Refine
Year of publication
- 2013 (269) (remove)
Document Type
- Article (182)
- Doctoral Thesis (48)
- Conference Proceeding (15)
- Review (12)
- Postprint (6)
- Preprint (5)
- Other (1)
Keywords
- Arabidopsis thaliana (6)
- population dynamics (4)
- Individual-based model (3)
- Microsatellites (3)
- Nitrogen (3)
- climate change (3)
- metabolism (3)
- Aldehyde oxidoreductase (2)
- Allozymes (2)
- Apis mellifera (2)
- Approximate Bayesian Computation (2)
- Biodiversity Exploratories (2)
- Calcium (2)
- Carbon cycling (2)
- Climate change (2)
- DNA cleavage (2)
- Daphnia (2)
- Development (2)
- Dictyostelium (2)
- Ellenberg indicator values (2)
- Fertilization (2)
- Interspecific interactions (2)
- Land-use intensity (2)
- Mediterranean Sea (2)
- Mitochondrial DNA (2)
- Molybdenum cofactor (2)
- Nyctereutes procyonoides (2)
- Orchestia montagui (2)
- Phylogeography (2)
- Pinus sylvestris (2)
- Talitrids (2)
- Transcription (2)
- Vulpes vulpes (2)
- arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (2)
- bacterial O-antigen (2)
- bioenergetics (2)
- cAMP (2)
- carbohydrate interaction (2)
- dispersal (2)
- gene flow (2)
- growth (2)
- individual-based model (2)
- intermediate disturbance hypothesis (2)
- microsatellites (2)
- mitochondrial DNA (2)
- morphology (2)
- phosphorylation (2)
- plant communities (2)
- regime shift (2)
- senescence (2)
- starch (2)
- stress response (2)
- structural thermodynamics (2)
- tailspike protein (2)
- transcription factor (2)
- trophic status (2)
- (Semi-natural) Grasslands (1)
- 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D-3 (1)
- 16S rDNA (1)
- 2P cross section (1)
- 3 '-end processing (1)
- ARA (1)
- Acid mining lakes (1)
- Actin bundles (1)
- Adhäsion (1)
- Aeridinae (1)
- Agent-based model (1)
- Agri-environmental schemes (1)
- Alectrurus risora (1)
- Allogamy (1)
- Allometry (1)
- Amyloid fibril (1)
- Amyloidogenesis (1)
- Animal migration (1)
- Animal personality (1)
- Anostraca (1)
- Anoxie (1)
- Anther retention (1)
- Anti-biotin antibody (1)
- Antioxidant genes (1)
- Arctic (1)
- Arktis (1)
- Aromatic aldehydes (1)
- Ascocentrum (1)
- Ausbreitung (1)
- Avoidance (1)
- BEEBOOK (1)
- BFN1 (1)
- BMI (1)
- BeeScan (1)
- Behavioural adaptations (1)
- Behavioural type (1)
- Benzaldehyde (1)
- Beta diversity (1)
- Biocatalysis (1)
- Biodiversity Exploratories project (1)
- Biodiversity exploratories (1)
- Biodiversity hotspot (1)
- Biological conservation (1)
- Biomass nutrient concentrations (1)
- Biosensor (1)
- Bis-MGD (1)
- Bistability (1)
- Black Sea (1)
- Blowfly (1)
- Body size (1)
- Boloria eunomia (1)
- Boosting (1)
- Bottom-up effects (1)
- Brownification (1)
- Bucerotidae (1)
- Burrow system (1)
- C. elegans (1)
- CFR Proteaceae (1)
- CLSM (1)
- CMC (1)
- CO2 emissions (1)
- COLOSS (1)
- CORM-2 (1)
- CSR-strategies (1)
- Ca2+ (1)
- Calcium oscillations (1)
- Calliphora (1)
- Canonical correlation analysis (1)
- Cantharophily (1)
- Carbohydrate Metabolism (1)
- Carbon Cycling (1)
- Caspian Sea (1)
- Catalase (1)
- Cell culture (1)
- Cell migration (1)
- Cell structures (1)
- Cell-free protein expression (1)
- Centrosome (1)
- Cephalodella acidophila (1)
- Ceramidase inhibitors (1)
- Ceramide (1)
- Chemical reaction network theory (1)
- Chemotaxis (1)
- Chitolectin (1)
- Chitooligosaccharides (1)
- Chlorella vulgaris (1)
- Chondrocytes (1)
- Chronic Renal Failure (1)
- Chronic Renal Failure in Children (1)
- Cohesive ends (1)
- Common vole (1)
- Community-level Allee effects (1)
- Competition (1)
- Computer Modeling (1)
- Concerted evolution (1)
- Confocal laser scanning microscopy (1)
- Coniferous plantations (1)
- Connectivity (1)
