247 research outputs found
Polyphenism in social insects: insights from a transcriptome-wide analysis of gene expression in the life stages of the key pollinator, Bombus terrestris
Background: Understanding polyphenism, the ability of a single genome to express multiple morphologically
and behaviourally distinct phenotypes, is an important goal for evolutionary and developmental biology.
Polyphenism has been key to the evolution of the Hymenoptera, and particularly the social Hymenoptera where
the genome of a single species regulates distinct larval stages, sexual dimorphism and physical castes within the
female sex. Transcriptomic analyses of social Hymenoptera will therefore provide unique insights into how
changes in gene expression underlie such complexity. Here we describe gene expression in individual
specimens of the pre-adult stages, sexes and castes of the key pollinator, the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus
terrestris.
Results: cDNA was prepared from mRNA from five life cycle stages (one larva, one pupa, one male, one gyne
and two workers) and a total of 1,610,742 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated using Roche 454
technology, substantially increasing the sequence data available for this important species. Overlapping ESTs
were assembled into 36,354 B. terrestris putative transcripts, and functionally annotated. A preliminary
assessment of differences in gene expression across non-replicated specimens from the pre-adult stages, castes
and sexes was performed using R-STAT analysis. Individual samples from the life cycle stages of the bumblebee
differed in the expression of a wide array of genes, including genes involved in amino acid storage, metabolism,
immunity and olfaction.
Conclusions: Detailed analyses of immune and olfaction gene expression across phenotypes demonstrated how
transcriptomic analyses can inform our understanding of processes central to the biology of B. terrestris and the
social Hymenoptera in general. For example, examination of immunity-related genes identified high
conservation of important immunity pathway components across individual specimens from the life cycle stages
while olfactory-related genes exhibited differential expression with a wider repertoire of gene expression within
adults, especially sexuals, in comparison to immature stages. As there is an absence of replication across the
samples, the results of this study are preliminary but provide a number of candidate genes which may be
related to distinct phenotypic stage expression. This comprehensive transcriptome catalogue will provide an
important gene discovery resource for directed programmes in ecology, evolution and conservation of a key
pollinator
Estimating the economic benefits of regional ocean observing systems
We develop a methodology to estimate the potential economic benefits from new investments in
regional coastal ocean observing systems in US waters, and apply this methodology to generate
preliminary estimates of such benefits. The approach focuses on potential economic benefits
from coastal ocean observing information within ten geographic regions encompassing all coastal
waters of the United States, and within a wide range of industrial and recreational activities
including recreational fishing and boating, beach recreation, maritime transportation, search and
rescue operations, spill response, marine hazards prediction, offshore energy, power generation,
and commercial fishing.
Our findings suggest that annual benefits to users from the deployment of ocean observing
systems are likely to run in the multiple $100s of millions of dollars per year.
The project results should be considered first-order estimates that are subject to considerable
refinement as the parameters of regional observing systems are better defined, and as our
understanding of user sectors improves.Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research under Grant No. N00014-02-1-1037
Geologic Provinces Beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet Constrained by Geophysical Data Synthesis
Present understanding of Greenland's subglacial geology is derived mostly from interpolation of geologic mapping of its ice‐free margins and unconstrained by geophysical data. Here we refine the extent of its geologic provinces by synthesizing geophysical constraints on subglacial geology from seismic, gravity, magnetic and topographic data. North of 72°N, no province clearly extends across the whole island, leaving three distinct subglacial regions yet to be reconciled with margin geology. Geophysically coherent anomalies and apparent province boundaries are adjacent to the onset of faster ice flow at both Petermann Glacier and the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. Separately, based on their subaerial expression, dozens of unusually long, straight and sub‐parallel subglacial valleys cross Greenland's interior and are not yet resolved by current syntheses of its subglacial topography
EUV Spectra of the Full Solar Disk: Analysis and Results of the Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS)
We analyze EUV spectra of the full solar disk from the Cosmic Hot
Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) spanning a period of two years. The
observations were obtained via a fortuitous off-axis light path in the 140 --
270 Angstrom passband. The general appearance of the spectra remained
relatively stable over the two-year time period, but did show significant
variations of up to 25% between two sets of Fe lines that show peak emission at
1 MK and 2 MK. The variations occur at a measured period of 27.2 days and are
caused by regions of hotter and cooler plasma rotating into, and out of, the
field of view. The CHIANTI spectral code is employed to determine plasma
temperatures, densities, and emission measures. A set of five isothermal
plasmas fit the full disk spectra well. A 1 -- 2 MK plasma of Fe contributes
85% of the total emission in the CHIPS passband. The standard Differential
Emission Measures (DEMs) supplied with the CHIANTI package do not fit the CHIPS
spectra well as they over-predict emission at temperatures below log(T) = 6.0
and above log(T) = 6.3. The results are important for cross-calibrating TIMED,
