Host Plant Adaptation in Drosophila mettleri Populations

The process of local adaptation creates diversity among allopatric populations, and may eventually lead to speciation. Plant-feeding insect populations that specialize on different host species provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate the causes of ecological specialization and the subsequent consequences for diversity. In this study, we used geographically separated Drosophila mettleri populations that specialize on different host cacti to examine oviposition preference for and larval performance on an array of natural and non-natural hosts (eight total). We found evidence of local adaptation in performance on saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) for populations that are typically associated with this host, and to chemically divergent prickly pear species (Opuntia spp.) in a genetically isolated population on Santa Catalina Island. Moreover, each population exhibited reduced performance on the alternative host. This finding is consistent with trade-offs associated with adaptation to these chemically divergent hosts, although we also discuss alternative explanations for this pattern. For oviposition preference, Santa Catalina Island flies were more likely to oviposit on some prickly pear species, but all populations readily laid eggs on saguaro. Experiments with non-natural hosts suggest that factors such as ecological opportunity may play a more important role than host plant chemistry in explaining the lack of natural associations with some hosts

Frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms in NOD1 gene of ulcerative colitis patients: a case-control study in the Indian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidemiological studies have provided enough evidence that genetic factors have an important role in determining susceptibility to IBD. The most significant finding in the IBD research has been identification of mutations in the gene that encodes Nod2 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2) protein in a subgroup of patients with Crohn's disease. However, a very similar gene encoding Nod1 protein still has not been well documented for its association with Ulcerative colitis patients. Detection of polymorphism in <it>NOD1 </it>gene using SNP analysis has been attempted in the present study. We evaluated frequency and significance of mutations present in the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of <it>NOD1 </it>gene in context to Indian population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 95 patients with ulcerative colitis and 102 controls enrolled in the Gastroenterology department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi were screened for SNPs by DHPLC and RFLP techniques. Exon 6 locus in the NBD domain of <it>NOD1 </it>gene was amplified and sequenced. Genotype and allele frequencies of the patients and controls were calculated by the Pearson's χ²test, Fisher's exact test and ANOVA with Bonferroni's correction using SPSS software version 12.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have demonstrated DHPLC screening technique to show the presence of SNPs in Exon 6 locus of NBD domain of <it>NOD1 </it>gene. The DHPLC analysis has proven suitable for rapid detection of base pair changes. The data was validated by sequencing of clones and subsequently by RFLP analysis. Analyses of SNP data revealed 3 significant mutations (W219R, <it>p </it>= 0.002; L349P, <it>p </it>= 0.002 and L370R, <it>p </it>= 0.039) out of 5 in the Exon 6 locus of NBD domain of the gene that encompasses ATP and Mg²⁺binding sites. No significant association was observed within different sub phenotypes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We propose that the location of mutations in the Exon 6 spanning the ATP and Mg²⁺binding site of NBD in <it>NOD1 </it>gene may affect the process of oligomerization and subsequent function of the LRR domain. Further studies are been conducted at the protein level to prove this possibility.</p

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Reveals Structural Insights into Mechanism of Nicotine N-Demethylation Catalyzed by Tobacco Cytochrome P450 Mono-Oxygenase

CYP82E4, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, has nicotine N-demethylase (NND) activity, which mediates the bioconversion of nicotine into nornicotine in senescing tobacco leaves. Nornicotine is a precursor of the carcinogen, tobacco-specific nitrosamine. CYP82E3 is an ortholog of CYP82E4 with 95% sequence identity, but it lacks NND activity. A recent site-directed mutagenesis study revealed that a single amino acid substitution, i.e., cysteine to tryptophan at the 330 position in the middle of protein, restores the NND activity of CYP82E3 entirely. However, the same amino acid change caused the loss of the NND activity of CYP82E4. To determine the mechanism of the functional turnover of the two molecules, four 3D structures, i.e., the two molecules and their corresponding cys–trp mutants were modeled. The resulting structures exhibited that the mutation site is far from the active site, which suggests that no direct interaction occurs between the two sites. Simulation studies in different biological scenarios revealed that the mutation introduces a conformation drift with the largest change at the F-G loop. The dynamics trajectories analysis using principal component analysis and covariance analysis suggests that the single amino acid change causes the opening and closing of the transfer channels of the substrates, products, and water by altering the motion of the F-G and B-C loops. The motion of helix I is also correlated with the motion of both the F-G loop and the B-C loop and; the single amino acid mutation resulted in the curvature of helix I. These results suggest that the single amino acid mutation outside the active site region may have indirectly mediated the flexibility of the F-G and B-C loops through helix I, causing a functional turnover of the P450 monooxygenase

Lightwave-driven quasiparticle collisions on a subcycle timescale

Ever since Ernest Rutherford scattered alpha-particles from gold foils(1), collision experiments have revealed insights into atoms, nuclei and elementary particles(2). In solids, many-body correlations lead to characteristic resonances(3)-called quasiparticles-such as excitons, dropletons(4), polarons and Cooper pairs. The structure and dynamics of quasiparticles are important because they define macroscopic phenomena such as Mott insulating states, spontaneous spin-and charge-order, and high-temperature superconductivity(5). However, the extremely short lifetimes of these entities(6) make practical implementations of a suitable collider challenging. Here we exploit lightwave-driven charge transport(7-24), the foundation of attosecond science(9-13), to explore ultrafast quasiparticle collisions directly in the time domain: a femtosecond optical pulse creates excitonic electron-hole pairs in the layered dichalcogenide tungsten diselenide while a strong terahertz field accelerates and collides the electrons with the holes. The underlying dynamics of the wave packets, including collision, pair annihilation, quantum interference and dephasing, are detected as light emission in high-order spectral sidebands(17-19) of the optical excitation. A full quantum theory explains our observations microscopically. This approach enables collision experiments with various complex quasiparticles and suggests a promising new way of generating sub-femtosecond pulses

