalization. Moreover, we found that the anti-inflammatory effects were specific for membrane-dependent receptor-mediated stimuli, as glycyrrhizin was ineffective in blocking Tnfa (tumour necrosis factor α gene) induction upon stimulation with PMA, a receptor- and membrane-independent stimulus. These observations suggest that the broad anti-inflammatory activity of glycyrrhizin is mediated by the interaction with the lipid bilayer, thereby attenuating receptor-mediated signalling.
Phytolacca americana lectin (Pa-2; pokeweed mitogen): an intrinsically unordered protein and its conversion into partial order at low pH
Authors: Ahmad Ejaz , Kamranur Rahman Shah , Masood Khan Javed , Varshney Ankita , Hasan Khan Rizwan
Published: May 2009

This is the first report of its kind that well demonstrates that a lectin from Phytolacca americana [Pa-2 (P. americana lectin-2)] can also be intrinsically unordered, based on the results obtained by CD, tryptophan fluorescence, ANS (8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid) binding, acrylamide quenching, DLS (dynamic light scattering) and its amino acid composition database analyses. Pa-2 is an acidic monomeric lectin and acquires random coil conformation at neutral pH without any regular secondary structure. As confirmed by different spectroscopic techniques, on lowering the pH, some secondary structures, predominantly α-helices, are detected by far-UV CD that adopt a marginally stable partially folded collapsed conformation possessing the characteristics of a premolten globule state. It is in accordance with coil–helix transition that is commonly observed when these intrinsically unordered proteins interact with their partner molecules in vivo.
LKB1 regulates polarity remodeling and adherens junction formation in the
Drosophila
eye
Authors: Amin Nancy , Khan Afifa , St. Johnston Daniel , Tomlinson Ian , Martin Sophie , Brenman Jay , McNeill Helen
Published: May 2009

The serine–threonine kinase LKB1 regulates cell polarity from
Caenorhabditis elegan
s to man. Loss of
lkb1
leads to a cancer predisposition, known as Peutz–Jeghers Syndrome. Biochemical analysis indicates that LKB1 can phosphorylate and activate a family of AMPK- like kinases, however, the precise contribution of these kinases to the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity is still unclear. Recent studies propose that LKB1 acts primarily through the AMP kinase to establish and/or maintain cell polarity. To determine whether this simple model of how LKB1 regulates cell polarity has relevance to complex tissues, we examined
lkb1
mutants in the
Drosophila
eye. We show that adherens junctions expand and apical, junctional, and basolateral domains mix in
lkb1
mutants. Surprisingly, we find LKB1 does not act primarily through AMPK to regulate cell polarity in the retina. Unlike
lkb1
mutants,
ampk
retinas do not show elongated rhabdomeres or expansion of apical and junctional markers into the basolateral domain. In addition, nutrient deprivation does not reveal a more dramatic polarity phenotype in
lkb1
photoreceptors. These data suggest that AMPK is not the primary target of LKB1 during eye development. Instead, we find that a number of other AMPK-like kinase, such as SIK, NUAK, Par-1, KP78a, and KP78b show phenotypes similar to weak
lkb1
loss of function in the eye. These data suggest that in complex tissues, LKB1 acts on an array of targets to regulate cell polarity.
Diverse roles of HP1 proteins in heterochromatin assembly and functions in fission yeast
Authors: Fischer Tamás , Cui Bowen , Dhakshnamoorthy Jothy , Zhou Ming , Rubin Chanan , Zofall Martin , Veenstra Timothy D. , Grewal Shiv I. S.
Published: May 2009

Conserved chromosomal HP1 proteins capable of binding to histone H3 methylated at lysine 9 are believed to provide a dynamic platform for the recruitment and/or spreading of various regulatory proteins involved in diverse chromosomal processes. The fission yeast
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
HP1 family members Chp2 and Swi6 are important for heterochromatin assembly and transcriptional silencing, but their precise roles are not fully understood. Here, we show that Swi6 and Chp2 associate with histone deacetylase (HDAC) protein complexes containing class I HDAC Clr6 and class II HDAC Clr3 (a component of Snf2/HDAC repressor complex), which are critical for transcriptional silencing of centromeric repeats targeted by the heterochromatin machinery. Mapping of RNA polymerase (Pol) II distribution in single and double mutant backgrounds revealed that Swi6 and Chp2 proteins and their associated HDAC complexes have overlapping functions in limiting Pol II occupancy across pericentromeric heterochromatin domains. The purified Swi6 fraction also contains factors involved in various chromosomal processes such as chromatin remodeling and DNA replication. Also, Swi6 copurifies with Mis4 protein, a cohesin loading factor essential for sister chromatid cohesion, and with centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A, which is incorporated into chromatin in a heterochromatin-dependent manner. These analyses suggest that among other functions, HP1 proteins associate with chromatin-modifying factors that in turn cooperate to assemble repressive chromatin; thus, precluding accessibility of underlying DNA sequences to transcriptional machinery.
Diffusion weighted imaging of the uterus: regional adc variation with oral contraceptive usage and comparison with cervical cancer
Authors: Messiou Christina , Morgan Veronica A , de Silva Sonali S , Ind Thomas E , deSouza Nandita M.
Published: May 2009

Background: There is growing interest in diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cervical carcinoma but normal uterine appearances and effects of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) have not been described.

