TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wannicke, Nicola
A1  - Frindte, Katharina
A1  - Gust, Giselher
A1  - Liskow, Iris
A1  - Wacker, Alexander
A1  - Meyer, Andreas
A1  - Grossart, Hans-Peter
T1  - Measuring bacterial activity and community composition at high hydrostatic pressure using a novel experimental approach: a pilot study
JF  - FEMS microbiology ecology
N2  - In this pilot study, we describe a high-pressure incubation system allowing multiple subsampling of a pressurized culture without decompression. The system was tested using one piezophilic (Photobacterium profundum), one piezotolerant (Colwellia maris) bacterial strain and a decompressed sample from the Mediterranean deep sea (3044 m) determining bacterial community composition, protein production (BPP) and cell multiplication rates (BCM) up to 27 MPa. The results showed elevation of BPP at high pressure was by a factor of 1.5 +/- 1.4 and 3.9 +/- 2.3 for P. profundum and C. maris, respectively, compared to ambient-pressure treatments and by a factor of 6.9 +/- 3.8 fold in the field samples. In P. profundum and C. maris, BCM at high pressure was elevated (3.1 +/- 1.5 and 2.9 +/- 1.7 fold, respectively) compared to the ambient-pressure treatments. After 3 days of incubation at 27 MPa, the natural bacterial deep-sea community was dominated by one phylum of the genus Exiguobacterium, indicating the rapid selection of piezotolerant bacteria. In future studies, our novel incubation system could be part of an isopiestic pressure chain, allowing more accurate measurement of bacterial activity rates which is important both for modeling and for predicting the efficiency of the oceanic carbon pump.
KW  - hydrostatic pressure
KW  - pressure chamber
KW  - piezophilic bacteria
KW  - deep-sea bacterial community
KW  - bacterial production
KW  - stable isotopes
KW  - membrane fatty acids
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiv036
SN  - 0168-6496
SN  - 1574-6941
VL  - 91
IS  - 5
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schwarzenberger, Anke
A1  - Wacker, Alexander
T1  - Melatonin synthesis follows a daily cycle in Daphnia
JF  - Journal of plankton research
N2  - In freshwater systems, Daphnia has been demonstrated to show adaptive responses following the light-dark cycle. The adjustment of these responses to the change of day and night is probably transmitted via the hormone melatonin. The rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis is the arylalkylamine N-transferase (AANAT). We identified three genes coding for insect-like AANATs in Daphnia, of which we measured the gene expression in an ecologically relevant light-dark cycle. We demonstrated that Daphnia's insect-like AANAT gene expression oscillated in a daily manner, and that the highest peak of expression after the onset of darkness was followed by a peak of melatonin production at midnight. Moreover, we could show an oscillation of endogenous melatonin synthesis in Daphnia. In most organisms, melatonin synthesis is due to rhythmic expression of genes of the circadian clock, since transcription of aanats is directly linked to a circadian transcription factor. We could demonstrate that putative clock genes and insect-like AANAT genes of Daphnia were equally expressed. Therefore, we propose that melatonin synthesis is coupled to the expression of Daphnia clock genes, and that insect-like AANATs of crustaceans have a similar function as AANATs of vertebrates: The initiation of melatonin synthesis. In future studies with Daphnia, it will be necessary to take the time of day into account since melatonin concentrations might influence stress responses.
KW  - arylalkylamine N-transferase
KW  - insect-like AANAT
KW  - qPCR
KW  - circadian clock
KW  - clock genes
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbv029
SN  - 0142-7873
SN  - 1464-3774
VL  - 37
IS  - 3
SP  - 636
EP  - 644
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - CHAP
A1  - Hofreiter, Michael
A1  - Barlow, Axel
A1  - Paijmans, Johanna L. A.
A1  - Westbury, Michael V.
