Repeated shifts out of tropical climates preceded by whole genome duplication.

While flowering plants have diversified in virtually every terrestrial clime, climate constrains the distribution of individual lineages. Overcoming climatic constraints may be associated with diverse evolutionary phenomena including whole genome duplication (WGD), gene-tree conflict, and life-history changes. Climatic shifts may also have facilitated increases in flowering plant diversification rates.

Biophysical characterization of human-cell-expressed, full-length κI O18/O8, AL-09, λ6a, and Wil immunoglobulin light chains.

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis involves the deposition of insoluble monoclonal AL protein fibrils in the extracellular space of different organs leading to dysfunction and death. Development of methods to efficiently express and purify AL proteins with acceptable standards of homogeneity and structural integrity has become critical to understand the in vitro and in vivo aspects of AL protein aggregation, and thus the disease progression. In this study, we report the biophysical characterization of His-tagged and untagged versions of AL full-length (FL) κI and λ6 subgroup proteins and their mutants expressed from the Expi293F human cell line.

Mycorrhizal feedbacks influence global forest structure and diversity.

One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles in proximity to conspecific adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive negative CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, which may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibit weaker negative CDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species.

The phylogeny and global biogeography of Primulaceae based on high-throughput DNA sequence data.

The angiosperm family Primulaceae is morphologically diverse and distributed nearly worldwide. However, phylogenetic uncertainty has obstructed the identification of major morphological and biogeographic transitions within the clade. We used target capture sequencing with the Angiosperms353 probes, taxon-sampling encompassing nearly all genera of the family, tree-based sequence curation, and multiple phylogenetic approaches to investigate the major clades of Primulaceae and their relationship to other Ericales.

Pathologic light chain amyloidosis oligomer detection in urinary extracellular vesicles as a diagnostic tool for response and progression of disease.

Light Chain (AL) Amyloidosis is a plasma cell dyscrasia producing amyloidogenic light chains (LC) that misfold and form amyloid deposits that cause damage in vital organs, primarily the heart and kidneys. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) are nanoparticles produced by renal epithelial cells throughout the nephron. We previously showed that uEVs from active renal AL amyloidosis patients contain LC oligomers that are large (>250kDa), resistant to heat and chemical denaturation, but of low abundance.

The Health and Retirement Study: Contextual Data Augmentation.

The Health and Retirement Study is an amazing resource for those studying aging in the United States, and a fantastic model for other countries who have created similar longitudinal studies. The raw amount of information, from data on income, wealth, and use of health services to employment, retirement, and family connections on to the collection of clinical biomarkers can be both empowering and overwhelming to a researcher. Luckily through the process of engagement with the research community and constant improvement, these reams of data are not only consistently growing in a thoughtful and focused direction, they are also explained and summarized to increase the ease of use for all.

Admixture may be extensive among hyperdominant Amazon rainforest tree species.

Admixture is a mechanism by which species of long-lived plants may acquire novel alleles. However, the potential role of admixture in the origin and maintenance of tropical plant diversity is unclear. We ask whether admixture occurs in an ecologically important clade of Eschweilera (Parvifolia clade, Lecythidaceae), which includes some of the most widespread and abundant tree species in Amazonian forests.

By Animal, Water, or Wind: Can Dispersal Mode Predict Genetic Connectivity in Riverine Plant Species?

Seed dispersal is crucial to gene flow among plant populations. Although the effects of geographic distance and barriers to gene flow are well studied in many systems, it is unclear how seed dispersal mediates gene flow in conjunction with interacting effects of geographic distance and barriers. To test whether distinct seed dispersal modes (i.

A Biogeographic Barrier Test Reveals a Strong Genetic Structure for a Canopy-Emergent Amazon Tree Species.

Wallace's (1854) Riverine Barrier hypothesis is one of the earliest explanations for Amazon biotic diversification. Despite the importance of this hypothesis for explaining speciation in some animal groups, it has not been studied extensively for plant species. In this study we use a prominent Amazon tree, Buchenavia oxycarpa (Mart.

Light chain amyloidosis induced inflammatory changes in cardiomyocytes and adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a progressive, degenerative disease characterized by the misfolding and amyloid deposition of immunoglobulin light chain (LC). The amyloid deposits lead to organ failure and death. Our laboratory is specifically interested in cardiac involvement of AL amyloidosis.

Aflatoxin in household maize for human consumption in Kenya, East Africa.

The objective of this study is to determine the occurrence and level of aflatoxins (AFs) contamination in freshly harvested maize for human consumption in rural Kenya. Maize kernels and freshly milled maize flour (n = 338) were collected from households in Siaya and Makueni counties. While both counties are representatives of different environmental and climate conditions, Makueni County is the area with reported outbreaks of aflatoxicosis.

Genomic evidence of survival near ice sheet margins for some, but not all, North American trees.

Temperate species experienced dramatic range reductions during the Last Glacial Maximum, yet refugial populations from which modern populations are descended have never been precisely located. Climate-based models identify only broad areas of potential habitat, traditional phylogeographic studies provide poor spatial resolution, and pollen records for temperate forest communities are difficult to interpret and do not provide species-level taxonomic resolution. Here we harness signals of range expansion from large genomic datasets, using a simulation-based framework to infer the precise latitude and longitude of glacial refugia in two widespread, codistributed hickories ( spp.

