Unique chemistry associated with diversification in a tightly coupled cycad-thrips obligate pollination mutualism.

Cycad cone thermogenesis and its associated volatiles are intimately involved in mediating the behavior of their obligate specialist pollinators. In eastern Australia, thrips in the Cycadothrips chadwicki species complex are the sole pollinators of many Macrozamia cycads. Further, they feed and reproduce entirely in the pollen cones.

Thermogenic respiratory processes drive the exponential increase of volatile organic compound emissions in Macrozamia cycad cones.

An important outcome of plant thermogenesis is increased emissions of volatiles that mediate pollinator behaviour. We investigated whether the large increase in emissions, mainly the monoterpene ß-myrcene (>90%), during daily thermogenic events of Macrozamia macleayi and lucida cycad cones are due solely to the influence of high cone temperatures or are, instead, a result of increased respiratory rates during thermogenesis. We concurrently measured temperature, oxygen consumption and ß-myrcene emission profiles during thermogenesis of pollen cones under typical environmental temperatures and during experimental manipulations of cone temperatures and aerobic conditions, all in the dark.

Preventing phosphorylation of dystroglycan ameliorates the dystrophic phenotype in mdx mouse.

Loss of dystrophin protein due to mutations in the DMD gene causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Dystrophin loss also leads to the loss of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) from the sarcolemma which contributes to the dystrophic phenotype. Tyrosine phosphorylation of dystroglycan has been identified as a possible signal to promote the proteasomal degradation of the DGC.

The inside and out of dystroglycan post-translational modification.

In neuromuscular systems dystroglycan provides a vital link between laminin in the extracellular matrix and dystrophin in the membrane cytoskeleton. The integrity of this link is maintained and regulated by post-translational modifications of dystroglycan that have effects both inside and outside the cell. Glycosylation of α-dystroglycan is crucial for its link to laminin and phosphorylation of β-dystroglycan on tyrosine regulates its association with intracellular binding partners.

Dystroglycan versatility in cell adhesion: a tale of multiple motifs.

Dystroglycan is a ubiquitously expressed heterodimeric adhesion receptor. The extracellular alpha-subunit makes connections with a number of laminin G domain ligands including laminins, agrin and perlecan in the extracellular matrix and the transmembrane beta-subunit makes connections to the actin filament network via cytoskeletal linkers including dystrophin, utrophin, ezrin and plectin, depending on context. Originally discovered as part of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex of skeletal muscle, dystroglycan is an important adhesion molecule and signalling scaffold in a multitude of cell types and tissues and is involved in several diseases.

Modulation of cell spreading and cell-substrate adhesion dynamics by dystroglycan.

Dystroglycan is a ubiquitously expressed cell adhesion protein. Its principal role has been determined as a component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex of muscle, where it constitutes a key component of the costameric cell adhesion system. To investigate more fundamental aspects of dystroglycan function in cell adhesion, we examined the role of dystroglycan in the dynamics and assembly of cellular adhesions in myoblasts.

Rectal motion can reduce CTV coverage and increase rectal dose during prostate radiotherapy: A daily cone-beam CT study.

Background And Purpose: Daily on-treatment verification cone-beam CT (CBCT) was used to study the effect of rectal motion on clinical target volume (CTV) coverage during prostate radiotherapy.

Material And Methods: CBCT scans were acquired from 15 patients immediately after daily treatment. From these images, the rectum was contoured allowing the analysis of rectal volume cross-sectional area (CSA) and the determination of rectal dose.

The effect of ingestion of milk supplemented with salivaricin A-producing Streptococcus salivarius on the bacteriocin-like inhibitory activity of streptococcal populations on the tongue.

The colonization efficacies of salivaricin A (SalA)-producing Streptococcus salivarius strains 20P3 and 5 were compared when given in milk to 219 children, using either 2-day or 9-day dosing regimens. Colonization levels overall were superior for strain 5, and the 9-day dosing schedule resulted in higher levels of both initial colonization and strain persistence. The indigenous streptococcal tongue populations of 20 (10.

Insect odour perception: recognition of odour components by flower foraging moths.

Odours emitted by flowers are complex blends of volatile compounds. These odours are learnt by flower-visiting insect species, improving their recognition of rewarding flowers and thus foraging efficiency. We investigated the flexibility of floral odour learning by testing whether adult moths recognize single compounds common to flowers on which they forage.

Safety assessment of the oral cavity probiotic Streptococcus salivarius K12.

Streptococcus salivarius is a prominent member of the oral microbiota and has excellent potential for use as a probiotic targeting the oral cavity. In this report we document safety data relating to S. salivarius K12, including assessment of its antibiogram, metabolic profiles, and virulence determinants, and we examine the microbial composition of saliva following the dosing of subjects with K12.

Production of the lantibiotic salivaricin A and its variants by oral streptococci and use of a specific induction assay to detect their presence in human saliva.

Salivaricin A (SalA), the first Streptococcus salivarius lantibiotic to be characterized, appears to be inhibitory to most Streptococcus pyogenes strains. A variant of the SalA structural gene (salA1) is present in more than 90% of S. pyogenes strains, but only strains of M serotype 4 and T pattern 4 produce the biologically active peptide.

Learning, odour preference and flower foraging in moths.

Floral volatiles play a major role in plant-insect communication. We examined the influence of two volatiles, phenylacetaldehyde and alpha-pinene, on the innate and learnt foraging behaviour of the moth Helicoverpa armigera. In dual-choice wind tunnel tests, adult moths flew upwind towards both volatiles, with a preference for phenylacetaldehyde.

Determination of dihydroergosine in sorghum ergot using an immunoassay.

Dihydroergosine (DHES) is the principal toxic alkaloid produced by sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana). It has recently been shown that DHES levels as low as 1 mg/kg in animal feed can cause significant production losses. Quantitative immunoassays for detecting the related rye ergot alkaloid, ergotamine, are described in the literature, but those assays are relatively insensitive for DHES.