T1  - Genomic analyses from highly degraded DNA
T2  - Genome
Y1  - 2015
SN  - 0831-2796
SN  - 1480-3321
VL  - 58
IS  - 5
SP  - 228
EP  - 228
PB  - NRC Research Press
CY  - Ottawa
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Groeneveld, Jürgen
A1  - Johst, Karin
A1  - Kawaguchi, So
A1  - Meyer, Bettina
A1  - Teschke, Mathias
A1  - Grimm, Volker
T1  - How biological clocks and changing environmental conditions determine local population growth and species distribution in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba): a conceptual model
JF  - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog
N2  - The Southern Ocean ecosystem is characterized by extreme seasonal changes in environmental factors such as day length, sea ice extent and food availability. The key species Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has evolved metabolic and behavioural seasonal rhythms to cope with these seasonal changes. We investigate the switch between a physiological less active and active period for adult krill, a rhythm which seems to be controlled by internal biological clocks. These biological clocks can be synchronized by environmental triggers such as day length and food availability. They have evolved for particular environmental regimes to synchronize predictable seasonal environmental changes with important life cycle functions of the species. In a changing environment the time when krill is metabolically active and the time of peak food availability may not overlap if krill's seasonal activity is solely determined by photoperiod (day length). This is especially true for the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean where the spatio-temporal ice cover dynamics are changing substantially with rising average temperatures. We developed an individual-based model for krill to explore the impact of photoperiod and food availability on the growth and demographics of krill. We simulated dynamics of local krill populations (with no movement of krill assumed) along a south-north gradient for different triggers of metabolic activity and different levels of food availability below the ice. We also observed the fate of larval krill which cannot switch to low metabolism and therefore are likely to overwinter under ice. Krill could only occupy the southern end of the gradient, where algae bloom only lasts for a short time, when alternative food supply under the ice was high and metabolic activity was triggered by photoperiod. The northern distribution was limited by lack of overwintering habitat for krill larvae due to short duration of sea ice cover even for high food content under the ice. The variability of the krill's length-frequency distributions varied for different triggers of metabolic activity, but did not depend on the sea ice extent. Our findings suggest a southward shift of krill populations due to reduction in the spatial sea ice extent, which is consistent with field observations. Overall, our results highlight the importance of the explicit consideration of spatio-temporal sea ice dynamics especially for larval krill together with temporal synchronization through internal clocks, triggered by environmental factors (photoperiod and food) in adult krill for the population modelling of krill. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - Dynamic energy budget theory
KW  - Individual based model
KW  - Southern Ocean
KW  - Sea ice
KW  - Climate change
KW  - Marine ecology
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.02.009
SN  - 0304-3800
SN  - 1872-7026
VL  - 303
SP  - 78
EP  - 86
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Weiß, Lina
A1  - Jeltsch, Florian
T1  - The response of simulated grassland communities to the cessation of grazing
JF  - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog
N2  - Changes in land-use are supposed to be among the severest prospective threats to plant diversity worldwide. In semi-natural temperate grasslands, the cessation of traditional land use like livestock grazing is considered to be one of the most important drivers of the diversity loss witnessed within the last decades. Despite of the enormous number of studies on successional pathways following grazing abandonment there is no general pattern of how grassland communities are affected in terms of diversity, trait composition and pace of succession. To gain a comprehensive picture is difficult given the heterogeneity of environments and the time and effort needed for long-term investigations. We here use a proven individual- and trait-based grassland community model to analyze short- and long-term consequences of grazing abandonment under different assumptions of resource availability, pre-abandonment grazing intensity and regional isolation of communities.
 Grazing abandonment led to a decrease of plant functional type (PFT) diversity in all but two scenarios in the long-term. In short-term we also found an increase or no change in Shannon diversity for several scenarios. With grazing abandonment we overall found an increase in maximum plant mass, clonal integration and longer lateral spread, a decrease in rosette plant types and in stress tolerant plants, as well as an increase in grazing tolerant and a decrease in grazing avoiding plant types. Observed changes were highly dependent on the regional configuration of communities, prevalent resource conditions and land use intensity before abandonment. While long-term changes took around 10-20 years in resource rich conditions, new equilibria established in resource poor conditions only after 30-40 years.
 Our results confirm the potential threats caused by recent land-use changes and the assumption that oligotrophic communities are more resistant than mesotrophic communities also for long-term abandonment. Moreover, results revealed that species-rich systems are not per se more resistant than species-poor grasslands. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - Diversity
KW  - Individual-based model
KW  - Land use intensity
KW  - Seed immigration
KW  - Abandonment
KW  - Resistance
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.02.002
SN  - 0304-3800
SN  - 1872-7026
VL  - 303
SP  - 1
EP  - 11
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Peng, Lei
A1  - Utesch, Tillmann
A1  - Yarman, Aysu
A1  - Jeoung, Jae-Hun
A1  - Steinborn, Silke
A1  - Dobbek, Holger
A1  - Mroginski, Maria Andrea
A1  - Tanne, Johannes
A1  - Wollenberger, Ursula
A1  - Scheller, Frieder W.
T1  - Surface-Tuned Electron Transfer and Electrocatalysis of Hexameric Tyrosine-Coordinated Heme Protein
JF  - Chemistry - a European journal
N2  - Molecular modeling, electrochemical methods, and quartz crystal microbalance were used to characterize immobilized hexameric tyrosine-coordinated heme protein (HTHP) on bare carbon or on gold electrodes modified with positively and negatively charged self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), respectively. HTHP binds to the positively charged surface but no direct electron transfer (DET) is found due to the long distance of the active sites from the electrode surfaces. At carboxyl-terminated surfaces, the neutrally charged bottom of HTHP can bind to the SAM. For this "disc" orientation all six hemes are close to the electrode and their direct electron transfer should be efficient. HTHP on all negatively charged SAMs showed a quasi-reversible redox behavior with rate constant k(s) values between 0.93 and 2.86 s(-1) and apparent formal potentials E-app(0)' between -131.1 and -249.1 mV. On the MUA/MU-modified electrode, the maximum surface concentration corresponds to a complete monolayer of the hexameric HTHP in the disc orientation. HTHP electrostatically immobilized on negatively charged SAMs shows electrocatalysis of peroxide reduction and enzymatic oxidation of NADH.
KW  - electrochemistry
KW  - electron transfer
KW  - heme proteins
KW  - molecular modeling
KW  - monolayers
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201405932
SN  - 0947-6539
SN  - 1521-3765
VL  - 21
IS  - 20
SP  - 7596
EP  - 7602
PB  - Wiley-VCH
CY  - Weinheim
ER  - 
TY  - GEN
A1  - Xiang, Hai
A1  - Gao, Jianqiang
A1  - Yu, Baoquan
A1  - Hofreiter, Michael
A1  - Zhao, Xingbo
T1  - Reply to Peters et al.: Further discussions confirm early Holocene chicken domestication in northern China
T2  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1503956112
SN  - 0027-8424
VL  - 112
IS  - 19
SP  - E2416
EP  - E2416
PB  - National Acad. of Sciences
CY  - Washington
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hess, Anne-Katrin
A1  - Saffert, Paul
A1  - Liebeton, Klaus
A1  - Ignatova, Zoya
T1  - Optimization of Translation Profiles Enhances Protein Expression and Solubility
JF  - PLoS one
N2  - mRNA is translated with a non-uniform speed that actively coordinates co-translational folding of protein domains. Using structure-based homology we identified the structural domains in epoxide hydrolases (EHs) and introduced slow-translating codons to delineate the translation of single domains. These changes in translation speed dramatically improved the solubility of two EHs of metagenomic origin in Escherichia coli. Conversely, the importance of transient attenuation for the folding, and consequently solubility, of EH was evidenced with a member of the EH family from Agrobacterium radiobacter, which partitions in the soluble fraction when expressed in E. coli. Synonymous substitutions of codons shaping the slow-transiting regions to fast-translating codons render this protein insoluble. Furthermore, we show that low protein yield can be enhanced by decreasing the free folding energy of the initial 5'-coding region, which can disrupt mRNA secondary structure and enhance ribosomal loading. This study provides direct experimental evidence that mRNA is not a mere messenger for translation of codons into amino acids but bears an additional layer of information for folding, solubility and expression level of the encoded protein. Furthermore, it provides a general frame on how to modulate and fine-tune gene expression of a target protein.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127039
SN  - 1932-6203
VL  - 10
IS  - 5
PB  - PLoS
CY  - San Fransisco
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kanzleiter, Timo
A1  - Jaehnert, Markus
A1  - Schulze, Gunnar
A1  - Selbig, Joachim
A1  - Hallahan, Nicole
A1  - Schwenk, Robert Wolfgang
A1  - Schürmann, Annette
T1  - Exercise training alters DNA methylation patterns in genes related to muscle growth and differentiation in mice
JF  - American journal of physiology : Endocrinology and metabolism