Purpose: To establish apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for normal regions of uterus, determine the effect of the OCP on these values, and compare them with ADCs from cervical cancer.

Material and Methods: Twenty-seven premenopausal women (19 taking the OCP) with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were studied with T2W and diffusion weighted MRI (DW-MRI). Regions of interest were drawn on ADC maps by visual matching with T2W images on different zones of the uterus and values compared between women not taking and taking the OCP. A further group of 25 women with clinically obvious tumors of the cervix were also studied with T2W and DW-MRI and ADC values of tumor were compared with ADC values of cervical epithelium and stroma.

Results: The ADC values of adjacent zones of the uterus and cervix were significantly different from one another ( P<0.001). The junctional zone was seen as a band of restricted diffusion between endometrium and outer myometrium. The ADC value of the junctional zone of the uterus was significantly greater ( P<0.001) in patients taking the OCP than those patients not taking the OCP. There was no significant affect of the OCP on the ADC values of other uterine zones.

Conclusion: The zonal anatomy of the uterus is well demonstrated by DW-MRI with hormonal effects secondary to the OCP affecting junctional zone alone. ADC of cervical tumor is significantly different to cervical epithelium and stroma indicating a role in cervical cancer detection and local staging.
The acoustic characteristics of three jellyfish species: Nemopilema nomurai, Cyanea nozakii, and Aurelia aurita
Authors: Hirose Miyuki , Mukai Tohru , Hwang Doojin , Iida Kohji
Published: May 2009

Hirose, M., Mukai, T., Hwang, D., and Iida, K. 2009. The acoustic characteristics of three jellyfish species: Nemopilema nomurai, Cyanea nozakii, and Aurelia aurita. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1233–1237. Reports about jellyfish damaging nets and reducing fish catches are increasing, and data on the abundance and distribution of various jellyfish species are needed to forecast where and when their blooms will happen. Acoustic techniques can be used to obtain this information if the acoustic characteristics of the targets are known. This is a study of acoustic scattering from three jellyfish species: Nemopilema nomurai (order Rhizostomeae), Cyanea nozakii (Semaeostomeae), and Aurelia aurita (Semaeostomeae). Target strength (TS) at 38, 120, and 200 kHz, specific density, and sound speed were measured with live specimens. Specific densities were measured using the displacement–volume–weight and the dual-density methods. The sound speeds were estimated using the time-of-flight method. The reduced TS (RTS), i.e. the TS normalized by bell area, was smaller for N. nomurai (bell diameter range 19–38 cm) than for C. nozakii (bell diameter range 30–40 cm), and the differences in RTS between the species were 17.8, 12.6, and 5.8 dB at 38, 120, and 200 kHz, respectively. The respective sound-speed contrast h and density contrast g were 1.0008 ± 0.009 (mean ± s.d.) and 1.004 ± 0.015 for N. nomurai; 1.038 and 1.073 for one C. nozakii; and 1.0001 ± 0.025 and 0.989 ± 0.019 for A. aurita.
Spatial diversity of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) spawning areas
Authors: Hay Douglas E. , McCarter P. Bruce , Daniel Kristen S. , Schweigert Jacob F.
Published: May 2009

Hay, D. E., McCarter, P. B., Daniel, K. S., and Schweigert, J. F. 2009. Spatial diversity of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) spawning areas. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1662–1666. Eastern Pacific herring spawn in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas. Spawning sites are conspicuous: milt turns coastal waters white, sometimes for distances of many kilometres. This attribute has enabled biologists to document spawning distributions for more than 70 years throughout the 29 500 km coastline of western Canada. Spawning distributions and spatial diversity have varied over time. When aggregated over 70 years (1938–2007), spawning occurred along 5574 km or ∼20% of the total coastline. Cumulative annual spawn length ranges from 131 (in 1966) to 770 km (in 1992). We examined annual changes in spawn distribution using spatial units of variable size, ranging in area from a maximum of >1000 km2 to a minimum of <0.1 km2. Assessment of spatial diversity varied with the size of the spatial unit. Spatial diversity estimated from small spatial units (area <0.1 km2) was significantly correlated with spawning-stock biomass (SSB). In contrast, there was no correlation, and sometimes opposite temporal trends, between SSB and all larger spatial units (mean area >0.3 km2). The choice of spatial scale can affect the results from analyses of other factors, such as SSB, that could affect spatial diversity of spawning areas.
The S-Adenosyl-l-Homocysteine Hydrolase Gene ahcY of Agrobacterium radiobacter K84 Is Required for Optimal Growth, Antibiotic Production, and Biocontrol of Crown Gall Disease
Authors: Penyalver Ramón , Oger Phil M. , Su Shengchang , Alvarez Belén , Salcedo Carmina I. , López María M. , Farrand Stephen K.
Published: May 2009

