TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Hucai A1 - Paijmans, Johanna L. A. A1 - Chang, Fengqin A1 - Wu, Xiaohong A1 - Chen, Guangjie A1 - Lei, Chuzhao A1 - Yang, Xiujuan A1 - Wei, Zhenyi A1 - Bradley, Daniel G. A1 - Orlando, Ludovic A1 - O'Connor, Terry A1 - Hofreiter, Michael T1 - Morphological and genetic evidence for early Holocene cattle management in northeastern China JF - Nature Communications N2 - The domestication of cattle is generally accepted to have taken place in two independent centres: around 10,500 years ago in the Near East, giving rise to modern taurine cattle, and two millennia later in southern Asia, giving rise to zebu cattle. Here we provide firmly dated morphological and genetic evidence for early Holocene management of taurine cattle in northeastern China. We describe conjoining mandibles from this region that show evidence of oral stereotypy, dated to the early Holocene by two independent C-14 dates. Using Illumina high-throughput sequencing coupled with DNA hybridization capture, we characterize 15,406 bp of the mitogenome with on average 16.7-fold coverage. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a hitherto unknown mitochondrial haplogroup that falls outside the known taurine diversity. Our data suggest that the first attempts to manage cattle in northern China predate the introduction of domestic cattle that gave rise to the current stock by several thousand years. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3755 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 4 IS - 6 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - THES A1 - Zauber, Henrik T1 - A systems biology driven approach for analyzing lipid protein interactions in sterol biosynthesis mutants Y1 - 2013 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zarattini, Paola A1 - Mura, Graziella A1 - Ketmaier, Valerio T1 - Intra-specific variability in the thirteen known populations of the fairy shrimp Chirocephalus ruffoi (Crustacea: Anostraca) - resting egg morphometrics and mitochondrial DNA reveal decoupled patterns of deep divergence JF - Hydrobiologia : acta hydrobiologica, hydrographica, limnologica et protistologica N2 - Chirocephalus ruffoi is a fairy shrimp endemic to the Italian peninsula, where it is known only from thirteen high mountain locations. Twelve of these are in the Northern Apennines while the thirteenth is about 700 km away in the Calabrian Apennines (Southern Italy). We quantified degree of genetic divergence within the species by sequencing a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA encoding for Cytochrome Oxidase I. We then combined genetic data with the re-analysis of two different datasets on the morphometrics of the resting eggs (cysts) produced by the species as an adaptation to survive seasonal droughts. Genetic data revealed profound divergence; we identified four clusters of haplotypes within the species phylogeography, three in the Northern Apennines and one in the Calabrian Apennines with most of the genetic variation (a parts per thousand 70%) being apportioned among haplogroups. We found high variability in cyst morphometrics, especially in cyst size and height of the spines ornamenting the surface. Genetic and morphometric data are decoupled suggesting that cyst morphology is either under selection or a plastic trait. We, therefore, caution against using cyst morphology for taxonomic purposes in anostracans. KW - Anostraca KW - Resting eggs KW - Morphometrics KW - Cytochrome oxidase I KW - Population structure Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1487-8 SN - 0018-8158 VL - 713 IS - 1 SP - 19 EP - 34 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zakharova, A. A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran A1 - Koseska, Aneta T1 - Dimensionality reduction of bistable biological systems JF - Bulletin of mathematical biology : official journal of the Society for Mathematical Biology N2 - Time hierarchies, arising as a result of interactions between system's components, represent a ubiquitous property of dynamical biological systems. In addition, biological systems have been attributed switch-like properties modulating the response to various stimuli across different organisms and environmental conditions. Therefore, establishing the interplay between these features of system dynamics renders itself a challenging question of practical interest in biology. Existing methods are suitable for systems with one stable steady state employed as a well-defined reference. In such systems, the characterization of the time hierarchies has already been used for determining the components that contribute to the dynamics of biological systems. However, the application of these methods to bistable nonlinear systems is impeded due to their inherent dependence on the reference state, which in this case is no longer unique. Here, we extend the applicability of the reference-state analysis by proposing, analyzing, and applying a novel method, which allows investigation of the time hierarchies in systems exhibiting bistability. The proposed method is in turn used in identifying the components, other than reactions, which determine the systemic dynamical properties. We demonstrate that in biological systems of varying levels of complexity and spanning different biological levels, the method can be effectively employed for model simplification while ensuring preservation of qualitative dynamical properties (i.e., bistability). Finally, by establishing a connection between techniques from nonlinear dynamics and multivariate statistics, the proposed approach provides the basis for extending reference-based analysis to bistable systems. KW - Bistability KW - Time-scales hierarchy KW - Similarity transformation KW - Canonical correlation analysis KW - Dimensionality reduction Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-013-9807-8 SN - 0092-8240 VL - 75 IS - 3 SP - 373 EP - 392 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yarman, Aysu A1 - Scheller, Frieder W. T1 - Coupling biocatalysis with molecular imprinting in a biomimetic sensor JF - Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition KW - biomimetic sensors KW - electropolymers KW - enzymes KW - hierarchical structures KW - molecularly imprinted polymers Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201305368 SN - 1433-7851 SN - 1521-3773 VL - 52 IS - 44 SP - 11521 EP - 11525 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xu, Xuan A1 - Wollenberger, Ursula A1 - Qian, Jing A1 - Lettau, Katrin A1 - Jung, Christiane A1 - Liu, Songqin T1 - Electrochemically driven biocatalysis of the oxygenase domain of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in indium tin oxide nanoparticles/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite JF - Bioelectrochemistry : an international journal devoted to electrochemical aspects of biology and biological aspects of electrochemistry ; official journal of the Bioelectrochemical Society N2 - Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) plays a critical role in a number of key physiological and pathological processes. Investigation of electron-transfer reactions in NOS would contribute to a better understanding of the nitric oxide (NO) synthesis mechanism. Herein, we describe an electrochemically driven catalytic strategy, using a nanocomposite that consisted of the oxygenase domain of neuronal NOS (D290nNOSoxy), indium tin oxide (ITO) nanopartides and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Fast direct electron transfer between electrodes and D290nNOSoxy was observed with the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k(er)) of 154.8 +/- 0.1 s(-1) at the scan rate of 5 V s(-1). Moreover, the substrate IV-hydroxy-L-arginine (NHA) was used to prove the concept of electrochemically driven biocatalysis of D290nNOSoxy. In the presence of the oxygen cosubstrate and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) cofactor, the addition of NHA caused the decreases of both oxidation current at + 0.1 V and reduction current at potentials ranging from -0.149 V to -0.549 V vs Ag/AgCl. Thereafter, a series of control experiments such as in the absence of BH4 or D290nNOSoxy were performed. All the results demonstrated that D290nNOSoxy biocatalysis was successfully driven by electrodes in the presence of BH4 and oxygen. This novel bioelectronic system showed potential for further investigation of NOS and biosensor applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Nitric oxide synthase KW - Tetrahydrobiopterin KW - N-omega-hydroxy-L-arginine KW - Indium tin oxide nanoparticles KW - Biocatalysis Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2013.04.005 SN - 1567-5394 SN - 1521-186X VL - 94 IS - 47 SP - 7 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wissel, Jörg A1 - Manack, Aubrey A1 - Brainin, Michael T1 - Toward an epidemiology of poststroke spasticity JF - Neurology : official journal of the American Academy of Neurology N2 - Poststroke spasticity (PSS)-related disability is emerging as a significant health issue for stroke survivors. There is a need for predictors and early identification of PSS in order to minimize complications and maladaptation from spasticity. Reviewing the literature on stroke and upper motor neuron syndrome, spasticity, contracture, and increased muscle tone measured with the Modified Ashworth Scale and the Tone Assessment Scale provided data on the dynamic time course of PSS. Prevalence estimates of PSS were highly variable, ranging from 4% to 42.6%, with the prevalence of disabling spasticity ranging from 2% to 13%. Data on phases of the PSS continuum revealed evidence of PSS in 4% to 27% of those in the early time course (1-4 weeks poststroke), 19% to 26.7% of those in the postacute phase (1-3 months poststroke), and 17% to 42.6% of those in the chronic phase (>3 months poststroke). Data also identified key risk factors associated with the development of spasticity, including lower Barthel Index scores, severe degree of paresis, stroke-related pain, and sensory deficits. Although such indices could be regarded as predictors of PSS and thus enable early identification and treatment, the different measures of PSS used in those studies limit the strength of the findings. To optimize evaluation in the different phases of care, the best possible assessment of PSS would make use of a combination of indicators for clinical impairment, motor performance, activity level, quality of life, and patient-reported outcome measures. Applying these recommended measures, as well as increasing our knowledge of the physiologic predictors of PSS, will enable us to perform clinical and epidemiologic studies that will facilitate identification and early, multimodal treatment. Y1 - 2013 SN - 0028-3878 VL - 80 IS - 1 SP - S13 EP - S19 PB - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins CY - Philadelphia ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winck, Flavia Vischi A1 - Arvidsson, Samuel Janne A1 - Mauricio Riano-Pachon, Diego A1 - Hempel, Sabrina A1 - Koseska, Aneta A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran A1 - Urbina Gomez, David Alejandro A1 - Rupprecht, Jens A1 - Müller-Röber, Bernd T1 - Genome-wide identification of regulatory elements and reconstruction of gene regulatory networks of the green alga chlamydomonas reinhardtii under carbon deprivation JF - PLoS one N2 - The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a long-established model organism for studies on photosynthesis