HSP70 from the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri: molecular characterization and expression in response to heat stress.

Background: Heat stress proteins are implicated in stabilizing and refolding denatured proteins in vertebrates and invertebrates. Members of the Hsp70 gene family comprise the cognate heat shock protein (Hsc70) and inducible heat shock protein (Hsp70). However, the cDNA sequence and the expression of Hsp70 in the Antarctic sea urchin are unknown.

Computational Approaches and Analysis for a Spatio-Structural-Temporal Invasive Carcinoma Model.

Spatio-temporal models have long been used to describe biological systems of cancer, but it has not been until very recently that increased attention has been paid to structural dynamics of the interaction between cancer populations and the molecular mechanisms associated with local invasion. One system that is of particular interest is that of the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) wherein uPA binds uPA receptors on the cancer cell surface, allowing plasminogen to be cleaved into plasmin, which degrades the extracellular matrix and this way leads to enhanced cancer cell migration. In this paper, we develop a novel numerical approach and associated analysis for spatio-structuro-temporal modelling of the uPA system for up to two-spatial and two-structural dimensions.

Disruption of key NADH-binding pocket residues of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis InhA affects DD-CoA binding ability.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health problem that affects over 10 million people. There is an urgent need to develop novel antimicrobial therapies to combat TB. To achieve this, a thorough understanding of key validated drug targets is required.

A multi-scale evaluation of pack stock effects on subalpine meadow plant communities in the Sierra Nevada.

We evaluated the influence of pack stock (i.e., horse and mule) use on meadow plant communities in Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks in the Sierra Nevada of California.

Flotillins control zebrafish epiboly through their role in cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion.

Zebrafish gastrulation and particularly epiboly that involves coordinated movements of several cell layers is a dynamic process for which regulators remain to be identified. We show here that Flotillin 1 and 2, ubiquitous and highly conserved proteins, are required for epiboly. Flotillins knockdown compromised embryo survival, strongly delayed epiboly and impaired deep cell radial intercalation and directed collective migration without affecting enveloping layer cell movement.

Stk1-mediated phosphorylation stimulates the DNA-binding properties of the Staphylococcus aureus SpoVG transcriptional factor.

The stage V sporulation protein G (SpoVG) homolog of Staphylococcus aureus is a modulator of virulence factor synthesis and antibiotic resistance in this clinically important gram-positive pathogen. Here we demonstrate that SpoVG can be phosphorylated by the staphylococcal Ser/Thr protein kinase Stk1 and that phosphorylation positively affects its DNA-binding properties. Mass spectrometric analyses and site directed mutagenesis identified Thr4, Thr13, Thr24 and Ser41 as phospho-acceptors.

Breakdown of coevolution between symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia and their filarial hosts.

Wolbachia is an alpha-proteobacterial symbiont widely distributed in arthropods. Since the identification of Wolbachia in certain animal-parasitic nematodes (the Onchocercidae or filariae), the relationship between arthropod and nematode Wolbachia has attracted great interest. The obligate symbiosis in filariae, which renders infected species susceptible to antibiotic chemotherapy, was held to be distinct from the Wolbachia-arthropod relationship, typified by reproductive parasitism.

Ecological and evolutionary influences on body size and shape in the Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).

Oceanic islands are often inhabited by endemic species that have undergone substantial morphological evolutionary change due to processes of multiple colonizations from various source populations, dispersal, and local adaptation. Galápagos marine iguanas are an example of an island endemic exhibiting high morphological diversity, including substantial body size variation among populations and sexes, but the causes and magnitude of this variation are not well understood. We obtained morphological measurements from marine iguanas throughout their distribution range.

Shape plasticity in response to water velocity in the freshwater blenny Salaria fluviatilis.

A non-random association between an environmental factor and a given trait could be explained by directional selection (genetic determinism) and by phenotypic plasticity (environmental determinism). A previous study showed a significant relationship between morphology and water velocity in Salaria fluviatilis that conformed to functional expectations. The objective of this study was to test whether this relationship could be explained by phenotypic plasticity.

Economic inequality caused by feedbacks between poverty and the dynamics of a rare tropical disease: the case of Buruli ulcer in sub-Saharan Africa.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have received increasing attention in recent years by the global heath community, as they cumulatively constitute substantial burdens of disease as well as barriers for economic development. A number of common tropical diseases such as malaria, hookworm or schistosomiasis have well-documented economic impacts. However, much less is known about the population-level impacts of diseases that are rare but associated with high disability burden, which represent a great number of tropical diseases.