Agrobacterium radiobacter K84 is a commercial agent used worldwide to control crown gall disease caused by pathogenic isolates of A. tumefaciens. More than 2,000 transposon insertion derivatives of strain K84 were screened by a standardized greenhouse bioassay to identify mutants defective in biocontrol. Three mutants affected in biocontrol properties were identified. All three mutants displayed normal levels of attachment to tomato seed and root colonization. One of these mutants, M19-164, exhibited partial biocontrol and did not produce detectable levels of agrocin 84. In this mutant, the transposon is located in the agn locus of pAgK84, which codes for agrocin 84 biosynthesis. The second mutant, M19-158, also exhibited partial biocontrol and produced reduced amounts of agrocin 84 as a result of a mutation in a chromosomal gene of unknown function. The third mutant, M9-22, failed to biocontrol, was impaired in both growth in minimal medium and siderophore production, and failed to produce detectable levels of agrocin 84. The chromosomal gene ahcY, which encodes S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine hydrolase, was disrupted in this mutant. Expression of a functional copy of ahcY in M9-22 restored all of the altered phenotypes. The fact that all identified biocontrol mutants exhibited a partial or total defect in production of agrocin 84 indicates that this antibiotic is required for optimum biocontrol. This study also identified two chromosomally encoded genes required for agrocin 84 production. That a mutation in ahcY abolishes biocontrol suggests that the intracellular ratio of S-adenosyl-l-methionine to S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine is an important factor for agrocin 84 biosynthesis. Finally, we demonstrate that the ahcY gene in strain K84 is also required for optimal growth as well as for antibiotic production and biocontrol of crown gall disease.
150 years beyond Darwin'sOrigin of species: finding new approaches to reconstruct early animal phylogeny
Authors: Loesel Rudi
Published: May 2009

The conference ‘Celebrating Darwin: From the Origin of Species to Deep Metazoan Phylogeny’ was held at the Humboldt University in Berlin, from 3 to 6 March 2009. Specialists from the fields of bioinformatics, molecular biology, developmental biology, comparative morphology and paleontology joined forces to present and discuss novel approaches in reconstructing the still unresolved early branching patterns of the metazoan tree of life.
Domain shuffling and the evolution of vertebrates
Authors: Kawashima Takeshi , Kawashima Shuichi , Tanaka Chisaki , Murai Miho , Yoneda Masahiko , Putnam Nicholas H. , Rokhsar Daniel S. , Kanehisa Minoru , Satoh Nori , Wada Hiroshi
Published: May 2009

The evolution of vertebrates has included a number of important events: the development of cartilage, the immune system, and complicated craniofacial structures. Here, we examine domain shuffling as one of the mechanisms that contributes novel genetic material required for vertebrate evolution. We mapped domain-shuffling events during the evolution of deuterostomes with a focus on how domain shuffling contributed to the evolution of vertebrate- and chordate-specific characteristics. We identified ∼1000 new domain pairs in the vertebrate lineage, including ∼100 that were shared by all seven of the vertebrate species examined. Some of these pairs occur in the protein components of vertebrate-specific structures, such as cartilage and the inner ear, suggesting that domain shuffling made a marked contribution to the evolution of vertebrate-specific characteristics. The evolutionary history of the domain pairs is traceable; for example, the Xlink domain of aggrecan, one of the major components of cartilage, was originally utilized as a functional domain of a surface molecule of blood cells in protochordate ancestors, and it was recruited by the protein of the matrix component of cartilage in the vertebrate ancestor. We also identified genes that were created as a result of domain shuffling in ancestral chordates. Some of these are involved in the functions of chordate structures, such as the endostyle, Reissner's fiber of the neural tube, and the notochord. Our analyses shed new light on the role of domain shuffling, especially in the evolution of vertebrates and chordates.
CD3 expression distinguishes two γδT cell receptor subsets with different phenotype and effector function in tuberculous pleurisy
Authors: Yokobori N , Schierloh P , Geffner L , Balboa L , Romero M , Musella R , Castagnino J , De Stéfano G , Alemán M , de la Barrera S , Abbate E , Sasiain M C
Published: May 2009

Tuberculous pleurisy is a naturally occurring site of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Herein, we describe the expression of activation, natural killer (NK) and cell migration markers, as well as effector functions from γδT cells in peripheral blood (PB) and pleural effusion (PE) from tuberculosis patients (TB). We observed a decreased percentage of circulating γδT from TB patients and differential expression of NK as well as of chemokine receptors on PB and PE. Two subsets of γδT cells were differentiated by the CD3/γδT cell receptor (γδTCR) complex. The γδTCRlow subset had a higher CD3 to TCR ratio and was enriched in Vδ2+ cells, whereas most Vδ1+ cells belonged to the γδTCRhigh subset. In PB from TB, most γδTCRhigh were CD45RA+CCR7- and γδTCRlow were CD45RA+/−CCR7+CXCR3+. In the pleural space the proportion of CD45RA-CCR7+CXCR3+ cells was higher. Neither spontaneous nor Mtb-induced interferon (IFN)-γ production was observed in PB-γδT cells from TB; however, PE-γδT cells showed a strong response. Both PB- and PE-γδ T cells expressed surface CD107a upon stimulation with Mtb. Notably, PE-γδTCRlow cells were the most potent effector cells. Thus, γδT cells from PB would acquire a further activated phenotype within the site of Mtb infection and exert full effector functions. As γδT cells produce IFN-γ within the pleural space, they would be expected to play a beneficial role in tuberculous pleurisy by helping to maintain a T helper type 1 profile.
Adenoid cystic pattern in follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a report of four cases
Authors: Mandal S. , Jain S.
Published: May 2009

S. Mandal, and S. Jain Adenoid cystic pattern in follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a report of four cases

Objective:  An adenoid cystic pattern in thyroid tumours is a rare finding that may be seen in papillary carcinoma of thyroid (PCT), the follicular variant of PCT (FV‐PCT), a rare cribriform‐morular variant of papillary carcinoma of thyroid (CMV‐PCT) and follicular carcinoma. There is little published cytological literature describing these patterns. We report four cases of PCT with this unusual pattern.

Methods:  Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology was performed on four patients with a neck lump using a 22‐G needle; smears were stained with Giemsa and Papanicolaou stains. Immunocytochemical staining for thyroglobulin was done in all cases.

Results:  The patients were female and ranged in age from 18 to 46 years. They presented with a gradually increasing mass in the neck. FNA smears in all cases showed nuclear features of PCT. There were also prominent follicular areas with hyaline globules in some of the cell clusters reminiscent of adenoid cystic carcinoma and, in places, morula‐like groups of neoplastic cells were also seen. Immunocytochemistry for thyroglobulin was positive in all cases but negative in the hyaline globules.

Conclusions:  Adenoid cystic areas with morula‐like groups in PCT are a rare finding. Cytopathologists and clinicians should be aware of these distinct features in thyroid tumours to avoid diagnosing metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma. It is also important to rule out CMV‐PCT since that variant is mostly associated with familial adenomatous polyposis, although sporadic occurrence is known.
Effects of recent climate change on phytoplankton phenology in a temperate lake
Authors: MEIS S. , THACKERAY S. J. , JONES I. D.
Published: May 2009

1. A number of long‐term studies have shown that spring biological events have advanced in recent decades and that this is a response to climate change. In lentic systems, changes in phytoplankton phenology have been attributed to various directly climate‐related processes including changes in the onset and duration of thermal stratification, earlier ice‐break up and increased water temperature. Both indirect climatic drivers and non‐climate drivers such as elevated grazing pressure and nutrient enrichment can also affect phenology.

2. This study investigated whether phenological trends in phytoplankton could be detected in a relatively short time series in a shallow, ice‐free, polymictic lake with a high annual discharge and whether any such trends could be causally explained.

3. It was found that the centre of gravity of the spring chlorophyll a bloom advanced significantly by 1.6 days per year over a 15‐year period. This was accompanied by a significant increase in water temperature of 0.12 °C per year which is high compared to published rates of change over longer time series. No direct effects of ice cover, stratification or water discharge rates could be linked to the advancement of the spring bloom. Instead, the shift in timing was attributed to an advance in the timing of the dominant spring diatom, Aulacoseira spp., instigated by a temperature‐driven increase in replication rate leading to an earlier onset of silica (SiO2) limitation.
Priming of immune responses against transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP)‐deficient tumours: tumour direct priming
Authors: Li Xiao‐Lin , Zhang Dongqing , Knight David , Odaka Yoshinobu , Glass Jonathan , Mathis J. Michael , Zhang Qian‐Jin
Published: May 2009

We previously showed that introduction of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) 1 into TAP‐negative CMT.64, a major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC‐I) down‐regulated mouse lung carcinoma cell line, enhanced T‐cell immunity against TAP‐deficient tumour cells. Here, we have addressed two questions: (1) whether such immunity can be further augmented by co‐expression of TAP1 with B7.1 or H‐2Kb genes, and (2) which T‐cell priming mechanism (tumour direct priming or dendritic cell cross‐priming) plays the major role in inducing an immune response against TAP‐deficient tumours. We introduced the B7.1 or H‐2Kb gene into TAP1‐expressing CMT.64 cells and determined which gene co‐expressed with TAP1 was able to provide greater protective immunity against TAP‐deficient tumour cells. Our results show that immunization of mice with B7.1 and TAP1 co‐expressing but not H‐2Kb and TAP1 co‐expressing CMT.64 cells dramatically augments T‐cell‐mediated immunity, as shown by an increase in survival of mice inoculated with live CMT.64 cells. In addition, our results suggest that induction of T‐cell‐mediated immunity against TAP‐deficient tumour cells could be mainly through tumour direct priming rather than dendritic cell cross‐priming as they show that T cells generated by tumour cell‐lysate‐loaded dendritic cells recognized TAP‐deficient tumour cells much less than TAP‐proficient tumour cells. These data suggest that direct priming by TAP1 and B7.1 co‐expressing tumour cells is potentially a major mechanism to facilitate immune responses against TAP‐deficient tumour cells.
Characterization of the proteasomeβ2 subunit gene and its mutant allele in the tephritid fruit fly pest, Anastrepha suspensa
Authors: Nirmala X. , Zimowska G. J. , Handler A. M.
Published: May 2009