- Consistency (1)
- Control region (1)
- Copper (1)
- Core incubation experiments (1)
- Crosstalk (1)
- Culicivora caudacuta (1)
- Cytochrome c (1)
- Cytochrome oxidase I (1)
- DHA (1)
- Dendrochronology (1)
- Desiccation tolerance (1)
- Diceros bicornis var. minor (1)
- Dimensionality reduction (1)
- Direct electron transfer (1)
- Discrimination (1)
- Disturbance (1)
- Dithiolene (1)
- Diversität (1)
- Drought stress (1)
- Drought-stress (1)
- Dynamic Energy Budget (1)
- EXO (1)
- Ecological risk assessment (1)
- Ecological speciation (1)
- Ecological stoichiometry (1)
- Ecological synthesis (1)
- Ecology (1)
- Ecosystem processes (1)
- Ecosystem service value (1)
- Ecotoxicology (1)
- Effect model (1)
- Electron transfer (1)
- Employment (1)
- Endothelialization (1)
- Epithelial ion transport (1)
- Escherichia coli (1)
- Euanthe (1)
- Evolution (1)
- ExPEC (1)
- FGF23 (1)
- FITC-dextran release (1)
- FMN (1)
- Facilitation (1)
- Faecal corticosterone metabolites (1)
- Fagus sylvatica (1)
- FeS cluster (1)
- Fitness components (1)
- Floral scent (1)
- Fluorescence lifetime (1)
- Flux coupling analysis (1)
- Fodder quality (1)
- Folsomia candida (1)
- Foraging behavior (1)
- Foraging movement (1)
- Forest continuity (1)
- Forest management (1)
- Formin (1)
- Fractal landscapes (1)
- Fragmentierung (1)
- Fraser Complex (1)
- Fruit set (1)
- Functional groups (1)
- G3BP (1)
- GABA (1)
- Gehirn (1)
- Gene expression (1)
- Gene structure (1)
- Genetic vectors (1)
- Germany (1)
- Glacial relict species (1)
- Glucanotransferase (1)
- Glykogen (1)
- Gondwana break-up (1)
- Grassland management (1)
- Grasslands (1)
- Growth rates (1)
- Haberlea rhodopensis (1)
- Habitat choice (1)
- Habitat filtering (1)
- Habitat use (1)
- Hemodialysis (1)
- Heterogeneity (1)
- HiT selection (1)
- High affinity binding (1)
- Historic land use (1)
- Housekeeping genes (1)
- Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) (1)
- Human face (1)
- Hybridoma technology (1)
- Hypoxidaceae (1)
- Hypoxis (1)
- Hämolyse (1)
- IR spectroscopy (1)
- In vitro protein synthesis (1)
- Indicators (1)
- Indium tin oxide nanoparticles (1)
- Influenza virus detection (1)
- Insect (1)
- Insekt (1)
- Internal transcribed spacer (1)
- Internal waves (1)
- Internalin J (1)
- Invasive species (1)
- Jena experiment (1)
- K-ir-like (1)
- Kidney Transplantation (1)
- Kinesin (1)
- Klotho (1)
- Kohlenstoff (1)
- Körperbautyp (1)
- Körperfett (1)
- Labeled membrane proteins (1)
- Labor demand (1)
- Lafora disease (1)
- Land use type (1)
- Land-use modeling (1)
- Landscape metrics (1)
- Leaf Cell (1)
- LemnaTec (1)
- Life cycle (1)
- Limiting similarity (1)
- Livestock type (1)
- Locomotion costs (1)
- Macrobrachium rosenbergii (1)
- Maltose Metabolism (1)
- Mass action system (1)
- Mboost (1)
- Medicago truncatula (1)
- Mercaptoundecanoic acid (1)
- Metabolic Regulation (1)
- Metabolic network (1)
- Metabolome analysis (1)
- Methan (1)
- Micelle (1)
- Microbial activities (1)
- Microtubule (1)
- Microtus arvalis (1)
- Mikrobiologie (1)
- Mitochondrial gene order (1)
- Mitochondrial recombination (1)
- Moco (1)
- Model structure (1)
- Modified primers (1)
- Molecular methods (1)
- Molecularly imprinted polymer film (1)
- Molybdenum (1)
- Molybdoenzymes (1)
- Molybdopterin (1)
- Monoclonal antibody (1)
- Morphogenesis (1)
- Morphometrics (1)
- Movement (1)
- Multi-cofactor enzymes (1)
- Murella (1)
- Mutual Information (1)
- N-omega-hydroxy-L-arginine (1)
- NHR2 (1)
- NMR (1)
- Naive single chain library (1)
- Naturally rare species (1)
- Neofinetia (1)
- Nest predation (1)
- Nested and overlapping genes (1)
- NetLogo (1)
- Nitric oxide synthase (1)
- Nitrogen cycling (1)
- Non-stationarity (1)
- Null models (1)
- Nutrient availability (1)
- OGB-1 (1)
- ORE1 (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Oligosaccharide (1)
- Ophrys (1)
- Organic farming (1)
- Orthoptera (1)
- Oryza sativa (1)
- Outcrossing (1)
- Oxidation (1)
- Oxytricha (1)
- PAs (1)
- PLFA (1)
- POL (1)
- PTH (1)
- Paratethys (1)
- Pattern-oriented modeling (1)
- Pattern-oriented modelling (1)
- Pauridia (1)
- Permafrost (1)
- Peronosporaceae (1)
- Pesticides (1)
- Pflanzengemeinschaften (1)
- Pharmakologie (1)
- Philippine archipelago (1)
- Phosphate (1)
- Phosphorus (1)
- Phosphorylierung (1)
- Phototaxis (1)
- Phylogeny (1)
- Physiological mode of action (1)
- Plant Biochemistry (1)
- Plant conservation (1)
- Plant functional traits (1)
- Plant height (1)
- Plant species richness (1)
- Plant-animal interactions (1)
- Plasticity (1)
- Poecilia mexicana (1)
- Polyculture (1)
- Polymerase chain reaction (1)
- Population (1)
- Population dynamics (1)
- Population structure (1)
- Population viability analysis (1)
- Populationsdynamik (1)
- Porewater profiles (1)
- Post-transcriptional modification (1)
- Pre-mRNA splicing (1)
- Predictive vegetation mapping (1)
- Primärproduktion (1)
- Proteinfaltung (1)
- RFID (1)
- RNAPII (1)
- Recently rare species (1)
- Recombinant Escherichia coli (1)
- Redox conditions (1)
- Repeatability (1)
- Resting eggs (1)
- Restriction enzymes (1)
- Resurrection plants (1)
- Rhaphidophoridae (1)
- Rheumatoid arthritis (1)
- Rhizophagus irregularis (1)
- Ribosome (1)
- Rice cum prawn culture (1)
- SIRT6 (1)
- SSU rDNA (1)
- Salivary gland (1)
- Sandy soil (1)
- Saniella (1)
- Schulzensee (1)
- Scopoletin (7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin) (1)
- Sea of Azov (1)
- Sediment (1)
- Sediment-water interface (1)
- Seed mass (1)
- Seed number (1)
- Selection method (1)
- Selection of antibody producing cells (1)
- Selection vs. age-class forests (1)
- Shaker (1)
- Shannon diversity (1)
- Shrews (1)
- Signalling (1)
- Silviculture (1)
- Similarity transformation (1)
- Single chain antibody (1)
- Sirtuins (1)
- Site ecology (1)
- Skeletal robustness (1)
- Skelettrobustizität (1)
- Slum tourism (1)
- Small mammals (1)
- Soil ecology (1)
- Space use (1)
- Species distribution modelling (1)
- Species richness (1)
- Species traits (1)
- Specific leaf area (SLA) (1)
- Speicheldrüse (1)
- Sphagnum magellanicum (1)
- Sphingolipids (1)
- Spiloxene (1)
- Spore formation (1)
- Squashes pulp (1)
- Standing biomass (1)
- Starch Degradation (1)
- Stress (1)
- Stress granules (1)
- Stress response (1)
- Structure-activity-relationship (1)
- Stärke (1)
- Sub-lethal effects (1)
- Supralittoral talitrids (1)
- Surface plasmon resonance (1)
- Surface preparation (1)
- Sustainable aquaculture (1)
- Sustainable management of Mediterranean grazing land (1)
- Synthetic glycoprotein (1)
- TAT selection (1)
- TCSPC (1)
- TPK (1)
- Taxonomic position (1)
- Tetrahydrobiopterin (1)
- Thellungiella halophila (1)
- Time-scales hierarchy (1)
- Transkriptionsfaktoren (1)
- Transkriptom Sequenzierung (1)
- Transkriptomanalyse (1)
- Translation (1)
- Tritrophic interaction (1)
- Troglophilus (1)
- Two-photon excitation (1)
- Typical forest species (1)
- Tyrannidae (1)
- Unmanaged vs. managed forests (1)
- Urosomoida (1)
- Vegetation structure (1)
- Vicariance (1)
- Voles (1)
- Wood anatomy (1)
- YKL-40 (1)
- Zelltyp-spezifisch (1)
- Zuckertransporter (1)
- Zweizustandsmodell (1)
- abiotic stress (1)
- accumulation (1)
- acid lakes (1)
- adaptation (1)
- additive partitioning of biodiversity effects (1)
- adhesion (1)
- allelopathy (1)
- allopatry (1)
