| 1. |
- Andersson, Jan O, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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A cyanobacterial gene in nonphotosynthetic protists : an early chloroplast acquisition in eukaryotes?
- 2002
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 12:2, s. 115-119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since the incorporation of mitochondria and chloroplasts (plastids) into the eukaryotic cell by endosymbiosis, genes have been transferred from the organellar genomes to the nucleus of the host, via an ongoing process known as endosymbiotic gene transfer. Accordingly, in photosynthetic eukaryotes, nuclear genes with cyanobacterial affinity are believed to have originated from endosymbiotic gene transfer from chloroplasts. Analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome has shown that a significant fraction (2%-9%) of the nuclear genes have such an endosymbiotic origin. Recently, it was argued that 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (gnd)-the second enzyme in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway-was one such example. Here we show that gnd genes with cyanobacterial affinity also are present in several nonphotosynthetic protistan lineages, such as Heterolobosea, Apicomplexa, and parasitic Heterokonta. Current data cannot definitively resolve whether these groups acquired the gnd gene by primary and/or secondary endosymbiosis or via an independent lateral gene transfer event. Nevertheless, our data suggest that chloroplasts were introduced into eukaryotes much earlier than previously thought and that several major groups of heterotrophic eukaryotes have secondarily lost photosynthetic plastids.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, Jan O, 1971-
(författare)
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Evolutionary genomics : is Buchnera a bacterium or an organelle?
- 2000
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 10:23, s. R866-R868
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The first genome sequence of an intracellular bacterial symbiont of a eukaryotic cell has been determined. The Buchnera genome shares features with the genomes of both intracellular pathogenic bacteria and eukaryotic organelles, and it may represent an intermediate between the two.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Jan O, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogenetic analyses of diplomonad genes reveal frequent lateral gene transfers affecting eukaryotes
- 2003
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 13:2, s. 94-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is an important evolutionary mechanism among prokaryotes. The situation in eukaryotes is less clear; the human genome sequence failed to give strong support for any recent transfers from prokaryotes to vertebrates, yet a number of LGTs from prokaryotes to protists (unicellular eukaryotes) have been documented. Here, we perform a systematic analysis to investigate the impact of LGT on the evolution of diplomonads, a group of anaerobic protists.RESULTS: Phylogenetic analyses of 15 genes present in the genome of the Atlantic Salmon parasite Spironucleus barkhanus and/or the intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia show that most of these genes originated via LGT. Half of the genes are putatively involved in processes related to an anaerobic lifestyle, and this finding suggests that a common ancestor, which most probably was aerobic, of Spironucleus and Giardia adapted to an anaerobic environment in part by acquiring genes via LGT from prokaryotes. The sources of the transferred diplomonad genes are found among all three domains of life, including other eukaryotes. Many of the phylogenetic reconstructions show eukaryotes emerging in several distinct regions of the tree, strongly suggesting that LGT not only involved diplomonads, but also involved other eukaryotic groups.CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that LGT is a significant evolutionary mechanism among diplomonads in particular and protists in general. These findings provide insights into the evolution of biochemical pathways in early eukaryote evolution and have important implications for studies of eukaryotic genome evolution and organismal relationships. Furthermore, "fusion" hypotheses for the origin of eukaryotes need to be rigorously reexamined in the light of these results.
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| 4. |
- Carlen, M., et al.
(författare)
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Functional integration of adult-born neurons
- 2002
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 12:7, s. 606-608
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the past decade, it has become clear that neural stem cells in the adult mammalian brain continuously generate new neurons, predominantly in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb [1]. However, the central issue of whether these new neurons participate in functional synaptic circuitry has yet to be resolved. Here, we use virus-based transsynaptic neuronal tracing and c-Fos mapping of odor-induced neuronal activity to demonstrate that neurons generated in the adult functionally integrate into the synaptic circuitry of the brain.
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| 5. |
- Flanagan, J Randall, et al.
(författare)
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Prediction precedes control in motor learning
- 2003
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 13:2, s. 146-150, Article Number: PII S0960-9822(03)00007-1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Skilled motor behavior relies on the brain learning both to control the body and predict the consequences of this control. Prediction turns motor commands into expected sensory consequences, whereas control turns desired consequences into motor commands. To capture this symmetry, the neural processes underlying prediction and control are termed the forward and inverse internal models, respectively. Here, we investigate how these two fundamental processes are related during motor learning. We used an object manipulation task in which subjects learned to move a hand-held object with novel dynamic properties along a prescribed path. We independently and simultaneously measured subjects' ability to control their actions and to predict their consequences. We found different time courses for predictor and controller learning, with prediction being learned far more rapidly than control. In early stages of manipulating the object, subjects could predict the consequences of their actions, as measured by the grip force they used to grasp the object, but could not generate appropriate actions for control, as measured by their hand trajectory. As predicted by several recent theoretical models of sensorimotor control, our results indicate that people can learn to predict the consequences of their actions before they can learn to control their actions.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Holmgren, Claes, et al.
(författare)
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CpG methylation regulates the Igf2/H19 insulator
- 2001
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 11:14, s. 1128-1130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The differentially methylated 5'-flank of the mouse H19 gene unidirectionally regulates the communication between enhancer elements and gene promoters and presumably represses maternal Igf2 expression in vivo [1-6]. The specific activation of the paternally inherited Igf2 allele has been proposed to involve methylation-mediated inactivation of the H19 insulator function during male germline development [1-4, 6]. Here, we addressed the role of methylation by inserting a methylated fragment of the H19-imprinting control region (ICR) into a nonmethylated episomal H19 minigene construct, followed by the transfection of ligation mixture into Hep3B cells. Individual clones were expanded and analyzed for genotype, methylation status, chromatin conformation, and insulator function. The results show that the methylated status of the H19 ICR could be propagated for several passages without spreading into the episomal vector. Moreover, the nuclease hypersensitive sites, which are typical for the maternally inherited H19 ICR allele [1], were absent on the methylated ICR, underscoring the suggestion that the methylation mark dictates parent of origin-specific chromatin conformations [1] that involve CTCF [2]. Finally, the insulator function was strongly attenuated in stably maintained episomes. Collectively, these results provide the first experimental support that the H19 insulator function is regulated by CpG methylation.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Norlin, Marianne, et al.
