Assembly of Plant Shaker-Like K(out) Channels Requires Two Distinct Sites of the Channel α-Subunit

SKOR and GORK are outward-rectifying plant potassium channels from Arabidopsis thaliana. They belong to the Shaker superfamily of voltage-dependent K(+) channels. Channels of this class are composed of four α-subunits and subunit assembly is a prerequisite for channel function. In this study the assembly mechanism of SKOR was investigated using the yeast two-hybrid system and functional assays in Xenopus oocytes and in yeast. We demonstrate that SKOR and GORK physically interact and assemble into heteromeric K(out) channels. Deletion mutants and chimeric proteins generated from SKOR and the K(in) channel α-subunit KAT1 revealed that the cytoplasmic C-terminus of SKOR determines channel assembly. Two domains that are crucial for channel assembly were identified: i), a proximal interacting region comprising a putative cyclic nucleotide-binding domain together with 33 amino acids just upstream of this domain, and ii), a distal interacting region showing some resemblance to the K(T) domain of KAT1. Both regions contributed differently to channel assembly. Whereas the proximal interacting region was found to be active on its own, the distal interacting region required an intact proximal interacting region to be active. K(out) α-subunits did not assemble with K(in) α-subunits because of the absence of interaction between their assembly sites

Pan genome of the phytoplankton Emiliania underpins its global distribution

Coccolithophores have influenced the global climate for over 200 million years1. These marine phytoplankton can account for 20 per cent of total carbon fixation in some systems2. They form blooms that can occupy hundreds of thousands of square kilometres and are distinguished by their elegantly sculpted calcium carbonate exoskeletons (coccoliths), rendering themvisible fromspace3.Although coccolithophores export carbon in the form of organic matter and calcite to the sea floor, they also release CO2 in the calcification process. Hence, they have a complex influence on the carbon cycle, driving either CO2 production or uptake, sequestration and export to the deep ocean4. Here we report the first haptophyte reference genome, from the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi strain CCMP1516, and sequences from 13 additional isolates. Our analyses reveal a pan genome (core genes plus genes distributed variably between strains) probably supported by an atypical complement of repetitive sequence in the genome. Comparisons across strains demonstrate thatE. huxleyi, which has long been considered a single species, harbours extensive genome variability reflected in different metabolic repertoires. Genome variability within this species complex seems to underpin its capacity both to thrive in habitats ranging from the equator to the subarctic and to form large-scale episodic blooms under a wide variety of environmental conditions

Surf beat-induced overwash during Typhoon Haiyan deposited two distinct sediment assemblages on the carbonate coast of Hernani, Samar, central Philippines

Wave set-up steepened and accentuated the storm surge during Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 resulting in bore-like flooding with surge heights of 7 m and flow velocities reaching 5 m s on the open-sea coastal plain near Hernani. This study investigates two distinct sediment assemblages left behind by the coastal flooding associated with this surge. The first assemblage consists of numerous coastal boulders that now occupy the reef flat, and the second pertains to a laterally extensive sand sheet that blanketed the coastal plain up to ~ 300 m inland. The majority of the boulders has b axes between 1 and 2 m, weigh no > 10 t, and were originally submerged on the reef edge. The boulders found more landwards of the reef edge were potentially lying loosely on the reef flat prior to Haiyan. In contrast, the coarse carbonate sand sheet starts at ~ 10 m inland of the current shoreline and has a maximum thickness of 10 cm and gradually thins to 3 mm at ~ 300 m inland. The Haiyan sand contains moderate concentrations of foraminifera (Amphistegina spp., Baculogypsina sphaerulata, and Peneroplis spp.) that were both abraded and unaltered, pointing to a reef flat and beach source for the sand. Sediment transport inverse modeling complements previous flow velocity estimates using numerical modeling, which altogether indicate sustained high-velocity overland flow despite the presence of coral reefs and mangroves as natural defenses to extreme waves