- allozymes (1)
- anatoxin (1)
- animal personalities (1)
- anoxia (1)
- anthropogenic effect (1)
- anthropometric field studies (1)
- antibiotic paradox (1)
- antibiotic resistance (1)
- antibiotics (1)
- apoplast (1)
- appetitive learning (1)
- arbuskuläre Mykorrhiza-Symbiose (1)
- arbuskuläre Mykorrhizasymbiose (1)
- argumentation (1)
- argumentation schemes (1)
- associative learning (1)
- aversive learning (1)
- bacteriaalgae associations (1)
- bacterial production (1)
- behavioral choice (1)
- behaviour (1)
- behavioural adaptations (1)
- beta(2)-microglobulin (1)
- beta-diversity (1)
- biodegradable copolymers (PLGA) (1)
- biodiversity (1)
- biodiversity conservation (1)
- biodiversity refugia (1)
- biomedical applications (1)
- biomimetic sensors (1)
- black rhinoceros (1)
- boldness (1)
- brain (1)
- brownification (1)
- burrow system (1)
- calcite precipitation (1)
- captive populations (1)
- carbon (1)
- carbon flow (1)
- carbon turnover (1)
- carotenoids bioavailability (1)
- cave crickets (1)
- cell selectivity (1)
- cell structure (1)
- cell type-specific (1)
- central Westland (1)
- chemostat experiments (1)
- chloroplast (1)
- classification (1)
- climatic debt (1)
- climatic limitation (1)
- codon usage (1)
- coexistence (1)
- cohesive ends (1)
- colony decline (1)
- common vole (1)
- community dynamics (1)
- community respiration (1)
- community structure (1)
- competition resistance trade-off (1)
- conservation biology (1)
- conservation genetics (1)
- copepods (1)
- cox2 (1)
- cyanobacteria (1)
- cylindrospermopsin (1)
- cytochrome oxidase I gene (1)
- degradable polymer (1)
- demographic properties (1)
- dendroclimatology (1)
- detrended correspondence analyses (1)
- development (1)
- diet competition (1)
- digital laser range finder (1)
- divergence (1)
- diversity (1)
- drug delivery system (1)
- drug eluting stent (1)
- dung (1)
- dynamic energy budget theory (1)
- ecological modelling (1)
- ecological speciation (1)
- ecological stoichiometry (1)
- ecophysiology (1)
- ecosystem services (1)
- ecosystem stability (1)
- ecotypes (1)
- electropolymers (1)
- electrospinning (1)
- energy budget (1)
- environmental changes (1)
- enzymes (1)
- evolution (1)
- evolutionary theory (1)
- expansin (1)
- face proportions (1)
- faecal corticosterone metabolites (1)
- faeces (1)
- feedbacks (1)
- feeding strategies (1)
- fen grasslands (1)
- floral scent (1)
- flow-through vessel (1)
- food preference (1)
- food quality (1)
- food structuring (1)
- forest management (1)
- forest understorey plant species (1)
- formate dehydrogenase (1)
- fragmentation (1)
- free-flying honey bees (1)
- fried (1)
- functional traits (1)
- functional types (1)
- gene expression (1)
- gene regulatory network (1)
- generalizability (1)
- genetic variation (1)
- genetic vectors (1)
- geochronology (1)
- geographical and altitudinal distribution (1)
- germination (1)
- global carbon cycle (1)
- global change (1)
- glycogen (1)
- gustatory responsiveness (1)
- habitat loss (1)
- harmonic radar (1)
- height (1)
- hemolysis (1)
- heteronuclear NMR (1)
- heterotrophic bacteria (1)
- hierarchical level (1)
- hierarchical structures (1)
- honey bee (1)
- honey bee dance (1)
- honey bee flight (1)
- honey bee mating (1)
- honey bee navigation (1)
- hook-lipped rhinoceros (1)
- hormone (1)
- image analysis (1)
- imaging (1)
- individual based modeling (1)
- individual discrimination (1)
- individual-based models (1)
- insect (1)
- integrated model (1)
- interspecific interactions (1)
- interspecific variation (1)
- intraspecific divergence (1)
- invasive (1)
- invasive species (1)
- isolation-by-adaptation (1)