and carbon metabolism-related physiology. Under conditions of air-level carbon dioxide concentration [CO2], a carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM) is induced to facilitate cellular carbon uptake. CCM increases the availability of carbon dioxide at the site of cellular carbon fixation. To improve our understanding of the transcriptional control of the CCM, we employed FAIRE-seq (formaldehyde-assisted Isolation of Regulatory Elements, followed by deep sequencing) to determine nucleosome-depleted chromatin regions of algal cells subjected to carbon deprivation. Our FAIRE data recapitulated the positions of known regulatory elements in the promoter of the periplasmic carbonic anhydrase (Cah1) gene, which is upregulated during CCM induction, and revealed new candidate regulatory elements at a genome-wide scale. In addition, time series expression patterns of 130 transcription factor (TF) and transcription regulator (TR) genes were obtained for cells cultured under photoautotrophic condition and subjected to a shift from high to low [CO2]. Groups of co-expressed genes were identified and a putative directed gene-regulatory network underlying the CCM was reconstructed from the gene expression data using the recently developed IOTA (inner composition alignment) method. Among the candidate regulatory genes, two members of the MYB-related TF family, Lcr1 (Low-CO2 response regulator 1) and Lcr2 (Low-CO2 response regulator 2), may play an important role in down-regulating the expression of a particular set of TF and TR genes in response to low [CO2]. The results obtained provide new insights into the transcriptional control of the CCM and revealed more than 60 new candidate regulatory genes. Deep sequencing of nucleosome-depleted genomic regions indicated the presence of new, previously unknown regulatory elements in the C. reinhardtii genome. Our work can serve as a basis for future functional studies of transcriptional regulator genes and genomic regulatory elements in Chlamydomonas. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079909 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 8 IS - 11 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weisse, Thomas A1 - Moser, Michael A1 - Scheffel, Ulrike A1 - Stadler, Peter A1 - Berendonk, Thomas U. A1 - Weithoff, Guntram A1 - Berger, Helmut T1 - Systematics and species-specific response to pH of Oxytricha acidotolerans sp nov and Urosomoida sp (Ciliophora, Hypotricha) from acid mining lakes JF - European journal of protistology N2 - We investigated the morphology, phylogeny of the 18S rDNA, and pH response of Oxytricha acidotolerans sp. nov. and Urosomoida sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotricha) isolated from two chemically similar acid mining lakes (pH similar to 2.6) located at Langau, Austria, and in Lusatia, Germany. Oxytricha acidotolerans sp. nov. from Langau has 18 frontal-ventral-transverse cirri but a very indistinct kinety 3 fragmentation so that the assignment to Oxytricha is uncertain. The somewhat smaller species from Lusatia has a highly variable cirral pattern and the dorsal kineties arranged in the Urosomoida pattern and is, therefore, preliminary designated as Urosomoida sp. The pH response was measured as ciliate growth rates in laboratory experiments at pH ranging from 2.5 to 7.0. Our hypothesis was that the shape of the pH reaction norm would not differ between these closely related (3% difference in their SSU rDNA) species. Results revealed a broad pH niche for O. acidotolerans, with growth rates peaking at moderately acidic conditions (pH 5.2). Cyst formation was positively and linearly related to pH. Urosomoida sp. was more sensitive to pH and did not survive at circumneutral pH. Accordingly, we reject our hypothesis that similar habitats would harbour ciliate species with virtually identical pH reaction norm. KW - Acid mining lakes KW - Growth rates KW - pH response KW - Oxytricha KW - SSU rDNA KW - Urosomoida Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2012.08.001 SN - 0932-4739 VL - 49 IS - 2 SP - 255 EP - 271 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weisse, Thomas A1 - Laufenstein, Nicole A1 - Weithoff, Guntram T1 - Multiple environmental stressors confine the ecological niche of the rotifer Cephalodella acidophila JF - Freshwater biology N2 - 1The planktonic food web in extremely acidic mining lakes is restricted to a few species that are either acidophilic or acidotolerant. Common metazoans inhabiting acidic mining lakes with a pH below 3 include rotifers in the genera Cephalodella and Elosa. 2The life history response of Cephalodella acidophila to three environmental key factors, pH (2, 3.5, 5.0 and 7.0), temperature (10, 17.5 and 25 degrees C) and food concentration (10000, 35000 and 50000algal cells per mL), was investigated in a full factorial design using life-table experiments. 3The effect of each of the three environmental variables investigated on the rotifer life cycle parameters (life span, fecundity and population growth rate) differed. C.acidophila is a stenoecious species with a pH optimum in the range 34 and a comparably high food threshold. Combining the laboratory results with field data, we conclude that C.acidophila is severely growth limited in its natural habitat. However, low pH alone is not harmful as long as temperatures are moderate to warm and food is abundant. 4The population of C.acidophila in the field is maintained mainly due to release from competitors and predators. KW - acid lakes KW - Cephalodella acidophila KW - life-table experiments KW - pH KW - rotifers Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12104 SN - 0046-5070 VL - 58 IS - 5 SP - 1008 EP - 1015 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER -