Emergence and evolution of heterocyte glycolipid biosynthesis enabled specialized nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria.

Heterocytes, specialized cells for nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria, are surrounded by heterocyte glycolipids (HGs), which contribute to protection of the nitrogenase enzyme from oxygen. Diverse HGs preserve in the sediment and have been widely used as evidence of past nitrogen fixation, and structural variation has been suggested to preserve taxonomic information and reflect paleoenvironmental conditions. Here, by comprehensive HG identification and screening of HG biosynthetic gene clusters throughout cyanobacteria, we reconstruct the convergent evolutionary history of HG structure, in which different clades produce the same HGs.

Carbonate fluorapatite coatings on phillipsite represent a significant sink of phosphorus in abyssal plains of the western Pacific Ocean.

As an essential micronutrient, phosphorus plays a key role in oceanic biogeochemistry, with its cycling intimately connected to the global carbon cycle and climate change. Authigenic carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) has been suggested to represent a significant phosphorus sink in the deep ocean, but its formation mechanisms in oceanic low-productivity settings remain poorly constrained. Applying X-ray absorption near edge structure, transmission electron microscopy, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer analyses, we report a unique mineral assemblage where CFA crystals coat phillipsite in abyssal sediments of the East Mariana Basin and the Philippine Sea.

Microbial competition for iron determines its availability to the ferrous wheel.

Iron plays a pivotal role in regulating ocean primary productivity. Iron is supplied from diverse sources such as the atmosphere and the geosphere, and hence iron biogeochemical research has focused on identifying and quantifying such sources of "new" iron. However, the recycling of this new iron fuels up to 90% of the productivity in vast oceanic regions.

An evolutionary game theory analysis on the environmental impact of discharging Fukushima's nuclear wastewater: International stakeholders and strategic dynamics.

On August 24, 2023, Japan controversially decided to discharge nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, initiating intense domestic and global debates. This study employs a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative evolutionary game theory and qualitative data analysis to explore the strategic dynamics among Japan, other nations, and the Japan Fisheries Association regarding this decision. The data includes international environmental reports and economic statistics, served as the basis for simulating decision-making processes under various legal, economic, and environmental pressures.

Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird.

Optimal foraging theory posits that foragers adjust their movements based on prey abundance to optimize food intake. While extensively studied in terrestrial and marine environments, aerial foraging has remained relatively unexplored due to technological limitations. This study, uniquely combining BirdScan-MR1 radar and the Advanced Tracking and Localization of Animals in Real-Life Systems biotelemetry system, investigates the foraging dynamics of Little Swifts () in response to insect movements over Israel's Hula Valley.

gen. nov., sp. nov.: a novel species of a novel genus in the family , isolated from the sediment of a tidal flat located in Zhoushan, China.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated as HZG-20, was isolated from a tidal flat in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China. The 16S rRNA sequence similarities between strain HZG-20 and RR4-56, NNCM2, P31 and X9-2-2 were 98.9, 91.

New insights in the systematics of the Hemiuroidea (Digenea: Hemiurata) based on the integrative taxonomy approach.

Opistholecithum sandugaense n. g. n.

Early life stage bottleneck determines rates of coral recovery following severe disturbance.

Understanding how foundation species recover from disturbances is key for predicting the future of ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Coral reefs are dynamic ecosystems that can undergo rapid declines in coral abundance following disturbances. Understanding why some reefs recover quickly from these disturbances whereas others recover slowly (or not at all) gives insight into the drivers of community resilience.

Facilitated Channeling of Fixed Carbon and Energy into Chemicals in Artificial Phototrophic Communities.

Light-driven CO biovalorization offers a promising route for coupling carbon mitigation with petrochemical replacement. Synthetic phototrophic communities that mimic lichens can reduce the metabolic burden with improved CO utilization. However, inefficient channeling of carbon and energy between species seriously hinders the collaborative CO-to-molecule route.

Environmental and population influences on mummichog () gut microbiomes.

Unlabelled: The mummichog, , an abundant estuarine fish broadly distributed along the eastern coast of North America, has repeatedly evolved tolerance to otherwise lethal levels of aromatic hydrocarbon exposure. This tolerance is linked to reduced activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway. In other animals, the AHR has been shown to influence the gastrointestinal-associated microbial community, particularly when activated by the model toxic pollutant 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126) and other dioxin-like compounds.

Characterization of Allobodo yubaba sp. nov. and Novijibodo darinka gen. et sp. nov., cultivable free-living species of the phylogenetically enigmatic kinetoplastid taxon Allobodonidae.

Kinetoplastids are a large and diverse protist group, spanning ecologically important free-living forms to medically important parasites. The taxon Allobodonidae holds an unresolved position within kinetoplastids, and the sole described species, Allobodo chlorophagus, is uncultivated, being a necrotroph/parasite of macroalgae. Here we describe Allobodo yubaba sp.

Hindcasting Farmed Salmon Mortality to Improve Future Health and Production Outcomes.

Intracellular, free-floating and biofilm-forming bacterial pathogens have been implicated in summer mortality of farmed Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, in New Zealand. A mortality event in 2022 in the Pelorus Sound, Marlborough, was linked to high water temperatures (> 18°C), and bacterial skin disease associated with Piscirickettsia spp. (=Rickettsia-like organisms) and Tenacibaculum species.

Pathogenicity and phylogeny of Labyrinthula spp. isolated in Washington and Oregon, USA.

The class Labyrinthulomycetes constitutes a multitude of species found ubiquitously in the environment, and includes pathogens of corals, hard clams, turfgrasses, and seagrasses. Labyrinthula zosterae, the causative agent of seagrass wasting disease, has been associated with declines in seagrass coverage since the 1930s. However, pathogenic and nonpathogenic Labyrinthula spp.

Proteomic profiling of zinc homeostasis mechanisms in through data-dependent and data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry.

Zinc is central to the function of many proteins, yet the mechanisms of zinc homeostasis and their interplay with other cellular systems remain underexplored. In this study, we employ data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry to investigate proteome changes in under conditions of different zinc availability. Using these methods, we detected 2143 unique proteins, 1578 of which were identified by both DDA and DIA.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals a serotype-specific immune response in Nile tilapia () infected with .

is a major causative agent of streptococcosis in Nile tilapia () and understanding its etiology is important to ensure the sustainable development of global tilapia farming. Our research group recently observed contrasting disease patterns in animals infected with two different serotypes (Ib and III). To better understand the basis for these divergent responses, we analyzed the brain transcriptome of Nile tilapia following bacterial exposure.

Two Novel Compounds Isolated from the Marine Fungal Symbiont of Induce Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Breast Cancer Cells: In vitro Study.

Purpose: A promising feature of marine sponges is the potential anticancer efficacy of their secondary metabolites. The objective of this study was to explore the anticancer activities of compounds from the fungal symbiont of on breast cancer cells.

Methods: In the present research, , an endophytic fungal strain derived from the marine sponge was successfully isolated and characterized.

Revealing Elasmobranch Distributions in Turbid Coastal Waters: Insights From Environmental DNA and Particle Tracking.

Many sharks, rays and skates are highly threatened and vulnerable to overexploitation, as such reliable monitoring of elasmobranchs is key to effective management and conservation. The mobile and elusive nature of these species makes monitoring challenging, particularly in temperate waters with low visibility. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods present an opportunity to study these species in the absence of visual identification or invasive techniques.

Machine learning and metagenomics identifies uncharacterized taxa inferred to drive biogeochemical cycles in a subtropical hypereutrophic estuary.

Anthropogenic influences have drastically increased nutrient concentrations in many estuaries globally, and microbial communities have adapted to the resulting hypereutrophic ecosystems. However, our knowledge of the dominant microbial taxa and their potential functions in these ecosystems has remained sparse. Here, we study prokaryotic community dynamics in a temporal-spatial dataset, from a subtropical hypereutrophic estuary.

Microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and risk of diabetes mellitus.

The issue of plastic pollutants has become a growing concern. Both microplastics (MPs) (particle size < 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs) (particle size < 1 µm) can cause DNA damage, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress in various organisms. The primary known impacts of microplastic/nanoplastic are observed in the liver and respiratory system, leading to hepatotoxicity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Deep water vetulicolians from the lower Cambrian of China.

Vetulicolians are an enigmatic phylum of extinct Cambrian marine invertebrates. They are particularly diverse in the Chengjiang Biota of China, but representatives have been recovered from other Fossil-Lagerstätten (Cambrian Stage 3-Drumian). These organisms are characterized by a bipartite body, which is split into an anterior section and a posterior segmented section connected by a narrow constriction.

FOXR2 in cancer development: emerging player and therapeutic opportunities.

Cancer, a leading cause of global mortality, remains a significant challenge to increasing life expectancy worldwide. Forkhead Box R2 (FOXR2), identified as an oncogene within the FOX gene family, plays a crucial role in developing various endoderm-derived organs. Recent studies have elucidated FOXR2-related pathways and their involvement in both tumor and non-tumor diseases.

Unraveling the Potential of Black Soldier Fly Larvae as a Sustainable Protein Source for Nile Tilapia Production in Diverse Aquaculture Systems.

Aquaculture plays a critical role in global food security, with Nile tilapia () recognized for its adaptability and robust growth. However, traditional feeds, heavily reliant on fishmeal (FM) and soybean meal, face economic and environmental challenges. In response, black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) has emerged as a promising, nutrient-dense alternative.

Extracellular and intracellular digestion in the bivalves studied by magnetic resonance imaging with a contrast reagent.

We investigated the extracellular and intracellular digestion of bivalves employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ruditapes philippinarum clams and Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels were incubated in seawater containing a contrast reagent (GdDTPA) at 20°C. The digestive systems, from the esophagus to the rectum, were visualized at a high signal intensity by the T1-weighted MRI.

Spatial, environmental and trophic niche partitioning by seabirds in a climate change hotspot.

For similar species to co-occur in places where resources are limited, they need to adopt strategies that partition resources to reduce competition. Our understanding of the mechanisms behind resource partitioning among sympatric marine predators is evolving, but we lack a clear understanding of how environmental change is impacting these dynamics. We investigated spatial and trophic resource partitioning among three sympatric seabirds with contrasting biological characteristics: greater crested terns Thalasseus bergii (efficient flyer, limited diver, and preference for high quality forage fish), little penguins Eudyptula minor (flightless, efficient diver, and preference for high quality forage fish) and silver gulls Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae (efficient flyer, limited diver and generalist diet).