In Drosophila melanogaster the β2 proteasome subunit gene, Prosβ2, was first identified as a dominant temperature sensitive mutant, DTS‐7, that causes pupal lethality at 29 °C but allows survival to adulthood at 25 °C. To explore the use of proteasome mutations for a conditional lethal system in insect pests, we identified and isolated the β2 subunit gene of the 20S proteasome from the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa. The caribfly ortholog AsProsβ2 was isolated from pupal cDNA by 5′ and 3′ RACE. The AsProsβ2 protein has high amino acid sequence similarity to predicted insect Prosβ2 subunits and homologs from yeast and mammals, and it contains the well conserved amino acids that confer catalytic activity and substrate specificity. AsProsβ2 is a single copy gene and its RNA accumulates throughout all developmental stages of the caribfly. For functional studies a point mutation, analogous to the Prosβ21 mutation in D. melanogaster, was introduced into AsProsβ2 to create an aberrant protein with a Gly170Arg substitution. Consistent with the DTS‐7 mutation, transgenic insects carrying the mutant allele undergo normal metamorphosis at the permissive temperature (25 °C) but at the non‐permissive temperature (29 °C) they exhibit effective pupal lethality. This is the first report of a functional characterization of a Prosβ2 cognate based on the creation of a dominant temperature‐sensitive mutation. This type of temperature‐dependent lethality could be used for biological control, where transgenic insects are reared to adulthood at 25 °C or lower and then released into the field where ambient temperatures averaging 29 °C or greater cause lethality in their progeny.
Characterization and influences of classical insect hormones on the expression profiles of a molting carboxypeptidase A from the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera)
Authors: Sui Y‐P. , Liu X‐B. , Chai L‐Q. , Wang J‐X. , Zhao X‐F.
Published: May 2009

Molting is a very important physiological behavior to arthropods. During molting, integument apolysis occurs, which is the digestion and absorption of the old endocuticle for new cuticle formation. Proteases play critical roles in this process. Molting carboxypeptidase A (Ha‐CPA) is characterized from Helicoverpa armigera. The Ha‐CPA transcript was mainly present in the integument from the 5th instar larvae. In the integument, the transcription level of the gene reached its peak at the 5th instar molting stage and the 6th instar prepupal stage, respectively. The examination of immunohistochemistry revealed that Ha‐CPA could distribute into the molting fluid in the molting‐ and prepupal‐stage larvae. The expression of Ha‐CPA could be up‐regulated by 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E). These facts indicate that Ha‐CPA participates in the apolysis of the integument during larval molting and metamorphosis.
The major antennal chemosensory protein of red imported fire ant workers
Authors: González D. , Zhao Q. , McMahan C. , Velasquez D. , Haskins W. E. , Sponsel V. , Cassill A. , Renthal R.
Published: May 2009

Some chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are expressed in insect sensory appendages and are thought to be involved in chemical signalling by ants. We identified 14 unique CSP sequences in expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. One member of this group (Si‐CSP1) is highly expressed in worker antennae, suggesting an olfactory function. A shotgun proteomic analysis of antennal proteins confirmed the high level of Si‐CSP1 expression, and also showed expression of another CSP and two odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs). We cloned and expressed the coding sequence for Si‐CSP1. We used cyclodextrins as solubilizers to investigate ligand binding. Fire ant cuticular lipids strongly inhibited Si‐CSP1 binding to the fluorescent dye N‐phenyl‐naphthylamine, suggesting cuticular substances are ligands for Si‐CSP1. Analysis of the cuticular lipids showed that the endogenous ligands of Si‐CSP1 are not cuticular hydrocarbons.
The genomic legacy from the extinct Lepus timidus to the three hare species of Iberia: contrast between mtDNA, sex chromosomes and autosomes
Authors: MELO‐FERREIRA J. , ALVES P. C. , FREITAS H. , FERRAND N. , BOURSOT P.
Published: May 2009

Extensive interspecific genetic introgression is often reported, and appraising its genomic impact can serve to determine whether it results from selection on specific loci or from demographic processes affecting the whole genome. The three species of hares present in the Iberian Peninsula harbour high frequencies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from Lepus timidus, an arctic/boreal species now extinct in the region. This could result from the invasive replacement of L. timidus by the temperate species during deglaciation but should then have left traces in the nuclear genome. We typed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) discovered by sequencing 10 autosomal loci, two X‐linked and one Y‐linked in species‐wide samples of the four taxa. Based on lineage‐diagnostic SNPs, we detected no trace of L. timidus sex chromosomes in Iberia. From the frequencies of inferred haplotypes, autosomal introgression into L. granatensis appeared mostly sporadic but always widespread instead of restricted to the north as mtDNA. Autosomal introgression into Iberian L. europaeus, inhabiting the Pyrenean foothills, was hardly detectable, despite quasi‐fixation of L. timidus mtDNA. L. castroviejoi, endemic to the Cantabrian Mountains and fixed for L. timidus mtDNA, showed little traces of autosomal introgression. The absence of sex‐chromosome introgression presumably resulted from X‐linked hybrid male unfitness. The contrasting patterns between the autosomes and mtDNA could reflect general gender asymmetric processes such as frequency‐dependent female assortative mating, lower mtDNA migration and higher male dispersal, but adaptive mtDNA introgression cannot be dismissed. Additionally, we document reciprocal introgression between L. europaeus and both L. granatensis in Iberia and L. timidus outside Iberia.
Auxin transport‐feedback models of patterning in plants
Authors: SMITH RICHARD S. , BAYER EMMANUELLE M.
Published: May 2009

Many patterning events in plants are regulated by the phytohormone auxin. In fact, so many things are under the influence of auxin that it seems difficult to understand how a single hormone can do so much. Auxin moves throughout the plant via a network of specialized membrane‐bound import and export proteins, which are often differentially expressed and polarized depending on tissue type. Here, we review simulation models of pattern formation that are based on the control of these transporters by auxin itself. In these transport‐feedback models, diversity in patterning comes not from the addition of more morphogens, but rather by varying the mechanism that regulates the transporters.
Separating the influence of resource ‘availability’ from resource ‘imbalance’ on productivity–diversity relationships
Authors: Cardinale Bradley J. , Hillebrand Helmut , Harpole W. S. , Gross Kevin , Ptacnik Robert
Published: May 2009

One of the oldest and richest questions in biology is that of how species diversity is related to the availability of resources that limit the productivity of ecosystems. Researchers from a variety of disciplines have pursued this question from at least three different theoretical perspectives.Species energy theoryhas argued that the summed quantities of all resources influence species richness by controlling population sizes and the probability of stochastic extinction.Resource ratio theoryhas argued that the imbalance in the supply of two or more resources, relative to the stoichiometric needs of the competitors, can dictate the strength of competition and, in turn, the diversity of coexisting species. In contrast to these, the field ofBiodiversity and Ecosystem Functioninghas argued that species diversity acts as an independent variable that controls how efficiently limited resources are utilized and converted into new tissue. Here we propose that all three of these fields give necessary, but not sufficient, conditions to explain productivity–diversity relationships (PDR) in nature. However, when taken collectively, these three paradigms suggest that PDR can be explained by interactions among four distinct, non‐interchangeable variables: (i) the overall quantity of limiting resources, (ii) the stoichiometric ratios of different limiting resources, (iii) the summed biomass produced by a group of potential competitors and (iv) the richness of co‐occurring species in a local competitive community. We detail a new multivariate hypothesis that outlines one way in which these four variables are directly and indirectly related to one another. We show how the predictions of this model can be fit to patterns of covariation relating the richness and biomass of lake phytoplankton to three biologically essential resources (N, P and light) in a large number of Norwegian lakes.
Ubiquitous late competence genes in Bacillus species indicate the presence of functional DNA uptake machineries
Authors: Kovács Ákos T. , Smits Wiep Klaas , Mirończuk Aleksandra M. , Kuipers Oscar P.
Published: May 2009

Natural competence for genetic transformation, i.e. the ability to take up DNA and stably integrate it in the genome, has so far only been observed in the bacterial kingdom (both in Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive species) and may contribute to survival under adverse growth conditions. Bacillus subtilis, the model organism for the Bacillus genus, possesses a well‐characterized competence machinery. Phylogenetic analysis of several genome sequences of different Bacillus species reveals the presence of many, but not all genes potentially involved in competence and its regulation. The recent demonstration of functional DNA uptake by B. cereus supports the significance of our genome analyses and shows that the ability for functional DNA uptake might be widespread among Bacilli.
Statistical Learning in a Natural Language by 8‐Month‐Old Infants
Authors: Pelucchi Bruna , Hay Jessica F. , Saffran Jenny R.
Published: May 2009

Numerous studies over the past decade support the claim that infants are equipped with powerful statistical language learning mechanisms. The primary evidence for statistical language learning in word segmentation comes from studies using artificial languages, continuous streams of synthesized syllables that are highly simplified relative to real speech. To what extent can these conclusions be scaled up to natural language learning? In the current experiments, English‐learning 8‐month‐old infants’ ability to track transitional probabilities in fluent infant‐directed Italian speech was tested (N = 72). The results suggest that infants are sensitive to transitional probability cues in unfamiliar natural language stimuli, and support the claim that statistical learning is sufficiently robust to support aspects of real‐world language acquisition.
Orthography and the Development of Reading Processes: An Eye‐Movement Study of Chinese and English
Authors: Feng Gary , Miller Kevin , Shu Hua , Zhang Houcan
Published: May 2009

