The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus in southern European coastal waters: distribution, impact and prospective invasion management strategies

[EN] The native distribution of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the western Atlantic extends from Nova Scotia to Argentina. Introduced to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, it is currently recorded almost ubiquitously in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea. An overview of the occurrence, abundance, and ecological impact of the species in southern European waters is provided; additionally, we present a pragmatic assessment of its management scenarios, explicitly considering the dual nature of C sapidus as both an invasive species and a fishery resource. We emphasise that the ongoing expansion of C sapidus in the region may represent a stimulating challenge for the identification and implementation of future strategies in the management of invasive crustaceans. The impact of the invader could be converted into an enhancement of the services delivered by southern European coastal ecosystems, while mitigation costs could be transformed into profits for local populations. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Funding from FUR 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 to G. M. is acknowledged. The European Fisheries Fund (FEP) Puglia Region (Italy) supported L. C. (CIP 04/OPI/010) as the scientific head of the MOLEVAR project (Pilot Project for the production of soft crabs from Carcinus aestuarii in Varano lagoon). The Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) supported F. R. (SFRH/BPD/46761/2008) with a post-doctoral research grant from the Programa Operacional Potencial Humano/Fundo Social Europeu (POPH/FSE). F. R. and P. C. were also supported by the strategic MARE plan - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (UID/MAR/04292/2013).Mancinelli, G.; Chainho, P.; Cilenti, L.; Falco, S.; Kapiris, K.; Katselis, G.; Ribeiro, F. (2017). The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus in southern European coastal waters: distribution, impact and prospective invasion management strategies. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 119(1):5-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.050S511119

Applications of MCMC methods on function spaces

In the course of this thesis, several different applications of data assimilation will be looked at. In each case, a rigorous mathematical framework will be constructed, in a Bayesian context, to enable the use of various types of data to infer on various infinite dimensional parameters of the system that has been observed. After careful consideration of the forward problem, well-defined posterior distributions on function space are constructed. Using MCMC methods which are defined on these function spaces themselves, we can construct Markov chains whose invariant measures are the posterior of interest. From this point, we can implement these methods on a computer, having finally discretised the problem. The philosophy that we adhere to throughout, is the idea that numerical methods formulated on function space are robust under discretisation, and do not suffer from the curse of dimensionality typically suffered by sampling methods formulated after disretisation. The first few chapters (after the introductory chapter) will focus on various aspects of data assimilation of observations of Stokes ow dynamics. Chapter 2 will focus on Eulerian data where direct observations of the velocity of the fluid at various points in time and space will be made. Chapter 3 will concentrate on data assimilation of indirect observations of the field, in the form of the positions of passive tracers in the flow. In these two chapters we will assume that the forcing of the system is known and that we are merely trying to recover the initial condition of the flow field. In chapter 4 we will consider both Eulerian and Lagrangian data assimilation, with the added complexity of trying to use the data to not only infer on the initial condition but also on the space-time dependant forcing of the system. In chapter 5 we will try to show how these smoothing methods could be adapted into a filtering algorithm, and a simple example will be presented. In the final chapter, 6, this Bayesian framework on function space will be applied to a shape matching problem with applications in the biomedical sciences.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)GBUnited Kingdo

Novel Mitochondrial Substrates of Omi Indicate a New Regulatory Role in Neurodegenerative Disorders

The mitochondrial protease OMI (also known as HtrA2) has been implicated in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and deletion or protease domain point mutations have shown profound neuropathologies in mice. A beneficial role by OMI, in preserving cell viability, is assumed to occur via the avoidance of dysfunctional protein turnover. However relatively few substrates for mitochondrial Omi are known. Here we report our identification of three novel mitochondrial substrates that impact metabolism and ATP production. Using a dual proteomic approach we have identified three interactors based upon ability to bind to OMI, and/or to persist in the proteome after OMI activity has been selectively inhibited. One candidate, the chaperone HSPA8, was common to each independent study. Two others (PDHB subunit and IDH3A subunit) did not appear to bind to OMI, however persisted in the mito-proteome when OMI was inhibited. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) are two key Kreb's cycle enzymes that catalyse oxidative decarboxylation control points in mitochondrial respiration. We verified both PDHB and IDH3A co-immunoprecipitate with HSPA8 and after elution, were degraded by recombinant HtrA2 in vitro. Additionally our gene expression studies, using rotenone (an inhibitor of Complex I) showed Omi expression was silenced when pdhb and idh3a were increased when a sub-lethal dose was applied. However higher dose treatment caused increased Omi expression and decreased levels of pdhb and idh3a transcripts. This implicates mitochondrial OMI in a novel mechanism relating to metabolism

HAX-1 overexpression, splicing and cellular localization in tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HAX-1 has been described as a protein potentially involved in carcinogenesis and especially metastasis. Its involvement in regulation of apoptosis and cell migration along with some data indicating its overexpression in cancer cell lines and tumors suggests that HAX-1 may play a role in neoplastic transformation. Here we present the first systematic analysis of HAX-1 expression in several solid tumors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using quantitative RT-PCR, we have determined the mRNA levels of <it>HAX1 </it>splice variant I in several solid tumors. We have also analyzed by semiquantitative and quantitative RT-PCR the expression of five <it>HAX-1 </it>splice variants in breast cancer samples and in normal tissue from the same individuals. Quantitative PCR was also employed to analyze the effect of estrogen on <it>HAX1 </it>expression in breast cancer cell line. Immunohistochemical analysis of HAX-1 was performed on normal and breast cancer samples.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results reveal statistically important <it>HAX1 </it>up-regulation in breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma, along with some minor variations in the splicing pattern. HAX-1 up-regulation in breast cancer samples was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis, which also revealed an intriguing HAX-1 localization in the nuclei of the tumor cells, associated with strong ER status.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>HAX-1 elevated levels in cancer tissues point to its involvement in neoplastic transformation, especially in breast cancer. The connection between HAX-1 nuclear location and ER status in breast cancer samples remains to be clarified.</p

Distant homologs of anti-apoptotic factor HAX1 encode parvalbumin-like calcium binding proteins

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Apoptosis is a highly ordered and orchestrated multiphase process controlled by the numerous cellular and extra-cellular signals, which executes the programmed cell death <it>via </it>release of cytochrome c alterations in calcium signaling, caspase-dependent limited proteolysis and DNA fragmentation. Besides the general modifiers of apoptosis, several tissue-specific regulators of this process were identified including HAX1 (HS-1 associated protein X-1) - an anti-apoptotic factor active in myeloid cells. Although HAX1 was the subject of various experimental studies, the mechanisms of its action and a functional link connected with the regulation of apoptosis still remains highly speculative.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Here we provide the data which suggests that HAX1 may act as a regulator or as a sensor of calcium. On the basis of iterative similarity searches, we identified a set of distant homologs of HAX1 in insects. The applied fold recognition protocol gives us strong evidence that the distant insects' homologs of HAX1 are novel parvalbumin-like calcium binding proteins. Although the whole three EF-hands fold is not preserved in vertebrate our analysis suggests that there is an existence of a potential single EF-hand calcium binding site in HAX1. The molecular mechanism of its action remains to be identified, but the risen hypothesis easily translates into previously reported lines of various data on the HAX1 biology as well as, provides us a direct link to the regulation of apoptosis. Moreover, we also report that other family of myeloid specific apoptosis regulators - myeloid leukemia factors (MLF1, MLF2) share the homologous C-terminal domain and taxonomic distribution with HAX1.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Performed structural and active sites analyses gave new insights into mechanisms of HAX1 and MLF families in apoptosis process and suggested possible role of HAX1 in calcium-binding, still the analyses require further experimental verification.</p

New mediterranean biodiversity records (November, 2016)

This Collective Article presents information on 26 taxa belonging to 8 Phyla and extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine Sea. The new records were found in 9 countries as follows: Spain: first record for the Mediterranean of the crab Cancer bellianus; Algeria: further records of the alien fish Lagocephalus sceleratus in western Algerian waters; Italy: first report on the presence and establishment of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in Lessina and Varano Lagoons (W. Adriatic) and of Penaeus aztecus in Corigliano Gulf (Italian Ionian). Moreover, the extension of the distribution range of the polychaete Branchiomma bairdi to W. Sicily as well as that of the crab Ocypode cursor and the bryozoan Catenicella paradoxa to E. Sicily are cited. Slovenia: the record of the rare saccoglossan gastropod Placida cremoniana from Piran (Gulf of Trieste) is the first for the Adriatic; Greece: the native sea slug Eubranchus farrani is the first from the Eastern Mediterranean; many sightings of the bamboo corals Isididae distributed along all the E. Ionian Sea and the establishment of P. aztecus in all Greek waters are also reported for first time; the westernmost extension of the alien urchin Diadema setosum in Cretan waters is cited and new sightings of the alien species Goniobranchus annulatus and Pterois miles are presented. Turkey: the alien fish Champsodon capensis is reported for first time from the Aegean Sea and the native acari Agauopsis microrhyncha from the Levantine Sea; a new observation of the alien crab Atergatis roseus in Güllük Bay-Aegean is also mentioned; Cyprus: first records of the alien urchin D. setosum and Lobotes surinamensis in Cypriot waters; Lebanon: several sightings of Monachus monachus from Lebanese waters indicate a potential better status for the species in the area; Egypt: first records of the alien crab Dorippe quadridens and the alien gastropods Nerita sanguinolenta and Conomurex persicus from the Mediterranean Egyptian waters; extension of the distribution range of Diodora funiculata and Diodora rueppellii and a second record of the alien Fulvia fragilis in the same area