@article{PinyouRuffPoelleretal.2016, author = {Pinyou, Piyanut and Ruff, Adrian and Poeller, Sascha and Alsaoub, Sabine and Leimk{\"u}hler, Silke and Wollenberger, Ursula and Schuhmann, Wolfgang}, title = {Wiring of the aldehyde oxidoreductase PaoABC to electrode surfaces via entrapment in low potential phenothiazine-modified redox polymers}, series = {Bioelectrochemistry : an international journal devoted to electrochemical aspects of biology and biological aspects of electrochemistry ; official journal of the Bioelectrochemical Society}, volume = {109}, journal = {Bioelectrochemistry : an international journal devoted to electrochemical aspects of biology and biological aspects of electrochemistry ; official journal of the Bioelectrochemical Society}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1567-5394}, doi = {10.1016/j.bioelechem.2015.12.005}, pages = {24 -- 30}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Phenothiazine-modified redox hydrogels were synthesized and used for the wiring of the aldehyde oxidoreductase PaoABC to electrode surfaces. The effects of the pH value and electrode surface modification on the biocatalytic activity of the layers were studied in the presence of vanillin as the substrate. The enzyme electrodes were successfully employed as bioanodes in vanillin/O-2 biofuel cells in combination with a high potential bilirubin oxidase biocathode. Open circuit voltages of around 700 mV could be obtained in a two compartment biofuel cell setup. Moreover, the use of a rather hydrophobic polymer with a high degree of crosslinking sites ensures the formation of stable polymer/enzyme films which were successfully used as bioanode in membrane-less biofuel cells. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{SchneidervanSchaikZangerleetal.2016, author = {Schneider, A. -K. and van Schaik, L. and Zangerle, A. and Eccard, Jana and Schroeder, B.}, title = {Which abiotic filters shape earthworm distribution patterns at the catchment scale?}, series = {European journal of soil science}, volume = {67}, journal = {European journal of soil science}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1351-0754}, doi = {10.1111/ejss.12346}, pages = {431 -- 442}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Earthworms affect various soil ecosystem processes in their role as ecosystem engineers. The spatial distribution of earthworms determines the spatial distribution of their functional effects. In particular, earthworm-induced macropore networks may act as preferential flow pathways. In this research we aimed to determine earthworm distributions at the catchment scale with species distribution models (SDMs). We used land-use types, temporally invariant topography-related variables and plot-scale soil characteristics such as pH and organic matter content. We used data from spring 2013 to estimate probability distributions of the occurrence of ten earthworm species. To assess the robustness of these models, we tested temporal transferability by evaluating the accuracy of predictions from the models derived for the spring data with the predictions from data of two other field surveys in autumn 2012 and 2013. In addition, we compared the performance of SDMs based (i) on temporally varying plot-scale predictor variables with (ii) those based on temporally invariant catchment-scale predictors. Models based on catchment-scale predictors, especially land use and slope, experience a small loss of predictive performance only compared with plot-scale SDMs but have greater temporal transferability. Earthworm distribution maps derived from this kind of SDM are a prerequisite for understanding the spatial distribution patterns of functional effects related to earthworms.}, language = {en} } @article{LehmannScheffler2016, author = {Lehmann, Andreas and Scheffler, Christiane}, title = {What does the mean menarcheal age mean?An analysis of temporal pattern in variability in a historical swiss population from the 19th and 20th centuries}, series = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council}, volume = {28}, journal = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1042-0533}, doi = {10.1002/ajhb.22854}, pages = {705 -- 713}, year = {2016}, abstract = {ObjectivesAge at menarche is one of the most important factors when observing growth and development. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal pattern in variability of menarcheal age for a historic Swiss population from the 19th and 20th centuries. ResultsMean menarcheal age declined from 17.34 years (n=358) around 1830 to 13.80 years (n=141) around 1950. Within-cohort variance decreased from 7.5 to 2.1 year(2). Skewness was negatively correlated with birth year (r=-0.58). ConclusionThis study provided evidence for a secular trend in various statistical parameters for age at menarche since the 19th century. Furthermore, the results of the analysis of temporal pattern in variability revealed that the secular trend in menarcheal age happened in two phases. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:705-713, 2016. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, language = {en} } @article{MehnerAttermeyerBraunsetal.2016, author = {Mehner, T. and Attermeyer, Katrin and Brauns, Mario and Brothers, Soren M. and Diekmann, J. and Gaedke, Ursula and Grossart, Hans-Peter and Koehler, J. and Lischke, Betty and Meyer, N. and Scharnweber, Inga Kristin and Syvaranta, J. and Vanni, M. J. and Hilt, S.}, title = {Weak Response of Animal Allochthony and Production to Enhanced Supply of Terrestrial Leaf Litter in Nutrient-Rich Lakes}, series = {Ecosystems}, volume = {19}, journal = {Ecosystems}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1432-9840}, doi = {10.1007/s10021-015-9933-2}, pages = {311 -- 325}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Ecosystems are generally linked via fluxes of nutrients and energy across their boundaries. For example, freshwater ecosystems in temperate regions may receive significant inputs of terrestrially derived carbon via autumnal leaf litter. This terrestrial particulate organic carbon (POC) is hypothesized to subsidize animal production in lakes, but direct evidence is still lacking. We divided two small eutrophic lakes each into two sections and added isotopically distinct maize litter to the treatment sections to simulate increased terrestrial POC inputs via leaf litter in autumn. We quantified the reliance of aquatic consumers on terrestrial resources (allochthony) in the year subsequent to POC additions by applying mixing models of stable isotopes. We also estimated lake-wide carbon (C) balances to calculate the C flow to the production of the major aquatic consumer groups: benthic macroinvertebrates, crustacean zooplankton, and fish. The sum of secondary production of crustaceans and benthic macroinvertebrates supported by terrestrial POC was higher in the treatment sections of both lakes. In contrast, total secondary and tertiary production (supported by both autochthonous and allochthonous C) was higher in the reference than in the treatment sections of both lakes. Average aquatic consumer allochthony per lake section was 27-40\%, although terrestrial POC contributed less than about 10\% to total organic C supply to the lakes. The production of aquatic consumers incorporated less than 5\% of the total organic C supply in both lakes, indicating a low ecological efficiency. We suggest that the consumption of terrestrial POC by aquatic consumers facilitates a strong coupling with the terrestrial environment. However, the high autochthonous production and the large pool of autochthonous detritus in these nutrient-rich lakes make terrestrial POC quantitatively unimportant for the C flows within food webs.}, language = {en} } @article{MummHermanussenScheffler2016, author = {Mumm, Rebekka and Hermanussen, Michael and Scheffler, Christiane}, title = {voice break as the marker of biological age}, series = {Acta paediatrica : nurturing the child}, volume = {105}, journal = {Acta paediatrica : nurturing the child}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0803-5253}, doi = {10.1111/apa.13488}, pages = {e459 -- e463}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Aim: We aimed to develop the first references for body height, body weight and body mass index (BMI) for boys based on the individual developmental tempo with respect to their voice break status. Methods: We re-analysed data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS study) on body height, body weight and body mass index based on the voice break, or mutation, in 3956 boys aged 10-17 years. We used the LMS method to construct smoothed references centiles for the studied variables in premutational, mutational and postmutational boys. Results: Body height, body weight and BMI differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the different stages of voice break. On average, boys were 5.9 cm taller, 5.8 kg heavier and had a 0.7 kg/m(2) higher BMI with every higher stage of voice break. Currently used growth references for chronological age in comparison with maturity-related references led to an average of 5.4\% of boys being falsely classified as overweight.}, language = {en} } @article{AdelElbeheryAzizetal.2016, author = {Adel, Mustafa and Elbehery, Ali H. A. and Aziz, Sherry K. and Aziz, Ramy K. and Grossart, Hans-Peter and Siam, Rania}, title = {Viruses-to-mobile genetic elements skew in the deep Atlantis II brine pool sediments}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep32704}, pages = {8882 -- 8888}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The central rift of the Red Sea has 25 brine pools with different physical and geochemical characteristics. Atlantis II (ATIID), Discovery Deeps (DD) and Chain Deep (CD) are characterized by high salinity, temperature and metal content. Several studies reported microbial communities in these brine pools, but few studies addressed the brine pool sediments. Therefore, sediment cores were collected from ATIID, DD, CD brine pools and an adjacent brine-influenced site. Sixteen different lithologic sediment sections were subjected to shotgun DNA pyrosequencing to generate 1.47 billion base pairs (1.47 x 10(9) bp). We generated sediment-specific reads and attempted to annotate all reads. We report the phylogenetic and biochemical uniqueness of the deepest ATIID sulfur-rich brine pool sediments. In contrary to all other sediment sections, bacteria dominate the deepest ATIID sulfur-rich brine pool sediments. This decrease in virus-to-bacteria ratio in selected sections and depth coincided with an overrepresentation of mobile genetic elements. Skewing in the composition of viruses-to-mobile genetic elements may uniquely contribute to the distinct microbial consortium in sediments in proximity to hydrothermally active vents of the Red Sea and possibly in their surroundings, through differential horizontal gene transfer.