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Institute
- Institut für Biochemie und Biologie (183) (remove)
Semi-natural habitats (SNHs) are becoming increasingly scarce in modern agricultural landscapes. This may reduce natural ecosystem services such as pest control with its putatively positive effect on crop production. In agreement with other studies, we recently reported wheat yield reductions at field borders which were linked to the type of SNH and the distance to the border. In this experimental landscape-wide study, we asked whether these yield losses have a biotic origin while analyzing fungal seed and fungal leaf pathogens, herbivory of cereal leaf beetles, and weed cover as hypothesized mediators between SNHs and yield. We established experimental winter wheat plots of a single variety within conventionally managed wheat fields at fixed distances either to a hedgerow or to an in-field kettle hole. For each plot, we recorded the fungal infection rate on seeds, fungal infection and herbivory rates on leaves, and weed cover. Using several generalized linear mixed-effects models as well as a structural equation model, we tested the effects of SNHs at a field scale (SNH type and distance to SNH) and at a landscape scale (percentage and diversity of SNHs within a 1000-m radius). In the dry year of 2016, we detected one putative biotic culprit: Weed cover was negatively associated with yield values at a 1-m and 5-m distance from the field border with a SNH. None of the fungal and insect pests, however, significantly affected yield, neither solely nor depending on type of or distance to a SNH. However, the pest groups themselves responded differently to SNH at the field scale and at the landscape scale. Our findings highlight that crop losses at field borders may be caused by biotic culprits; however, their negative impact seems weak and is putatively reduced by conventional farming practices.
Semi-natural habitats (SNHs) are becoming increasingly scarce in modern agricultural landscapes. This may reduce natural ecosystem services such as pest control with its putatively positive effect on crop production. In agreement with other studies, we recently reported wheat yield reductions at field borders which were linked to the type of SNH and the distance to the border. In this experimental landscape-wide study, we asked whether these yield losses have a biotic origin while analyzing fungal seed and fungal leaf pathogens, herbivory of cereal leaf beetles, and weed cover as hypothesized mediators between SNHs and yield. We established experimental winter wheat plots of a single variety within conventionally managed wheat fields at fixed distances either to a hedgerow or to an in-field kettle hole. For each plot, we recorded the fungal infection rate on seeds, fungal infection and herbivory rates on leaves, and weed cover. Using several generalized linear mixed-effects models as well as a structural equation model, we tested the effects of SNHs at a field scale (SNH type and distance to SNH) and at a landscape scale (percentage and diversity of SNHs within a 1000-m radius). In the dry year of 2016, we detected one putative biotic culprit: Weed cover was negatively associated with yield values at a 1-m and 5-m distance from the field border with a SNH. None of the fungal and insect pests, however, significantly affected yield, neither solely nor depending on type of or distance to a SNH. However, the pest groups themselves responded differently to SNH at the field scale and at the landscape scale. Our findings highlight that crop losses at field borders may be caused by biotic culprits; however, their negative impact seems weak and is putatively reduced by conventional farming practices.
Background
Subjective Social Status is used as an important predictor for psychological and physiological findings, most commonly measured with the MacArthur Scale (Ladder Test). Previous studies have shown that this test fits better in Western cultures. The idea of a social ladder itself and ranking oneself “higher” or “lower” is a concept that accords to the Western thinking.
Objectives
We hypothesize that in a culture where only the elites have adapted to a Western lifestyle, the test results reflect a higher level of accuracy for this stratum. We also expect that self-perception differs per sex.
Sample and Methods
We implemented the Ladder Test in a study of Indonesian schoolchildren aged between 5 and 13 years (boys N = 369, girls N= 364) from non-private and private schools in Kupang in 2020.
Results
Our analysis showed that the Ladder Test results were according to the Western expectations only for the private school, as the Ladder Scores significantly decreased with age (LM: p = 0.04). The Ladder Test results are best explained by “Education Father” for the non-private school pupils (p = 0.01) and all boys (p = 0.04), by “School Grades” for the private school cohort (p = 0.06) and by “Household Score” for girls (p =0.09).
Conclusion
This finding indicates that the concept of ranking oneself “high” or “low” on a social ladder is strongly implicated with Western ideas. A ladder implies social movement by “climbing” up or down. According to that, reflection of self-perception is influenced by culture.
Human sulfite oxidase (hSO) is a homodimeric two-domain enzyme central in the biological sulfur cycle. A pyranopterin molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is the catalytic site and a heme b(5) group located in the N-terminal domain. The two domains are connected by a flexible linker region. Electrons produced at the Moco in sulfite oxidation, are relayed via heme b(5) to electron acceptors or an electrode surface. Inter-domain conformational changes between an open and a closed enzyme conformation, allowing "gated" electron transfer has been suggested. We first recorded cyclic voltammetry (CV) of hSO on single-crystal Au(111)-electrode surfaces modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) both of a short rigid thiol, cysteamine and of a longer structurally flexible thiol, omega-amino-octanethiol (AOT). hSO on cysteamine SAMs displays a well-defined pair of voltammetric peaks around -0.207 V vs. SCE in the absence of sulfite substrate, but no electrocatalysis. hSO on AOT SAMs displays well-defined electrocatalysis, but only "fair" quality voltammetry in the absence of sulfite. We recorded next in situ scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) of hSO on AOT modified Au(111)-electrodes, disclosing, a 2-5 % surface coverage of strong molecular scale contrasts, assigned to single hSO molecules, notably with no contrast difference in the absence and presence of sulfite. In situ STS corroborated this observation with a sigmoidal tunnelling current/overpotential correlation.
Background: Members of the same social group tent to have the same body height. Migrants tend to adjust in height to their host communities.
Objectives: Social-Economic-Political-Emotional (SEPE) factors influence growth. We hypothesized that Vietnamese young adult migrants in Germany (1) are taller than their parents, (2) are as tall as their German peers, and (3) are as tall as predicted by height expectation at age 13 years.
Sample: The study was conducted in 30 male and 54 female Vietnamese migrants (mean age 26.23 years. SD=4.96) in Germany in 2020.
Methods: Information on age, sex, body height, school and education, job, height and ethnicity of best friend, migration history and cultural identification, parental height and education, and recalled information on their personal height expectations at age 13 years were obtained by questionnaire. The data were analyzed by St. Nicolas House Analysis (SNHA) and multiple regression.
Results: Vietnamese young adults are taller than their parents (females 3.85cm, males 7.44cm), but do not fully attain height of their German peers. The body height is positively associated with the height of best friend (p < 0.001), the height expectation at age 13 year (p < 0.001), and father’s height (p=0.001).
Conclusion: Body height of Vietnamese migrants in Germany reflects competitive growth and strategic growth adjustments. The magnitude of this intergenerational trend supports the concept that human growth depends on SEPE factors.
