Nitrogen Assimilation in Picocyanobacteria Inhabiting the Oxygen-Deficient Waters of the Eastern Tropical North and South Pacific

Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are the most abundant free-living photosynthetic microorganisms in the ocean. Uncultivated lineages of these picocyanobacteria also thrive in the dimly illuminated upper part of oxygen-deficient zones (ODZs), where an important portion of ocean nitrogen (N) loss takes place via denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Recent metagenomic studies revealed that ODZ Prochlorococcus have the genetic potential for using different N forms, including nitrate and nitrite, uncommon N sources for Prochlorococcus, but common for Synechococcus. To determine which N sources ODZ picocyanobacteria are actually using in nature, the cellular 15N natural abundance (δ15N) and assimilation rates of different N compounds were determined using cell sorting by flow cytometry and mass spectrometry. The natural δ15N of the ODZ Prochlorococcus varied from −4.0‰ to 13.0‰ (n = 9), with 50% of the values in the range of −2.1–2.6‰. While the highest values suggest nitrate use, most observations indicate the use of nitrite, ammonium, or a mixture of N sources. Meanwhile, incubation experiments revealed potential assimilation rates of ammonium and urea in the same order of magnitude as that expected for total N in several environments including ODZs, whereas rates of nitrite and nitrate assimilation were very low. Our results thus indicate that reduced forms of N and nitrite are the dominant sources for ODZ picocyanobacteria, although nitrate might be important on some occasions. ODZ picocyanobacteria might thus represent potential competitors with anammox bacteria for ammonium and nitrite, with ammonia-oxidizing archaea for ammonium, and with nitrite-oxidizing bacteria for nitrite

The Different Artificial Sweeteners and Their Effects on Endothelial Cell/Blood Vessel Health: Possible Implications for Ringing in the Ear

Abstract: Background: Tinnitus, a condition whose remarkable symptom is ringing in the ear (RIE), is a problem plaguing people all around the world in varying degrees of severity, though it is most common and severe in older populations. Literature is lacking on its etiology. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose and treat. Several possible components could play a role in the development of tinnitus including neurological, physiological, traumatic, dietary and vascular factors. No factor has yet been definitively linked to the development of tinnitus. Vascular health can be significantly impacted by diet- especially in regard to sugars. As artificial sweeteners are used widely in the American diet, they may play a significant role in vascular health. Objective: This project aims to investigate a possible connection between artificial sugars’ impact on vascular health and complaints of RIE among age groups through a patient survey and laboratory experiments. Methods: A survey assessing individuals’ demographic information, subjective severity of RIE and reported artificial sweetener consumption will be distributed to audiologists’ offices in major Ohio cities, via Qualtrics, where patients will complete them. Data collected will be analyzed for interrelationships among sugar intake, age and severity of RIE. In the laboratory, an ELISA assay will evaluate the effects of artificial sweeteners on endothelial cells- the same cells that comprise blood vessels- through quantifying stimulation of the Tie-2 survival and angiogenesis pathway via the cellular messenger pAKT

Physical activity outcomes in afterschool programs: A group randomized controlled trial

Afterschool programs (ASPs) across the US are working towards achieving the standard of all children accumulating 30minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during program time. This study describes the two-year impact of an intervention designed to assist ASPs meeting the 30min/d MVPA standard

De Novo Assembly of the Complete Genome of an Enhanced Electricity-Producing Variant of Geobacter sulfurreducens Using Only Short Reads

State-of-the-art DNA sequencing technologies are transforming the life sciences due to their ability to generate nucleotide sequence information with a speed and quantity that is unapproachable with traditional Sanger sequencing. Genome sequencing is a principal application of this technology, where the ultimate goal is the full and complete sequence of the organism of interest. Due to the nature of the raw data produced by these technologies, a full genomic sequence attained without the aid of Sanger sequencing has yet to be demonstrated

Resistance exercise initiates mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) translocation and protein complex co-localisation in human skeletal muscle

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central mediator of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. We utilized immunofluorescence approaches to study mTOR cellular distribution and protein-protein co-localisation in human skeletal muscle in the basal state as well as immediately, 1 and 3 h after an acute bout of resistance exercise in a fed (FED; 20 g Protein/40 g carbohydrate/1 g fat) or energy-free control (CON) state. mTOR and the lysosomal protein LAMP2 were highly co-localised in basal samples. Resistance exercise resulted in rapid translocation of mTOR/LAMP2 towards the cell membrane. Concurrently, resistance exercise led to the dissociation of TSC2 from Rheb and increased in the co-localisation of mTOR and Rheb post exercise in both FED and CON. In addition, mTOR co-localised with Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit F (eIF3F) at the cell membrane post-exercise in both groups, with the response significantly greater at 1 h of recovery in the FED compared to CON. Collectively our data demonstrate that cellular trafficking of mTOR occurs in human muscle in response to an anabolic stimulus, events that appear to be primarily influenced by muscle contraction. The translocation and association of mTOR with positive regulators (i.e. Rheb and eIF3F) is consistent with an enhanced mRNA translational capacity after resistance exercise

The Elusive Baseline of Marine Disease: Are Diseases in Ocean Ecosystems Increasing?

Disease outbreaks alter the structure and function of marine ecosystems, directly affecting vertebrates (mammals, turtles, fish), invertebrates (corals, crustaceans, echinoderms), and plants (seagrasses). Previous studies suggest a recent increase in marine disease. However, lack of baseline data in most communities prevents a direct test of this hypothesis. We developed a proxy to evaluate a prediction of the increasing disease hypothesis: the proportion of scientific publications reporting disease increased in recent decades. This represents, to our knowledge, the first quantitative use of normalized trends in the literature to investigate an ecological hypothesis. We searched a literature database for reports of parasites and disease (hereafter “disease”) in nine marine taxonomic groups from 1970 to 2001. Reports, normalized for research effort, increased in turtles, corals, mammals, urchins, and molluscs. No significant trends were detected for seagrasses, decapods, or sharks/rays (though disease occurred in these groups). Counter to the prediction, disease reports decreased in fishes. Formulating effective resource management policy requires understanding the basis and timing of marine disease events. Why disease outbreaks increased in some groups but not in others should be a priority for future investigation. The increase in several groups lends urgency to understanding disease dynamics, particularly since few viable options currently exist to mitigate disease in the oceans

Platelets retain inducible alpha granule secretion by P‐selectin expression but exhibit mechanical dysfunction during trauma‐induced coagulopathy

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149281/1/jth14414.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149281/2/jth14414_am.pd

Nitrogen assimilation in picocyanobacteria inhabiting the oxygen‐deficient waters of the eastern tropical North and South Pacific

Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are the most abundant free-living photosynthetic microorganisms in the ocean. Uncultivated lineages of these picocyanobacteria also thrive in the dimly illuminated upper part of oxygen-deficient zones (ODZs), where an important portion of ocean nitrogen (N) loss takes place via denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Recent metagenomic studies revealed that ODZ Prochlorococcus have the genetic potential for using different N forms, including nitrate and nitrite, uncommon N sources for Prochlorococcus, but common for Synechococcus. To determine which N sources ODZ picocyanobacteria are actually using in nature, the cellular N-15 natural abundance (delta N-15) and assimilation rates of different N compounds were determined using cell sorting by flow cytometry and mass spectrometry. The natural delta N-15 of the ODZ Prochlorococcus varied from -4.0 parts per thousand to 13.0 parts per thousand (n = 9), with 50% of the values in the range of -2.1-2.6 parts per thousand. While the highest values suggest nitrate use, most observations indicate the use of nitrite, ammonium, or a mixture of N sources. Meanwhile, incubation experiments revealed potential assimilation rates of ammonium and urea in the same order of magnitude as that expected for total N in several environments including ODZs, whereas rates of nitrite and nitrate assimilation were very low. Our results thus indicate that reduced forms of N and nitrite are the dominant sources for ODZ picocyanobacteria, although nitrate might be important on some occasions. ODZ picocyanobacteria might thus represent potential competitors with anammox bacteria for ammonium and nitrite, with ammonia-oxidizing archaea for ammonium, and with nitrite-oxidizing bacteria for nitrite