N2  - The adaptive response of skeletal muscle to exercise training is tightly controlled and therefore requires transcriptional regulation. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism known to modulate gene expression, but its contribution to exercise-induced adaptations in skeletal muscle is not well studied. Here, we describe a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in muscle of trained mice (n = 3). Compared with sedentary controls, 2,762 genes exhibited differentially methylated CpGs (P < 0.05, meth diff >5%, coverage > 10) in their putative promoter regions. Alignment with gene expression data (n = 6) revealed 200 genes with a negative correlation between methylation and expression changes in response to exercise training. The majority of these genes were related to muscle growth and differentiation, and a minor fraction involved in metabolic regulation. Among the candidates were genes that regulate the expression of myogenic regulatory factors (Plexin A2) as well as genes that participate in muscle hypertrophy (Igfbp4) and motor neuron innervation (Dok7). Interestingly, a transcription factor binding site enrichment study discovered significantly enriched occurrence of CpG methylation in the binding sites of the myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and myogenin. These findings suggest that DNA methylation is involved in the regulation of muscle adaptation to regular exercise training.
KW  - DNA methylation
KW  - regular exercise training
KW  - muscle development
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00289.2014
SN  - 0193-1849
SN  - 1522-1555
VL  - 308
IS  - 10
SP  - E912
EP  - E920
PB  - American Chemical Society
CY  - Bethesda
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Synodinos, Alexios D.
A1  - Tietjen, Britta
A1  - Jeltsch, Florian
T1  - Facilitation in drylands: Modeling a neglected driver of savanna dynamics
JF  - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog
N2  - Our current understanding regarding the functioning of the savanna ecosystem describes savannas as either competition- or disturbance-dependent. Within this generalized view, the role and importance of facilitation have been mostly neglected. This study presents a mathematical model of savannas with coupled soil moisture-vegetation dynamics, which includes interspecific competition and environmental disturbance. We find that there exist environmental and climatic conditions where grass facilitation toward trees plays an important role in supporting tree cover and by extension preserving the savanna biome. We, therefore, argue that our theoretical results in combination with the first empirical studies on the subject should stimulate further research into the role of facilitation in the savanna ecosystem, particularly when analyzing the impact of past and projected climatic changes on it. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - Ecohydrological modeling
KW  - ODE model
KW  - Coexistence
KW  - Biome shifts
KW  - Fire
KW  - Grazing
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.02.015
SN  - 0304-3800
SN  - 1872-7026
VL  - 304
SP  - 11
EP  - 21
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Yokoyama, Kenichi
A1  - Leimkühler, Silke
T1  - The role of FeS clusters for molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis and molybdoenzymes in bacteria
JF  - Biochimica et biophysica acta : Molecular cell research
N2  - The biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) has been intensively studied, in addition to its insertion into molybdoenzymes. In particular, a link between the assembly of molybdoenzymes and the biosynthesis of FeS clusters has been identified in the recent years: 1) the synthesis of the first intermediate in Moco biosynthesis requires an FeS-cluster containing protein, 2) the sulfurtransferase for the dithiolene group in Moco is also involved in the synthesis of FeS clusters, thiamin and thiolated tRNAs, 3) the addition of a sulfido-ligand to the molybdenum atom in the active site additionally involves a sulfurtransferase, and 4) most molybdoenzymes in bacteria require FeS clusters as redox active cofactors. In this review we will focus on the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor in bacteria, its modification and insertion into molybdoenzymes, with an emphasis to its link to FeS cluster biosynthesis and sulfur transfer. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - Molybdenum-iron-iron-sulfur cluster
KW  - Molybdenum cofactor
KW  - tRNA
KW  - Sulfur transfer
KW  - L-Cysteine desulfurase
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.09.021
SN  - 0167-4889
SN  - 0006-3002
VL  - 1853
IS  - 6
SP  - 1335
EP  - 1349
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ishida, Seiji
A1  - Nozaki, Daiki
A1  - Grossart, Hans-Peter
A1  - Kagami, Maiko
T1  - Novel basal, fungal lineages from freshwater phytoplankton and lake samples
JF  - Environmental microbiology reports