Waldökosysteme unterliegen vielfältigen Einflüssen wie forstlicher Bewirtschaftung, Stickstoffdeposition, Veränderung des Grundwasserspiegels oder der Einwanderung invasiver Arten. Die Wiederholung historischer Vegetationsaufnahmen ist ein wichtiges Mittel, um Veränderungen der Pflanzengesellschaften zu dokumentieren und mögliche Hauptursachen (Treiber) zu bestimmen. Wir haben 2015 den Vegetationswandel auf 140 semi-permanenten Plots in Wirtschaftswäldern der Elbtalniederung im Nordostdeutschen Tiefland (Sachsen-Anhalt, Brandenburg) untersucht. Die Erstaufnahme erfolgte von 1956 bis 1963. Die Vegetationsaufnahmen decken ein fast einzigartig breites Spektrum unterschiedlicher Waldstandorte ab, das von Feuchtwäldern (Au-, Bruch- und Moorwäldern des Alnion incanae, Alnion glutinosae und Betulion pubescentis) über bodensaure Eichen-Mischwälder (Quercion roboris) bis hin zu bodensauren, meist trockenen Kiefernwäldern mit unterschiedlicher Nährstoffausstattung (Dicrano-Pinion) reicht.
Die Veränderungen der Vegetation haben wir mit Hilfe von Bestandesdaten, Gewinner- und Verliererarten, der α- und β -Diversität sowie der Ellenberg-Zeigerwerte für Stickstoff, Reaktion, Feuchte und Licht analysiert. Dabei wurden, anders als in den meisten bisherigen Wiederholungsuntersuchungen, auch Flächen berücksichtigt, auf denen bis zur Zweitaufnahme ein vollständiger Bestandeswechsel stattgefunden hatte.
Insbesondere in den Feuchtwäldern und den bodensauren Wäldern mit mäßig guter Nährstoffversorgung sind Wechsel der Hauptbaumarten zu verzeichnen; außerdem wurden viele Kiefernbestände zwischenzeitlich neu begründet. Die Artenzahl hat insgesamt und in fast allen Waldtypen abgenommen, die β-Diversität ist jedoch unverändert geblieben bzw. hat sich erhöht. Die Zeigerwerte deuten auf eine Abnahme der Bodenfeuchte in den Au-, Bruch-, und Moorwäldern hin, während insbesondere die bodensauren Kiefernwälder dunkler, nährstoffreicher und feuchter geworden sind. Die Anzahl der Verlierer-Arten ist mehr als doppelt so hoch wie die der Gewinner-Arten, jedoch mit unterschiedlicher Entwicklung in den einzelnen Waldtypen. Insbesondere die nassen und feuchten Wälder, die bodensauren Eichen-Mischwälder und die Flechten-Kiefernwälder haben die meisten ihrer charakteristischen Arten verloren.
Veränderungen der Vegetation in den Feuchtwäldern gehen v. a. auf lokal gesunkene Grundwasserspiegel und eine dadurch gestiegene Nährstoffverfügbarkeit zurück; die Artenzusammensetzung der Auwälder wurde zudem sehr stark durch forstliche Eingriffe beeinflusst. Ursachen für den Trend zu feuchteren und nährstoffreicheren Bedingungen in ehemals trockenen bodensauren Kiefern- und Eichenwäldern sind Stickstoffeinträge sowie eine Sukzession nach Aufgabe historischer Waldnutzungs-formen (Streunutzung, Waldweide). Obwohl sich die einzelnen Waldtypen unterschiedlich entwickelt haben, sind Eutrophierung, sinkende Grundwasserspiegel und Waldbaumaßnahmen insgesamt die wichtigsten Ursachen für die beobachteten Vegetationsveränderungen. Forstliche Eingriffe wie Kahlschlag und Bestandesumbau mit Baumartenwechsel sind zugleich die Hauptursache dafür, dass es trotz Nivellierung des Standortsgradienten, gemessen an der β-Diversität, nicht zu einer Homogenisierung der Vegetation gekommen ist.
Ecological niche models (ENMs) are often used to investigate how climatic variables from known occurrence records can estimate potential species range distribution. Although climate-based ENMs provide critical baseline information, the inclusion of non-climatic predictors related to vegetation cover might generate more realistic scenarios. This assumption is particularly relevant for species with life-history traits related to forest habitats and sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. Here, we developed ENMs for 36 Atlantic Forest endemic birds considering two sets of predictor variables: (i) climatic variables only and (ii) climatic variables combined with the percentage of remaining native vegetation. We hypothesized that the inclusion of native vegetation data would decrease the potential range distribution of forest-dependent species by limiting their occurrence in regions harboring small areas of native vegetation habitats, despite otherwise favorable climatic conditions. We also expected that habitat restriction in the climate-vegetation models would be more pronounced for highly forest-dependent birds. The inclusion of vegetation data in the modeling procedures restricted the final distribution ranges of 22 out of 36 modeled species, while the 14 remaining presented an expansion of their ranges. We observed that species with high and medium forest dependency showed higher restriction in range size predictions between predictor sets than species with low forest dependency, which showed no alteration or range expansion. Overall, our results suggest that ENMs based on climatic and landscape variables may be a useful tool for conservationists to better understand the dynamic of bird species distributions in threatened and highly fragmented regions such as the Atlantic Forest hotspot.(c) 2021 Associacao Brasileira de Cie circumflex accent ncia Ecol ogica e Conservacao. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).
Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental problem, but a comprehensive understanding of its effect in the environment is still missing. The wide variety of size, shape, and polymer composition of plastics impedes an adequate risk assessment. We investigated the effect of differently sized polystyrene beads (1-, 3-, 6-µm; PS) and polyamide fragments (5–25 µm, PA) and non-plastics items such as silica beads (3-µm, SiO2) on the population growth, reproduction (egg ratio), and survival of two common aquatic micro invertebrates: the rotifer species Brachionus calyciflorus and Brachionus fernandoi. The MPs were combined with food quantity, limiting and saturating food concentration, and with food of different quality. We found variable fitness responses with a significant effect of 3-µm PS on the population growth rate in both rotifer species with respect to food quantity. An interaction between the food quality and the MPs treatments was found in the reproduction of B. calyciflorus. PA and SiO2 beads had no effect on fitness response. This study provides further evidence of the indirect effect of MPs in planktonic rotifers and the importance of testing different environmental conditions that could influence the effect of MPs.
Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental problem, but a comprehensive understanding of its effect in the environment is still missing. The wide variety of size, shape, and polymer composition of plastics impedes an adequate risk assessment. We investigated the effect of differently sized polystyrene beads (1-, 3-, 6-µm; PS) and polyamide fragments (5–25 µm, PA) and non-plastics items such as silica beads (3-µm, SiO2) on the population growth, reproduction (egg ratio), and survival of two common aquatic micro invertebrates: the rotifer species Brachionus calyciflorus and Brachionus fernandoi. The MPs were combined with food quantity, limiting and saturating food concentration, and with food of different quality. We found variable fitness responses with a significant effect of 3-µm PS on the population growth rate in both rotifer species with respect to food quantity. An interaction between the food quality and the MPs treatments was found in the reproduction of B. calyciflorus. PA and SiO2 beads had no effect on fitness response. This study provides further evidence of the indirect effect of MPs in planktonic rotifers and the importance of testing different environmental conditions that could influence the effect of MPs.
