Effects of abiotic stressors on lutein production in the green microalga Dunaliella salina.

BackgroundRecent years have witnessed a rising trend in exploring microalgae for valuable carotenoid products as the demand for lutein and many other carotenoids in global markets has increased significantly. In green microalgae lutein is a major carotenoid protecting cellular components from damage incurred by reactive oxygen species under stress conditions. In this study, we investigated the effects of abiotic stressors on lutein accumulation in a strain of the marine microalga D. salina which had been selected for growth under stress conditions of combined blue and red lights by adaptive laboratory evolution.ResultsNitrate concentration, salinity and light quality were selected as three representative influencing factors and their impact on lutein production in batch cultures of D. salina was evaluated using response surface analysis. D. salina was found to be more tolerant to hyper-osmotic stress than to hypo-osmotic stress which caused serious cell damage and death in a high proportion of cells while hyper-osmotic stress increased the average cell size of D. salina only slightly. Two models were developed to explain how lutein productivity depends on the stress factors and for predicting the optimal conditions for lutein productivity. Among the three stress variables for lutein production, stronger interactions were found between nitrate concentration and salinity than between light quality and the other two. The predicted optimal conditions for lutein production were close to the original conditions used for adaptive evolution of D. salina. This suggests that the conditions imposed during adaptive evolution may have selected for the growth optima arrived at.ConclusionsThis study shows that systematic evaluation of the relationship between abiotic environmental stresses and lutein biosynthesis can help to decipher the key parameters in obtaining high levels of lutein productivity in D. salina. This study may benefit future stress-driven adaptive laboratory evolution experiments and a strategy of applying stress in a step-wise manner can be suggested for a rational design of experiments

Distinctive characters of Nostoc genomes in cyanolichens

Background Cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc are capable of forming symbioses with a wide range of organism, including a diverse assemblage of cyanolichens. Only certain lineages of Nostoc appear to be able to form a close, stable symbiosis, raising the question whether symbiotic competence is determined by specific sets of genes and functionalities. Results We present the complete genome sequencing, annotation and analysis of two lichen Nostoc strains. Comparison with other Nostoc genomes allowed identification of genes potentially involved in symbioses with a broad range of partners including lichen mycobionts. The presence of additional genes necessary for symbiotic competence is likely reflected in larger genome sizes of symbiotic Nostoc strains. Some of the identified genes are presumably involved in the initial recognition and establishment of the symbiotic association, while others may confer advantage to cyanobionts during cohabitation with a mycobiont in the lichen symbiosis. Conclusions Our study presents the first genome sequencing and genome-scale analysis of lichen-associated Nostoc strains. These data provide insight into the molecular nature of the cyanolichen symbiosis and pinpoint candidate genes for further studies aimed at deciphering the genetic mechanisms behind the symbiotic competence of Nostoc. Since many phylogenetic studies have shown that Nostoc is a polyphyletic group that includes several lineages, this work also provides an improved molecular basis for demarcation of a Nostoc clade with symbiotic competence

Distinctive characters of Nostoc genomes in cyanolichens

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)Background Cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc are capable of forming symbioses with a wide range of organism, including a diverse assemblage of cyanolichens. Only certain lineages of Nostoc appear to be able to form a close, stable symbiosis, raising the question whether symbiotic competence is determined by specific sets of genes and functionalities. Results We present the complete genome sequencing, annotation and analysis of two lichen Nostoc strains. Comparison with other Nostoc genomes allowed identification of genes potentially involved in symbioses with a broad range of partners including lichen mycobionts. The presence of additional genes necessary for symbiotic competence is likely reflected in larger genome sizes of symbiotic Nostoc strains. Some of the identified genes are presumably involved in the initial recognition and establishment of the symbiotic association, while others may confer advantage to cyanobionts during cohabitation with a mycobiont in the lichen symbiosis. Conclusions Our study presents the first genome sequencing and genome-scale analysis of lichen-associated Nostoc strains. These data provide insight into the molecular nature of the cyanolichen symbiosis and pinpoint candidate genes for further studies aimed at deciphering the genetic mechanisms behind the symbiotic competence of Nostoc. Since many phylogenetic studies have shown that Nostoc is a polyphyletic group that includes several lineages, this work also provides an improved molecular basis for demarcation of a Nostoc clade with symbiotic competence.This research was funded by the Icelandic Research Fund RANNIS (project number 134055-051) and by the University of Iceland. Sample collection, study design, analysis, data interpretation and manuscript writing was carried out by the authors.Peer Reviewe