}, language = {en} } @article{PatelFoersterKitcheneretal.2016, author = {Patel, Riddhi P. and F{\"o}rster, Daniel W. and Kitchener, Andrew C. and Rayan, Mark D. and Mohamed, Shariff W. and Werner, Laura and Lenz, Dorina and Pfestorf, Hans and Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie and Radchuk, Viktoriia and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Wilting, Andreas}, title = {Two species of Southeast Asian cats in the genus Catopuma with diverging histories: an island endemic forest specialist and a widespread habitat generalist}, series = {Royal Society Open Science}, volume = {3}, journal = {Royal Society Open Science}, publisher = {Royal Society}, address = {London}, issn = {2054-5703}, doi = {10.1098/rsos.160350}, pages = {741 -- 752}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background. The bay cat Catopuma badia is endemic to Borneo, whereas its sister species the Asian golden cat Catopuma temminckii is distributed from the Himalayas and southern China through Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Based onmorphological data, up to five subspecies of the Asian golden cat have been recognized, but a taxonomic assessment, including molecular data and morphological characters, is still lacking. Results. We combined molecular data (whole mitochondrial genomes), morphological data (pelage) and species distribution projections (up to the Late Pleistocene) to infer how environmental changes may have influenced the distribution of these sister species over the past 120 000 years. The molecular analysis was based on sequenced mitogenomes of 3 bay cats and 40 Asian golden cats derived mainly from archival samples. Our molecular data suggested a time of split between the two species approximately 3.16 Ma and revealed very low nucleotide diversity within the Asian golden cat population, which supports recent expansion of the population. Discussion. The low nucleotide diversity suggested a population bottleneck in the Asian golden cat, possibly caused by the eruption of the Toba volcano in Northern Sumatra (approx. 74 kya), followed by a continuous population expansion in the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene. Species distribution projections, the reconstruction of the demographic history, a genetic isolation-by-distance pattern and a gradual variation of pelage pattern support the hypothesis of a post-Toba population expansion of the Asian golden cat from south China/Indochina to PeninsularMalaysia and Sumatra. Our findings reject the current classification of five subspecies for the Asian golden cat, but instead support either a monotypic species or one comprising two subspecies: (i) the Sunda golden cat, distributed south of the Isthmus of Kra: C. t. temminckii and (ii) Indochinese, Indian, Himalayan and Chinese golden cats, occurring north of the Isthmus: C. t. moormensis.}, language = {en} } @article{KruseWieczorekJeltschetal.2016, author = {Kruse, Stefan and Wieczorek, Mareike and Jeltsch, Florian and Herzschuh, Ulrike}, title = {Treeline dynamics in Siberia under changing climates as inferred from an individual-based model for Larix}, series = {Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog}, volume = {338}, journal = {Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0304-3800}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.08.003}, pages = {101 -- 121}, year = {2016}, language = {en} } @article{AlluBrotmanXueetal.2016, author = {Allu, Annapurna Devi and Brotman, Yariv and Xue, Gang-Ping and Balazadeh, Salma}, title = {Transcription factor ANAC032 modulates JA/SA signalling in response to Pseudomonas syringae infection}, series = {EMBO reports}, volume = {17}, journal = {EMBO reports}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1469-221X}, doi = {10.15252/embr.201642197}, pages = {1578 -- 1589}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Responses to pathogens, including host transcriptional reprogramming, require partially antagonistic signalling pathways dependent on the phytohormones salicylic (SA) and jasmonic (JA) acids. However, upstream factors modulating the interplay of these pathways are not well characterized. Here, we identify the transcription factor ANAC032 from Arabidopsis thaliana as one such regulator in response to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst). ANAC032 directly represses MYC2 activation upon Pst attack, resulting in blockage of coronatine-mediated stomatal reopening which restricts entry of bacteria into plant tissue. Furthermore, ANAC032 activates SA signalling by repressing NIMIN1, a key negative regulator of SA-dependent defence. Finally, ANAC032 reduces expression of JA-responsive genes, including PDF1.2A. Thus, ANAC032 enhances resistance to Pst by generating an orchestrated transcriptional output towards key SA- and JA-signalling genes coordinated through direct binding of ANAC032 to the MYC2, NIMIN1 and PDF1.2A promoters.}, language = {en} } @article{KlauschiesVasseurGaedke2016, author = {Klauschies, Toni and Vasseur, David A. and Gaedke, Ursula}, title = {Trait adaptation promotes species coexistence in diverse predator and prey communities}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.2172}, pages = {19}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Species can adjust their traits in response to selection which may strongly influence species coexistence. Nevertheless, current theory mainly assumes distinct and time-invariant trait values. We examined the combined effects of the range and the speed of trait adaptation on species coexistence using an innovative multispecies predator-prey model. It allows for temporal trait changes of all predator and prey species and thus simultaneous coadaptation within and among trophic levels. We show that very small or slow trait adaptation did not facilitate coexistence because the stabilizing niche differences were not sufficient to offset the fitness differences. In contrast, sufficiently large and fast trait adaptation jointly promoted stable or neutrally stable species coexistence. Continuous trait adjustments in response to selection enabled a temporally variable convergence and divergence of species traits; that is, species became temporally more similar (neutral theory) or dissimilar (niche theory) depending on the selection pressure, resulting over time in a balance between niche differences stabilizing coexistence and fitness differences promoting competitive exclusion. Furthermore, coadaptation allowed prey and predator species to cluster into different functional groups. This equalized the fitness of similar species while maintaining sufficient niche differences among functionally different species delaying or preventing competitive exclusion. In contrast to pre- vious studies, the emergent feedback between biomass and trait dynamics enabled supersaturated coexistence for a broad range of potential trait adaptation and parameters. We conclude that accounting for trait adaptation may explain stable and supersaturated species coexistence for a broad range of environmental conditions in natural systems when the absence of such adaptive changes would preclude it. Small trait changes, coincident with those that may occur within many natural populations, greatly enlarged the number of coexisting species.}, language = {en} } @article{KlauschiesVasseurGaedke2016, author = {Klauschies, Toni and Vasseur, David A. and Gaedke, Ursula}, title = {Trait adaptation promotes species coexistence in diverse predator and prey communities}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {6}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.2172}, pages = {4141 -- 4159}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Species can adjust their traits in response to selection which may strongly influence species coexistence. Nevertheless, current theory mainly assumes distinct and time-invariant trait values. We examined the combined effects of the range and the speed of trait adaptation on species coexistence using an innovative multispecies predator-prey model. It allows for temporal trait changes of all predator and prey species and thus simultaneous coadaptation within and among trophic levels. We show that very small or slow trait adaptation did not facilitate coexistence because the stabilizing niche differences were not sufficient to offset the fitness differences. In contrast, sufficiently large and fast trait adaptation jointly promoted stable or neutrally stable species coexistence. Continuous trait adjustments in response to selection enabled a temporally variable convergence and divergence of species traits; that is, species became temporally more similar (neutral theory) or dissimilar (niche theory) depending on the selection pressure, resulting over time in a balance between niche differences stabilizing coexistence and fitness differences promoting competitive exclusion. Furthermore, coadaptation allowed prey and predator species to cluster into different functional groups. This equalized the fitness of similar species while maintaining sufficient niche differences among functionally different species delaying or preventing competitive exclusion. In contrast to previous studies, the emergent feedback between biomass and trait dynamics enabled supersaturated coexistence for a broad range of potential trait adaptation and parameters. We conclude that accounting for trait adaptation may explain stable and supersaturated species coexistence for a broad range of environmental conditions in natural systems when the absence of such adaptive changes would preclude it. Small trait changes, coincident with those that may occur within many natural populations, greatly enlarged the number of coexisting species.