In this report we describe Cy5-dUTP labelling of recombinase-polymerase-amplification (RPA) products directly during the amplification process for the first time. Nucleic acid amplification techniques, especially polymerase-chain-reaction as well as various isothermal amplification methods such as RPA, becomes a promising tool in the detection of pathogens and target specific genes. Actually, RPA even provides more advantages. This isothermal method got popular in point of care diagnostics because of its speed and sensitivity but requires pre-labelled primer or probes for a following detection of the amplicons. To overcome this disadvantages, we performed an labelling of RPA-amplicons with Cy5-dUTP without the need of pre-labelled primers. The amplification results of various multiple antibiotic resistance genes indicating great potential as a flexible and promising tool with high specific and sensitive detection capabilities of the target genes. After the determination of an appropriate rate of 1% Cy5-dUTP and 99% unlabelled dTTP we were able to detect the bla(CTX-M15) gene in less than 1.6E-03 ng genomic DNA corresponding to approximately 200 cfu of Escherichia coli cells in only 40 min amplification time.
TusA is a versatile protein that links translation efficiency to cell division in Escherichia coli
(2021)
To enable accurate and efficient translation, sulfur modifications are introduced posttranscriptionally into nucleosides in tRNAs. The biosynthesis of tRNA sulfur modifications involves unique sulfur trafficking systems for the incorporation of sulfur atoms in different nucleosides of tRNA. One of the proteins that is involved in inserting the sulfur for 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm(5)s(2)U34) modifications in tRNAs is the TusA protein. TusA, however, is a versatile protein that is also involved in numerous other cellular pathways. Despite its role as a sulfur transfer protein for the 2-thiouridine formation in tRNA, a fundamental role of TusA in the general physiology of Escherichia coli has also been discovered. Poor viability, a defect in cell division, and a filamentous cell morphology have been described previously for tusA-deficient cells. In this report, we aimed to dissect the role of TusA for cell viability. We were able to show that the lack of the thiolation status of wobble uridine (U-34) nucleotides present on Lys, Gln, or Glu in tRNAs has a major consequence on the translation efficiency of proteins; among the affected targets are the proteins RpoS and Fis. Both proteins are major regulatory factors, and the deregulation of their abundance consequently has a major effect on the cellular regulatory network, with one consequence being a defect in cell division by regulating the FtsZ ring formation. <br /> IMPORTANCE More than 100 different modifications are found in RNAs. One of these modifications is the mnm(5)s(2)U modification at the wobble position 34 of tRNAs for Lys, Gln, and Glu. The functional significance of U34 modifications is substantial since it restricts the conformational flexibility of the anticodon, thus providing translational fidelity. We show that in an Escherichia coli TusA mutant strain, involved in sulfur transfer for the mnm(5)s(2)U34 thio modifications, the translation efficiency of RpoS and Fis, two major cellular regulatory proteins, is altered. Therefore, in addition to the transcriptional regulation and the factors that influence protein stability, tRNA modifications that ensure the translational efficiency provide an additional crucial regulatory factor for protein synthesis.
Background
Secondary endosymbionts of aphids provide benefits to their hosts, but also impose costs such as reduced lifespan and reproductive output. The aphid Aphis fabae is host to different strains of the secondary endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa, which encode different putative toxins. These strains have very different phenotypes: They reach different densities in the host, and the costs and benefits (protection against parasitoid wasps) they confer to the host vary strongly.
Results
We used RNA-Seq to generate hypotheses on why four of these strains inflict such different costs to A. fabae. We found different H. defensa strains to cause strain-specific changes in aphid gene expression, but little effect of H. defensa on gene expression of the primary endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola. The highly costly and over-replicating H. defensa strain H85 was associated with strongly reduced aphid expression of hemocytin, a marker of hemocytes in Drosophila. The closely related strain H15 was associated with downregulation of ubiquitin-related modifier 1, which is related to nutrient-sensing and oxidative stress in other organisms. Strain H402 was associated with strong differential regulation of a set of hypothetical proteins, the majority of which were only differentially regulated in presence of H402.
Conclusions
Overall, our results suggest that costs of different strains of H. defensa are likely caused by different mechanisms, and that these costs are imposed by interacting with the host rather than the host's obligatory endosymbiont B. aphidicola.
Trait means or variance
(2021)
One of the few laws in ecology is that communities consist of few common and many rare taxa. Functional traits may help to identify the underlying mechanisms of this community pattern, since they correlate with different niche dimensions. However, comprehensive studies are missing that investigate the effects of species mean traits (niche position) and intraspecific trait variability (ITV, niche width) on species abundance. In this study, we investigated fragmented dry grasslands to reveal trait-occurrence relationships in plants at local and regional scales. We predicted that (a) at the local scale, species occurrence is highest for species with intermediate traits, (b) at the regional scale, habitat specialists have a lower species occurrence than generalists, and thus, traits associated with stress-tolerance have a negative effect on species occurrence, and (c) ITV increases species occurrence irrespective of the scale. We measured three plant functional traits (SLA = specific leaf area, LDMC = leaf dry matter content, plant height) at 21 local dry grassland communities (10 m × 10 m) and analyzed the effect of these traits and their variation on species occurrence. At the local scale, mean LDMC had a positive effect on species occurrence, indicating that stress-tolerant species are the most abundant rather than species with intermediate traits (hypothesis 1). We found limited support for lower specialist occurrence at the regional scale (hypothesis 2). Further, ITV of LDMC and plant height had a positive effect on local occurrence supporting hypothesis 3. In contrast, at the regional scale, plants with a higher ITV of plant height were less frequent. We found no evidence that the consideration of phylogenetic relationships in our analyses influenced our findings. In conclusion, both species mean traits (in particular LDMC) and ITV were differently related to species occurrence with respect to spatial scale. Therefore, our study underlines the strong scale-dependency of trait-abundance relationships.
Trait means or variance
(2021)
One of the few laws in ecology is that communities consist of few common and many rare taxa. Functional traits may help to identify the underlying mechanisms of this community pattern, since they correlate with different niche dimensions. However, comprehensive studies are missing that investigate the effects of species mean traits (niche position) and intraspecific trait variability (ITV, niche width) on species abundance. In this study, we investigated fragmented dry grasslands to reveal trait-occurrence relationships in plants at local and regional scales. We predicted that (a) at the local scale, species occurrence is highest for species with intermediate traits, (b) at the regional scale, habitat specialists have a lower species occurrence than generalists, and thus, traits associated with stress-tolerance have a negative effect on species occurrence, and (c) ITV increases species occurrence irrespective of the scale. We measured three plant functional traits (SLA = specific leaf area, LDMC = leaf dry matter content, plant height) at 21 local dry grassland communities (10 m × 10 m) and analyzed the effect of these traits and their variation on species occurrence. At the local scale, mean LDMC had a positive effect on species occurrence, indicating that stress-tolerant species are the most abundant rather than species with intermediate traits (hypothesis 1). We found limited support for lower specialist occurrence at the regional scale (hypothesis 2). Further, ITV of LDMC and plant height had a positive effect on local occurrence supporting hypothesis 3. In contrast, at the regional scale, plants with a higher ITV of plant height were less frequent. We found no evidence that the consideration of phylogenetic relationships in our analyses influenced our findings. In conclusion, both species mean traits (in particular LDMC) and ITV were differently related to species occurrence with respect to spatial scale. Therefore, our study underlines the strong scale-dependency of trait-abundance relationships.