Target sequence capture in the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae): Marker selection and in silico capture from genome skimming data.

Reconstructing species trees from multi-loci datasets is becoming a standard practice in phylogenetics. Nevertheless, access to high-throughput sequencing may be costly, especially with studies of many samples. The potential high cost makes a priori assessments desirable in order to make informed decisions about sequencing.

Scale and strength oak-mesophyte interactions in a transitional oak-hickory forest.

Forests in eastern North America are undergoing rapid compositional changes as they experience novel climate, disturbance, and pest conditions. One striking pattern is the replacement of canopy oaks spp.) by mesic, fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant species like red maple .

Tangled banks: A landscape genomic evaluation of Wallace's Riverine barrier hypothesis for three Amazon plant species.

Wallace's Riverine Barrier hypothesis is one of the earliest biogeographic explanations for Amazon speciation, but it has rarely been tested in plants. In this study, we used three woody Amazonian plant species to evaluate Wallace's Hypothesis using tools of landscape genomics. We generated unlinked single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from the nuclear genomes of 234 individuals (78 for each plant species) across 13 sampling sites along the Rio Branco, Brazil, for Amphirrhox longifolia (8,075 SNPs), Psychotria lupulina (9,501 SNPs) and Passiflora spinosa (14,536 SNPs).

Assays for Light Chain Amyloidosis Formation and Cytotoxicity.

Common biophysical techniques like absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, microscopy, and light scattering studies have been in use to investigate fibril assembly for a long time. However, there is sometimes a lack of consensus from the findings of an individual technique when compared in parallel with the other techniques. In this chapter, we aim to provide a concise compilation of techniques that can effectively be used to obtain a comprehensive representation of the structural, aggregation, and toxicity determinants in immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis.

Complete plastome sequences from and 23 related species yield informative markers for Lecythidaceae.

Premise Of The Study: The tropical tree family Lecythidaceae has enormous ecological and economic importance in the Amazon basin. Lecythidaceae species can be difficult to identify without molecular data, however, and phylogenetic relationships within and among the most diverse genera are poorly resolved.

Methods: To develop informative genetic markers for Lecythidaceae, we used genome skimming to de novo assemble the full plastome of the Brazil nut tree () and 23 other Lecythidaceae species.

Immunoglobulin light chain amyloid aggregation.

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a devastating, complex, and incurable protein misfolding disease. It is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of plasma cells (fully differentiated B cells) producing an excess of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains that are secreted into circulation, where the light chains misfold, aggregate as amyloid fibrils in target organs, and cause organ dysfunction, organ failure, and death. In this article, we will review the factors that contribute to AL amyloidosis complexity, the findings by our laboratory from the last 16 years and the work from other laboratories on understanding the structural, kinetics, and thermodynamic contributions that drive immunoglobulin light chain-associated amyloidosis.

Comment on "Persistent effects of pre-Columbian plant domestication on Amazonian forest composition".

Levis (Research Articles, 3 March 2017, p. 925) concluded that pre-Columbian tree domestication has shaped present-day Amazonian forest composition. The study, however, downplays five centuries of human influence following European arrival to the Americas.

Mesenchymal stromal cells protect human cardiomyocytes from amyloid fibril damage.

Background Aims: Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a protein misfolding disease characterized by extracellular deposition of immunoglobulin light chains (LC) as amyloid fibrils. Patients with LC amyloid involvement of the heart have the worst morbidity and mortality. Current treatments target the plasma cells to reduce further production of amyloid proteins.

Altitudinal gradients, biogeographic history and microhabitat adaptation affect fine-scale spatial genetic structure in African and Neotropical populations of an ancient tropical tree species.

The analysis of fine-scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS) within populations can provide insights into eco-evolutionary processes. Restricted dispersal and locally occurring genetic drift are the primary causes for FSGS at equilibrium, as described in the isolation by distance (IBD) model. Beyond IBD expectations, spatial, environmental or historical factors can affect FSGS.

Wide but not impermeable: Testing the riverine barrier hypothesis for an Amazonian plant species.

Wallace's riverine barrier hypothesis postulates that large rivers, such as the Amazon and its tributaries, reduce or prevent gene flow between populations on opposite banks, leading to allopatry and areas of species endemism occupying interfluvial regions. Several studies have shown that two major tributaries, Rio Branco and Rio Negro, are important barriers to gene flow for birds, amphibians and primates. No botanical studies have considered the potential role of the Rio Branco as a barrier, while a single botanical study has evaluated the Rio Negro as a barrier.

Assessment of renal response with urinary exosomes in patients with AL amyloidosis: A proof of concept.

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a fatal complication of B-cell proliferation secondary to deposition of amyloid fibrils in various organs. Urinary exosomes (UEX) are the smallest of the microvesicles excreted in the urine. Previously, we found UEX of patients with AL amyloidosis contained immunoglobulin light chain (LC) oligomers that patients with multiple myeloma did not have.