N2  - Zoosporic fungal parasites are known to control the extent and development of blooms of numerous phytoplankton species. Despite the obvious importance of ecological interactions between parasitic fungi and their phytoplanktonic hosts, their diversity remains largely unknown due to methodological limitations. Here, a method to genetically analyse fungi directly from single, infected colonies of the phytoplanktonic host was applied to field samples of large diatom species from mesotrophic Lake Biwa and eutrophic Lake Inba, Japan. Although previous research on interaction between lacustrine fungi and large phytoplankton has mainly focused on the role of parasitic Chytridiomycota, our results revealed that fungi attached to large diatoms included not only members of Chytridiomycota, but also members of Aphelida, Cryptomycota and yeast. The fungi belonging to Chytridiomycota and Aphelida form novel, basal lineages. Environmental clone libraries also support the occurrence of these lineages in Japanese lakes. The presented method enables us to better characterize individual fungal specimens on phytoplankton, and thus facilitate and improve the investigation of ecological relationships between fungi and phytoplankton in aquatic ecosystems.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12268
SN  - 1758-2229
VL  - 7
IS  - 3
SP  - 435
EP  - 441
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Di Giacomo, Adrian S.
A1  - Di Giacomo, Alejandro G.
A1  - Kliger, Rafi
A1  - Reboreda, Juan C.
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
A1  - Mahler, Bettina
T1  - No evidence of genetic variation in microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers among remaining populations of the Strange-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora, an endangered grassland species
JF  - Bird conservation international
N2  - The Strange-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora (Aves: Tyrannidae) is an endemic species of southern South American grasslands that suffered a 90% reduction of its original distribution due to habitat transformation. This has led the species to be classified as globally Vulnerable. By the beginning of the last century, populations were partially migratory and moved south during the breeding season. Currently, the main breeding population inhabits the Ibera wetlands in the province of Corrientes, north-east Argentina, where it is resident all year round. There are two remaining small populations in the province of Formosa, north-east Argentina, and in southern Paraguay, which are separated from the main population by the Parana-Paraguay River and its continuous riverine forest habitat. The populations of Corrientes and Formosa are separated by 300 km and the grasslands between populations are non-continuous due to habitat transformation. We used mtDNA sequences and eight microsatellite loci to test if there were evidences of genetic isolation between Argentinean populations. We found no evidence of genetic structure between populations (Phi(ST) = 0.004, P = 0.32; Fst = 0.01, P = 0.06), which can be explained by either retained ancestral polymorphism or by dispersal between populations. We found no evidence for a recent demographic bottleneck in nuclear loci. Our results indicate that these populations could be managed as a single conservation unit on a regional scale. Conservation actions should be focused on preserving the remaining network of areas with natural grasslands to guarantee reproduction, dispersal and prevent further decline of populations.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270914000203
SN  - 0959-2709
SN  - 1474-0001
VL  - 25
IS  - 2
SP  - 127
EP  - 138
PB  - Cambridge Univ. Press
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Cui, Xiao
A1  - Lv, Yang
A1  - Chen, Miaolin
A1  - Nikoloski, Zoran
A1  - Twell, David
A1  - Zhang, Dabing
T1  - Young Genes out of the Male: An Insight from Evolutionary Age Analysis of the Pollen Transcriptome
JF  - Molecular plant
N2  - The birth of new genes in genomes is an important evolutionary event. Several studies reveal that new genes in animals tend to be preferentially expressed in male reproductive tissues such as testis (Betran et al., 2002; Begun et al., 2007; Dubruille et al., 2012), and thus an "out of testis' hypothesis for the emergence of new genes has been proposed (Vinckenbosch et al., 2006; Kaessmann, 2010). However, such phenomena have not been examined in plant species. Here, by employing a phylostratigraphic method, we dated the origin of protein-coding genes in rice and Arabidopsis thaliana and observed a number of young genes in both species. These young genes tend to encode short extracellular proteins, which may be involved in rapid evolving processes, such as reproductive barriers, species specification, and antimicrobial processes. Further analysis of transcriptome age indexes across different tissues revealed that male reproductive cells express a phylogenetically younger transcriptome than other plant tissues. Compared with sporophytic tissues, the young transcriptomes of the male gametophyte displayed greater complexity and diversity, which included a higher ratio of anti-sense and inter-genic transcripts, reflecting a pervasive transcription state that facilitated the emergence of new genes. Here, we propose that pollen may act as an "innovation incubator' for the birth of de novo genes. With cases of male-biased expression of young genes reported in animals, the "new genes out of the male' model revealed a common evolutionary force that drives reproductive barriers, species specification, and the upgrading of defensive mechanisms against pathogens.