(författare)
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Vomeronasal Phenotype and Behavioral Alterations in Gαi2 Mutant Mice
- 2003
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 13:14, s. 1214-1219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several social and reproductive behaviors are under the influence of the vomeronasal (VN) organ; VN neurons detect odorous molecules emitted by individuals of the same species. There are two types of VN neurons, and these differ in their expression of chemosensory receptors and G protein subunits. The significance of this dichotomy is largely unknown. VN neurons express high levels of either G alpha i2 or G alpha o. A mouse line carrying a targeted disruption of the G alpha i2 gene offered the opportunity for studying the effects of a lack of receptor signaling through the heterotrimeric Gi2 protein in one VN cell type. As a consequence of this deficiency, the number of VN neurons that normally express G alpha i2 is decreased by half. These residual neurons are defective in eliciting a response in their target neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb. Moreover, G alpha i2 mutant mice show alterations in behaviors for which an intact VN organ is known to be important. Display of maternal aggressive behavior is severely blunted, and male mice show significantly less aggression toward an intruder. However, male mice show unaltered sexual-partner preference. This suggests that the two types of VN neurons may have separate functions in mediating behavioral changes in response to chemosensory information.
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| 10. |
- Silverstein, Rebecka A., et al.
(författare)
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A new role for the transcriptional corepressor SIN3; Regulation of centromeres
- 2003
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 13:1, s. 68-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Centromeres play a vital role in maintaining the genomic stability of eukaryotes by coordinating the equal distribution of chromosomes to daughter cells during mitosis and meiosis. Fission yeast (S. pombe) centromeres consist of a 4-9 kb central core region and 30-100 kb of flanking inner (imr/B) and outer (otr/K) repeats [1-3]. These sequences direct a laminar kinetochore structure similar to that of human centromeres [4, 5]. Centromeric heterochromatin is generally underacetylated [6, 7]. We have previously shown that inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) caused hyperacetylation of centromeres and defective chromosome segregation [8]. SIN3 is a HDAC corepressor that has the ability to mediate HDAC targeting in the repression of promoters. In this study, we have characterized S. pombe sin three corepressors (Pst1p and Pst2p) to investigate whether SIN3-HDAC is required in the regulation of centromeres. We show that only pst1-1 and not pst2Delta cells displayed anaphase defects and thiabendazole sensitivity. pst1-1 cells showed reduced centromeric silencing, increased histone acetylation in centromeric chromatin, and defective centromeric sister chromatid cohesion. The HDAC Clr6p and Pst1p coimmunoprecipitated, and Pst1p colocalized with centromeres, particularly in binucleate cells. These data are consistent with a model in which Pst1 pClr6p temporally associate with centromeres to carry out the initial deacetylation necessary for subsequent steps in heterochromatin formation.
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| 11. |
- Nordström, Karin, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Invertebrate vision : Peripheral adaptation to repeated object motion
- 2013
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 23:15, s. R655-R656
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Visual systems adapt rapidly to objects moving repeatedly within the visual field, because such objects are likely irrelevant. In the crab, the neural switch for such adaptation has been found to take place at a surprisingly early stage of the visual processing pathway.
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| 12. |
- Smolka, Jochen, et al.
(författare)
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A new galloping gait in an insect
- 2013
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 23:20, s. 913-915
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An estimated three million insect species all walk using variations of the alternating tripod gait. At any one time, these animals hold one stable triangle of legs steady while swinging the opposite triangle forward. Here, we report the discovery that three different flightless desert dung beetles use an additional gallop-like gait, which has never been described in any insect before. Like a bounding hare, the beetles propel their body forward by synchronously stepping with both middle legs and then both front legs. Surprisingly, this peculiar galloping gait delivers lower speeds than the alternating tripod gait. Why these beetles have shifted so radically away from the most widely used walking style on our planet is as yet unknown.
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| 13. |
- Aguilera-Campos, Karla Iveth, et al.
(författare)
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Hydrogen metabolism : A eukaryote taps into the electron sink
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current biology : CB. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 32:1, s. 49-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability to harvest reducing power from molecular hydrogen was once considered a prokaryotic trait. New research challenges this notion by finding the first eukaryotic organism capable of oxidizing hydrogen.
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| 14. |
- Aikens, Ellen O., et al.
(författare)
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Wave-like Patterns of Plant Phenology Determine Ungulate Movement Tactics
- 2020
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - Cambridge : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 30:17, s. 3444-3449
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Animals exhibit a diversity of movement tactics [1]. Tracking resources that change across space and time is predicted to be a fundamental driver of animal movement [2]. For example, some migratory ungulates (i.e., hooved mammals) closely track the progression of highly nutritious plant green-up, a phenomenon called "green-wave surfing" [3-5]. Yet general principles describing how the dynamic nature of resources determine movement tactics are lacking [6]. We tested an emerging theory that predicts surfing and the existence of migratory behavior will be favored in environments where green-up is fleeting and moves sequentially across large landscapes (i.e., wave-like green-up) [7]. Landscapes exhibiting wave-like patterns of green-up facilitated surfing and explained the existence of migratory behavior across 61 populations of four ungulate species on two continents (n = 1,696 individuals). At the species level, foraging benefits were equivalent between tactics, suggesting that each movement tactic is fine-tuned to local patterns of plant phenology. For decades, ecologists have sought to understand how animals move to select habitat, commonly defining habitat as a set of static patches [8, 9]. Our findings indicate that animal movement tactics emerge as a function of the flux of resources across space and time, underscoring the need to redefine habitat to include its dynamic attributes. As global habitats continue to be modified by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change [10], our synthesis provides a generalizable framework to understand how animal movement will be influenced by altered patterns of resource phenology.© 2020 Elsevier Inc.
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| 15. |
- Allen, John
(författare)
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Photosynthesis: The Processing of Redox Signals in Chloroplasts
- 2005
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 15:22, s. 929-932
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent work identifies two kinases required for phosphorylation of proteins of chloroplast thylakoid membranes. One kinase, STN7, is required for phosphorylation of light-harvesting complex II; another, STN8, is required for phosphorylation of photosystem II. How do these kinases interact, what do they do, and what are they for?
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| 16. |
- Alva, Omar, et al.
(författare)
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The loss of biodiversity in Madagascar is contemporaneous with major demographic events
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32:23, s. 4997-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Only 400 km off the coast of East Africa, the island of Madagascar is one of the last large land masses to have been colonized by humans. While many questions surround the human occupation of Madagascar, recent studies raise the question of human impact on endemic biodiversity and landscape transformation. Previous genetic and linguistic analyses have shown that the Malagasy population has emerged from an admixture that happened during the last millennium, between Bantu-speaking African populations and Austronesian-speaking Asian populations. By studying the sharing of chromosome segments between individuals (IBD determination), local ancestry information, and simulated genetic data, we inferred that the Malagasy ancestral Asian population was isolated for more than 1,000 years with an effective size of just a few hundred individuals. This isolation ended around 1,000 years before present (BP) by admixture with a small African population. Around the admixture time, there was a rapid demographic expansion due to intrinsic population growth of the newly admixed population, which coincides with extensive changes in Madagascar's landscape and the extinction of all endemic large- bodied vertebrates. Therefore, our approach can provide new insights into past human demography and associated impacts on ecosystems.
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| 17. |
- André, Domenique, et al.
(författare)
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FLOWERING LOCUS T paralogs control the annual growth cycle in Populus trees
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32:13, s. 2988-2996.e4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In temperate and boreal regions, perennials adapt their annual growth cycle to the change of seasons. These adaptations ensure survival in harsh environmental conditions, allowing growth at different latitudes and altitudes, and are therefore tightly regulated. Populus tree species cease growth and form terminal buds in autumn when photoperiod falls below a certain threshold.1 This is followed by establishment of dormancy and cold hardiness over the winter. At the center of the photoperiodic pathway in Populus is the gene FLOWERING LOCUS T2 (FT2), which is expressed during summer and harbors significant SNPs in its locus associated with timing of bud set.1–4 The paralogous gene FT1, on the other hand, is hyper-induced in chilling buds during winter.3,5 Even though its function is so far unknown, it has been suggested to be involved in the regulation of flowering and the release of winter dormancy.3,5 In this study, we employ CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to individually study the function of the FT-like genes in Populus trees. We show that while FT2 is required for vegetative growth during spring and summer and regulates the entry into dormancy, expression of FT1 is absolutely required for bud flush in spring. Gene expression profiling suggests that this function of FT1 is linked to the release of winter dormancy rather than to the regulation of bud flush per se. These data show how FT duplication and sub-functionalization have allowed Populus trees to regulate two completely different and major developmental control points during the yearly growth cycle.
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| 18. |
- Appeltans, W., et al.
(författare)
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The Magnitude of Global Marine Species Diversity
- 2012
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 22:23, s. 2189-2202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The question of how many marine species exist is important because it provides a metric for how much we do and do not know about life in the oceans. We have compiled the first register of the marine species of the world and used this baseline to estimate how many more species, partitioned among all major eukaryotic groups, may be discovered. Results: There are similar to 226,000 eukaryotic marine species described. More species were described in the past decade (similar to 20,000) than in any previous one. The number of authors describing new species has been increasing at a faster rate than the number of new species described in the past six decades. We report that there are similar to 170,000 synonyms, that 58,000-72,000 species are collected but not yet described, and that 482,000-741,000 more species have yet to be sampled. Molecular methods may add tens of thousands of cryptic species. Thus, there may be 0.7-1.0 million marine species. Past rates of description of new species indicate there may be 0.5 +/- 0.2 million marine species. On average 37% (median 31%) of species in over 100 recent field studies around the world might be new to science. Conclusions: Currently, between one-third and two-thirds of marine species may be undescribed, and previous estimates of there being well over one million marine species appear highly unlikely. More species than ever before are being described annually by an increasing number of authors. If the current trend continues, most species will be discovered this century.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Arellano-Caicedo, Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Habitat complexity affects microbial growth in fractal maze
- 2023
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Ingår i: Current biology : CB. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 33:8, s. 4-1458
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The great variety of earth's microorganisms and their functions are attributed to the heterogeneity of their habitats, but our understanding of the impact of this heterogeneity on microbes is limited at the microscale. In this study, we tested how a gradient of spatial habitat complexity in the form of fractal mazes influenced the growth, substrate degradation, and interactions of the bacterial strain Pseudomonas putida and the fungal strain Coprinopsis cinerea. These strains responded in opposite ways: complex habitats strongly reduced fungal growth but, in contrast, increased the abundance of bacteria. Fungal hyphae did not reach far into the mazes and forced bacteria to grow in deeper regions. Bacterial substrate degradation strongly increased with habitat complexity, even more than bacterial biomass, up to an optimal depth, while the most remote parts of the mazes showed both decreased biomass and substrate degradation. These results suggest an increase in enzymatic activity in confined spaces, where areas may experience enhanced microbial activity and resource use efficiency. Very remote spaces showing a slower turnover of substrates illustrate a mechanism which may contribute to the long-term storage of organic matter in soils. We demonstrate here that the sole effect of spatial microstructures affects microbial growth and substrate degradation, leading to differences in local microscale spatial availability. These differences might add up to considerable changes in nutrient cycling at the macroscale, such as contributing to soil organic carbon storage.
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| 21. |
- Arshamian, Artin, et al.