As children become proficient readers, there are substantial changes in the eye movements that subserve reading. Some of these changes reflect universal developmental factors while others may be specific to a particular writing system. This study attempts to disentangle effects of universal and script‐dependent factors by comparing the development of eye movements of English and Chinese speakers. Third‐grade (English: mean age = 9.1 years, n = 23; Chinese: mean age = 9.4 years, n = 25), fifth‐grade (English: mean age = 11.2 years, n = 30; Chinese: mean age = 11.4, n = 25), and undergraduate students (English: n = 26; Chinese: n = 30) read stories in their native language while their eye movements were recorded. Results show a mixture of orthography‐dependent factors with others that are remarkably parallel across these two very different writing systems. Orthographic effects are also more pronounced for children than for skilled adult readers. Implications for theories of reading eye movements and reading development are discussed.
Fathers’ and Mothers’ Parenting Predicting and Responding to Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviors
Authors: Coley Rebekah Levine , Votruba‐Drzal Elizabeth , Schindler Holly S.
Published: May 2009

Transactional models of problem behavior argue that less effective parenting and adolescent problem behaviors coevolve, exerting bidirectional influences. This article extends such models by analyzing growth trajectories of sexual risk behaviors and parenting processes among 3,206 adolescents (aged 13–18) and their residential parents. Within individuals, increases in regular family activities prospectively predicted declines in adolescents’ risky sexual activities. In contrast, increases in risky sexual activities predicted heightened father knowledge. Between‐individual comparisons revealed bidirectional links between more involved parenting, particularly family activities and father knowledge, and lower adolescent risky sexual activity. Results highlight the importance of family activities as a protective force for adolescents and suggest that fathers may react differently than mothers in the face of youth problem behaviors.
The Effects of Peer Victimization and Physical Aggression on Changes in Internalizing From First to Third Grade
Authors: Leadbeater Bonnie J. , Hoglund Wendy L. G.
Published: May 2009

Three models of the prospective relations between child maladjustment and peer victimization are examined: (a) internalizing results directly from victimization, (b) internalizing leads to victimization, and (c) physical aggression fuels retaliatory victimization that leads to increases in internalizing over time. Data came from assessments of children at the beginning of Grade 1 (n = 432; average age = 6.3 years), with follow‐ups at the end of Grades 1, 2, and 3. Most children showed low stable internalizing trajectories (73%); however, high stable and increasing curvilinear trajectories were evident for 7% and 20% of children, respectively. Findings suggest that children’s adjustment problems at entry to Grade 1 affect the course of their internalizing, in part, by setting the stage for peer victimization.
Early Family and Child‐Care Antecedents of Awakening Cortisol Levels in Adolescence
Authors: Roisman Glenn I. , Susman Elizabeth , Barnett‐Walker Kortnee , Booth‐LaForce Cathryn , Owen Margaret Tresch , Belsky Jay , Bradley Robert H. , Houts Renate , Steinberg Laurence ,   The NICHD Early Child Care Research Network
Published: May 2009

This study examined early observed parenting and child‐care experiences in relation to functioning of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical axis over the long term. Consistent with the attenuation hypothesis, individuals (n = 863) who experienced: (a) higher levels of maternal insensitivity and (b) more time in child‐care centers in the first 3 years of life had lower awakening cortisol levels at age 15. Associations were small in magnitude. Nonetheless, results were (a) additive in that both higher levels of maternal insensitivity and more experience with center‐based care uniquely (but not interactively) predicted lower awakening cortisol, (b) not accounted for by later caregiving experiences measured concurrently with awakening cortisol at age 15 or by early demographic variables, and (c) not moderated by sex or by difficult temperament.
Parafoveal Magnification
Authors: Miellet Sébastien , O'Donnell Patrick J. , Sereno Sara C.
Published: May 2009

Models of eye guidance in reading rely on the concept of the perceptual span—the amount of information perceived during a single eye fixation, which is considered to be a consequence of visual and attentional constraints. To directly investigate attentional mechanisms underlying the perceptual span, we implemented a new reading paradigm—parafoveal magnification (PM)—that compensates for how visual acuity drops off as a function of retinal eccentricity. On each fixation and in real time, parafoveal text is magnified to equalize its perceptual impact with that of concurrent foveal text. Experiment 1 demonstrated that PM does not increase the amount of text that is processed, supporting an attentional-based account of eye movements in reading. Experiment 2 explored a contentious issue that differentiates competing models of eye movement control and showed that, even when parafoveal information is enlarged, visual attention in reading is allocated in a serial fashion from word to word.
QUANTUM REALITY AND ETHOS: A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT REGARDING THE FOUNDATION OF ETHICS IN COSMIC ORDER
Authors: Schäfer Lothar , Ponte Diogo Valadas , Roy Sisir
Published: May 2009