Water-deficits can cause lethal damage to organisms, which is rooted in cellular dehydration. Many plant species, but also other organisms have developed mechanisms to tolerate such stresses, such as the expression of LEA proteins. Many studies report on physiological protective functions of LEA proteins but lack information about their precise mechanisms on a molecular level. Most LEA proteins are intrinsically disordered in dilute solution but may adopt a distinct secondary structure upon changes in solvent conditions. Understanding the molecular mechanism of how LEA proteins contribute to the counteraction of cellular damage during water-deficits may in the long-term pave the way for breeding crops that are resistant to the effects of global warming. The objective of the work at hand is to improve the biophysical understanding of the sequencestructure-function relationship of LEA proteins as membrane stabilizers, based on the LEA_4 family of the model plant A. thaliana. This is pursued by using a combination of spectroscopic and scattering techniques, supported by bioinformatics and computational analyses. Eight out of the 18 LEA_4 proteins are experimentally assessed revealing that a coil-helix transition in response to water-deficit is a common feature, as predicted for the entire family. In addition, they all stabilize simple membrane models during a freeze/ thaw cycle. Three-dimensional structure prediction of representative members suggests that their completely folded states are represented by a sequential arrangement of alpha-helical segments connected by unstructured linkers, which is experimentally verified for the LEA_4 protein COR15A. The unstructured linker region of COR15A represents a conserved motif among its closest homologs and is, therefore, of particular interest. Facilitating a set of seven designed and investigated COR15A mutants uncovers a complex interplay of transient interactions between the amphipathic alpha-helical segments, mediated by the linker, which fine-tunes folding transitions and structural ensembles upon reduced water-availability. Finally, alpha-helicity is also induced in COR15A upon temperature decrease, which is enhanced in the presence of osmolytes. In addition, high solution osmolarity induced secondary structure is followed by oligomerization of COR15A. Interestingly, the functionality of COR15A, in terms of liposome stabilization, strongly correlates with its alpha-helix ratio in the folded state. The present work significantly improves the understanding of the sequence-structure-function relationship for LEA_4 proteins and offers novel findings on folding mechanisms and oligomerization of COR15A.
It is well known that functional diversity strongly affects ecosystem functioning. However, even in rather simple model communities consisting of only two or, at best, three trophic levels, the relationship between multitrophic functional diversity and ecosystem functioning appears difficult to generalize, because of its high contextuality. In this study, we considered several differently structured tritrophic food webs, in which the amount of functional diversity was varied independently on each trophic level. To achieve generalizable results, largely independent of parametrization, we examined the outcomes of 128,000 parameter combinations sampled from ecologically plausible intervals, with each tested for 200 randomly sampled initial conditions. Analysis of our data was done by training a random forest model. This method enables the identification of complex patterns in the data through partial dependence graphs, and the comparison of the relative influence of model parameters, including the degree of diversity, on food-web properties. We found that bottom-up and top-down effects cascade simultaneously throughout the food web, intimately linking the effects of functional diversity of any trophic level to the amount of diversity of other trophic levels, which may explain the difficulty in unifying results from previous studies. Strikingly, only with high diversity throughout the whole food web, different interactions synergize to ensure efficient exploitation of the available nutrients and efficient biomass transfer to higher trophic levels, ultimately leading to a high biomass and production on the top level. The temporal variation of biomass showed a more complex pattern with increasing multitrophic diversity: while the system initially became less variable, eventually the temporal variation rose again because of the increasingly complex dynamical patterns. Importantly, top predator diversity and food-web parameters affecting the top trophic level were of highest importance to determine the biomass and temporal variability of any trophic level. Overall, our study reveals that the mechanisms by which diversity influences ecosystem functioning are affected by every part of the food web, hampering the extrapolation of insights from simple monotrophic or bitrophic systems to complex natural food webs.
Tire-wear particles (TWPs) are being released into the environment by wearing down during car driving, and are considered an important microplastic pollution source. The chemical additive leaching from these polymer-based materials and its potential effects are likely temporally dynamic, since amounts of potentially toxic compounds can gradually increase with contact time of plastic particles with surrounding media. In the present study, we conducted soil toxicity tests using the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans with different soil pre-incubation (30 and 75 days) and exposure (short-term exposure, 2 days; lifetime exposure, 10 days) times. Soil pre-incubation increased toxicity of TWPs, and the effective concentrations after the pre-incubation were much lower than environmentally relevant concentrations. The lifetime of C. elegans was reduced faster in the TWP treatment groups, and the effective concentration for lifetime exposure tests were 100- to 1,000-fold lower than those of short-term exposure tests. Water-extractable metal concentrations (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the TWP-soils showed no correlation with nominal TWP concentrations or pre-incubation times, and the incorporated metals in the TWPs may be not the main reason of toxicity in this study. Our results show that toxic effects of TWPs can be time-dependent, both in terms of the microplastic particles themselves and their interactions in the soil matrix, but also because of susceptibility of target organisms depending on developmental stage. It is vital that future works consider these aspects, since otherwise effects of microplastics and TWPs could be underestimated.
Patterning along the apical-basal (A-B) axis is a crucial step during the early stages of plant embryogenesis and leads to the establishment of two poles of which each will develop their own stem cell niches. The activity of these meristems is responsible for post-embryonic growth, with the shoot apical meristem (SAM) generating the above-ground organs and the root apical meristem (RAM) producing the subterranean structures of the plant. While several transcriptional regulators governing A-B patterning have been identified, precisely how their regulatory function is orchestrated remains elusive. This study focuses on transcriptional co-regulators LEUNIG (LUG) and closely related LEUNIG_HOMOLOG (LUH) and their role in the formation of A-B patterning during embryogenesis as well as their post-embryonic maintenance. A link between the LUG regulatory complex and SAM formation and maintenance comes from the observation that lug mutants heterozygous for the luh allele (lug luh+/-) often have enlarged SAMs resulting from misregulated cell divisions. A more severe phenotype is observed in lug luh double mutants which are embryonically lethal. In this study, a detailed characterisation of lug luh embryo phenotype reveals that these mutants display aberrant cell divisions along the A-B axis, which correlates with defects in auxin distribution, complete loss of apical identity, and altered expression of transcription factors determining basal fate. Like other co-regulators, LUG and LUH lack intrinsic DNA-binding domains and instead must interact with DNA-binding cofactors to ensure recruitment to regulatory elements of target genes. This either involves direct contact between the co-regulators and transcription factors (TFs) or the formation of higher-order complexes with adaptor proteins such as SEUSS (SEU) or related SEUSS-LIKEs (SLKs), which facilitate binding to specific TFs. Results presented in this study provide insight into the molecular framework for the LUG regulatory complex activity during embryogenesis. Both yeast and in planta assays showed that LUG/LUH and SEU/SLKs physically associate with a variety of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) TFs including members of the WOX2-module. Furthermore, genetic interactions between members of the WOX2-module and the LUG regulatory complex, support their mutual action during embryogenesis. Based on the reduced activity of HOMEODOMAIN LEUCINE-ZIPPER CLASS III (HD-ZIPIII) promoters in lug luh embryos, a model is proposed in which the LUG regulatory complex functions together with WOX2-module to promote apical identity and subsequent SAM initiation through regulation of the HD-ZIPIIIs. The activity of the LUG complex in promoting basal embryo identity through positive regulation of microRNA165/166 suggests that this complex also has functions that are independent of the WOX2-module. Preliminary work reported in this study further uncovered the role of the LUG regulatory complex in post-embryonic development. While the fasciated inflorescence meristems of lug luh+/- plants displayed defects in auxin transport and altered activity of stem cell markers, embryonically rescued lug luh mutants formed flat and differentiated SAMs. In addition, rescued lug luh mutants exhibited severely disorganised RAM and defects in quiescent center (QC) specification, supporting the involvement of the LUG complex in post-embryonic RAM maintenance.
