Marine cyanolichens from different littoral zones are associated with distinct bacterial communities.

The microbial diversity and function of terrestrial lichens have been well studied, but knowledge about the non-photosynthetic bacteria associated with marine lichens is still scarce. 16S rRNA gene Illumina sequencing was used to assess the culture-independent bacterial diversity in the strictly marine cyanolichen species and , and the maritime chlorolichen species which occupy different areas on the littoral zone. Inland terrestrial cyanolichens from Austria were also analysed as for the marine lichens to examine further the impact of habitat/lichen species on the associated bacterial communities.

CDK13, a Kinase Involved in Pre-mRNA Splicing, Is a Component of the Perinucleolar Compartment.

The perinucleolar compartment (PNC) is a subnuclear stucture forming predominantly in cancer cells; its prevalence positively correlates with metastatic capacity. Although several RNA-binding proteins have been characterized in PNC, the molecular function of this compartment remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that the cyclin-dependent kinase 13 (CDK13) is a newly identified constituent of PNC.

Effect of NaCl on the thermal behaviour of wheat starch in excess and limited water.

The effect of NaCl on the thermal behaviour of wheat starch was investigated with particular focus on starch at low moisture contents (25-45 wt%). Increasing the level of NaCl reduced the starch peak viscosity (in 90% water) as measured by RVA and shifted all of the thermal peaks (up to 120°C) to higher temperatures as observed by DSC. Above a moisture content of 45%, the temperature difference of the first thermal transition of starch in the presence of 2% NaCl and in the absence of NaCl was found to be constant.

The protease degrading sperm histones post-fertilization in sea urchin eggs is a nuclear cathepsin L that is further required for embryo development.

Proteolysis of sperm histones in the sea urchin male pronucleus is the consequence of the activation at fertilization of a maternal cysteine protease. We previously showed that this protein is required for male chromatin remodelling and for cell-cycle progression in the newly formed embryos. This enzyme is present in the nucleus of unfertilized eggs and is rapidly recruited to the male pronucleus after insemination.

Replication origins are already licensed in G1 arrested unfertilized sea urchin eggs.

Fertilization relieves the oocyte from a cell cycle arrest, inducing progression towards mitotic cycles. While the signalling pathways involved in oocyte to embryo transition have been widely investigated, how they specifically trigger DNA replication is still unclear. We used sea urchin eggs whose oocytes are arrested in G1 to investigate in vivo the molecular mechanisms regulating initiation of replication after fertilization.