The authors undertake a thought experiment the purpose of which is to explore possibilities for understanding moral principles in analogy with cosmic order. The experiment is based on three proposals, which are described in detail: an ontological, a neurological, and a moral proposal. The ontological proposal accepts from the phenomena of quantum physics that there is a nonempirical domain of physical reality that consists not of material things but of what is philosophically conceptualized as a realm of nonmaterial forms. This realm of forms is the realm of potentiality in physical reality that quantum physics posits as an indivisible Wholeness—the One. It is the ultimate reality because everything empirical is the actualization of its forms. The neurological proposal is the hypothesis that the brain is sensitive to the potentiality waves in the cosmic field, as ordinary measuring instruments in physics are sensitive to potentiality waves at the quantum level, so that the cosmic field can communicate with the human brain. The third proposal assumes that the communication with the cosmic field can translate into moral ideas and actions. Even though the three proposals underlying the thought experiment are highly speculative, they lead to definite implications that make sense in their own right and can be applied in a useful way. From the order of reality some simple rules of conduct follow that are identical with traditional moral rules but have the character of rules of well‐ness, leading to new aspects of Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia and Kant's concept of the highest good. In analogy with the structure of physical reality, where all empirical phenomena are actualizations of nonempirical forms, it is suggested that the structure of morality, too, is that of a tacit, nonempirical form that actualizes in explicit principles and moral acts through our consciousness. The tacit form is thought to exist in the realm of cosmic potentiality, together with all the other forms that the empirical world actualizes. It can appear spontaneously in our consciousness when needed, offering its guidance to our judgment and free will. Because it does not appear in the form of commandments accompanied by threats, the actions of the tacit moral form define a higher level of morality, similar to that offered by some aspects of the Christian teaching, where one acts not out of fear but on the desire to do things right.
ALTRUISM IN SUICIDE TERROR ORGANIZATIONS
Authors: Qirko Hector N.
Published: May 2009

In recent years, much has been learned about the strategic and organizational contexts of suicide attacks. However, motivations of the agents who commit them remain difficult to explain. In part this is because standard models of social learning as well as Durkheimian notions of sacrificial behavior are inadequate in the face of the actions of human bombers. In addition, the importance of organizational structures and practices in reinforcing commitment on the part of suicide recruits is an under‐explored factor in many analyses. This essay examines the potential applicability of evolutionary models of altruism to the understanding of commitment to suicide on the part of terrorist organizational recruits. Three evolutionary models of sacrificial behavior in nonhuman species and many categories of human behavior are explored cross‐organizationally: reciprocity, inclusive fitness theory, and induced altruism. Reciprocal altruism is unlikely to be a major motivator in suicide attacks because the costs exhibited by attackers are too high to be adequately compensated. However, the role of evolved self‐deception in perceptions of personal death, and thus of rewards in the afterlife, is potentially illuminating. Inclusive fitness theory can help explain the motivations of attackers because rewards to kin often are offered by organizations to suicide recruits. However, suicide bombers also often act out of revenge for the loss of or injury to relatives, and inclusive fitness theory generally, as well as more specific theoretical models of retaliatory aggression, may not adequately account for the bombers' actions. Predictions from induced altruism theory appear to be well supported because suicide terror organizations tend to be tightly structured around practices intended to maintain and reinforce commitment though the manipulation of kinship‐recognition cues.
THE THIRD WAY OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES: BEYONDSUI GENERISRELIGIOUS STUDIES AND THE POSTMODERNISTS
Authors: Braxton Donald M.
Published: May 2009

This essay advocates dual‐inheritance theory for the renewal of Religious Studies.Not by Genes Alone, by Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd (2005), presents this approach in an admirably clear manner. To make my case, I survey the development of Religious Studies since the Enlightenment, with special attention to the American context. The historical survey brings us to the dawn of the twenty‐first century, where Religious Studies is often unnecessarily limited tosui generisReligious Studies and its postmodern critics. Neither approach engages regnant Darwinian theoretical frameworks of gene‐culture coevolution productively. In this context, I situate the contributions of dual‐inheritance theory as presented by Richerson and Boyd and offer examples of its utility for progress in Religious Studies, its ability to open cooperation across disciplinary boundaries, and its salutary demystification of religion as a culturally unique and coherent phenomenon. I conclude by addressing concerns scholars of religion might entertain regarding the issue of reductionism and how an emergent science of religion might contribute to the traditional concerns of religion‐and‐science dialogue as it has evolved in the English‐speaking context.
Credit Market Failures and Policy
Authors: MINELLI ENRICO , MODICA SALVATORE
Published: May 2009

In a simplified version of the Stiglitz and Weiss (1981) model of the credit market we characterize optimal policies to correct market failures. Widely applied policies, notably interest‐rate subsidies and investment subsidies, are compared to the theoretical optimum.