}, language = {en} } @article{UestuenSheikhGimenezIbanezetal.2016, author = {{\"U}st{\"u}n, Suayib and Sheikh, Arsheed and Gimenez-Ibanez, Selena and Jones, Alexandra and Ntoukakis, Vardis and B{\"o}rnke, Frederik}, title = {The Proteasome Acts as a Hub for Plant Immunity and Is Targeted by Pseudomonas Type III Effectors}, series = {Plant physiology : an international journal devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biophysics and environmental biology of plants}, volume = {172}, journal = {Plant physiology : an international journal devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biophysics and environmental biology of plants}, publisher = {American Society of Plant Physiologists}, address = {Rockville}, issn = {0032-0889}, doi = {10.1104/pp.16.00808}, pages = {1941 -- 1958}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Recent evidence suggests that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in several aspects of plant immunity and that a range of plant pathogens subvert the ubiquitin-proteasome system to enhance their virulence. Here, we show that proteasome activity is strongly induced during basal defense in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Mutant lines of the proteasome subunits RPT2a and RPN12a support increased bacterial growth of virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pst) and Pseudomonas syringae pv maculicola ES4326. Both proteasome subunits are required for pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity responses. Analysis of bacterial growth after a secondary infection of systemic leaves revealed that the establishment of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is impaired in proteasome mutants, suggesting that the proteasome also plays an important role in defense priming and SAR. In addition, we show that Pst inhibits proteasome activity in a type III secretion-dependent manner. A screen for type III effector proteins from Pst for their ability to interfere with proteasome activity revealed HopM1, HopAO1, HopA1, and HopG1 as putative proteasome inhibitors. Biochemical characterization of HopM1 by mass spectrometry indicates that HopM1 interacts with several E3 ubiquitin ligases and proteasome subunits. This supports the hypothesis that HopM1 associates with the proteasome, leading to its inhibition. Thus, the proteasome is an essential component of pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity and SAR, which is targeted by multiple bacterial effectors.}, language = {en} } @article{BrentrupWilliamsonColomMonteroetal.2016, author = {Brentrup, Jennifer A. and Williamson, Craig E. and Colom-Montero, William and Eckert, Werner and de Eyto, Elvira and Großart, Hans-Peter and Huot, Yannick and Isles, Peter D. F. and Knoll, Lesley B. and Leach, Taylor H. and McBride, Chris G. and Pierson, Don and Pomati, Francesco and Read, Jordan S. and Rose, Kevin C. and Samal, Nihar R. and Staehr, Peter A. and Winslow, Luke A.}, title = {The potential of high-frequency profiling to assess vertical and seasonal patterns of phytoplankton dynamics in lakes: an extension of the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model}, series = {Inland waters : journal of the International Society of Limnology}, volume = {6}, journal = {Inland waters : journal of the International Society of Limnology}, publisher = {Freshwater Biological Association}, address = {Ambleside}, issn = {2044-2041}, doi = {10.5268/IW-6.4.890}, pages = {565 -- 580}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The use of high-frequency sensors on profiling buoys to investigate physical, chemical, and biological processes in lakes is increasing rapidly. Profiling buoys with automated winches and sensors that collect high-frequency chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) profiles in 11 lakes in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) allowed the study of the vertical and temporal distribution of ChlF, including the formation of subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SSCM). The effectiveness of 3 methods for sampling phytoplankton distributions in lakes, including (1) manual profiles, (2) single-depth buoys, and (3) profiling buoys were assessed. High-frequency ChlF surface data and profiles were compared to predictions from the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model. The depth-integrated ChlF dynamics measured by the profiling buoy data revealed a greater complexity that neither conventional sampling nor the generalized PEG model captured. Conventional sampling techniques would have missed SSCM in 7 of 11 study lakes. Although surface-only ChlF data underestimated average water column ChlF, at times by nearly 2-fold in 4 of the lakes, overall there was a remarkable similarity between surface and mean water column data. Contrary to the PEG model's proposed negligible role for physical control of phytoplankton during the growing season, thermal structure and light availability were closely associated with ChlF seasonal depth distribution. Thus, an extension of the PEG model is proposed, with a new conceptual framework that explicitly includes physical metrics to better predict SSCM formation in lakes and highlight when profiling buoys are especially informative.