Runs of homozygosity in Sable Island feral horses reveal the genomic consequences of inbreeding and divergence from domestic breeds.

Background: Understanding inbreeding and its impact on fitness and evolutionary potential is fundamental to species conservation and agriculture. Long stretches of homozygous genotypes, known as runs of homozygosity (ROH), result from inbreeding and their number and length can provide useful population-level information on inbreeding characteristics and locations of signatures of selection. However, the utility of ROH for conservation is limited for natural populations where baseline data and genomic tools are lacking.

Quantifying male harm and its divergence.

Male harm arises when traits that increase reproductive success in competition with other males also harm females as a side effect. The extent of harm depends on male and female phenotypes, both of which can diverge between populations. Within a population, harm is inferred when increased exposure to males reduces female fitness, but studies of the divergence of male harm rarely manipulate male exposure.

Not playing by the rules: Unusual patterns in the epidemiology of parasites in a natural population of feral horses () on Sable Island, Canada.

Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada hosts one of few natural populations of feral horses () never exposed to anthelmintics. Coproculture revealed cyathostomes, and , with (unusually) dominating in adult horses and cyathostomes dominating in young horses (<3 years of age). We examined 35 horses found dead in the springs of 2017 and 2018, as well as fecal samples from live horses in spring (n = 45) and summer 2018 (n = 236) using McMaster fecal flotation and Baermann larval sedimentation on fresh samples, and modified Wisconsin flotation and sucrose gradient immunofluorescent assay for and on frozen samples.

The purging of deleterious mutations in simple and complex mating environments.

There is a general expectation that sexual selection should align with natural selection to aid the purging of deleterious mutations, yet experiments comparing purging under monogamy versus polygamy have provided mixed results. Recent studies suggest that this may be because the simplified mating environments used in these studies reduce the benefit of sexual selection through males and hamper natural selection through females by increasing costs associated with sexual conflict. To test the effect of the physical mating environment on purging, we use experimental evolution in to track the frequency of four separate deleterious mutations in replicate populations that experience polygamy under either a simple or structurally complex mating arena while controlling for arena size.

Strained ruthenium metal-organic dyads as photocisplatin agents with dual action.

Three strained Ru(II) metal-organic dyads were prepared and characterized by NMR, mass spectrometry, and analytical HPLC to probe whether these constructs could act as multifunctional photochemotherapy (PCT) agents. The compounds incorporated the crowded 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (6,6'-dmb) ligand to impart stoichiometric photocisplatin activity, and imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10]phenanthroline (IP) appended with n thiophene units (nT; n=1-3) to add capacity for singlet oxygen sensitization. With visible light activation, each complex of the series underwent rapid and selective photoejection of 6,6'-dmb in less than 10min, with half-lives (t1/2) as short as 46.

Synthetic prodigiosenes and the influence of C-ring substitution on DNA cleavage, transmembrane chloride transport and basicity.

Analogues of the tripyrrolic natural product prodigiosin bearing an additional methyl and a carbonyl group at the C-ring were synthesised and evaluated. In vitro anticancer activity screening (NCI) and the study of modes of action (copper-mediated cleavage of double-stranded DNA and transmembrane transport of chloride anions) showed that the presence of the methyl group is not detrimental to activity. Furthermore, although the presence of an ester conjugated to the prodigiosene C-ring seems to decrease both pK(a) and chloride transport efficiency compared to the natural product, these analogues still exhibit a high rate of chloride transport.

Investigations regarding the utility of prodigiosenes to treat leukemia.

Prodigiosenes, possessing a 4-methoxypyrrolyldipyrrin skeleton, are known for their anti-cancer activity. Structural modification of the C-ring resulted in a series of prodigiosenes that displayed promising activity against leukemia cell lines during in vitro analysis against the NCI 60 cancer cell line panel. Further in vivo studies of these compounds using the zebrafish model showed persistence of anti-leukemia properties in human K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells.