A Genetic Analysis of the Relationship Between Life-history Variation and Heat-shock Tolerance in Drosophila buzzatii

Although exposure to environmental stress is common in most populations, and the physiological effects of stress on individuals are well studied, the evolutionary importance of stress to populations is not well understood. To address multitrait responses to environmental change and potential constraints on character evolution, we analysed, in 100 isofemale lines of Drosophila buzzatii, the genetic relationships between resistance to a short heat shock and several life-history traits: survival in benign conditions, larval developmental time, fecundity and longevity. Estimates of heritability of larval thermotolerance were low, but significant, and all life-history traits varied significantly among isofemale lines. Several of these traits covaried significantly. Most correlations indicated positive life-history relationships, but males and females from lines where female fecundity was higher developed more slowly in the absence of stress, which is a negative life-history relationship. The stress reduced or negated many trait associations, and showed one additional relationship; more larvae from lines that developed fast at 25°C survived to adult after stress than did larvae from slow developing lines. These shifts in fitness relationships, when a single stress bout is applied, suggest that even small increases in environmental stress can have profound effects on evolutionary relationships among life-history traits

Resistance to heat and cold stress in Drosophila melanogaster: intra and inter population variation in relation to climate

International audienc

Experimental evidence that livestock grazing intensity affects cyclic vole population regulation processes

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A working model of stroke recovery from rehabilitation robotics practitioners

We reviewed some of our initial insights about the process of upper-limb behavioral recovery following stroke. Evidence to date indicates that intensity, task specificity, active engagement, and focusing training on motor coordination are key factors enabling efficacious recovery. On modeling, experience with over 400 stroke patients has suggested a working model of recovery similar to implicit motor learning. Ultimately, we plan to apply these insights in the development of customized training paradigms to enhance recovery

PGRMC1: a new biomarker for the estrogen receptor in breast cancer

Estrogen receptor (ER) status is a critical biomarker in breast cancer, in large part because the ER is the target of tamoxifen and similar drugs. In the previous issue of Breast Cancer Research, Neubauer and colleagues used a proteomic approach to identify proteins that are differentially regulated by ER in breast tumors. The authors showed that ER-negative tumors have elevated levels of PGRMC1 (progesterone receptor membrane component-1), a hormone receptor component and binding partner for P450 proteins. In contrast, PGRMC1 was phosphorylated in ER-positive tumors. The staining patterns of ER and PGRMC1 were mutually exclusive in breast tumor sections, and PGRMC1 staining was sharply increased in hypoxic areas of the tumor. The results suggest that PGRMC1 is a candidate biomarker for ER status and hypoxia in breast cancer

Kinesin expands and stabilizes the GDP-microtubule lattice

Kinesin-1 is a nanoscale molecular motor that walks towards the fast-growing (plus) ends of microtubules, hauling molecular cargo to specific reaction sites in cells. Kinesin-driven transport is central to the self-organization of eukaryotic cells and shows great promise as a tool for nano-engineering1. Recent work hints that kinesin may also play a role in modulating the stability of its microtubule track, both in vitro2,3 and in vivo4, but the results are conflicting5,6,7 and the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we report a new dimension to the kinesin–microtubule interaction, whereby strong-binding state (adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-bound and apo) kinesin-1 motor domains inhibit the shrinkage of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) microtubules by up to two orders of magnitude and expand their lattice spacing by ~1.6%. Our data reveal an unexpected mechanism by which the mechanochemical cycles of kinesin and tubulin interlock, and so allow motile kinesins to influence the structure, stability and mechanics of their microtubule track

Garden and landscape-scale correlates of moths of differing conservation status: significant effects of urbanization and habitat diversity

Moths are abundant and ubiquitous in vegetated terrestrial environments and are pollinators, important herbivores of wild plants, and food for birds, bats and rodents. In recent years, many once abundant and widespread species have shown sharp declines that have been cited by some as indicative of a widespread insect biodiversity crisis. Likely causes of these declines include agricultural intensification, light pollution, climate change, and urbanization; however, the real underlying cause(s) is still open to conjecture. We used data collected from the citizen science Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) to explore the spatial association between the abundance of 195 widespread British species of moth, and garden habitat and landscape features, to see if spatial habitat and landscape associations varied for species of differing conservation status. We found that associations with habitat and landscape composition were species-specific, but that there were consistent trends in species richness and total moth abundance. Gardens with more diverse and extensive microhabitats were associated with higher species richness and moth abundance; gardens near to the coast were associated with higher richness and moth abundance; and gardens in more urbanized locations were associated with lower species richness and moth abundance. The same trends were also found for species classified as increasing, declining and vulnerable under IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria

Methods for specifying the target difference in a randomised controlled trial : the Difference ELicitation in TriAls (DELTA) systematic review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Threat-sensitive anti-predator defence in precocial wader, the northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Birds exhibit various forms of anti-predator behaviours to avoid reproductive failure, with mobbing—observation, approach and usually harassment of a predator—being one of the most commonly observed. Here, we investigate patterns of temporal variation in the mobbing response exhibited by a precocial species, the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). We test whether brood age and self-reliance, or the perceived risk posed by various predators, affect mobbing response of lapwings. We quantified aggressive interactions between lapwings and their natural avian predators and used generalized additive models to test how timing and predator species identity are related to the mobbing response of lapwings. Lapwings diversified mobbing response within the breeding season and depending on predator species. Raven Corvus corax, hooded crow Corvus cornix and harriers evoked the strongest response, while common buzzard Buteo buteo, white stork Ciconia ciconia, black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus and rook Corvus frugilegus were less frequently attacked. Lapwings increased their mobbing response against raven, common buzzard, white stork and rook throughout the breeding season, while defence against hooded crow, harriers and black-headed gull did not exhibit clear temporal patterns. Mobbing behaviour of lapwings apparently constitutes a flexible anti-predator strategy. The anti-predator response depends on predator species, which may suggest that lapwings distinguish between predator types and match mobbing response to the perceived hazard at different stages of the breeding cycle. We conclude that a single species may exhibit various patterns of temporal variation in anti-predator defence, which may correspond with various hypotheses derived from parental investment theory