}, language = {en} } @article{SedaghatmehrMuellerRoeberBalazadeh2016, author = {Sedaghatmehr, Mastoureh and M{\"u}ller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd and Balazadeh, Salma}, title = {The plastid metalloprotease FtsH6 and small heat shock protein HSP21 jointly regulate thermomemory in Arabidopsis}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms12439}, pages = {14}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Acquired tolerance to heat stress is an increased resistance to elevated temperature following a prior exposure to heat. The maintenance of acquired thermotolerance in the absence of intervening stress is called 'thermomemory' but the mechanistic basis for this memory is not well defined. Here we show that Arabidopsis HSP21, a plastidial small heat shock protein that rapidly accumulates after heat stress and remains abundant during the thermomemory phase, is a crucial component of thermomemory. Sustained memory requires that HSP21 levels remain high. Through pharmacological interrogation and transcriptome profiling, we show that the plastid-localized metalloprotease FtsH6 regulates HSP21 abundance. Lack of a functional FtsH6 protein promotes HSP21 accumulation during the later stages of thermomemory and increases thermomemory capacity. Our results thus reveal the presence of a plastidial FtsH6-HSP21 control module for thermomemory in plants.}, language = {en} } @article{WrightAmesMitchelll2016, author = {Wright, Justin P. and Ames, Gregory M. and Mitchelll, Rachel M.}, title = {The more things change, the more they stay the same? When is trait variability important for stability of ecosystem function in a changing environment}, series = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences}, volume = {371}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences}, publisher = {Royal Society}, address = {London}, issn = {0962-8436}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.2015.0272}, pages = {7}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The importance of intraspecific trait variability for community dynamics and ecosystem functioning has been underappreciated. There are theoretical reasons for predicting that species that differ in intraspecific trait variability will also differ in their effects on ecosystem functioning, particularly in variable environments. We discuss whether species with greater trait variability are likely to exhibit greater temporal stability in their population dynamics, and under which conditions this might lead to stability in ecosystem functioning. Resolving this requires us to consider several questions. First, are species with high levels of variation for one trait equally variable in others? In particular, is variability in response and effects traits typically correlated? Second, what is the relative contribution of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity to trait variability? If local adaptation dominates, then stability in function requires one of two conditions: (i) individuals of appropriate phenotypes present in the environment at high enough frequencies to allow for populations to respond rapidly to the changing environment, and (ii) high levels of dispersal and gene flow. While we currently lack sufficient information on the causes and distribution of variability in functional traits, filling in these key data gaps should increase our ability to predict how changing biodiversity will alter ecosystem functioning.}, language = {en} } @article{HartmannSchrapersUteschetal.2016, author = {Hartmann, Tobias and Schrapers, Peer and Utesch, Tillmann and Nimtz, Manfred and Rippers, Yvonne and Dau, Holger and Mroginski, Maria Andrea and Haumann, Michael and Leimk{\"u}hler, Silke}, title = {The Molybdenum Active Site of Formate Dehydrogenase Is Capable of Catalyzing C-H Bond Cleavage and Oxygen Atom Transfer Reactions}, series = {Biochemistry}, volume = {55}, journal = {Biochemistry}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00002}, pages = {2381 -- 2389}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Formate dehydrogenases (FDHs) are capable of performing the reversible oxidation of formate and are enzymes of great interest for fuel cell applications and for the production of reduced carbon compounds as energy sources from CO2. Metal containing FDHs in general contain a highly conserved active site, comprising a molybdenum (or tungsten) center coordinated by two molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide molecules, a sulfido and a (seleno-)cysteine ligand, in addition to a histidine and arginine residue in the second coordination sphere. So far, the role of these amino acids in catalysis has not been studied in detail, because of the lack of suitable expression systems and the lability or oxygen sensitivity of the enzymes. Here, the roles of these active site residues is revealed using the Mo-containing FDH from Rhodobacter capsulatus. Our results show that the cysteine ligand at the Mo ion is displaced by the formate substrate during the reaction, the arginine has a direct role in substrate binding and stabilization, and the histidine elevates the pK(a) of the active site cysteine. We further found that in addition to reversible formate oxidation, the enzyme is further capable of reducing nitrate to nitrite. We propose a mechanistic scheme that combines both functionalities and provides important insights into the distinct mechanisms of C-H bond cleavage and oxygen atom transfer catalyzed by formate dehydrogenase.