SORCE, SOHO/EIT, and CDS/GIS, as well as the recently launched Solar Dynamics
Observatory.Comment: 27 Pages, 13 Figure
A principal factor analysis to characterize agricultural exposures among Nebraska veterans
Agricultural workers are at an increased risk of developing chronic respiratory disorders. Accurate estimation of long-term agricultural exposures based on questionnaires has been used to improve the validity of epidemiologic investigations and subsequent evaluation of the association between agricultural exposures and chronic diseases. Our aim was to use principal factor analysis (PFA) to distill exposure data into essential variables characterizing long-term agricultural exposures. This is a crosssectional study of veterans between the ages of 40 and 80 years and who worked on a farm for ≥ 2 years. Participant characteristics were: 98.1% were white males with a mean age 65 ± 8 (SD) years and 39.8% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The final model included four factors and explained 16.6% of the variance in the exposure data. Factor 1 was a heterogeneous factor; however, Factor 2 was exclusively composed of exposure to livestock such as hogs, dairy and poultry. Factor 3 included exposures from jobs on or off the farm such as wood dust, mineral dust, asbestos and spray paint. Crop exposure loaded exclusively in Factor 4 and included lifetime hours of exposure and maximum number of acres farmed in the participants’ lifetime. The factors in the final model were interpretable and consistent with farming practices
Vulnerability of the North Water ecosystem to climate change
High Arctic ecosystems and Indigenous livelihoods are tightly linked and exposed to climate change, yet assessing their sensitivity requires a long-term perspective. Here, we assess the vulnerability of the North Water polynya, a unique seaice ecosystem that sustains the world’s northernmost Inuit communities and several keystone Arctic species. We reconstruct mid-to-late Holocene changes in sea ice, marine primary production, and little auk colony dynamics through multi-proxy analysis of marine and lake sediment cores. Our results suggest a productive ecosystem by 4400–4200 cal yrs b2k coincident with the arrival of the first humans in Greenland. Climate forcing during the late Holocene, leading to periods of polynya instability and marine productivity decline, is strikingly coeval with the human abandonment of Greenland from c. 2200–1200 cal yrs b2k. Our long-term perspective highlights the future decline of the North Water ecosystem, due to climate warming and changing sea-ice conditions, as an important climate change risk
Drivers of Firn Density on the Greenland Ice Sheet Revealed by Weather Station Observations and Modelling
Alcohol Facilitates CD1d Loading, Subsequent Activation of NKT Cells, and Reduces the Incidence of Diabetes in NOD Mice
Background: Ethanol ('alcohol') is a partly hydrophobic detergent that may affect the accessibility of glycolipids thereby influencing immunological effects of these molecules. Methods: The study included cellular in vitro tests using α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer), and in vivo NOD mice experiments detecting diabetes incidence and performing behavioural and bacterial analyses. Results: Alcohol in concentrations from 0.6% to 2.5% increased IL-2 production from NKT cells stimulated with αGalCer by 60% (p<0.05). CD1d expressed on HeLa cells contained significantly increasing amounts of αGalCer with increasing concentrations of alcohol, suggesting that alcohol facilitated the passive loading of αGalCer to CD1d. NOD mice were found to tolerate 5% ethanol in their drinking water without signs of impairment in liver function. Giving this treatment, the diabetes incidence declined significantly. Higher numbers of CD3+CD49b+ NKT cells were found in spleen and liver of the alcohol treated compared to the control mice (p<0.05), whereas the amount of CD4+Foxp3+ regulator T cells did not differ. Increased concentrations of IFN-γ were detected in 24-hour blood samples of alcohol treated mice. Behavioural studies showed no change in attitude of the ethanol-consuming mice, and bacterial composition of caecum samples was not affected by alcohol, disqualifying these as protective mechanisms. Conclusion: Alcohol facilitates the uptake of glycolipids and the stimulation of NKT cells, which are known to counteract Type 1 diabetes development. We propose that this is the acting mechanism by which treatment with alcohol reduces the incidence of diabetes in NOD mice. This is corroborated by epidemiology showing beneficial effect of alcohol to reduce the severity of atherosclerosis and related diseases
The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization
Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation
The Justy mutation identifies Gon4-like as a gene that is essential for B lymphopoiesis
A recessive mutation named Justy was found that abolishes B lymphopoiesis but does not impair other major aspects of hematopoiesis. Transplantation experiments showed that homozygosity for Justy prevented hematopoietic progenitors from generating B cells but did not affect the ability of bone marrow stroma to support B lymphopoiesis. In bone marrow from mutant mice, common lymphoid progenitors and pre-pro–B cells appeared normal, but cells at subsequent stages of B lymphopoiesis were dramatically reduced in number. Under culture conditions that promoted B lymphopoiesis, mutant pre-pro–B cells remained alive and began expressing the B cell marker CD19 but failed to proliferate. In contrast, these cells were able to generate myeloid or T/NK precursors. Genetic and molecular analysis demonstrated that Justy is a point mutation within the Gon4-like (Gon4l) gene, which encodes a protein with homology to transcriptional regulators. This mutation was found to disrupt Gon4l pre-mRNA splicing and dramatically reduce expression of wild-type Gon4l RNA and protein. Consistent with a role for Gon4l in transcriptional regulation, the levels of RNA encoding C/EBPα and PU.1 were abnormally high in mutant B cell progenitors. Our findings indicate that the Gon4l protein is required for B lymphopoiesis and may function to regulate gene expression during this process
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