Professional Sports Firm Values: Bringing New Determinants to the Foreground? A Study of European Soccer, 2005-2013

Since 2004, Forbes has proposed a list of the most valuable soccer clubs. One year later, Transfermarkt began to estimate European soccer players’ value. This article estimate the determinants of firm values in European soccer over the period 2005-2013 incorporating player valuations, clubs’ operating income, and new ownership, three variables not included previously. The results of this study demonstrate that these variables are significant factors in club valuations. More generally, club assets including stadium age, club ownership type, supporter numbers and income, and past sports performances all have a significant impact

Radiation and hybridization underpin the spread of the fire ant social supergene.

Supergenes are clusters of tightly linked genes that jointly produce complex phenotypes. Although widespread in nature, how such genomic elements are formed and how they spread are in most cases unclear. In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta and closely related species, a "social supergene controls whether a colony maintains one or multiple queens. Here, we show that the three inversions constituting the Social b (Sb) supergene emerged sequentially during the separation of the ancestral lineages of S. invicta and Solenopsis richteri. The two first inversions arose in the ancestral population of both species, while the third one arose in the S. richteri lineage. Once completely assembled in the S. richteri lineage, the supergene first introgressed into S. invicta, and from there into the other species of the socially polymorphic group of South American fire ant species. Surprisingly, the introgression of this large and important genomic element occurred despite recent hybridization being uncommon between several of the species. These results highlight how supergenes can readily move across species boundaries, possibly because of fitness benefits they provide and/or expression of selfish properties favoring their transmission

Targeted treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society

Abstract Infected wounds pose a major mortality risk in animals. Injuries are common in the ant Megaponera analis, which raids pugnacious prey. Here we show that M. analis can determine when wounds are infected and treat them accordingly. By applying a variety of antimicrobial compounds and proteins secreted from the metapleural gland to infected wounds, workers reduce the mortality of infected individuals by 90%. Chemical analyses showed that wound infection is associated with specific changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile, thereby likely allowing nestmates to diagnose the infection state of injured individuals and apply the appropriate antimicrobial treatment. This study demonstrates that M. analis ant societies use antimicrobial compounds produced in the metapleural glands to treat infected wounds and reduce nestmate mortality

Comparative transcriptomics reveal a novel tardigrade specific DNA binding protein induced in response to ionizing radiation

International audienceABSTRACT Tardigrades, microscopic animals found in virtually all ecosystems, are renowned for their remarkable ability to withstand extreme conditions. Recent studies have identified novel tardigrade specific protein families that aid in resistance to desiccation and ionizing radiation (IR). Notably, a tardigrade specific DNA binding protein called Dsup (for DNA damage suppressor) has been found to protect from X-ray damage in human cells and from hydroxyl radicals in vitro . However, Dsup has only been found in two species within the Hypsibioidea superfamily. To better understand mechanisms underlying radio-resistance in the Tardigrada phylum, we first characterized DNA damage and repair in response to IR in the model species Hypsibius exemplaris . By analysis of phosphorylated H2AX, we demonstrated the induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks after IR exposure. Importantly, the rate of single-strand breaks induced was roughly equivalent to that in human cells, suggesting that DNA repair plays a predominant role in the remarkable radio-resistance of tardigrades. In order to identify novel tardigrade specific genes involved, we next conducted a comparative transcriptomics across three species, H. exemplaris , Acutuncus antarcticus and Paramacrobiotus fairbanksi , the latter belonging to the Macrobiotoidea superfamily known to lack Dsup homologs. In all three species, many genes of DNA repair were among the most strongly overexpressed genes alongside a novel tardigrade specific gene, named T ardigrade D NA damage R esponse protein 1 (TDR1). We found that TDR1 protein interacts with DNA and forms aggregates at high concentration suggesting it may condensate DNA and act by preserving chromosome organization until DNA repair is accomplished. Remarkably, when expressed in human cells, TDR1 improved resistance to Bleomycin, a radiomimetic drug. Based on these findings, we propose that TDR1 is a novel tardigrade specific gene responsible for conferring resistance to IR. Our study sheds light on mechanisms of DNA repair helping to cope with high levels of DNA damage. Furthermore, it suggests that at least two tardigrade specific genes, respectively for Dsup and TDR1, have independently evolved DNA-binding functions that contribute to radio-resistance in the Tardigrada phylum

Data from: X-chromosome meiotic drive in Drosophila simulans: a QTL approach reveals the complex polygenic determinism of Paris drive suppression

Meiotic drivers are selfish genetic elements that promote their own transmission into the gametes, which results in intragenomic conflicts. In the Paris sex-ratio system of Drosophila simulans, drivers located on the X chromosome prevent the segregation of the heterochromatic Y chromosome during meiosis II, and hence the production of Y-bearing sperm. The resulting sex-ratio bias strongly impacts population dynamics and evolution. Natural selection, which tends to restore an equal sex ratio, favors the emergence of resistant Y chromosomes and autosomal suppressors. This is the case in the Paris sex-ratio system where the drivers became cryptic in most of the natural populations of D. simulans. Here, we used a Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping approach based on the analysis of 152 highly recombinant inbred lines (RILs) to investigate the genetic determinism of autosomal suppression. The RILs were derived from an advanced intercross between two parental lines, one showing complete autosomal suppression while the other one was sensitive to drive. The confrontation of RIL autosomes with a reference XSR chromosome allowed us to identify two QTLs on chromosome 2 and three on chromosome 3, with strong epistatic interactions. Our findings highlight the multiplicity of actors involved in this intragenomic battle over the sex ratio