The use of active PET to package rosé wine: Changes of aromatic profile by chemical evolution and by transfers.

Active Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles containing 1 or 3% of oxygen scavenger (named 1osPET and 3osPET) were used to pack rosé wine. Changes in the aromatic profiles were monitored during 12months and compared to those of a wine packed in glass bottles. Wine in 1osPET bottles was differentiated from wine in glass or 3osPET bottles by ten aging markers such as cis-dioxane, ethyl pyruvate or furfural.

Chemical Modification of Graphene Oxide through Diazonium Chemistry and Its Influence on the Structure-Property Relationships of Graphene Oxide-Iron Oxide Nanocomposites.

4-Carboxyphenyl groups are covalently grafted onto graphene oxide via diazonium chemistry for studying their role on the adsorption of iron oxide nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are deposited via a novel phase-transfer approach involving specific interactions at the interface between two immiscible solvents. The increased density and the homogeneous distribution of surface carboxyl moieties enable the preparation of a nanocomposite with improved iron oxide distribution and loading.

Social shaping of voices does not impair phenotype matching of kinship in mandrills.

Kin selection theory provides a strong theoretical framework to explain the evolution of altruism and cooperative behaviour among genetically related individuals. However, the proximate mechanisms underlying kin discrimination, a necessary process to express kin-related behaviour, remain poorly known. In particular, no study has yet unambiguously disentangled mechanisms based on learned familiarity from true phenotype matching in kin discrimination based on vocal signals.

[COPD characteristics in subjects carrying the rare alpha-1 antitrypsin variant PIMMmalton].

Introduction: Several studies have investigated the clinical feature of COPD in subjects carrying the common alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency mutations PIS and PIZ. However, there are few data on COPD due to rarer deficient variants. In this study, we aimed to explore the features of COPD in subjects carrying the PIMMmalton mutation, which is the most prevalent alpha-1 antitrypsin variant in Tunisia.

Metacommunity speciation models and their implications for diversification theory.

The emergence of new frameworks combining evolutionary and ecological dynamics in communities opens new perspectives on the study of speciation. By acknowledging the relative contribution of local and regional dynamics in shaping the complexity of ecological communities, metacommunity theory sheds a new light on the mechanisms underlying the emergence of species. Three integrative frameworks have been proposed, involving neutral dynamics, niche theory, and life history trade-offs respectively.

Precision Measurement of the Proton Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays from Rigidity 1 GV to 1.8 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station.

A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays.

Contemporary evolution of plant reproductive strategies under global change is revealed by stored seeds.

Global change is expected to impose new selection pressures on natural populations. Phenotypic responses, such as earlier phenology in response to climate warming, have been repeatedly observed in the field. The recent pollinator decline is also expected to change selection on reproductive traits in flowering plants.

Aromatic evolution of wine packed in virgin and recycled PET bottles.

The evolution of the aromatic profile of a rosé wine packed in glass, virgin and recycled PET bottles was studied. Wine stored in PET and glass bottles was clearly differentiated after 5months of storage but only by a limited number of compounds. More pronounced decrease of oxygen sensitive compounds such as methionol was observed in PET bottles as well as the apparition of oxidative and ageing aroma compounds such as ethyl pyruvate, furfural or dioxanes in higher concentration.

CompPhy: a web-based collaborative platform for comparing phylogenies.

Background: Collaborative tools are of great help in conducting projects involving distant workers. Recent web technologies have helped to build such tools for jointly editing office documents and scientific data, yet none are available for handling phylogenies. Though a large number of studies and projects in evolutionary biology and systematics involve collaborations between scientists of different institutes, current tree comparison visualization software and websites are directed toward single-user access.

Potential energy surface and bound states of the NH3-Ar and ND3-Ar complexes.

A new, four-dimensional potential energy surface for the interaction of NH3 and ND3 with Ar is computed using the coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations and large basis sets. The umbrella motion of the ammonia molecule is explicitly taken into account. The bound states of both NH3-Ar and ND3-Ar are calculated on this potential for total angular momentum values from J = 0 to 10, with the inclusion of Coriolis interactions.

Precision Measurement of the (e^{+}+e^{-}) Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays from 0.5 GeV to 1 TeV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station.

We present a measurement of the cosmic ray (e^{+}+e^{-}) flux in the range 0.5 GeV to 1 TeV based on the analysis of 10.6 million (e^{+}+e^{-}) events collected by AMS.