}, language = {en} } @article{BergmannVerbruggenHeinzeetal.2016, author = {Bergmann, Joana and Verbruggen, Erik and Heinze, Johannes and Xiang, Dan and Chen, Baodong and Joshi, Jasmin Radha and Rillig, Matthias C.}, title = {The interplay between soil structure, roots, and microbiota as a determinant of plant-soil feedback}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {6}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.2456}, pages = {7633 -- 7644}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Plant-soil feedback (PSF) can influence plant community structure via changes in the soil microbiome. However, how these feedbacks depend on the soil environment remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that disintegrating a naturally aggregated soil may influence the outcome of PSF by affecting microbial communities. Furthermore, we expected plants to differentially interact with soil structure and the microbial communities due to varying root morphology. We carried out a feedback experiment with nine plant species (five forbs and four grasses) where the training phase consisted of aggregated versus disintegrated soil. In the feedback phase, a uniform soil was inoculated in a fully factorial design with soil washings from conspecific- versus heterospecific-trained soil that had been either disintegrated or aggregated. This way, the effects of prior soil structure on plant performance in terms of biomass production and allocation were examined. In the training phase, soil structure did not affect plant biomass. But on disintegrated soil, plants with lower specific root length (SRL) allocated more biomass aboveground. PSF in the feedback phase was negative overall. With training on disintegrated soil, conspecific feedback was positively correlated with SRL and significantly differed between grasses and forbs. Plants with higher SRL were likely able to easily explore the disintegrated soil with smaller pores, while plants with lower SRL invested in belowground biomass for soil exploration and seemed to be more susceptible to fungal pathogens. This suggests that plants with low SRL could be more limited by PSF on disintegrated soils of early successional stages. This study is the first to examine the influence of soil structure on PSF. Our results suggest that soil structure determines the outcome of PSF mediated by SRL. We recommend to further explore the effects of soil structure and propose to include root performance when working with PSF.}, language = {en} } @article{HavingaKoolAchilleetal.2016, author = {Havinga, Reinout and Kool, Anneleen and Achille, Frederic and Bavcon, Joze and Berg, Christian and Bonomi, Costantino and Burkart, Michael and De Meyere, Dirk and Havstrom, Mats and Kessler, Paul and Knickmann, Barbara and Koester, Nils and Martinez, Remy and Ostgaard, Havard and Ravnjak, Blanka and Scheen, Anne-Cathrine and Smith, Pamela and Smith, Paul and Socher, Stephanie A. and Vange, Vibekke}, title = {The Index Seminum: Seeds of change for seed exchange}, series = {Taxon}, volume = {65}, journal = {Taxon}, publisher = {International Association for Plant Taxonomy}, address = {Bratislava}, issn = {0040-0262}, doi = {10.12705/652.9}, pages = {333 -- 336}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Botanic gardens have been exchanging seeds through seed catalogues for centuries. In many gardens, these catalogues remain an important source of plant material. Living collections have become more relevant for genetic analysis and derived research, since genomics of non-model organisms heavily rely on living material. The range of species that is made available annually on all seed lists combined, provides an unsurpassed source of instantly accessible plant material for research collections. Still, the Index Seminum has received criticism in the past few decades. The current exchange model dictates that associated data is manually entered into each database. The amount of time involved and the human errors occurring in this process are difficult to justify when the data was initially produced as a report from another database. The authors propose that an online marketplace for seed exchange should be established, with enhanced search possibilities and downloadable accession data in a standardised format. Such online service should preferably be supervised and coordinated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). This manuscript is the outcome of a workshop on July 9th, 2015, at the European botanic gardens congress "Eurogard VII" in Paris, where the first two authors invited members of the botanic garden community to discuss how the anachronistic Index Seminum can be transformed into an improved and modern tool for seed exchange.}, language = {en} } @article{JoestHenselKappeletal.2016, author = {J{\"o}st, Moritz and Hensel, Goetz and Kappel, Christian and Druka, Arnis and Sicard, Adrien and Hohmann, Uwe and Beier, Sebastian and Himmelbach, Axel and Waugh, Robbie and Kumlehn, Jochen and Stein, Nils and Lenhard, Michael}, title = {The INDETERMINATE DOMAIN Protein BROAD LEAF1 Limits Barley Leaf Width by Restricting Lateral Proliferation}, series = {Current biology}, volume = {26}, journal = {Current biology}, publisher = {Cell Press}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {0960-9822}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.047}, pages = {903 -- 909}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Variation in the size, shape, and positioning of leaves as the major photosynthetic organs strongly impacts crop yield, and optimizing these aspects is a central aim of cereal breeding [1, 2]. Leaf growth in grasses is driven by cell proliferation and cell expansion in a basal growth zone [3]. Although several factors influencing final leaf size and shape have been identified from rice and maize [4-14], what limits grass leaf growth in the longitudinal or transverse directions during leaf development remains poorly understood. To identify factors involved in this process, we characterized the barley mutant broad leaf1 (blf1). Mutants form wider but slightly shorter leaves due to changes in the numbers of longitudinal cell files and of cells along the leaf length. These differences arise during primordia outgrowth because of more cell divisions in the width direction increasing the number of cell files. Positional cloning, analysis of independent alleles, and transgenic complementation confirm that BLF1 encodes a presumed transcriptional regulator of the INDETERMINATE DOMAIN family. In contrast to loss-of-function mutants, moderate overexpression of BLF1 decreases leaf width below wild-type levels. A functional BLF1-vYFP fusion protein expressed from the endogenous promoter shows a dynamic expression pattern in the shoot apical meristem and young leaf primordia. Thus, we propose that the BLF1 gene regulates barley leaf size by restricting cell proliferation in the leaf-width direction. Given the agronomic importance of canopy traits in cereals, identifying functionally different BLF1 alleles promises to allow for the generation of optimized cereal ideotypes.}, language = {en} } @article{PremkeAttermeyerAugustinetal.2016, author = {Premke, Katrin and Attermeyer, Katrin and Augustin, J{\"u}rgen and Cabezas, Alvaro and Casper, Peter and Deumlich, Detlef and Gelbrecht, J{\"o}rg and Gerke, Horst H. and Gessler, Arthur and Großart, Hans-Peter and Hilt, Sabine and Hupfer, Michael and Kalettka, Thomas and Kayler, Zachary and Lischeid, Gunnar and Sommer, Michael and Zak, Dominik}, title = {The importance of landscape diversity for carbon fluxes at the landscape level: small-scale heterogeneity matters}, series = {Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews : Water}, volume = {3}, journal = {Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews : Water}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2049-1948}, doi = {10.1002/wat2.1147}, pages = {601 -- 617}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Landscapes can be viewed as spatially heterogeneous areas encompassing terrestrial and aquatic domains. To date, most landscape carbon (C) fluxes have been estimated by accounting for terrestrial ecosystems, while aquatic ecosystems have been largely neglected. However, a robust assessment of C fluxes on the landscape scale requires the estimation of fluxes within and between both landscape components. Here, we compiled data from the literature on C fluxes across the air-water interface from various landscape components. We simulated C emissions and uptake for five different scenarios which represent a gradient of increasing spatial heterogeneity within a temperate young moraine landscape: (I) a homogeneous landscape with only cropland and large lakes; (II) separation of the terrestrial domain into cropland and forest; (III) further separation into cropland, forest, and grassland; (IV) additional division of the aquatic area into large lakes and peatlands; and (V) further separation of the aquatic area into large lakes, peatlands, running waters, and small water bodies These simulations suggest that C fluxes at the landscape scale might depend on spatial heterogeneity and landscape diversity, among other factors. When we consider spatial heterogeneity and diversity alone, small inland waters appear to play a pivotal and previously underestimated role in landscape greenhouse gas emissions that may be regarded as C hot spots. Approaches focusing on the landscape scale will also enable improved projections of ecosystems' responses to perturbations, e.g., due to global change and anthropogenic activities, and evaluations of the specific role individual landscape components play in regional C fluxes. WIREs Water 2016, 3:601-617. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1147}, language = {en} }