LC/MS-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Paraffin-Embedded Archival Melanomas Reveals Potential Proteomic Biomarkers Associated with Metastasis

BACKGROUND: Melanoma metastasis status is highly associated with the overall survival of patients; yet, little is known about proteomic changes during melanoma tumor progression. To better understand the changes in protein expression involved in melanoma progression and metastasis, and to identify potential biomarkers, we conducted a global quantitative proteomic analysis on archival metastatic and primary melanomas. METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS: A total of 16 metastatic and 8 primary cutaneous melanomas were assessed. Proteins were extracted from laser captured microdissected formalin fixed paraffin-embedded archival tissues by liquefying tissue cells. These preparations were analyzed by a LC/MS-based label-free protein quantification method. More than 1500 proteins were identified in the tissue lysates with a peptide ID confidence level of >75%. This approach identified 120 significant changes in protein levels. These proteins were identified from multiple peptides with high confidence identification and were expressed at significantly different levels in metastases as compared with primary melanomas (q-Value<0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The differentially expressed proteins were classified by biological process or mapped into biological system networks, and several proteins were implicated by these analyses as cancer- or metastasis-related. These proteins represent potential biomarkers for tumor progression. The study successfully identified proteins that are differentially expressed in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of metastatic and primary melanoma

Klimawandelbedingte Ertragsveränderungen und Flächennutzung (KlimErtrag)

We provide an overview of the state of knowledge on the climate change impacts on German crop production and generate model-based, quantitative and spatially differentiated simulations of the yield changes of the most important German arable crops, up to the middle of the century. To simulate yields, we use several agro-ecosystem models and provide a meta-analysis of the related scientific literature. In addition, we consider the effects of specific weather conditions such as heat and drought periods on yields in the past. In order to assess the future development, we use the data of different climate projections . On average, with regional differences, the simulations show no decline in yields until the middle of the century and no increase in yield variability. We observe a decrease in the effectiveness of the CO2 fertilization effect for yield increases of winter wheat over time. The yields of silage maize benefit the least from CO2 fertilization. For the past, we identify yield losses due to extreme summer and spring drought for almost all crops as well as due to heat events for winter wheat and partly for oilseed rape. Heat-related yield losses increase for winter wheat with increasing CO2 concentrations. However, we cannot identify an unambiguous increase in yield losses due to extreme drought or waterlogging in the future. Uncertainties in the results exist, amongst other reasons, due to a wide range of future precipitation development in the underlying climate models, in particular with regard to the reliability of the precipitation projection in spring. The simulations do not consider adaptation of production to climate change as well as negative yield effects due to potential increase in storms, hail storms, heavy rain or harmful organisms

Variation in reproductive success across captive populations:methodological differences, potential biases and opportunities

Our understanding of fundamental organismal biology has been disproportionately influenced by studies of a relatively small number of ‘model’ species extensively studied in captivity. Laboratory populations of model species are commonly subject to a number of forms of past and current selection that may affect experimental outcomes. Here, we examine these processes and their outcomes in one of the most widely used vertebrate species in the laboratory – the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). This important model species is used for research across a broad range of fields, partly due to the ease with which it can be bred in captivity. However despite this perceived amenability, we demonstrate extensive variation in the success with which different laboratories and studies bred their subjects, and overall only 64% of all females that were given the opportunity, bred successfully in the laboratory. We identify and review several environmental, husbandry, life-history and behavioural factors that potentially contribute to this variation. The variation in reproductive success across individuals could lead to biases in experimental outcomes and drive some of the heterogeneity in research outcomes across studies. The zebra finch remains an excellent captive animal system and our aim is to sharpen the insight that future studies of this species can provide, both to our understanding of this species and also with respect to the reproduction of captive animals more widely. We hope to improve systematic reporting methods and that further investigation of the issues we raise will lead both to advances in our fundamental understanding of avian reproduction as well as to improvements in future welfare and experimental efficiency