Ecologically Appropriate Xenobiotics Induce Cytochrome P450s in Apis mellifera

BACKGROUND: Honey bees are exposed to phytochemicals through the nectar, pollen and propolis consumed to sustain the colony. They may also encounter mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus fungi infesting pollen in beebread. Moreover, bees are exposed to agricultural pesticides, particularly in-hive acaricides used against the parasite Varroa destructor. They cope with these and other xenobiotics primarily through enzymatic detoxificative processes, but the regulation of detoxificative enzymes in honey bees remains largely unexplored. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used several approaches to ascertain effects of dietary toxins on bee susceptibility to synthetic and natural xenobiotics, including the acaricide tau-fluvalinate, the agricultural pesticide imidacloprid, and the naturally occurring mycotoxin aflatoxin. We administered potential inducers of cytochrome P450 enzymes, the principal biochemical system for Phase 1 detoxification in insects, to investigate how detoxification is regulated. The drug phenobarbital induces P450s in many insects, yet feeding bees with phenobarbital had no effect on the toxicity of tau-fluvalinate, a pesticide known to be detoxified by bee P450s. Similarly, no P450 induction, as measured by tau-fluvalinate tolerance, occurred in bees fed xanthotoxin, salicylic acid, or indole-3-carbinol, all of which induce P450s in other insects. Only quercetin, a common pollen and honey constituent, reduced tau-fluvalinate toxicity. In microarray comparisons no change in detoxificative gene expression was detected in phenobarbital-treated bees. However, northern blot analyses of guts of bees fed extracts of honey, pollen and propolis showed elevated expression of three CYP6AS P450 genes. Diet did not influence tau-fluvalinate or imidacloprid toxicity in bioassays; however, aflatoxin toxicity was higher in bees consuming sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup than in bees consuming honey. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that regulation of honey bee P450s is tuned to chemicals occurring naturally in the hive environment and that, in terms of toxicological capacity, a diet of sugar is not equivalent to a diet of honey

Measurement of the branching fraction for B−→D0K∗−B^- \to D^0 K^{*-}

We present a measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B- --> D0 K*- using a sample of approximately 86 million BBbar pairs collected by the BaBar detector from e+e- collisions near the Y(4S) resonance. The D0 is detected through its decays to K- pi+, K- pi+ pi0 and K- pi+ pi- pi+, and the K*- through its decay to K0S pi-. We measure the branching fraction to be B.F.(B- --> D0 K*-)= (6.3 +/- 0.7(stat.) +/- 0.5(syst.)) x 10^{-4}

Observation of a significant excess of π0π0\pi^{0}\pi^{0} events in B meson decays

We present an observation of the decay $B^{0} \to \pi^{0} \pi^{0}$ based on a sample of 124 million $B\bar{B}$ pairs recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy $B$ Factory at SLAC. We observe $46 \pm 13 \pm 3$ events, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic, corresponding to a significance of 4.2 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. We measure the branching fraction \BR(B^{0} \to \pi^{0} \pi^{0}) = (2.1 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-6}, averaged over $B^{0}$ and $\bar{B}^{0}$ decays

Search for the radiative decays B ->rho gamma and B-0 ->omega gamma

A search of the exclusive radiative decays B-->rho(770)gamma and B-0-->omega(782)gamma is performed on a sample of about 84x10(6) B (B) over bar events collected by the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) storage ring. No significant signal is seen in any of the channels. We set upper limits on the branching fractions B of B(B-0-->rho(0)gamma)rho(+)gamma)omegagamma)rhogamma)=Gamma(B+-->rho(+)gamma)=2xGamma(B-0-->rho(0)gamma), we find the combined limit B(B-->rhogamma)rhogamma)/B(B-->K(*)gamma)<0.047 at 90% C.L

Measurement of B-0 -> D-s(*)D+*(-) branching fractions and B-0 -> D-s*D+*(-) polarization with a partial reconstruction technique

We present a study of the decays B-0 --> D-s((*)) D*-, using 20.8 fb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data recorded with the BABAR detector. The analysis is conducted with a partial reconstruction technique, in which only the D-s((*)+) and the soft pion from the D*- decay are reconstructed. We measure the branching fractions B(B-0 --> Ds+D*-) = (1.03 +/- 0.14 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.26)% and B(B-0 --> D-s(*+) D*-) = (1.97 +/- 0.15 +/- 0.30+/- 0.49)%, where the first error is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is the error due to the D-s(+) --> phipi(+) branching fraction uncertainty. From the B-0 --> D-s(*+) D*- angular distributions, we measure the fraction of longitudinal polarization Gamma(L)/Gamma = (51.9 +/- 5.0 +/- 2.8)%, which is consistent with theoretical predictions based on factorization