Nonribosomal peptides (NRP) are crucial molecular mediators in microbial ecology and provide indispensable drugs. Nevertheless, the evolution of the flexible biosynthetic machineries that correlates with the stunning structural diversity of NRPs is poorly understood. Here, we show that recombination is a key driver in the evolution of bacterial NRP synthetase (NRPS) genes across distant bacterial phyla, which has guided structural diversification in a plethora of NRP families by extensive mixing andmatching of biosynthesis genes. The systematic dissection of a large number of individual recombination events did not only unveil a striking plurality in the nature and origin of the exchange units but allowed the deduction of overarching principles that enable the efficient exchange of adenylation (A) domain substrates while keeping the functionality of the dynamic multienzyme complexes. In the majority of cases, recombination events have targeted variable portions of the A(core) domains, yet domain interfaces and the flexible A(sub) domain remained untapped. Our results strongly contradict the widespread assumption that adenylation and condensation (C) domains coevolve and significantly challenge the attributed role of C domains as stringent selectivity filter during NRP synthesis. Moreover, they teach valuable lessons on the choice of natural exchange units in the evolution of NRPS diversity, which may guide future engineering approaches.
Mammalian aldehyde oxidases (AOX) are molybdo-flavoenzymes of pharmacological and pathophysiologic relevance that are involved in phase I drug metabolism and, as a product of their enzymatic activity, are also involved in the generation of reactive oxygen species. So far, the physiologic role of aldehyde oxidase 1 in the human body remains unknown. The human enzyme hAOX1 is characterized by a broad substrate specificity, oxidizing aromatic/aliphatic aldehydes into their corresponding carboxylic acids, and hydroxylating various heteroaromatic rings. The enzyme uses oxygen as terminal electron acceptor to produce hydrogen peroxide and superoxide during turnover. Since hAOX1 and, in particular, some natural variants produce not only H2O2 but also high amounts of superoxide, we investigated the effect of both ROS molecules on the enzymatic activity of hAOX1 in more detail. We compared hAOX1 to the high-O-2(.-)-producing natural variant L438V for their time-dependent inactivation with H2O2/O-2(.-) during substrate turnover. We show that the inactivation of the hAOX1 wild-type enzyme is mainly based on the production of hydrogen peroxide, whereas for the variant L438V, both hydrogen peroxide and superoxide contribute to the time-dependent inactivation of the enzyme during turnover. Further, the level of inactivation was revealed to be substrate-dependent: using substrates with higher turnover numbers resulted in a faster inactivation of the enzymes. Analysis of the inactivation site of the enzyme identified a loss of the terminal sulfido ligand at the molybdenum active site by the produced ROS during turnover.
The dictyostelium centrosome
(2021)
The centrosome of Dictyostelium amoebae contains no centrioles and consists of a cylindrical layered core structure surrounded by a corona harboring microtubule-nucleating gamma-tubulin complexes. It is the major centrosomal model beyond animals and yeasts. Proteomics, protein interaction studies by BioID and superresolution microscopy methods led to considerable progress in our understanding of the composition, structure and function of this centrosome type. We discuss all currently known components of the Dictyostelium centrosome in comparison to other centrosomes of animals and yeasts.
Indolactam alkaloids are activators of protein kinase C (PKC) and are of pharmacological interest for the treatment of pathologies involving PKC dysregulation. The marine cyanobacterial nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) pathway for lyngbyatoxin biosynthesis, which we previously expressed in E. coli, was studied for its amenability towards the biosynthesis of indolactam variants. Modification of culture conditions for our E. coli heterologous expression host and analysis of pathway products suggested the native lyngbyatoxin pathway NRPS does possess a degree of relaxed specificity. Site-directed mutagenesis of two positions within the adenylation domain (A-domain) substrate-binding pocket was performed, resulting in an alteration of substrate preference between valine, isoleucine, and leucine. We observed relative congruence of in vitro substrate activation by the LtxA NRPS to in vivo product formation. While there was a preference for isoleucine over leucine, the substitution of alternative tailoring domains may unveil the true in vivo effects of the mutations introduced herein.
Background: Physical fitness is decreased in malnourished children and adults. Poor appearance and muscular flaccidity are among the first signs of malnutrition. Malnutrition is often associated with stunting.
Objectives: We test the hypotheses that stunted children of low social strata are physically less fit than children of high social strata.
Sample: We investigated 354 school girls and 369 school boys aged 5.83 to 13.83 (mean 9.54) years from three different social strata in Kupang (West-Timor, Indonesia) in 2020.
Methods: We measured height, weight, and elbow breadth, calculated standard deviation (SDS) of height and weight according to CDC references, and the Frame index as an indicator of long-term physical fitness, and we tested physical fitness in standing long jump and hand grip strength.
Results: Children of low social strata are physically fittest. They jump longer distances, and they have higher values in the Frame index. No association exists between height SDS and physical fitness, neither in respect to standing long jump, nor to hand grip strength.
Conclusion: Stunting does not impair physical fitness in Indonesian school children. Our results support the concept that SEPE (social-economic-political-emotional) factors are involved in the regulation of human growth.
Stunting
(2021)
Strong as a Hippo’s Heart: Biomechanical Hippo Signaling During Zebrafish Cardiac Development
(2021)
The heart is comprised of multiple tissues that contribute to its physiological functions. During development, the growth of myocardium and endocardium is coupled and morphogenetic processes within these separate tissue layers are integrated. Here, we discuss the roles of mechanosensitive Hippo signaling in growth and morphogenesis of the zebrafish heart. Hippo signaling is involved in defining numbers of cardiac progenitor cells derived from the secondary heart field, in restricting the growth of the epicardium, and in guiding trabeculation and outflow tract formation. Recent work also shows that myocardial chamber dimensions serve as a blueprint for Hippo signaling-dependent growth of the endocardium. Evidently, Hippo pathway components act at the crossroads of various signaling pathways involved in embryonic zebrafish heart development. Elucidating how biomechanical Hippo signaling guides heart morphogenesis has direct implications for our understanding of cardiac physiology and pathophysiology.
