1. |
- Correa, D. F., et al.
(author)
-
Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates
- 2023
-
In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 32:1, s. 49-69
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser-availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource-availability hypothesis). Time period Tree-inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) >= 9.55 cm. Location Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree-inventory plots across terra-firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance-weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra-firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions The disperser-availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types.
|
|
2. |
|
|
3. |
- Muscarella, Robert, et al.
(author)
-
The global abundance of tree palms
- 2020
-
In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 29:9, s. 1495-1514
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AimPalms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change.LocationTropical and subtropical moist forests.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedPalms (Arecaceae).MethodsWe assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure.ResultsOn average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work.ConclusionsTree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests.
|
|
4. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(author)
-
One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
-
In: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X. ; 8, s. 901-911
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amazonia's floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region's floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon's tree diversity and its function.
|
|
5. |
- Luize, Bruno Garcia, et al.
(author)
-
Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
-
In: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699. ; 51:7, s. 1163-1184
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and v & aacute;rzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igap & oacute; and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R-2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R-2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
|
|
6. |
- ter Steege, Hans, et al.
(author)
-
Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
-
In: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution. A study mapping the tree species richness in Amazonian forests shows that soil type exerts a strong effect on species richness, probably caused by the areas of these forest types. Cumulative water deficit, tree density and temperature seasonality affect species richness at a regional scale.
|
|
7. |
|
|
8. |
|
|
9. |
- Brito, Camila C.B., et al.
(author)
-
Molecular Cloning and Biochemical Characterization of Iron Superoxide Dismutase from Leishmania braziliensis
- 2018
-
In: Molecular Biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1073-6085 .- 1559-0305. ; 60:8, s. 595-600
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Leishmaniasis is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases, with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Among the clinical manifestations of the disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by species of Leishmania braziliensis, presents wide distribution in Brazil. In this work, we performed the cloning, expression, and purification of the enzyme superoxide dismutase of Leishmania braziliensis (LbSOD-B2) considered a promising target for the search of new compounds against leishmaniasis. In vitro assays based on pyrogallol oxidation showed that LbSOD-B2 is most active around pH 8 and hydrogen peroxide is a LbSOD-B2 inhibitor at low millimolar range (IC50 = 1 mM).
|
|
10. |
|
|
11. |
|
|
12. |
- Peripato, Vinicius, et al.
(author)
-
More than 10,000 pre-Columbian earthworks are still hidden throughout Amazonia
- 2023
-
In: Science (New York, N.Y.). - 1095-9203. ; 382:6666, s. 103-109
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Indigenous societies are known to have occupied the Amazon basin for more than 12,000 years, but the scale of their influence on Amazonian forests remains uncertain. We report the discovery, using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) information from across the basin, of 24 previously undetected pre-Columbian earthworks beneath the forest canopy. Modeled distribution and abundance of large-scale archaeological sites across Amazonia suggest that between 10,272 and 23,648 sites remain to be discovered and that most will be found in the southwest. We also identified 53 domesticated tree species significantly associated with earthwork occurrence probability, likely suggesting past management practices. Closed-canopy forests across Amazonia are likely to contain thousands of undiscovered archaeological sites around which pre-Columbian societies actively modified forests, a discovery that opens opportunities for better understanding the magnitude of ancient human influence on Amazonia and its current state.
|
|
13. |
|
|
14. |
|
|
15. |
- Cooper, Declan L.M., et al.
(author)
-
Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities
- 2024
-
In: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 625:7996, s. 728-734
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations 1–6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories 7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees.
|
|
16. |
- Fretwurst, T., et al.
(author)
-
Characterization of macrophages infiltrating peri-implantitis lesions
- 2020
-
In: Clinical Oral Implants Research. - : Wiley. - 0905-7161 .- 1600-0501. ; 31:3, s. 274-81
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives The mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of peri-implantitis lesions are poorly understood. It was the aim to determine the content and activation status of macrophages present in human peri-implantitis lesions and compare the current findings with the macrophage polarization associated with periodontitis lesions. Material and Methods A total of 14 patients were studied in this investigation. Seven were soft tissue biopsies from dental implants affected by peri-implantitis that required explantation. Seven biopsies were from chronic periodontal disease. Immunofluorescence stains were performed using biomarkers to identify macrophages (CD68(+)) undergoing M1 polarization (iNOS(+)) and M2 polarization (CD206(+)), along with Hoechst 33,342 to identify DNA content. All samples were stained and photographed, and double-positive cells for CD68 and iNOS or CD68 and CD206 were quantified. Results All peri-implantitis biopsies examined revealed a mixed population of macrophages undergoing M1 polarization and M2 polarization. Further analysis demonstrated the co-expression of iNOS and CD206, which indicates the presence of a heterogenic immune response on peri-implantitis lesions. Macrophage polarization in peri-implantitis lesions presents a distinct pattern than in periodontitis. We observed a significant increase in the population of M1 macrophages on peri-implantitis samples compared to periodontal disease samples. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that peri-implantitis has higher numbers of macrophages displaying a distinct macrophage M1 polarization signature compared to periodontitis lesions. This pattern may explain, in part, the distinct nature of peri-implantitis progression vs. periodontitis in humans.
|
|
17. |
- Garaicoa-Pazmino, C., et al.
(author)
-
Characterization of macrophage polarization in periodontal disease
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Clinical Periodontology. - : Wiley. - 0303-6979 .- 1600-051X. ; 46:8, s. 830-839
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim To explore the M1/M2 status of macrophage polarization from healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis patient samples. Materials and methods Gingival biopsies were collected from 42 individuals (14 gingivitis, 18 periodontitis, and 10 healthy samples) receiving periodontal therapy. Histomorphology analysis was performed with haematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunofluorescence was performed using a combination of CD68 (macrophages), iNOS (M1), and CD206 (M2) in order to acquire changes in macrophage polarization at a single-cell resolution. Macrophages were quantified under microscopy using narrow wavelength filters to detect Alexa 488, Alexa 568, Alexa 633 fluorophores, and Hoechst 33342 to identify cellular DNA content. Results Gingivitis and periodontitis samples showed higher levels of macrophages compared with healthy samples. Unexpectedly, periodontitis samples displayed lower levels of macrophages dispersed in the stromal tissues compared with gingivitis samples; however, it remained higher than healthy tissues. The polarization of macrophages appears to be reduced in periodontitis and showed similar levels to those observed in healthy tissues. Conclusions Our study found that gingivitis and periodontitis differ from each other by the levels of macrophage infiltrate, but not by changes in macrophage polarization.
|
|
18. |
- Layton, K. K. S., et al.
(author)
-
Predicting the future of our oceans : Evaluating genomic forecasting approaches in marine species
- 2024
-
In: Global Change Biology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 30:3
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climate change is restructuring biodiversity on multiple scales and there is a pressing need to understand the downstream ecological and genomic consequences of this change. Recent advancements in the field of eco-evolutionary genomics have sought to include evolutionary processes in forecasting species' responses to climate change (e.g., genomic offset), but to date, much of this work has focused on terrestrial species. Coastal and offshore species, and the fisheries they support, may be even more vulnerable to climate change than their terrestrial counterparts, warranting a critical appraisal of these approaches in marine systems. First, we synthesize knowledge about the genomic basis of adaptation in marine species, and then we discuss the few examples where genomic forecasting has been applied in marine systems. Next, we identify the key challenges in validating genomic offset estimates in marine species, and we advocate for the inclusion of historical sampling data and hindcasting in the validation phase. Lastly, we describe a workflow to guide marine managers in incorporating these predictions into the decision-making process. Predicting climate change impacts is of central importance in marine ecosystems that provide a major source of nutrition to global communities and this work must be based on a sound understanding of both ecological and genomic impacts. This opinion synthesizes knowledge about the genomic basis of adaptation in marine species, highlights the few examples where genomic forecasting has been applied in marine systems, identifies the key challenges in validating genomic offset estimates in marine species, and provides a workflow to guide marine managers in incorporating these predictions into the decision-making process.
|
|
19. |
- Martins, M. D., et al.
(author)
-
Epigenetic Modifications of Histones in Periodontal Disease
- 2016
-
In: Journal of Dental Research. - : SAGE Publications. - 0022-0345 .- 1544-0591. ; 95:2, s. 215-222
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease driven by dysbiosis, an imbalance between commensal bacteria and the host organism. Periodontitis is a leading cause of tooth loss in adults and occurs in about 50% of the US population. In addition to the clinical challenges associated with treating periodontitis, the progression and chronic nature of this disease seriously affect human health. Emerging evidence suggests that periodontitis is associated with mechanisms beyond bacteria-induced protein and tissue degradation. Here, we hypothesize that bacteria are able to induce epigenetic modifications in oral epithelial cells mediated by histone modifications. In this study, we found that dysbiosis in vivo led to epigenetic modifications, including acetylation of histones and downregulation of DNA methyltransferase 1. In addition, in vitro exposure of oral epithelial cells to lipopolysaccharides resulted in histone modifications, activation of transcriptional coactivators, such as p300/CBP, and accumulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B). Given that oral epithelial cells are the first line of defense for the periodontium against bacteria, we also evaluated whether activation of pathogen recognition receptors induced histone modifications. We found that activation of the Toll-like receptors 1, 2, and 4 and the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein 1 induced histone acetylation in oral epithelial cells. Our findings corroborate the emerging concept that epigenetic modifications play a role in the development of periodontitis.
|
|
20. |
- Ernandes, H., et al.
(author)
-
Reanalysis of neutron-capture elements in the benchmark r-rich star CS 31082-001
- 2023
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - 0035-8711. ; 524:1, s. 656-677
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We revisit the abundances of neutron-capture elements in the metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -2.9) r-process-rich halo star CS 31082-001. Partly motivated by the development of the new near-ultraviolet Cassegrain U-band Efficient Spectrograph for the Very Large Telescope, we compiled an expanded line list for heavy elements over the range 3000-4000 Å, including hyperfine structure for several elements. Combining archival near-ultraviolet spectra of CS 31082-001 from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope, we investigate the abundances and nucleosynthesis of 35 heavy elements (Ge, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Os, Ir, Pt, Pb, Bi, Th, and U). Our analysis includes the first abundance estimates for tin, holmium, and ytterbium from these data, and the first for lutetium from ground-based data, enabling a more complete view of the abundance pattern of this important reference star. In general, the r-process-dominated elements are as enhanced as those in the Sun, particularly for elements with Z ≥ 56 (Ba and heavier). However, the abundances for the lighter elements in our sample, from Ge to Sn (31 ≤ Z ≤ 50), do not scale with the solar abundance pattern. Moreover, the Ge abundance is deficient relative to solar, indicating that it is dominantly an iron-peak rather than neutron-capture element. Our results (or upper limits) on Sn, Pt, Au, Pb, and Bi all pose further questions, prompting further study on the origin and evolution of the known r-rich and actinide-rich, metal-poor stars.
|
|
21. |
- Navarro, Claudia D.C., et al.
(author)
-
Aging-dependent mitochondrial bioenergetic impairment in the skeletal muscle of NNT-deficient mice
- 2024
-
In: Experimental Gerontology. - 0531-5565. ; 193
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Overall health relies on features of skeletal muscle that generally decline with age, partly due to mechanisms associated with mitochondrial redox imbalance and bioenergetic dysfunction. Previously, aged mice genetically devoid of the mitochondrial NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase (NNT, encoded by the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase gene), an enzyme involved in mitochondrial NADPH supply, were shown to exhibit deficits in locomotor behavior. Here, by using young, middle-aged, and older NNT-deficient (Nnt−/−) mice and age-matched controls (Nnt+/+), we aimed to investigate how muscle bioenergetic function and motor performance are affected by NNT expression and aging. Mice were subjected to the wire-hang test to assess locomotor performance, while mitochondrial bioenergetics was evaluated in fiber bundles from the soleus, vastus lateralis and plantaris muscles. An age-related decrease in the average wire-hang score was observed in middle-aged and older Nnt−/− mice compared to age-matched controls. Although respiratory rates in the soleus, vastus lateralis and plantaris muscles did not significantly differ between the genotypes in young mice, the rates of oxygen consumption did decrease in the soleus and vastus lateralis muscles of middle-aged and older Nnt−/− mice. Notably, the soleus, which exhibited the highest NNT expression level, was the muscle most affected by aging, and NNT loss. Additionally, histology of the soleus fibers revealed increased numbers of centralized nuclei in older Nnt−/− mice, indicating abnormal morphology. In summary, our findings suggest that NNT expression deficiency causes locomotor impairments and muscle dysfunction during aging in mice.
|
|
22. |
|
|