KW  - pollen
KW  - evolution
KW  - young genes
KW  - transcriptome
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2014.12.008
SN  - 1674-2052
SN  - 1752-9867
VL  - 8
IS  - 6
SP  - 935
EP  - 945
PB  - Cell Press
CY  - Cambridge
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Seifert, Linda I.
A1  - Weithoff, Guntram
A1  - Vos, Matthijs
T1  - Extreme heat changes post-heat wave community reassembly
JF  - Ecology and evolution
N2  - Climate forecasts project further increases in extremely high-temperature events. These present threats to biodiversity, as they promote population declines and local species extinctions. This implies that ecological communities will need to rely more strongly on recovery processes, such as recolonization from a meta-community context. It is poorly understood how differences in extreme event intensity change the outcome of subsequent community reassembly and if such extremes modify the biotic environment in ways that would prevent the successful re-establishment of lost species. We studied replicated aquatic communities consisting of algae and herbivorous rotifers in a design that involved a control and two different heat wave intensity treatments (29 degrees C and 39 degrees C). Animal species that suffered heat-induced extinction were subsequently re-introduced at the same time and density, in each of the two treatments. The 39 degrees C treatment led to community closure in all replicates, meaning that a previously successful herbivore species could not re-establish itself in the postheat wave community. In contrast, such closure never occurred after a 29 degrees C event. Heat wave intensity determined the number of herbivore extinctions and strongly affected algal relative abundances. Re-introduced herbivore species were thus confronted with significantly different food environments. This ecological legacy generated by heat wave intensity led to differences in the failure or success of herbivore species re-introductions. Reassembly was significantly more variable, and hence less predictable, after an extreme heat wave, and was more canalized after a moderate one. Our results pertain to relatively simple communities, but they suggest that ecological legacies introduced by extremely high-temperature events may change subsequent ecological recovery and even prevent the successful re-establishment of lost species. Knowing the processes promoting and preventing ecological recovery is crucial to the success of species re-introduction programs and to our ability to restore ecosystems damaged by environmental extremes.
KW  - Biodiversity
KW  - climate change
KW  - conservation
KW  - ecological restoration
KW  - extinction
KW  - extreme temperature events
KW  - global warming
KW  - maximum temperature
KW  - variability
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1490
SN  - 2045-7758
VL  - 5
IS  - 11
SP  - 2140
EP  - 2148
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Thiele, Jan C.
A1  - Grimm, Volker
T1  - Replicating and breaking models: good for you and good for ecology
JF  - Oikos
N2  - There are two major limitations to the potential of computational models in ecology for producing general insights: their design is path-dependent, reflecting different underlying questions, assumptions, and data, and there is too little robustness analysis exploring where the model mechanisms explaining certain observations break down. We here argue that both limitations could be overcome if modellers in ecology would more often replicate existing models, try to break the models, and explore modifications. Replication comprises the re-implementation of an existing model and the replication of its results. Breaking models means to identify under what conditions the mechanisms represented in a model can no longer explain observed phenomena. The benefits of replication include less effort being spent to enter the iterative stage of model development and having more time for systematic robustness analysis. A culture of replication would lead to increased credibility, coherence and efficiency of computational modelling and thereby facilitate theory development.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.02170
SN  - 0030-1299
SN  - 1600-0706
VL  - 124
IS  - 6
SP  - 691
EP  - 696
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Manning, Pete
A1  - Gossner, Martin M.
A1  - Bossdorf, Oliver
A1  - Allan, Eric
A1  - Zhang, Yuan-Ye
A1  - Prati, Daniel
A1  - Blüthgen, Nico
A1  - Boch, Steffen
A1  - Böhm, Stefan
A1  - Börschig, Carmen
A1  - Hölzel, Norbert
A1  - Jung, Kirsten
A1  - Klaus, Valentin H.
