Steady-state MreB helices inside bacteria: dynamics without motors

Within individual bacteria, we combine force-dependent polymerization dynamics of individual MreB protofilaments with an elastic model of protofilament bundles buckled into helical configurations. We use variational techniques and stochastic simulations to relate the pitch of the MreB helix, the total abundance of MreB, and the number of protofilaments. By comparing our simulations with mean-field calculations, we find that stochastic fluctuations are significant. We examine the quasi-static evolution of the helical pitch with cell growth, as well as timescales of helix turnover and denovo establishment. We find that while the body of a polarized MreB helix treadmills towards its slow-growing end, the fast-growing tips of laterally associated protofilaments move towards the opposite fast-growing end of the MreB helix. This offers a possible mechanism for targeted polar localization without cytoplasmic motor proteins.Comment: 7 figures, 1 tabl

A Dynamic and Complex Network Regulates the Heterosis of Yield-Correlated Traits in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Although much research has been conducted, the genetic architecture of heterosis remains ambiguous. To unravel the genetic architecture of heterosis, a reconstructed F2 population was produced by random intercross among 202 lines of a double haploid population in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). Both populations were planted in three environments and 15 yield-correlated traits were measured, and only seed yield and eight yield-correlated traits showed significant mid-parent heterosis, with the mean ranging from 8.7% (branch number) to 31.4% (seed yield). Hundreds of QTL and epistatic interactions were identified for the 15 yield-correlated traits, involving numerous variable loci with moderate effect, genome-wide distribution and obvious hotspots. All kinds of mode-of-inheritance of QTL (additive, A; partial-dominant, PD; full-dominant, D; over-dominant, OD) and epistatic interactions (additive × additive, AA; additive × dominant/dominant × additive, AD/DA; dominant × dominant, DD) were observed and epistasis, especially AA epistasis, seemed to be the major genetic basis of heterosis in rapeseed. Consistent with the low correlation between marker heterozygosity and mid-parent heterosis/hybrid performance, a considerable proportion of dominant and DD epistatic effects were negative, indicating heterozygosity was not always advantageous for heterosis/hybrid performance. The implications of our results on evolution and crop breeding are discussed

Crowdsourcing hypothesis tests: Making transparent how design choices shape research results

To what extent are research results influenced by subjective decisions that scientists make as they design studies? Fifteen research teams independently designed studies to answer fiveoriginal research questions related to moral judgments, negotiations, and implicit cognition. Participants from two separate large samples (total N > 15,000) were then randomly assigned to complete one version of each study. Effect sizes varied dramatically across different sets of materials designed to test the same hypothesis: materials from different teams renderedstatistically significant effects in opposite directions for four out of five hypotheses, with the narrowest range in estimates being d = -0.37 to +0.26. Meta-analysis and a Bayesian perspective on the results revealed overall support for two hypotheses, and a lack of support for three hypotheses. Overall, practically none of the variability in effect sizes was attributable to the skill of the research team in designing materials, while considerable variability was attributable to the hypothesis being tested. In a forecasting survey, predictions of other scientists were significantly correlated with study results, both across and within hypotheses. Crowdsourced testing of research hypotheses helps reveal the true consistency of empirical support for a scientific claim.</div

Actin-Myosin Spatial Patterns from a Simplified Isotropic Viscoelastic Model

F-actin networks are involved in cell mechanical processes ranging from motility to endocytosis. The mesoscale architecture of assemblies of individual F-actin polymers that gives rise to micrometer-scale rheological properties is poorly understood, despite numerous in vivo and vitro studies. In vitro networks have been shown to organize into spatial patterns when spatially confined, including dense spherical shells inside spherical emulsion droplets. Here we develop a simplified model of an isotropic, compressible, viscoelastic material continually assembling and disassembling. We demonstrate that spherical shells emerge naturally when the strain relaxation rate (corresponding to internal network reorganization) is slower than the disassembly rate (corresponding to F-actin depolymerization). These patterns are consistent with recent experiments, including a collapse of shells to a central high-density focus of F-actin when either assembly or disassembly is reduced with drugs. Our results demonstrate how complex spatio-temporal patterns can emerge without spatially distributed force generation, polar alignment of F-actin polymers, or spatially nonuniform regulation of F-actin by upstream biochemical networks

Catalytically active Au-O(OH)x-species stabilized by alkali ions on zeolites and mesoporous oxides

We report that the addition of alkali ions (sodium or potassium) to gold on KLTL-zeolite and mesoporous MCM-41 silica stabilizes mononuclear gold in Au-O(OH)x-(Na or K) ensembles. This single-site gold species is active for the low-temperature (\u3c200°C) water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. Unexpectedly, gold is thus similar to platinum in creating -O linkages with more than eight alkali ions and establishing an active site on various supports. The intrinsic activity of the single-site gold species is the same on irreducible supports as on reducible ceria, iron oxide, and titania supports, apparently all sharing a common, similarly structured gold active site. This finding paves the way for using earth-abundant supports to disperse and stabilize precious metal atoms with alkali additives for the WGS and potentially other fuel-processing reactions