TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Extracellular purines, purinergic receptors and tumor growth

Virtually, all tumor cells as well as all immune cells express plasma membrane receptors for extracellular nucleosides (adenosine) and nucleotides (ATP, ADP, UTP, UDP and sugar UDP). The tumor microenvironment is characterized by an unusually high concentration of ATP and adenosine. Adenosine is a major determinant of the immunosuppressive tumor milieu. Sequential hydrolysis of extracellular ATP catalyzed by CD39 and CD73 is the main pathway for the generation of adenosine in the tumor interstitium. Extracellular ATP and adenosine mold both host and tumor responses. Depending on the specific receptor activated, extracellular purines mediate immunosuppression or immunostimulation on the host side, and growth stimulation or cytotoxicity on the tumor side. Recent progress in this field is providing the key to decode this complex scenario and to lay the basis to harness the potential benefits for therapy. Preclinical data show that targeting the adenosine-generating pathway (that is, CD73) or adenosinergic receptors (that is, A2A) relieves immunosuppresion and potently inhibits tumor growth. On the other hand, growth of experimental tumors is strongly inhibited by targeting the P2X7 ATP-selective receptor of cancer and immune cells. This review summarizes the recent data on the role played by extracellular purines (purinergic signaling) in host–tumor interaction and highlights novel therapeutic options stemming from recent advances in this field.Oncogene advance online publication, 20 June 2016; doi:10.1038/onc.2016.206