A1  - Klein, Alexandra-Maria
A1  - Kleinebecker, Till
A1  - Krauss, Jochen
A1  - Lange, Markus
A1  - Müller, Jörg
A1  - Pasalic, Esther
A1  - Socher, Stephanie A.
A1  - Tschapka, Marco
A1  - Türke, Manfred
A1  - Weiner, Christiane
A1  - Werner, Michael
A1  - Gockel, Sonja
A1  - Hemp, Andreas
A1  - Renner, Swen C.
A1  - Wells, Konstans
A1  - Buscot, Francois
A1  - Kalko, Elisabeth K. V.
A1  - Linsenmair, Karl Eduard
A1  - Weisser, Wolfgang W.
A1  - Fischer, Markus
T1  - Grassland management intensification weakens the associations among the diversities of multiple plant and animal taxa
JF  - Ecology : a publication of the Ecological Society of America
N2  - Land-use intensification is a key driver of biodiversity change. However, little is known about how it alters relationships between the diversities of different taxonomic groups, which are often correlated due to shared environmental drivers and trophic interactions. Using data from 150 grassland sites, we examined how land-use intensification (increased fertilization, higher livestock densities, and increased mowing frequency) altered correlations between the species richness of 15 plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate taxa. We found that 54% of pairwise correlations between taxonomic groups were significant and positive among all grasslands, while only one was negative. Higher land-use intensity substantially weakened these correlations(35% decrease in rand 43% fewer significant pairwise correlations at high intensity), a pattern which may emerge as a result of biodiversity declines and the breakdown of specialized relationships in these conditions. Nevertheless, some groups (Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera and Orthoptera) were consistently correlated with multidiversity, an aggregate measure of total biodiversity comprised of the standardized diversities of multiple taxa, at both high and lowland-use intensity. The form of intensification was also important; increased fertilization and mowing frequency typically weakened plant-plant and plant-primary consumer correlations, whereas grazing intensification did not. This may reflect decreased habitat heterogeneity under mowing and fertilization and increased habitat heterogeneity under grazing. While these results urge caution in using certain taxonomic groups to monitor impacts of agricultural management on biodiversity, they also suggest that the diversities of some groups are reasonably robust indicators of total biodiversity across a range of conditions.
KW  - Biodiversity indicators
KW  - correlation
KW  - fertilization
KW  - grassland management
KW  - grazing
KW  - land-use change
KW  - land-use intensity
KW  - mowing
KW  - multidiversity
KW  - multitrophic interactions
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1890/14-1307.1
SN  - 0012-9658
SN  - 1939-9170
VL  - 96
IS  - 6
SP  - 1492
EP  - 1501
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Washington
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Yildirim-Semerci, Cigdem
A1  - Benayahu, Dafna
A1  - Adamovski, Miriam
A1  - Wollenberger, Ursula
T1  - An Electrochemical Assay for Monitoring Differentiation of the Osteoblastic Cell Line (MBA-15) on the Sensor Chip
JF  - Electroanalysis : an international journal devoted to fundamental and practical aspects of electroanalysis
N2  - An electrochemical assay for the indication of the activity of the cell bound differentiation marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is proposed using voltammetry on an in-vitro cell culture. The basis of the assay is cultivation of cells on gold microelectrodes in wells of a microplate, catalytic hydrolysis of p-aminophenyl phosphate by ALP and indication of p-aminophenol oxidation by square wave voltammetry (SWV) with the sensors onto which the cells attached. The morphology of the bone marrow stromal cell line (MBA-15) on the electrode surface was investigated and it exhibited in vitro osteogenic characteristics. Since ALP is expressed on the cell surface in early differentiation stage of osteoblastic cells, its activity was followed after different culture times over a period of 144 h by recording repetitive voltammograms at different time points upon addition of the substrate p-aminophenyl phosphate. The ALP activity was estimated from the signal increase related to formation rate of p-aminophenol and the number of cells. The highest value was measured at 120 h, when the cells reached confluence. The results of the electrochemical activity assay are consistent with the colorimetric acquired value from p-nitrophenol formation rate.