Sveppir í hélumosalífskurn

Fungal distribution in a liverwort-based biocrust was examined at different depths (0, 5 and 20 mm) by direct counting using both light and fluorescence microscopy. The DNA-based taxonomic composition of fungi was also determined and differences between depths (above and below 5 mm) were assessed. The fungal biomass was greatest at the surface where large hyphae, sporangia and fungi within plants were more abundant than at 5 mm and 20 mm depth. The texture of the biocrust also differed significantly with depth. Likewise, the analysis of microbial DNA composition revealed a difference between depths, both for the amount of total fungi and of each phylum where the total amount of fungi was highest above 5 mm. Ascomycota fungi were dominant both below 5 mm and near the surface where both their amount and proportion were substantially higher than deeper down. The dark septate Exophiala, Phialocephala and Pseudogymnoascus were the most abundant genera.Sveppir í íslenskri hélumosalífskurn voru skoðaðir í ljóssmásjá og í flúrsmásjá. Munur á dreifingu sveppa var metinn eftir dýpi (0, 5, 20 mm) og flokkunarfræðileg samsetning hópa í lífskurninni var skoðuð ofan við 5 mm og neðan við 5 mm. Munur var á áferð lífskurnar og útbreiðslu sveppa eftir dýpi. Lífmassi sveppa var meiri við yfirborð þar sem breiðir sveppþræðir, gróhirslur og sveppir á og í plöntum voru í meira magni en á 5 mm og 20 mm dýpi. Samsetningin var jafnframt mismunandi eftir dýpi hvað varðar heildarmagn sveppa og magn einstakra fylkinga. Heildarmagn sveppa var meira í sýnum ofan við 5 mm en neðar. Asksveppir voru ríkjandi í öllum sýnum, bæði ofan við 5 mm og neðan við 5 mm en þeir voru í töluvert meira magni og hærra hlutfalli ofan við 5 mm en neðan. Dökkir sveppir af ættkvíslunum Exophiala, Pialocephala og Pseudogymnoascus voru algengastir.Rannís: 163336Peer Reviewe

The vif gene of maedi-visna virus is essential for infectivity in vivo and in vitro

AbstractWe have investigated the role of vif in maedi-visna virus (MVV), a lentivirus of sheep, by studying in vitro replication of vif-deleted MVV in several cell types, and the effects of vif deletion on in vivo infection. By measuring RT activity, we found that in comparison to wild-type MVV, growth of vif-deleted MVV was similar in fetal ovine synovial (FOS) cells, highly attenuated in sheep choroid plexus (SCP) cells, and not detectable in macrophages, natural target cells of MVV. Productive infection by vif-deleted MVV could not be demonstrated in sheep. An increased mutation frequency was observed in DNA produced by endogenous reverse transcription of viral RNA in vif-deleted virions, indicating the existence of a factor comparable in action to human APOBEC3G. These results suggest that the vif gene of MVV is essential for infectivity and that the Vif protein protects the viral genome from enpackaged mutagenic activities

Vista D2.1 Supporting Data for Business and Regulatory Scenarios Report

Vista examines the effects of conflicting market forces on European performance in ATM, through the evaluation of impact metrics on four key stakeholders, and the environment. The review of regulatory and business factors is presented. Vista will model the current and future (2035, 2050) framework based on the impact of regulatory and business factors. These factors are obtained from a literature review of regulations, projects and technological and operational changes. The current value of those factors and their possible evolution are captured in this deliverable

Environmental change alters nitrogen fixation rates and microbial parameters in a subarctic biological soil crust

Most AS work, including data collection and analysis, was done when working as a postdoc at the University of Iceland, under the Icelandic Research Fund 2016 grant no. 163336.Peer reviewe

A supramolecular assembly mediates lentiviral DNA integration

Retroviral integrase (IN) functions within the intasome nucleoprotein complex to catalyze insertion of viral DNA into cellular chromatin. Using cryo–electron microscopy, we now visualize the functional maedi-visna lentivirus intasome at 4.9 angstrom resolution. The intasome comprises a homo-hexadecamer of IN with a tetramer-of-tetramers architecture featuring eight structurally distinct types of IN protomers supporting two catalytically competent subunits. The conserved intasomal core, previously observed in simpler retroviral systems, is formed between two IN tetramers, with a pair of C-terminal domains from flanking tetramers completing the synaptic interface. Our results explain how HIV-1 IN, which self-associates into higher-order multimers, can form a functional intasome, reconcile the bulk of early HIV-1 IN biochemical and structural data, and provide a lentiviral platform for design of HIV-1 IN inhibitors

Music Television : en TV-kanals förändring i ett nytt medieklimat

Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this essay is to analyze and discuss how MTV is affected by the development that takes place on the world’s media market. The aim is also to see how MTV’s target group’s image of the channel can give guidelines in how MTV should act in this new media era. Material/method: I have examined the development on the media market and then created a model consisting of relevant factors that could affect a TV-channel today. Those factors and the two factors image and profile are then applied on MTV. I have done three interviews with people who work at MTV Networks Nordic and one interview with a person who used to work there. I also arranged three focus groups with members within the target group of MTV (15-24 year). The questions for all of the interviews were based on theories relevant to this study. Main results: The results from the interviews and the focus groups showed that the profile and the image of MTV did not agree completely. An example of that is that the staffs of MTV saw the channel as a youth channel while the target group saw it as a music channel. MTV seems to go from being a niche channel to becoming a broader channel, a move that is quite unusual on today’s media market where niche marketing is the main strategy for TV-channels. People within the target group 15-24 uses the Internet more than TV an average day, and the younger members of my focus groups used the Internet more than the older ones. None of the members of the target group watched TV on their mobile phone but they assumed that younger kids would use it a lot in the future. All agreed upon that MTV was a suitable channel for mobile-TV