(författare)
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The perception of odor pleasantness is shared across cultures
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32:9, s. 2061-2066, e1-e3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Humans share sensory systems with a common anatomical blueprint, but individual sensory experience nevertheless varies. In olfaction, it is not known to what degree sensory perception, particularly the perception of odor pleasantness, is founded on universal principles dictated by culture or merely a matter of personal taste. To address this, we asked 225 individuals from 9 diverse nonwestern cultures—hunter-gatherer to urban dwelling—to rank the monomolecular odorants from most to least pleasant. Contrary to expectations, culture explained only 6% of the variance in pleasantness rankings, whereas individual variability or personal taste explained 54%. Importantly, there was substantial global consistency, with molecular identity explaining 41% of the variance in odor pleasantness rankings. Critically, these universal rankings were predicted by the physicochemical properties of out-of-sample molecules and out-of-sample pleasantness ratings given by a tenth group of western urban participants. Taken together, this shows human olfactory perception is strongly constrained by universal principles.
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| 22. |
- Aryal, Bibek, et al.
(författare)
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Interplay between Cell Wall and Auxin Mediates the Control of Differential Cell Elongation during Apical Hook Development
- 2020
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 30, s. 1733-1739
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Differential growth plays a crucial role during morphogenesis [1-3]. In plants, development occurs within mechanically connected tissues, and local differences in cell expansion lead to deformations at the organ level, such as buckling or bending [4, 5]. During early seedling development, bending of hypocotyl by differential cell elongation results in apical hook structure that protects the shoot apical meristem from being damaged during emergence from the soil [6, 7]. Plant hormones participate in apical hook development, but not how they mechanistically drive differential growth [8]. Here, we present evidence of interplay between hormonal signals and cell wall in auxin-mediated differential cell elongation using apical hook development as an experimental model. Using genetic and cell biological approaches, we show that xyloglucan (a major primary cell wall component) mediates asymmetric mechanical properties of epidermal cells required for hook development. The xxt1 xxt2 mutant, deficient in xyloglucan [9], displays severe defects in differential cell elongation and hook development. Analysis of xxt1 xxt2 mutant reveals a link between cell wall and transcriptional control of auxin transporters PINFORMEDs (PINs) and AUX1 crucial for establishing the auxin response maxima required for preferential repression of elongation of the cells on the inner side of the hook. Genetic evidence identifies auxin response factor ARF2 as a negative regulator acting downstream of xyloglucan-dependent control of hook development and transcriptional control of polar auxin transport. Our results reveal a crucial feedback process between the cell wall and transcriptional control of polar auxin transport, underlying auxin-dependent control of differential cell elongation in plants.
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| 23. |
- Azeez, Abdul, et al.
(författare)
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A Tree Ortholog of APETALA1 Mediates Photoperiodic Control of Seasonal Growth
- 2014
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 24, s. 717-724
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Photoperiodic control of development plays a key role in adaptation of plants to seasonal changes. A signaling module consisting of CONSTANS (CO) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) mediates in photoperiodic control of a variety of developmental transitions (e. g., flowering, tuberization, and seasonal growth cessation in trees). How this conserved CO/FT module can mediate in the photoperiodic control of diverse unrelated developmental programs is poorly understood.Results: We show that Like-AP1 (LAP1), a tree ortholog of Arabidopsis floral meristem identity gene APETALA1 (AP1), mediates in photoperiodic control of seasonal growth cessation downstream of the CO/FT module in hybrid aspen. Using LAP1 overexpressors and RNAi-suppressed transgenic trees, we demonstrate that short day (SD)-mediated downregulation of LAP1 expression is required for growth cessation. In contrast with AP1 targets in flowering, LAP1 acts on AINTEGUMENTA-like 1 transcription factor, which is implicated in SD-mediated growth cessation. Intriguingly, unlike AP1 in Arabidopsis, ectopic expression of LAP1 fails to induce early flowering in hybrid aspen trees.Conclusions: These results indicate that AP1 ortholog in trees has acquired a novel function in photoperiodic regulation of seasonal growth. Thus, photoperiodic signaling pathway may have diverged downstream of AP1/LAP1 rather than the CO/FT module during evolution. Moreover, control of flowering by the CO/FT module can be uncoupled from its role in photoperiodic control of seasonal growth in trees. Thus, our findings can explain mechanistically how a conserved signaling module can mediate in the control of a highly diverse set of developmental transitions by a similar input signal, namely photoperiod.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Bach, Dominik R., et al.
(författare)
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Human Hippocampus Arbitrates Approach-Avoidance Conflict
- 2014
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 24:5, s. 541-547
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Animal models of human anxiety often invoke a conflict between approach and avoidance [1, 2]. In these, a key behavioral assay comprises passive avoidance of potential threat and inhibition, both thought to be controlled by ventral hippocampus [2-6]. Efforts to translate these approaches to clinical contexts [7, 8] are hampered by the fact that it is not known whether humans manifest analogous approach-avoidance dispositions and, if so, whether they share a homologous neurobiological substrate [9]. Here, we developed a paradigm to investigate the role of human hippocampus in arbitrating an approach-avoidance conflict under varying levels of potential threat. Across four experiments, subjects showed analogous behavior by adapting both passive avoidance behavior and behavioral inhibition to threat level. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we observe that threat level engages the anterior hippocampus, the human homolog of rodent ventral hippocampus [10]. Testing patients with selective hippocampal lesions, we demonstrate a causal role for the hippocampus with patients showing reduced passive avoidance behavior and inhibition across all threat levels. Our data provide the first human assay for approach-avoidance conflict akin to that of animal anxiety models. The findings bridge rodent and human research on passive avoidance and behavioral inhibition and furnish a framework for addressing the neuronal underpinnings of human anxiety disorders, where our data indicate a major role for the hippocampus.
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| 26. |
- Barlow, Axel, et al.
(författare)
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Middle Pleistocene genome calibrates a revised evolutionary history of extinct cave bears
- 2021
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 31:8, s. 1771-1779
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Palaeogenomes provide the potential to study evolutionary processes in real time, but this potential is limited by our ability to recover genetic data over extended timescales.1 As a consequence, most studies so far have focused on samples of Late Pleistocene or Holocene age, which covers only a small part of the history of many clades and species. Here, we report the recovery of a low coverage palaeogenome from the petrous bone of a 360,000 year old cave bear from Kudaro 1 cave in the Caucasus Mountains. Analysis of this genome alongside those of several Late Pleistocene cave bears reveals widespread mito-nuclear discordance in this group. Using the time interval between Middle and Late Pleistocene cave bear genomes, we directly estimate ursid nuclear and mitochondrial substitution rates to calibrate their respective phylogenies. This reveals postdivergence mitochondrial transfer as the dominant factor explaining their mito-nuclear discordance. Interestingly, these transfer events were not accompanied by large-scale nuclear introgression. However, we do detect additional instances of nuclear admixture among other cave bear lineages, and between cave bears and brown bears, which are not associated with mitochondrial exchange. Genomic data obtained from the Middle Pleistocene cave bear petrous bone has thus facilitated a revised evolutionary history of this extinct megafaunal group. Moreover, it suggests that petrous bones may provide a means of extending both the magnitude and time depth of palaeogenome retrieval over substantial portions of the evolutionary histories of many mammalian clades.
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| 27. |
- Barnett, Paul D, et al.
(författare)
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Motion adaptation and the velocity coding of natural scenes
- 2010
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 20:11, s. 994-999
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Estimating relative velocity in the natural environment is challenging because natural scenes vary greatly in contrast and spatial structure. Widely accepted correlation-based models for elementary motion detectors (EMDs) are sensitive to contrast and spatial structure and consequently generate ambiguous estimates of velocity [1]. Identified neurons in the third optic lobe of the hoverfly can reliably encode the velocity of natural images largely independent of contrast [2], despite receiving inputs directly from arrays of such EMDs [3, 4]. This contrast invariance suggests an important role for additional neural processes in robust encoding of image motion [2, 5, 6]. However, it remains unclear which neural processes are contributing to contrast invariance. By recording from horizontal system neurons in the hoverfly lobula, we show two activity-dependent adaptation mechanisms acting as near-ideal normalizers for images of different contrasts that would otherwise produce highly variable response magnitudes. Responses to images that are initially weak neural drivers are boosted over several hundred milliseconds. Responses to images that are initially strong neural drivers are reduced over longer time scales. These adaptation mechanisms appear to be matched to higher-order natural image statistics reconciling the neurons' accurate encoding of image velocity with the inherent ambiguity of correlation-based motion detectors.
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| 28. |
- Barnett, Paul, et al.
(författare)
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Retinotopic organization of small-field-target-detecting neurons in the insect visual system.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 17:7, s. 569-578
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDespite having tiny brains and relatively low-resolution compound eyes, many fly species frequently engage in precisely controlled aerobatic pursuits of conspecifics. Recent investigations into high-order processing in the fly visual system have revealed a class of neurons, coined small-target-motion detectors (STMDs), capable of responding robustly to target motion against the motion of background clutter. Despite limited spatial acuity in the insect eye, these neurons display exquisite sensitivity to small targets. ResultsWe recorded intracellularly from morphologically identified columnar neurons in the lobula complex of the hoverfly Eristalis tenax. We show that these columnar neurons with exquisitely small receptive fields, like their large-field counterparts recently described from both male and female flies, have an extreme selectivity for the motion of small targets. In doing so, we provide the first physiological characterization of small-field neurons in female flies. These retinotopically organized columnar neurons include both direction-selective and nondirection-selective classes covering a large area of visual space. ConclusionsThe retinotopic arrangement of lobula columnar neurons sensitive to the motion of small targets makes a strong case for these neurons as important precursors in the local processing of target motion. Furthermore, the continued response of STMDs with such small receptive fields to the motion of small targets in the presence of moving background clutter places further constraints on the potential mechanisms underlying their small-target tuning.
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| 29. |
- Barnett, Ross, et al.
(författare)
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Genomic Adaptations and Evolutionary History of the Extinct Scimitar-Toothed Cat, Homotherium latidens
- 2020
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Summary Homotherium was a genus of large-bodied scimitar-toothed cats, morphologically distinct from any extant felid species, that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene [1, 2, 3, 4]. They possessed large, saber-form serrated canine teeth, powerful forelimbs, a sloping back, and an enlarged optic bulb, all of which were key characteristics for predation on Pleistocene megafauna [5]. Previous mitochondrial DNA phylogenies suggested that it was a highly divergent sister lineage to all extant cat species [6, 7, 8]. However, mitochondrial phylogenies can be misled by hybridization [9], incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), or sex-biased dispersal patterns [10], which might be especially relevant for Homotherium since widespread mito-nuclear discrepancies have been uncovered in modern cats [10]. To examine the evolutionary history of Homotherium, we generated a ∼7x nuclear genome and a ∼38x exome from H. latidens using shotgun and target-capture sequencing approaches. Phylogenetic analyses reveal Homotherium as highly divergent (∼22.5 Ma) from living cat species, with no detectable signs of gene flow. Comparative genomic analyses found signatures of positive selection in several genes, including those involved in vision, cognitive function, and energy consumption, putatively consistent with diurnal activity, well-developed social behavior, and cursorial hunting [5]. Finally, we uncover relatively high levels of genetic diversity, suggesting that Homotherium may have been more abundant than the limited fossil record suggests [3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14]. Our findings complement and extend previous inferences from both the fossil record and initial molecular studies, enhancing our understanding of the evolution and ecology of this remarkable lineage.
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| 30. |
- Bass, David, et al.
(författare)
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Ascetosporea
- 2019
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : CELL PRESS. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 29:1, s. R7-R8
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 31. |
- Bazzi, Mohamad, et al.
(författare)
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Feeding ecology has shaped the evolution of modern sharks
- 2021
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 31:23, s. 5138-5148.e4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sharks are iconic predators in today’s oceans, yet their modern diversity has ancient origins. In particular, present hypotheses suggest that a combination of mass extinction, global climate change, and competition has regulated the community structure of dominant mackerel (Lamniformes) and ground (Carcharhiniformes) sharks over the last 66 million years. However, while these scenarios advocate an interplay of major abiotic and biotic events, the precise drivers remain obscure. Here, we focus on the role of feeding ecology using a geometric morphometric analysis of 3,837 fossil and extant shark teeth. Our results reveal that morphological segregation rather than competition has characterized lamniform and carcharhiniform evolution. Moreover, although lamniforms suffered a long-term disparity decline potentially linked to dietary “specialization,” their recent disparity rivals that of “generalist” carcharhiniforms. We further confirm that low eustatic sea levels impacted lamniform disparity across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Adaptations to changing prey availability and the proliferation of coral reef habitats during the Paleogene also likely facilitated carcharhiniform dispersals and cladogenesis, underpinning their current taxonomic dominance. Ultimately, we posit that trophic partitioning and resource utilization shaped past shark ecology and represent critical determinants for their future species survivorship.
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| 32. |
- Bazzi, Mohamad, et al.
(författare)
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Static Dental Disparity and Morphological Turnover in Sharks across the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction
- 2018
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : CELL PRESS. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 28:16, s. 2607-2615
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction profoundly altered vertebrate ecosystems and prompted the radiation of many extant clades [1, 2]. Sharks (Selachimorpha) were one of the few larger-bodied marine predators that survived the K-Pg event and are represented by an almost-continuous dental fossil record. However, the precise dynamics of their transition through this interval remain uncertain [3]. Here, we apply 2D geometric morphometrics to reconstruct global and regional dental morphospace variation among Lamniformes (Mackerel sharks) and Carch-arhiniformes (Ground sharks). These clades are prevalent predators in today's oceans, and were geographically widespread during the late Cretaceous-early Palaeogene. Our results reveal a decoupling of morphological disparity and taxonomic richness. Indeed, shark disparity was nearly static across the K-Pg extinction, in contrast to abrupt declines among other higher-trophic-level marine predators [4, 5]. Nevertheless, specific patterns indicate that an asymmetric extinction occurred among lamniforms possessing lowcrowned/triangular teeth and that a subsequent proliferation of carcharhiniforms with similar tooth morphologies took place during the early Paleocene. This compositional shift in post-Mesozoic shark lineages hints at a profound and persistent K-Pg signature evident in the heterogeneity of modern shark communities. Moreover, such wholesale lineage turnover coincided with the loss of many cephalopod [6] and pelagic amniote [5] groups, as well as the explosive radiation of middle trophic-level teleost fishes [1]. We hypothesize that a combination of prey availability and post-extinction trophic cascades favored extant shark antecedents and laid the foundation for their extensive diversification later in the Cenozoic [7-10].
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| 33. |
- Beiter, Katharina, et al.
(författare)
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An endonuclease allows Streptococcus pneumoniae to escape from neutrophil extracellular traps
- 2006
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 16:4, s. 401-407
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. A major feature of pneumococcal pneumonia is an abundant neutrophil infiltration . It was recently shown that activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contain antimicrobial proteins bound to a DNA scaffold. NETs provide a high local concentration of antimicrobial components and bind, disarm, and kill microbes extracellularly. Here, we show that pneumococci are trapped but, unlike many other pathogens, not killed by NETs. NET trapping in the lungs, however, may allow the host to confine the infection, reducing the likelihood for the pathogen to spread into the bloodstream. DNases are expressed by many Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, but their role in virulence is not clear. Expression of a surface endonuclease encoded by endA is a common feature of many pneumococcal strains. We show that EndA allows pneumococci to degrade the DNA scaffold of NETs and escape. Furthermore, we demonstrate that escaping NETs promotes spreading of pneumococci from the upper airways to the lungs and from the lungs into the bloodstream during pneumonia.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Bertram, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32, s. R727-R730
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 38. |
- Bertram, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Microalgae
- 2023
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 33, s. R91-R95
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Microalgae, in the strictest definition, are eukaryotic, unicellular microorganisms that are photosynthetic and typically have an aquatic lifestyle. Despite the fact that cyanobacteria (or ‘blue-green algae’) are prokaryotic, and are therefore not true algae, we have included them in this overview because they have a similar physiology and ecology to eukaryotic microalgae, and share many biotechnological applications. In this Primer, we discuss the diversity of microalgae, their evolutionary origin and ecological importance, the role they have played in human affairs so far, and how they can help to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable society.
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| 39. |
- Bertram, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Micropollutants
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32, s. R17-R19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 40. |
- Bertram, Michael, et al.
(författare)
-
One Health
- 2024
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 34, s. R517-R519
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 41. |
- Bertram, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Quick guide One Health
- 2024
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 34, s. R517-R519
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 42. |
- Bhalerao, Rishikesh P., et al.
(författare)
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Cytokinin and Auxin Display Distinct but Interconnected Distribution and Signaling Profiles to Stimulate Cambial Activity
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 26, s. 1990-1997
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the crucial roles of phytohormones in plant development, comparison of the exact distribution profiles of different hormones within plant meristems has thus far remained scarce. Vascular cambium, a wide lateral meristem with an extensive developmental zonation, provides an optimal system for hormonal and genetic profiling. By taking advantage of this spatial resolution, we show here that two major phytohormones, cytokinin and auxin, display different yet partially overlapping distribution profiles across the cambium. In contrast to auxin, which has its highest concentration in the actively dividing cambial cells, cytokinins peak in the developing phloem tissue of a Populus trichocarpa stem. Gene expression patterns of cytokinin biosynthetic and signaling genes coincided with this hormonal gradient. To explore the functional significance of cytokinin signaling for cambial development, we engineered transgenic Populus tremula x tremuloides trees with an elevated cytokinin biosynthesis level. Confirming that cytokinins function as major regulators of cambial activity, these trees displayed stimulated cambial cell division activity resulting in dramatically increased (up to 80% in dry weight) production of the lignocellulosic trunk biomass. To connect the increased growth to hormonal status, we analyzed the hormone distribution and genome-wide gene expression profiles in unprecedentedly high resolution across the cambial zone. Interestingly, in addition to showing an elevated cambial cytokinin content and signaling level, the cambial auxin concentration and auxin-responsive gene expression were also increased in the transgenic trees. Our results indicate that cytokinin signaling specifies meristematic activity through a graded distribution that influences the amplitude of the cambial auxin gradient.