- körperliche Bewegung (1)
- lamprophyre (1)
- land snails (1)
- land-use history (1)
- landscape genetics (1)
- leaf development (1)
- leaf litter (1)
- leucine-rich repeat protein (1)
- leucinreiches repeat-Protein (1)
- life history (1)
- life-table experiments (1)
- lipid profiling (1)
- local abundances (1)
- local adaptation (1)
- locomotion (1)
- long distance movement (1)
- low temperature stress (1)
- mRNA structure (1)
- macrophytes (1)
- matK (1)
- maternal effects (1)
- measuring instrument (1)
- mesocosms (1)
- metabolite profiling (1)
- methane (1)
- methyl viologen (1)
- microbiology (1)
- microcapsules (1)
- microcystin (1)
- microstructure (1)
- mirror illusion (1)
- mirror therapy (1)
- mobile links (1)
- modified primers (1)
- moesin (1)
- molecular methods (1)
- molecular systematics (1)
- molecularly imprinted polymers (1)
- molybdenum cofactor (Moco)-binding chaperone (1)
- molybdoenzyme (1)
- morality (1)
- morphogenesis (1)
- multifactorial environmental change (1)
- multiple stressors (1)
- mycorrhiza (1)
- n-oxPTH (1)
- nanocapsules (1)
- nest predation (1)
- neutral theory (1)
- new combination (1)
- niche optimum (1)
- niche width (1)
- nitrogen (1)
- nitrogen deposition (1)
- nitrogen fixation (1)
- non-associative learning (1)
- northern peatlands (1)
- nutrient limitation (1)
- nutrient-stress (1)
- nutrition (1)
- observation hive (1)
- olfactory communication (1)
- olfactory responsiveness (1)
- ontogenesis (1)
- orchids (1)
- organ size (1)
- oxygen curves (1)
- pH (1)
- pH response (1)
- pace-of-life (1)
- parasites and diseases (1)
- paratose (1)
- percentage of body fat (1)
- periphyton (1)
- pharmacology (1)
- phenotypic plasticity (1)
- phospholipid-derived fatty acid (1)
- phosphorus (1)
- phototaxis (1)
- physical activity (1)
- place (1)
- plant community (1)
- plant potassium channel (1)
- plant species richness (1)
- plant-climate interaction (1)
- polar environment (1)
- pollinator shift (1)
- polymer foams (1)
- polymerase chain reaction (1)
- pore-size distribution (1)
- potassium (1)
- predictability (1)
- predictive systems ecology (1)
- primary production (1)
- principal component analysis (1)
- process-based range models (1)
- promoter (1)
- proteasome (1)
- protein folding (1)
- protein-protein interaction (1)
- proteomics (1)
- psbA-trnH (1)
- qualitative pathway interpretation (1)
- quantitative PCR (1)
- quantitative wood anatomy (1)
- quorum sensing (1)
- range filling (1)
- range shifts (1)
- range size (1)
- realized niche (1)
- reasoning (1)
- recombinant Escherichia coli (1)
- reference gene (1)
- reinforcement (1)
- replicates (1)
- reproductive biology (1)
- restriction enzymes (1)
- review (1)
- rotifers (1)
- salivary gland (1)
- saxitoxin (1)
- screening (1)
- secretory cell (1)
- sedimentation (1)
- sediments (1)
- seed longevity (1)
- seed production (1)
- serotonin (1)
- sexual deception (1)
- sexual isolation (1)
- shallow lakes (1)
- shape-memory polymers (1)
- shrews (1)
- signal (1)
- site-directed mutagenesis (1)
- small mammals (1)
- soils (1)
- somatotype (1)
- speciation (1)
- species assemblies (1)
- species coexistence (1)
- species distribution models (1)
- species-specific (1)
- stability program (1)
- stable isotope tracing (1)
- stable isotopes (1)
- stage structure (1)
- starch synthases (1)
- steam-dried (1)
- steamed (1)
- stroke (1)
- structural equation modeling (1)
- sub-inhibitory concentration (1)
- submerged macrophytes (1)
- submicrometer (1)
- sucrose (1)
- sugar response (1)
- sugar transporter (1)
- superoxide (1)
- tRNA (1)
- taxonomy (1)
- temperate deciduous forest (1)
- temperate zone (1)
- temperature (1)
- temperature sensing (1)
- terrestrial subsidies (1)
- thermodynamic stability (1)
- thermodynamische Stabilität (1)
- three hybrid (1)
- township tourism (1)
- trade-offs (1)
- transcript level (1)
- transcription (1)
- transcription factors (1)
- transcriptome analysis (1)
- transcriptome sequencing (1)
- transcriptomics (1)
- transient dynamics (1)
- translation (1)
- tree rings (1)
- trehalose (1)
- triple resonance (1)
- trnL (1)
- trnL-F (1)
- two hybrid (1)
- two-state model (1)
- typification (1)
- understory (1)
- urine (1)
- vacuolar ATPase (1)
- virulence (1)
- virulence-associated genes (1)
- virulenzassoziierte Gene (1)
- voles (1)
- voltage-dependent (1)
- voltage-independent (1)
- wetland ecosystems (1)
- zooplankton (1)
- Ökologie (1)
- Ökotoxikologie (1)
- ökologische Modellierung (1)
Institute
- Institut für Biochemie und Biologie (269) (remove)
Background: DNA fragments carrying internal recognition sites for the restriction endonucleases intended for cloning into a target plasmid pose a challenge for conventional cloning.
Results: A method for directional insertion of DNA fragments into plasmid vectors has been developed. The target sequence is amplified from a template DNA sample by PCR using two oligonucleotides each containing a single deoxyinosine base at the third position from the 5' end. Treatment of such PCR products with endonuclease V generates 3' protruding ends suitable for ligation with vector fragments created by conventional restriction endonuclease reactions.
Conclusions: The developed approach generates terminal cohesive ends without the use of Type II restriction endonucleases, and is thus independent from the DNA sequence. Due to PCR amplification, minimal amounts of template DNA are required. Using the robust Taq enzyme or a proofreading Pfu DNA polymerase mutant, the method is applicable to a broad range of insert sequences. Appropriate primer design enables direct incorporation of terminal DNA sequence modifications such as tag addition, insertions, deletions and mutations into the cloning strategy. Further, the restriction sites of the target plasmid can be either retained or removed.
Background: Short lived, iteroparous animals in seasonal environments experience variable social and environmental conditions over their lifetime. Animals can be divided into those with a "young-of-the-year" life history (YY, reproducing and dying in the summer of birth) and an "overwinter" life history (OW, overwintering in a subadult state before reproducing next spring).
We investigated how behavioural patterns across the population were affected by season and sex, and whether variation in behaviour reflects the variation in life history patterns of each season. Applications of pace-of-life (POL) theory would suggest that long-lived OW animals are shyer in order to increase survival, and YY are bolder in order to increase reproduction. Therefore, we expected that in winter and spring samples, when only OW can be sampled, the animals should be shyer than in summer and autumn, when both OW and YY animals can be sampled. We studied common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations, which express typical, intra-annual density fluctuation. We captured a total of 492 voles at different months over 3 years and examined boldness and activity level with two standardised behavioural experiments.
Results: Behavioural variables of the two tests were correlated with each other. Boldness, measured as short latencies in both tests, was extremely high in spring compared to other seasons. Activity level was highest in spring and summer, and higher in males than in females.