KW  - Alkaline phosphatase
KW  - Osteoblast
KW  - Voltammetry
KW  - Biomarker
KW  - p-Aminophenol
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.201400684
SN  - 1040-0397
SN  - 1521-4109
VL  - 27
IS  - 6
SP  - 1350
EP  - 1358
PB  - Wiley-VCH
CY  - Weinheim
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gräf, Ralph
A1  - Batsios, Petros
A1  - Meyer, Irene
T1  - Evolution of centrosomes and the nuclear lamina: Amoebozoan assets
JF  - European journal of cell biology
N2  - The current eukaryotic tree of life groups most eukaryotes into one of five supergroups, the Opisthokonta, Amoebozoa, Archaeplastida, Excavata and SAR (Stramenopile, Alveolata, Rhizaria). Molecular and comparative morphological analyses revealed that the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) already contained a rather sophisticated equipment of organelles including a mitochondrion, an endomembrane system, a nucleus with a lamina, a microtubule-organizing center (MTOC), and a flagellar apparatus. Recent studies of MTOCs, basal bodies/centrioles, and nuclear envelope organization of organisms in different supergroups have clarified our picture of how the nucleus and MTOCs co-evolved from LECA to extant eukaryotes. In this review we summarize these findings with special emphasis on valuable contributions of research on a lamin-like protein, nuclear envelope proteins, and the MTOC in the amoebozoan model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. (C) 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
KW  - LINC complex
KW  - Sun1
KW  - Nuclear lamina
KW  - Lamin
KW  - Nuclear envelope
KW  - Centrosome
KW  - Basal body
KW  - Centriole
KW  - LEM-domain
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcb.2015.04.004
SN  - 0171-9335
SN  - 1618-1298
VL  - 94
IS  - 6
SP  - 249
EP  - 256
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Jena
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Camargo, Rodolfo Gonzalez
A1  - dos Reis Riccardi, Daniela Mendes
A1  - Teixeira Ribeiro, Henrique Quintas
A1  - Carnevali Junior, Luiz Carlos
A1  - de Matos-Neto, Emidio Marques
A1  - Enjiu, Lucas
A1  - Neves, Rodrigo Xavier
A1  - Carola Correia Lima, Joanna Darck
A1  - Figueredo, Raquel Galvao
A1  - Martins de Alcantara, Paulo Sergio
A1  - Maximiano, Linda
A1  - Otoch, Jose
A1  - Batista Jr., Miguel Luiz
A1  - Püschel, Gerhard Paul
A1  - Seelaender, Marilia
T1  - NF-kappa Bp65 and Expression of Its Pro-Inflammatory Target Genes Are Upregulated in the Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Cachectic Cancer Patients
JF  - Nutrients
N2  - Cancer cachexia, of which the most notable symptom is severe and rapid weight loss, is present in the majority of patients with advanced cancer. Inflammatory mediators play an important role in the development of cachexia, envisaged as a chronic inflammatory syndrome. The white adipose tissue (WAT) is one of the first compartments affected in cancer cachexia and suffers a high rate of lipolysis. It secretes several cytokines capable of directly regulating intermediate metabolism. A common pathway in the regulation of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in WAT is the activation of the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-B). We have examined the gene expression of the subunits NF-Bp65 and NF-Bp50, as well as NF-Bp65 and NF-Bp50 binding, the gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators under NF-B control (IL-1, IL-6, INF-, TNF-, MCP-1), and its inhibitory protein, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IB-). The observational study involved 35 patients (control group, n = 12 and cancer group, n = 23, further divided into cachectic and non-cachectic). NF-Bp65 and its target genes expression (TNF-, IL-1, MCP-1 and IB-) were significantly higher in cachectic cancer patients. Moreover, NF-Bp65 gene expression correlated positively with the expression of its target genes. The results strongly suggest that the NF-B pathway plays a role in the promotion of WAT inflammation during cachexia.
KW  - cancer cachexia
KW  - inflammation
KW  - white adipose tissue
KW  - NF-B
KW  - IB
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7064465
SN  - 2072-6643
VL  - 7
IS  - 6
SP  - 4465
EP  - 4479
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  -