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| 43. |
- Bhalerao, Rishikesh P.
(författare)
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Gibberellin Signaling in the Endodermis Controls Arabidopsis Root Meristem Size
- 2009
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 19, s. 1194-1199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant growth is driven by cell proliferation and elongation [1]. The hormone gibberellin (GA) regulates Arabidopsis root growth [2-5] by controlling cell elongation [6], but it is currently unknown whether GA also controls root cell proliferation. Here we show that GA biosynthetic mutants are unable to increase their cell production rate and meristem size after germination. GA signals the degradation of the DELLA growth repressor proteins [7-12] GAI and RGA, promoting root cell production. Targeting the expression of gai (a non-GA-degradable mutant form of GAI) in the root meristem disrupts cell proliferation. Moreover, expressing gai in dividing endodermal cells was sufficient to block root meristem enlargement. We report a novel function for GA regulating cell proliferation where this signal acts by removing DELLA in a subset of, rather than all, meristem cells. We suggest that the GA-regulated rate of expansion of dividing endodermal cells dictates the equivalent rate in other root tissues. Cells must double in size prior to dividing but cannot do so independently, because they are physically restrained by adjacent tissues with which they share cell walls. Our study highlights the importance of probing regulatory mechanisms linking molecular- and cellular-scale processes with tissue and organ growth responses.
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| 44. |
- Bhalerao, Rishikesh P.
(författare)
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Plant cell walls as mechanical signaling hubs for morphogenesis
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32, s. R334-R340
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The instructive role of mechanical cues during morphogenesis is increasingly being recognized in all kingdoms. Patterns of mechanical stress depend on shape, growth and external factors. In plants, the cell wall integrates these three parameters to function as a hub for mechanical feedback. Plant cells are interconnected by cell walls that provide structural integrity and yet are flexible enough to act as both targets and transducers of mechanical cues. Such cues may act locally at the subcellular level or across entire tissues, requiring tight control of both cell-wall composition and cell-cell adhesion. Here we focus on how changes in cell-wall chemistry and mechanics act in communicating diverse cues to direct growth asymmetries required for plant morphogenesis. We explore the role of cellulose microfibrils, microtubule arrays and pectin methylesterification in the transduction of mechanical cues during morphogenesis. Plant hormones can affect the mechanochemical composition of the cell wall and, in turn, the cell wall can modulate hormone signaling pathways, as well as the tissue-level distribution of these hormones. This also leads us to revisit the position of biochemical growth factors, such as plant hormones, acting both upstream and downstream of mechanical signaling. Finally, while the structure of the cell wall is being elucidated with increasing precision, existing data clearly show that the integration of genetic, biochemical and theoretical studies will be essential for a better understanding of the role of the cell wall as a hub for the mechanical control of plant morphogenesis.
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| 45. |
- Bhatia, Neha, et al.
(författare)
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Auxin Acts through MONOPTEROS to Regulate Plant Cell Polarity and Pattern Phyllotaxis
- 2016
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 26:23, s. 3202-3208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The periodic formation of plant organs such as leaves and flowers gives rise to intricate patterns that have fascinated biologists and mathematicians alike for hundreds of years [1]. The plant hormone auxin plays a central role in establishing these patterns by promoting organ formation at sites where it accumulates due to its polar, cell-to-cell transport [2-6]. Although experimental evidence as well as modeling suggest that feedback from auxin to its transport direction may help specify phyllotactic patterns [7-12], the nature of this feedback remains unclear [13]. Here we reveal that polarization of the auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) is regulated by the auxin response transcription factor MONOPTEROS (MP) [14]. We find that in the shoot, cell polarity patterns follow MP expression, which in turn follows auxin distribution patterns. By perturbing MP activity both globally and locally, we show that localized MP activity is necessary for the generation of polarity convergence patterns and that localized MP expression is sufficient to instruct PIN1 polarity directions non-cell autonomously, toward MP-expressing cells. By expressing MP in the epidermis of mp mutants, we further show that although MP activity in a single-cell layer is sufficient to promote polarity convergence patterns, MP in sub-epidermal tissues helps anchor these polarity patterns to the underlying cells. Overall, our findings reveal a patterning module in plants that determines organ position by orienting transport of the hormone auxin toward cells with high levels of MP-mediated auxin signaling. We propose that this feedback process acts broadly to generate periodic plant architectures.
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| 46. |
- Björkstrand, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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Disrupting Reconsolidation Attenuates Long-Term Fear Memory in the Human Amygdala and Facilitates Approach Behavior
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 26:19, s. 2690-95
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Memories become labile and malleable to modification when recalled [1]. Fear-conditioning experiments in both rodents and humans indicate that amygdala-localized short-term fear memories can be attenuated by disruption of their reconsolidation with extinction training soon after memory activation [2-7]. However, this may not be true for natural long-term fears. Studies in rodents indicate that although it is possible to disrupt the reconsolidation of older memories [8-11], they appear to be more resistant [1, 3, 9, 12, 13]. In humans, 1-week-old conditioned fear memories have been attenuated by behaviorally induced disruption of reconsolidation [14], but it remains to be seen whether this is possible for naturally occurring long-term fears and whether the underlying neural mechanisms are similar to those found in experimental fear-conditioning paradigms. Using functional brain imaging in individuals with a lifelong fear of spiders, we show that fear memory activation followed by repeated exposure to feared cues after 10 min, which disrupts reconsolidation, attenuates activity in the basolateral amygdala at re-exposure 24 hr later. In contrast, repeated exposure 6 hr after fear memory activation, which allows for reconsolidation, did not attenuate amygdala activity. Disrupted, but not undisrupted, reconsolidation facilitated approach behavior to feared cues, and approach behavior was inversely related to amygdala activity during re-exposure. We conclude that memory activation immediately preceding exposure attenuates the neural and behavioral expression of decades-old fear memories and that, similar to experimentally induced fear memories, the basolateral amygdala is crucially involved in this process.
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| 47. |
- Blacque, O E, et al.
(författare)
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Functional genomics of the cilium, a sensory organelle
- 2005
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 15:10, s. 935-941
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cilia and flagella play important roles in many physiological processes, including cell and fluid movement, sensory perception, and development [1]. The biogenesis and maintenance of cilia depend on intraflagellar transport (IFT), a motility process that operates bidirectionally along the ciliary axoneme [1, 2]. Disruption in IFT and cilia function causes several human disorders, including polycystic kidneys, retinal dystrophy, neurosensory impairment, and Bardet-Bledl syndrome (BBS) [3-5]. To uncover new ciliary components, including IFT proteins, we compared C. elegans ciliated neuronal and nonciliated cells through serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and screened for genes potentially regulated by the cillogenic transcription factor, DAF-19 [6]. Using these complementary approaches, we identified numerous candidate ciliary genes and confirmed the ciliated-cell-specific expression of 14 novel genes. One of these, C27H5.7a, encodes a ciliary protein that undergoes IFT. As with other IFT proteins, its ciliary localization and transport is disrupted by mutations in IFT and bbs genes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ciliary structural defect of C. elegans dyf-13(mn396) mutants is caused by a mutation in C27H5.7a. Together, our findings help define a ciliary transcriptome and suggest that DYF-13, an evolutionarily conserved protein, is a novel core IFT component required for cilia function.
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| 48. |
- Blanco-Tourinan, Noel, et al.
(författare)
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The primary root procambium contributes to lateral root formation through its impact on xylem connection
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Current Biology. - : CELL PRESS. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 33:9, s. 1716-1727
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The postembryonic formation of lateral roots (LRs) starts in internal root tissue, the pericycle. An important question of LR development is how the connection of the primary root vasculature with that of the emerging LR is established and whether the pericycle and/or other cell types direct this process. Here, using clonal analysis and time-lapse experiments, we show that both the procambium and pericycle of the primary root (PR) affect the LR vascular connectivity in a coordinated manner. We show that during LR formation, pro -cambial derivates switch their identity and become precursors of xylem cells. These cells, together with the pericycle-origin xylem, participate in the formation of what we call a "xylem bridge"(XB), which establishes the xylem connection between the PR and the nascent LR. If the parental protoxylem cell fails to differentiate, XB is still sometimes formed but via a connection with metaxylem cells, highlighting that this process has some plasticity. Using mutant analyses, we show that the early specification of XB cells is determined by CLASS III HOMEODOMAIN-LEUCINE ZIPPER (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors (TFs). Subsequent XB cell dif-ferentiation is marked by the deposition of secondary cell walls (SCWs) in spiral and reticulate/scalariform patterns, which is dependent on the VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN (VND) TFs. XB elements were also observed in Solanum lycopersicum, suggesting that this mechanism may be more widely conserved in plants. Together, our results suggest that plants maintain vascular procambium activity, which safeguards the functionality of newly established lateral organs by assuring the continuity of the xylem strands throughout the root system.
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| 49. |
- Bohman, Björn
(författare)
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An unusual tricosatriene is crucial for male fungus gnat attraction and exploitation by sexually deceptive Pterostylis orchids
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 31, s. 1954-1961
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cross-kingdom mimicry of female insect sex pheromones by sexually deceptive orchids has evolved multiple times.(1) Fungus gnats (Diptera) are predicted to be pollinators of hundreds of sexually deceptive orchids,(2-4) yet unlike orchids that sexually attract bees and wasps (Hymenoptera),(5-11) the chemistry of fungus gnat-pollinated orchids remains unknown. Furthermore, despite the importance of fungus gnats as pollinators, pests, and decomposers of organic material, and evidence for sex pheromones since 1971,(12-17) no structure of any fungus gnat sex pheromone has to date been confirmed. In this study, we found a mixture of five hydrocarbons shared between Pterostylis orbiculata orchids and female Mycomya sp. (Mycetophilidae) fungus gnats, which included three alkanes, a C-23 diene, and a C-23 triene. The triene was an undescribed natural product, which we synthesized and confirmed to be (6Z,9Z)-1,6,9-tricosatriene. Field bioassays with a synthetic blend of the five hydrocarbons elicited attraction and sexual behavior from male gnats. The triene alone elicited attraction and low levels of sexual behavior, but the blend without it was unattractive, suggesting that this compound is a key component of orchid pollinator attraction and the female fungus gnat sex pheromone. In two closely related Pterostylis species, we found related C-23 trienes, but not (6Z,9Z)-1,6,9-tricosatriene. These results suggest that unusual long-chain unsaturated hydrocarbons hold the key to sexual deception in Pterostylis orchids, and are an important step toward deciphering female fungus gnat sex pheromones.
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| 50. |
- Bohman, Björn
(författare)
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Seed dispersal: Hungry hornets are unexpected and effective vectors
- 2022
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 32, s. R836-R838
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new study finds that, in the forests of tropical China, hungry hornets are lured to the fruits of Aquilaria sinensis by highly volatile compounds structurally similar to volatiles from herbivore-damaged leaves. The hornets disperse the short-lived seeds rapidly to optimal new habitats.
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