Conclusion: Being bold in laboratory tests may translate into higher risk-taking in nature by being more mobile while seeking out partners or valuable territories. Possible explanations include asset-protection, with OW animals being rather old with low residual reproductive value in spring. Therefore, OW may take higher risks during this season. Offspring born in spring encounter a lower population density and may have higher reproductive value than offspring of later cohorts. A constant connection between life history and animal personality, as suggested by the POL theory, however, was not found. Nevertheless, correlations of traits suggest the existence of animal personalities. In conclusion, complex patterns of population dynamics, seasonal variation in life histories, and variability of behaviour due to asset-protection may cause complex seasonal behavioural dynamics in a population.
Background: Adaptive behavioural strategies promoting co-occurrence of competing species are known to result from a sympatric evolutionary past. Strategies should be different for indirect resource competition (exploitation, e.g., foraging and avoidance behaviour) than for direct interspecific interference (e.g., aggression, vigilance, and nest guarding). We studied the effects of resource competition and nest predation in sympatric small mammal species using semi-fossorial voles and shrews, which prey on vole offspring during their sensitive nestling phase. Experiments were conducted in caged outdoor enclosures. Focus common vole mothers (Microtus arvalis) were either caged with a greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) as a potential nest predator, with an herbivorous field vole (Microtus agrestis) as a heterospecific resource competitor, or with a conspecific resource competitor.
Results: We studied behavioural adaptations of vole mothers during pregnancy, parturition, and early lactation, specifically modifications of the burrow architecture and activity at burrow entrances. Further, we measured pre- and postpartum faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) of mothers to test for elevated stress hormone levels. Only in the presence of the nest predator were prepartum FCMs elevated, but we found no loss of vole nestlings and no differences in nestling body weight in the presence of the nest predator or the heterospecific resource competitor. Although the presence of both the shrew and the field vole induced prepartum modifications to the burrow architecture, only nest predators caused an increase in vigilance time at burrow entrances during the sensitive nestling phase.
Conclusion: Voles displayed an adequate behavioural response for both resource competitors and nest predators. They modified burrow architecture to improve nest guarding and increased their vigilance at burrow entrances to enhance offspring survival chances. Our study revealed differential behavioural adaptations to resource competitors and nest predators.
Movement of organisms is one of the key mechanisms shaping biodiversity, e.g. the distribution of genes, individuals and species in space and time. Recent technological and conceptual advances have improved our ability to assess the causes and consequences of individual movement, and led to the emergence of the new field of ‘movement ecology’. Here, we outline how movement ecology can contribute to the broad field of biodiversity research, i.e. the study of processes and patterns of life among and across different scales, from genes to ecosystems, and we propose a conceptual framework linking these hitherto largely separated fields of research. Our framework builds on the concept of movement ecology for individuals, and demonstrates its importance for linking individual organismal movement with biodiversity. First, organismal movements can provide ‘mobile links’ between habitats or ecosystems, thereby connecting resources, genes, and processes among otherwise separate locations. Understanding these mobile links and their impact on biodiversity will be facilitated by movement ecology, because mobile links can be created by different modes of movement (i.e., foraging, dispersal, migration) that relate to different spatiotemporal scales and have differential effects on biodiversity. Second, organismal movements can also mediate coexistence in communities, through ‘equalizing’ and ‘stabilizing’ mechanisms. This novel integrated framework provides a conceptual starting point for a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics in light of individual movement and space-use behavior across spatiotemporal scales. By illustrating this framework with examples, we argue that the integration of movement ecology and biodiversity research will also enhance our ability to conserve diversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
Background
Natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana are a well-known system to measure levels of intraspecific genetic variation. Leaf starch content correlates negatively with biomass. Starch is synthesized by the coordinated action of many (iso)enzymes. Quantitatively dominant is the repetitive transfer of glucosyl residues to the non-reducing ends of α-glucans as mediated by starch synthases. In the genome of A. thaliana, there are five classes of starch synthases, designated as soluble starch synthases (SSI, SSII, SSIII, and SSIV) and granule-bound synthase (GBSS). Each class is represented by a single gene. The five genes are homologous in functional domains due to their common origin, but have evolved individual features as well. Here, we analyze the extent of genetic variation in these fundamental protein classes as well as possible functional implications on transcript and protein levels.
Findings
Intraspecific sequence variation of the five starch synthases was determined by sequencing the entire loci including promoter regions from 30 worldwide distributed accessions of A. thaliana. In all genes, a considerable number of nucleotide polymorphisms was observed, both in non-coding and coding regions, and several amino acid substitutions were identified in functional domains. Furthermore, promoters possess numerous polymorphisms in potentially regulatory cis-acting regions. By realtime experiments performed with selected accessions, we demonstrate that DNA sequence divergence correlates with significant differences in transcript levels.
Conclusions
Except for AtSSII, all starch synthase classes clustered into two or three groups of haplotypes, respectively. Significant difference in transcript levels among haplotype clusters in AtSSIV provides evidence for cis-regulation. By contrast, no such correlation was found for AtSSI, AtSSII, AtSSIII, and AtGBSS, suggesting trans-regulation. The expression data presented here point to a regulation by common trans-regulatory transcription factors which ensures a coordinated action of the products of these four genes during starch granule biosynthesis. The apparent cis-regulation of AtSSIV might be related to its role in the initiation of de novo biosynthesis of granules.
Introduction: We examined patterns of genetic divergence in 26 Mediterranean populations of the semi-terrestrial beachflea Orchestia montagui using mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I), microsatellite (eight loci) and allozymic data. The species typically forms large populations within heaps of dead seagrass leaves stranded on beaches at the waterfront. We adopted a hierarchical geographic sampling to unravel population structure in a species living at the sea-land transition and, hence, likely subjected to dramatically contrasting forces.
Results: Mitochondrial DNA showed historical phylogeographic breaks among Adriatic, Ionian and the remaining basins (Tyrrhenian, Western and Eastern Mediterranean Sea) likely caused by the geological and climatic changes of the Pleistocene. Microsatellites (and to a lesser extent allozymes) detected a further subdivision between and within the Western Mediterranean and the Tyrrhenian Sea due to present-day processes. A pattern of isolation by distance was not detected in any of the analyzed data set.
Conclusions: We conclude that the population structure of O. montagui is the result of the interplay of two contrasting forces that act on the species population genetic structure. On one hand, the species semi-terrestrial life style would tend to determine the onset of local differences. On the other hand, these differences are partially counter-balanced by passive movements of migrants via rafting on heaps of dead seagrass leaves across sites by sea surface currents. Approximate Bayesian Computations support dispersal at sea as prevalent over terrestrial regionalism.
Biological age
(2013)
Bacteriophage HK620 recognizes and cleaves the O-antigen polysaccharide of Escherichia coli serogroup O18A1 with its tailspike protein (TSP). HK620TSP binds hexasaccharide fragments with low affinity, but single amino acid exchanges generated a set of high-affinity mutants with submicromolar dissociation constants. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that only small amounts of heat were released upon complex formation via a large number of direct and solvent-mediated hydrogen bonds between carbohydrate and protein. At room temperature, association was both enthalpy- and entropy-driven emphasizing major solvent rearrangements upon complex formation. Crystal structure analysis showed identical protein and sugar conformers in the TSP complexes regardless of their hexasaccharide affinity. Only in one case, a TSP mutant bound a different hexasaccharide conformer. The extended sugar binding site could be dissected in two regions: first, a hydrophobic pocket at the reducing end with minor affinity contributions. Access to this site could be blocked by a single aspartate to asparagine exchange without major loss in hexasaccharide affinity. Second, a region where the specific exchange of glutamate for glutamine created a site for an additional water molecule. Side-chain rearrangements upon sugar binding led to desolvation and additional hydrogen bonding which define this region of the binding site as the high-affinity scaffold.
This review presents recommended nomenclature for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), a rapidly growing class of natural products. The current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis of the >20 distinct compound classes is also reviewed, and commonalities are discussed.
Cyanobacteria produce an unparalleled variety of toxins that can cause severe health problems or even death in humans, and wild or domestic animals. In the last decade, biosynthetic pathways have been assigned to the majority of the known toxin families. This review summarizes current knowledge about the enzymatic basis for the production of the hepatotoxins microcystin and nodularin, the cytotoxin cylindrospermopsin, the neurotoxins anatoxin and saxitoxin, and the dermatotoxin lyngbyatoxin. Elucidation of the biosynthetic pathways of the toxins has paved the way for the development of molecular techniques for the detection and quantification of the producing cyanobacteria in different environments. Phylogenetic analyses of related clusters from a large number of strains has also allowed for the reconstruction of the evolutionary scenarios that have led to the emergence, diversification, and loss of such gene clusters in different strains and genera of cyanobacteria. Advances in the understanding of toxin biosynthesis and evolution have provided new methods for drinking-water quality control and may inspire the development of techniques for the management of bloom formation in the future.