Uterine spiral artery remodeling involves endothelial apoptosis induced by extravillous trophoblasts through Fas/FasL interactions.

Objective— Invasion of uterine spiral arteries by extravillous trophoblasts in the first trimester of pregnancy results in loss of endothelial and musculoelastic layers. This remodeling is crucial for an adequate blood supply to the fetus with a failure to remodel implicated in the etiology of the hypertensive disorder preeclampsia. The mechanism by which trophoblasts induce this key process is unknown. This study gives the first insights into the potential mechanisms involved. Methods and Results— Spiral arteries were dissected from nonplacental bed biopsies obtained at Caesarean section, and a novel model was used to mimic in vivo events. Arteries were cultured with trophoblasts in the lumen, and apoptotic changes in the endothelial layer were detected after 20 hours, leading to loss of endothelium by 96 hours. In vitro, coculture experiments showed that trophoblasts stimulated apoptosis of primary decidual endothelial cells and an endothelial cell line. This was blocked by caspase inhibition and NOK2, a FasL blocking antibody. NOK2 also abrogated trophoblast-induced endothelial apoptosis in the vessel model. Conclusions— Extravillous trophoblast induction of endothelial apoptosis is a possible mechanism by which the endothelium is removed, and vascular remodeling may occur in uterine spiral arteries. Fas/FasL interactions have an important role in trophoblast-induced endothelial apoptosis

The CAFA challenge reports improved protein function prediction and new functional annotations for hundreds of genes through experimental screens

Background The Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation (CAFA) is an ongoing, global, community-driven effort to evaluate and improve the computational annotation of protein function. Results Here, we report on the results of the third CAFA challenge, CAFA3, that featured an expanded analysis over the previous CAFA rounds, both in terms of volume of data analyzed and the types of analysis performed. In a novel and major new development, computational predictions and assessment goals drove some of the experimental assays, resulting in new functional annotations for more than 1000 genes. Specifically, we performed experimental whole-genome mutation screening in Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aureginosa genomes, which provided us with genome-wide experimental data for genes associated with biofilm formation and motility. We further performed targeted assays on selected genes in Drosophila melanogaster, which we suspected of being involved in long-term memory. Conclusion We conclude that while predictions of the molecular function and biological process annotations have slightly improved over time, those of the cellular component have not. Term-centric prediction of experimental annotations remains equally challenging; although the performance of the top methods is significantly better than the expectations set by baseline methods in C. albicans and D. melanogaster, it leaves considerable room and need for improvement. Finally, we report that the CAFA community now involves a broad range of participants with expertise in bioinformatics, biological experimentation, biocuration, and bio-ontologies, working together to improve functional annotation, computational function prediction, and our ability to manage big data in the era of large experimental screens.Peer reviewe

The CAFA challenge reports improved protein function prediction and new functional annotations for hundreds of genes through experimental screens

BackgroundThe Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation (CAFA) is an ongoing, global, community-driven effort to evaluate and improve the computational annotation of protein function.ResultsHere, we report on the results of the third CAFA challenge, CAFA3, that featured an expanded analysis over the previous CAFA rounds, both in terms of volume of data analyzed and the types of analysis performed. In a novel and major new development, computational predictions and assessment goals drove some of the experimental assays, resulting in new functional annotations for more than 1000 genes. Specifically, we performed experimental whole-genome mutation screening in Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aureginosa genomes, which provided us with genome-wide experimental data for genes associated with biofilm formation and motility. We further performed targeted assays on selected genes in Drosophila melanogaster, which we suspected of being involved in long-term memory.ConclusionWe conclude that while predictions of the molecular function and biological process annotations have slightly improved over time, those of the cellular component have not. Term-centric prediction of experimental annotations remains equally challenging; although the performance of the top methods is significantly better than the expectations set by baseline methods in C. albicans and D. melanogaster, it leaves considerable room and need for improvement. Finally, we report that the CAFA community now involves a broad range of participants with expertise in bioinformatics, biological experimentation, biocuration, and bio-ontologies, working together to improve functional annotation, computational function prediction, and our ability to manage big data in the era of large experimental screens.</p

Influence of soil type on South Texas rodent community compositions

Factors affecting the densities and diversities of semi-arid rodent communities have been topics of research for decades. This study, on the Santa Teresita Ranch in central Jim Hogg County, Texas, was conducted to determine if soils have a significant effect on the composition of South Texas rodent communities on the relatively fine scale of contiguous soil types. Soil sampling was conducted at sites across three soil types. Significant differences were observed in the mean percent mud (silt and clay) contents of samples across these soils. Live trapping was conducted from October 2011 to October 2012 with a trap success rate of 23% during the 1901 trap/nights. Proportions of species were significantly different across soil types, due in part to significant differences in proportions of the Gulf Coast kangaroo rat (Dipodomys compactus) across soils

Xenopholis werdingorum, Jansen, Álvarez & Köhler, 2009 (Squamata: Dipsadidae): range extension with comments on distribution

We present a significant range extension of Xenopholis werdingorum from Bolivia. There is a dearth of information on this recently described species, and this account significantly contributes to knowledge of its geographic range

Feliz cumpleaños, 21 years for the Beni Anaconda, Eunectes beniensis (Dirksen, 2002) (Serpentes, Boidae): an update of voucher specimens, species’ distribution, and clarification of locality data of type specimens

Little information for Eunectes beniensis (Dirksen, 2002) (Serpentes, Boidae) exists in the scientific literature and museum data. We review the natural history, diet, reproduction, distribution of this species and discuss its identifying characteristics. We present new records and discuss the species’ distribution in Bolivia. As reported in the previous literature, the geographic locality data of the holotype and paratypes are incorrect. We report corrected data for these specimens and update knowledge of the species’ distributional status and natural history by summarizing novel and existing data from the entirety of this species’ known range. We provide a distribution map based on vouchered museum specimens

Bothrops taeniatus Wagler, 1824 (Serpentes, Viperidae): additional country record and list of voucher specimens for Bolivia

We present a new country record and range extension for the snake species Bothrops taeniatus Wagler, 1824 (Serpentes, Viperidae). The specimen represents the northeastmost record in Bolivia and fills the distributional gap between the known Brazilian and Bolivian populations. There is a paucity of published information on locality data and information on this species and this account contributes to the knowledge of its distributional status

Rhinobothryum lentiginosum (Scopoli, 1788) (Serpentes, Colubridae): additional country record and first list of voucher specimens for Bolivia

We present an additional country record and a list of voucher specimens for Rhinobothryum lentiginosum (Scopoli, 1788) (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Bolivia. Very little published information on museum specimens and locality data from Bolivia exists for this species. This account contributes to the knowledge of its distributional status by summarizing all available data