Strong as a Hippo’s Heart: Biomechanical Hippo Signaling During Zebrafish Cardiac Development
(2021)
The heart is comprised of multiple tissues that contribute to its physiological functions. During development, the growth of myocardium and endocardium is coupled and morphogenetic processes within these separate tissue layers are integrated. Here, we discuss the roles of mechanosensitive Hippo signaling in growth and morphogenesis of the zebrafish heart. Hippo signaling is involved in defining numbers of cardiac progenitor cells derived from the secondary heart field, in restricting the growth of the epicardium, and in guiding trabeculation and outflow tract formation. Recent work also shows that myocardial chamber dimensions serve as a blueprint for Hippo signaling-dependent growth of the endocardium. Evidently, Hippo pathway components act at the crossroads of various signaling pathways involved in embryonic zebrafish heart development. Elucidating how biomechanical Hippo signaling guides heart morphogenesis has direct implications for our understanding of cardiac physiology and pathophysiology.
Starch is a natural storage carbohydrate in plants and algae. It consists of two relatively simple homo-biopolymers, amylopectin and amylose, with only alpha-1,4 and alpha-1,6 linked glucosyl units. Starch is an essential source of nutrition and animal food, as well as an important raw material for industry. However, despite increasing knowledge, detailed information about its structure and turnover are largely lacking. In the last decades, most data were generated using bulk experiments, a method which obviously presents limitations regarding a deeper understanding of the starch metabolism. Here, we discuss some unavoidable questions arising from the existing data. We focus on a few examples related to starch biosynthesis, degradation, and structure where these limitations strongly emerge. Closing these knowledge gaps will also be extremely important for taking the necessary steps in order to set up starch-providing crops for the challenges of the ongoing climate changes, as well as for increasing the usability of starches for industrial applications by biotechnology.
Transitory starch granules result from complex carbon turnover and display specific situations during starch synthesis and degradation. The fundamental mechanisms that specify starch granule characteristics, such as granule size, morphology, and the number per chloroplast, are largely unknown. However, transitory starch is found in the various cells of the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana, but comparative analyses are lacking. Here, we adopted a fast method of laser confocal scanning microscopy to analyze the starch granules in a series of Arabidopsis mutants with altered starch metabolism. This allowed us to separately analyze the starch particles in the mesophyll and in guard cells. In all mutants, the guard cells were always found to contain more but smaller plastidial starch granules than mesophyll cells. The morphological properties of the starch granules, however, were indiscernible or identical in both types of leaf cells.
Transitory starch granules result from complex carbon turnover and display specific situations during starch synthesis and degradation. The fundamental mechanisms that specify starch granule characteristics, such as granule size, morphology, and the number per chloroplast, are largely unknown. However, transitory starch is found in the various cells of the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana, but comparative analyses are lacking. Here, we adopted a fast method of laser confocal scanning microscopy to analyze the starch granules in a series of Arabidopsis mutants with altered starch metabolism. This allowed us to separately analyze the starch particles in the mesophyll and in guard cells. In all mutants, the guard cells were always found to contain more but smaller plastidial starch granules than mesophyll cells. The morphological properties of the starch granules, however, were indiscernible or identical in both types of leaf cells.
Transitory starch plays a central role in the life cycle of plants. Many aspects of this important metabolism remain unknown; however, starch granules provide insight into this persistent metabolic process. Therefore, monitoring alterations in starch granules with high temporal resolution provides one significant avenue to improve understanding. Here, a previously established method that combines LCSM and safranin-O staining for in vivo imaging of transitory starch granules in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana was employed to demonstrate, for the first time, the alterations in starch granule size and morphology that occur both throughout the day and during leaf aging. Several starch-related mutants were included, which revealed differences among the generated granules. In ptst2 and sex1-8, the starch granules in old leaves were much larger than those in young leaves; however, the typical flattened discoid morphology was maintained. In ss4 and dpe2/phs1/ss4, the morphology of starch granules in young leaves was altered, with a more rounded shape observed. With leaf development, the starch granules became spherical exclusively in dpe2/phs1/ss4. Thus, the presented data provide new insights to contribute to the understanding of starch granule morphogenesis.
Transitory starch plays a central role in the life cycle of plants. Many aspects of this important metabolism remain unknown; however, starch granules provide insight into this persistent metabolic process. Therefore, monitoring alterations in starch granules with high temporal resolution provides one significant avenue to improve understanding. Here, a previously established method that combines LCSM and safranin-O staining for in vivo imaging of transitory starch granules in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana was employed to demonstrate, for the first time, the alterations in starch granule size and morphology that occur both throughout the day and during leaf aging. Several starch-related mutants were included, which revealed differences among the generated granules. In ptst2 and sex1-8, the starch granules in old leaves were much larger than those in young leaves; however, the typical flattened discoid morphology was maintained. In ss4 and dpe2/phs1/ss4, the morphology of starch granules in young leaves was altered, with a more rounded shape observed. With leaf development, the starch granules became spherical exclusively in dpe2/phs1/ss4. Thus, the presented data provide new insights to contribute to the understanding of starch granule morphogenesis.
The initiation of starch granule formation and the mechanism controlling the number of granules per plastid have been some of the most elusive aspects of starch metabolism. This review covers the advances made in the study of these processes. The analyses presented herein depict a scenario in which starch synthase isoform 4 (SS4) provides the elongating activity necessary for the initiation of starch granule formation. However, this protein does not act alone; other polypeptides are required for the initiation of an appropriate number of starch granules per chloroplast. The functions of this group of polypeptides include providing suitable substrates (maltooligosaccharides) to SS4, the localization of the starch initiation machinery to the thylakoid membranes, and facilitating the correct folding of SS4. The number of starch granules per chloroplast is tightly regulated and depends on the developmental stage of the leaves and their metabolic status. Plastidial phosphorylase (PHS1) and other enzymes play an essential role in this process since they are necessary for the synthesis of the substrates used by the initiation machinery. The mechanism of starch granule formation initiation in Arabidopsis seems to be generalizable to other plants and also to the synthesis of long-term storage starch. The latter, however, shows specific features due to the presence of more isoforms, the absence of constantly recurring starch synthesis and degradation, and the metabolic characteristics of the storage sink organs.
In the light of climate change, rising demands for agricultural products and the intensification and specialization of agricultural systems, ensuring an adequate and reliable supply of food is fundamental for food security. Maintaining diversity and redundancy has been postulated as one generic principle to increase the resilience of agricultural production and other ecosystem services. For example, if one crop fails due to climate instability and extreme events, others can compensate the losses. Crop diversity might be particularly important if different crops show asynchronous production trends. Furthermore, spatial heterogeneity has been suggested to increase stability at larger scales as production losses in some areas can be buffered by surpluses in undisturbed ones. Besides systematically investigating the mechanisms underlying stability, identifying transformative pathways that foster them is important.
In my thesis, I aim at answering the following questions: (i) How does yield stability differ between nations, regions and farms, and what is the effect of crop diversity on yield stability in relation to agricultural inputs, climate heterogeneity, climate instability and time at the national, regional or farm level? (ii) Is asynchrony between crops a better predictor of production stability than crop diversity? (iii) What is the effect of asynchrony between and within crops on stability and how is it related to crop diversity and space, respectively? (iv) What is the state of the art and what are knowledge gaps in exploring resilience and its multidimensionality in ecological and social-ecological systems with agent-based models and what are potential ways forward?
In the first chapter, I provide the theoretical background for the subsequent analyses. I stress the need to better understand the resilience of social-ecological systems and particularly the stability of agricultural production. Moreover, I introduce diversity and spatial heterogeneity as two prominently discussed resilience mechanisms and describe approaches to assess resilience.
In the second chapter, I combined agriculture and climate data at three levels of organization and spatial extents to investigate yield stability patterns and their relation to crop diversity, fertilizer, irrigation, climate heterogeneity and instability and time of nations globally, regions in Europe and farms in Germany using statistical analyses. Yield stability decreased from the national to the farm level. Several nations and regions substantially contributed to larger-scale stability. Crop diversity was positively associated with yield stability across all three levels of organization. This effect was typically more profound at smaller scales and in variable climates. In addition to crop diversity, climate heterogeneity was an important stabilizing mechanism especially at larger scales. These results confirm the stabilizing effect of crop diversity and spatial heterogeneity, yet their importance depends on the scale and agricultural management.
Building on the findings of the second chapter, I deepened in the third chapter my research on the effect of crop diversity at the national level. In particular, I tested if asynchrony between crops, i.e. between the temporal production patterns of different crops, better predicts agricultural production stability than crop diversity. The stabilizing effect of asynchrony was multiple times higher than the effect of crop diversity, i.e. asynchrony is one important property that can explain why a higher diversity supports the stability of national food production. Therefore, strategies to stabilize agricultural production through crop diversification also need to account for the asynchrony of the crops considered.
The previous chapters suggest that both asynchrony between crops and spatial heterogeneity are important stabilizing mechanisms. In the fourth chapter, I therefore aimed at better understanding the relative importance of asynchrony between and within crops, i.e. between the temporal production patterns of different crops and between the temporal production patterns of different cultivation areas of the same crop. Better understanding their relative importance is important to inform agricultural management decisions, but so far this has been hardly assessed. To address this, I used crop production data to study the effect of asynchrony between and within crops on the stability of agricultural production in regions in Germany and nations in Europe. Both asynchrony between and within crops consistently stabilized agricultural production. Adding crops increased asynchrony between crops, yet this effect levelled off after eight crops in regions in Germany and after four crops in nations in Europe. Combining already ten farms within a region led to high asynchrony within crops, indicating distinct production patters, while this effect was weaker when combining multiple regions within a nation. The results suggest, that both mechanisms need to be considered in agricultural management strategies that strive for more resilient farming systems.
The analyses in the foregoing chapters focused at different levels of organization, scales and factors potentially influencing agricultural stability. However, these statistical analyses are restricted by data availability and investigate correlative relationships, thus they cannot provide a mechanistic understanding of the actual processes underlying resilience. In this regard, agent-based models (ABM) are a promising tool. Besides their ability to measure different properties and to integrate multiple situations through extensive manipulation in a fully controlled system, they can capture the emergence of system resilience from individual interactions and feedbacks across different levels of organization. In the fifth chapter, I therefore reviewed the state of the art and potential knowledge gaps in exploring resilience and its multidimensionality in ecological and social-ecological systems with ABMs. Next, I derived recommendations for a more effective use of ABMs in resilience research. The review suggests that the potential of ABMs is not utilized in most models as they typically focus on a single dimension of resilience and are mostly limited to one reference state, disturbance type and scale. Moreover, only few studies explicitly test the ability of different mechanisms to support resilience. To solve real-world problems related to the resilience of complex systems, ABMs need to assess multiple stability properties for different situations and under consideration of the mechanisms that are hypothesized to render a system resilient.
In the sixth chapter, I discuss the major conclusions that can be drawn from the previous chapters. Moreover, I showcase the use of simulation models to identify management strategies to enhance asynchrony and thus stability, and the potential of ABMs to identify pathways to implement such strategies.
The results of my thesis confirm the stabilizing effect of crop diversity, yet its importance depends on the scale, agricultural management and climate. Moreover, strategies to stabilize agricultural production through crop diversification also need to account for the asynchrony of the crops considered. As spatial heterogeneity and particularly asynchrony within crops strongly enhances stability, integrated management approaches are needed that simultaneously address multiple resilience mechanisms at different levels of organization, scales and time horizons. For example, the simulation suggests that only increasing the number of crops at both the pixel and landscape level avoids trade-offs between asynchrony between and within crops. If their potential is better exploited, agent-based models have the capacity to systematically assess resilience and to identify comprehensive pathways towards resilient farming systems.
Spectral detection enables multi-color fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy studies in living cells
(2021)
Cyanobacteria are important primary producers in temperate freshwater ecosystems. However, studies on the seasonal and spatial distribution of cyanobacteria in deep lakes based on high-throughput DNA sequencing are still rare. In this study, we combined monthly water sampling and monitoring in 2019, amplicon sequence variants analysis (ASVs; a proxy for different species) and quantitative PCR targeting overall cyanobacteria abundance to describe the seasonal and spatial dynamics of cyanobacteria in the deep hard-water oligo-mesotrophic Lake Tiefer See, NE Germany. We observed significant seasonal variation in the cyanobacterial community composition (p < 0.05) in the epi- and metalimnion layers, but not in the hypolimnion. In winter-when the water column is mixed-picocyanobacteria (Synechococcus and Cyanobium) were dominant. With the onset of stratification in late spring, we observed potential niche specialization and coexistence among the cyanobacteria taxa driven mainly by light and nutrient dynamics. Specifically, ASVs assigned to picocyanobacteria and the genus Planktothrix were the main contributors to the formation of deep chlorophyll maxima along a light gradient. While Synechococcus and different Cyanobium ASVs were abundant in the epilimnion up to the base of the euphotic zone from spring to fall, Planktothrix mainly occurred in the metalimnetic layer below the euphotic zone where also overall cyanobacteria abundance was highest in summer. Our data revealed two potentially psychrotolerant (cold-adapted) Cyanobium species that appear to cope well under conditions of lower hypolimnetic water temperature and light as well as increasing sediment-released phosphate in the deeper waters in summer. The potential cold-adapted Cyanobium species were also dominant throughout the water column in fall and winter. Furthermore, Snowella and Microcystis-related ASVs were abundant in the water column during the onset of fall turnover. Altogether, these findings suggest previously unascertained and considerable spatiotemporal changes in the community of cyanobacteria on the species level especially within the genus Cyanobium in deep hard-water temperate lakes.
Models are useful tools for understanding and predicting ecological patterns and processes. Under ongoing climate and biodiversity change, they can greatly facilitate decision-making in conservation and restoration and help designing adequate management strategies for an uncertain future. Here, we review the use of spatially explicit models for decision support and to identify key gaps in current modelling in conservation and restoration. Of 650 reviewed publications, 217 publications had a clear management application and were included in our quantitative analyses. Overall, modelling studies were biased towards static models (79%), towards the species and population level (80%) and towards conservation (rather than restoration) applications (71%). Correlative niche models were the most widely used model type. Dynamic models as well as the gene-to-individual level and the community-to-ecosystem level were underrepresented, and explicit cost optimisation approaches were only used in 10% of the studies. We present a new model typology for selecting models for animal conservation and restoration, characterising model types according to organisational levels, biological processes of interest and desired management applications. This typology will help to more closely link models to management goals. Additionally, future efforts need to overcome important challenges related to data integration, model integration and decision-making. We conclude with five key recommendations, suggesting that wider usage of spatially explicit models for decision support can be achieved by 1) developing a toolbox with multiple, easier-to-use methods, 2) improving calibration and validation of dynamic modelling approaches and 3) developing best-practise guidelines for applying these models. Further, more robust decision-making can be achieved by 4) combining multiple modelling approaches to assess uncertainty, and 5) placing models at the core of adaptive management. These efforts must be accompanied by long-term funding for modelling and monitoring, and improved communication between research and practise to ensure optimal conservation and restoration outcomes.
Northern range margin populations of the European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Skåne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome-wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.
Northern range margin populations of the European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Skåne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome-wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.
Background
There is a recurring and seamless interaction between the biology of human development and the social-economic-political-emotional (SEPE) environment. The SEPE environment influences the quality of the material conditions for human biology and, simultaneously, human growth in height and other dimensions provide social and moral signals that provide information to community networks.
Objectives
This article reviews the role of SEPE factors in human growth, especially skeletal growth.
Sample and Methods
The meaning of SEPE is defined and shown to be related to individual and group prestige, to social identity, and to ego and task motivation. These influence dominance or subordination of communities and the material and moral conditions of societies. Historical and contemporary examples of SEPE effects on skeletal size are presented.
Results
Membership in a SEPE community impacts skeletal size in height and breadth. Higher SEPE classes are taller, lower SEPE classes are broader. In elite level sport the winners have more growth stimulation via the hormone IGF-1 even before the contest. These findings are explained in terms of dominance versus subordination and the Community Effect in Height hypothesis.
Conclusions
SEPE factor regulation of human growth is shown to be a more comprehensive explanation for plasticity in height than traditional concepts such as socioeconomic status and simple-minded genetic determinism. People belonging to upper SEPE class communities, the elites, know that they are superior and are treated as such by the non-elites. The material and moral condition for life operating through these community social networks provide positive stimulation for the elites and negative stimulation for the lower SEPE classes. These differences maintain the gradients in height between SEPE communities in human societies.
Background and aims:
The objective of the present work was to determine to what extent sleep quality may mediate the association between chronodisruption (CD) and metabolic syndrome (MS), and between CD and body composition (BC).
Methodology:
Cross-sectional study which included 300 adult health workers, 150 of whom were night shift workers and thereby exposed to CD. Diagnosis of MS was made based on Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Body mass index (BMI), fat mass percentage, and visceral fat percentage were measured as indicators of body composition (BC). Data were analyzed using logistic, linear regression and structural equation models.
Results:
The odds of health workers exposed to CD to suffer MS was 22.13 (IC95 8.68-66.07) when the model was adjusted for age, gender, physical activity and energy consumption. CD was also significantly associated with an increase in fat mass and visceral fat percentages, but not to BMI. Surprisingly, there was not enough evidence supporting the hypothesis that sleep quality contributes to the association between CD and MS or between CD and BC.
Conclusions:
Sleep quality does not mediate the negative effects of CD on MS nor on BC.
Simple and robust
(2021)
A spectrum of 7562 publications on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) has been presented in literature within the last ten years (Scopus, September 7, 2020). Around 10 % of the papers published on MIPs describe the recognition of proteins. The straightforward synthesis of MIPs is a significant advantage as compared with the preparation of enzymes or antibodies. MIPs have been synthesized from only one up to six functional monomers while proteins are made up of 20 natural amino acids. Furthermore, they can be synthesized against structures of low immunogenicity and allow multi-analyte measurements via multi-target synthesis. Electrochemical methods allow simple polymer synthesis, removal of the template and readout. Among the different sensor configurations electrochemical MIP-sensors provide the broadest spectrum of protein analytes. The sensitivity of MIP-sensors is sufficiently high for biomarkers in the sub-nanomolar region, nevertheless the cross-reactivity of highly abundant proteins in human serum is still a challenge. MIPs for proteins offer innovative tools not only for clinical and environmental analysis, but also for bioimaging, therapy and protein engineering.
Settings Perspective
(2021)
Sensing and Responding of Cardiomyocytes to Changes of Tissue Stiffness in the Diseased Heart
(2021)
Cardiomyocytes are permanently exposed to mechanical stimulation due to cardiac contractility. Passive myocardial stiffness is a crucial factor, which defines the physiological ventricular compliance and volume of diastolic filling with blood. Heart diseases often present with increased myocardial stiffness, for instance when fibrotic changes modify the composition of the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM). Consequently, the ventricle loses its compliance, and the diastolic blood volume is reduced. Recent advances in the field of cardiac mechanobiology revealed that disease-related environmental stiffness changes cause severe alterations in cardiomyocyte cellular behavior and function. Here, we review the molecular mechanotransduction pathways that enable cardiomyocytes to sense stiffness changes and translate those into an altered gene expression. We will also summarize current knowledge about when myocardial stiffness increases in the diseased heart. Sophisticated in vitro studies revealed functional changes, when cardiomyocytes faced a stiffer matrix. Finally, we will highlight recent studies that described modulations of cardiac stiffness and thus myocardial performance in vivo. Mechanobiology research is just at the cusp of systematic investigations related to mechanical changes in the diseased heart but what is known already makes way for new therapeutic approaches in regenerative biology.
Sensing and responding of cardiomyocytes to changes of tissue stiffness in the diseased heart
(2021)
Cardiomyocytes are permanently exposed to mechanical stimulation due to cardiac contractility. Passive myocardial stiffness is a crucial factor, which defines the physiological ventricular compliance and volume of diastolic filling with blood. Heart diseases often present with increased myocardial stiffness, for instance when fibrotic changes modify the composition of the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM). Consequently, the ventricle loses its compliance, and the diastolic blood volume is reduced. Recent advances in the field of cardiac mechanobiology revealed that disease-related environmental stiffness changes cause severe alterations in cardiomyocyte cellular behavior and function. Here, we review the molecular mechanotransduction pathways that enable cardiomyocytes to sense stiffness changes and translate those into an altered gene expression. We will also summarize current knowledge about when myocardial stiffness increases in the diseased heart. Sophisticated in vitro studies revealed functional changes, when cardiomyocytes faced a stiffer matrix. Finally, we will highlight recent studies that described modulations of cardiac stiffness and thus myocardial performance in vivo. Mechanobiology research is just at the cusp of systematic investigations related to mechanical changes in the diseased heart but what is known already makes way for new therapeutic approaches in regenerative biology.
Self-organised formation of spatial patterns is known from a variety of different ecosystems, yet little is known about how these patterns affect the diversity of communities. Here, we use a food chain model in which autotroph diversity is described by a continuous distribution of a trait that affects both growth and defence against heterotrophs. On isolated patches, diversity is always lost over time due to stabilising selection, and the local communities settle on one of two alternative stable community states that are characterised by a dominance of either defended or undefended species. In a metacommunity context, dispersal can destabilise these states and complex spatio-temporal patterns in the species' abundances emerge. The resulting biomass-trait feedback increases local diversity by an order of magnitude compared to scenarios without self-organised pattern formation, thereby maintaining the ability of communities to adapt to potential future changes in biotic or abiotic environmental conditions.
Seed traits matter
(2021)
Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes.
Seed traits matter
(2021)
Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes.
Seed traits matter
(2021)
Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes.