Fecundity, spore recruitment and size in Gelidium sesquipedale (Gelidiales,Rhodophyta)

Gelidium sesquipedale fecundity was quantified by counting tetrasporangial sori and cystocarps per meter squared and by estimating the number of spores contained inside them . These were obtained by regression on a size metric of reproductive structures . Tetrasporangial sori length and cystocarp thickness were the best estimators of spore number. To assess spore recruitment, 12 pottery tiles were fixed to the bottom, and the appearance of small fronds was monitored. No clear seasonal pattern of reproduction was found . Tetraspore production peaked in March 1990 with 10.4 x 106 spores m-2, whereas the carpospore peak was lower, 4.9 x 10 5 spores m-2 in July 1989. Recruitment followed tetraspore peaks . The probability of a G. sesquipedale tetraspore making the transition to a recruit was 4.7 x 10-5. Frond length was significantly related to tetrasporangial sori number, while cystocarp number was only related to frond branching order. Minimum size for reproduction was 6.9 cm for gametophytes and 5.4 cm for tetrasporophytes; very rarely were cystocarpic fronds smaller than 9 cm, while tetrasporic fronds were often longer than 15 cm . Cystocarpic fronds were significantly shorter and had more branches than tetrasporic fronds

Total serum N-glycans associate with response to immune checkpoint inhibition therapy and survival in patients with advanced melanoma

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of melanoma and other cancers. However, no reliable biomarker of survival or response has entered the clinic to identify those patients with melanoma who are most likely to benefit from ICIs. Glycosylation affects proteins and lipids’ structure and functions. Tumours are characterized by aberrant glycosylation which may contribute to their progression and hinder an effective antitumour immune response. Methods We aim at identifying novel glyco-markers of response and survival by leveraging the N-glycome of total serum proteins collected in 88 ICI-naive patients with advanced melanoma from two European countries. Samples were collected before and during ICI treatment. Results We observe that responders to ICIs present with a pre-treatment N-glycome profile significantly shifted towards higher abundancy of low-branched structures containing lower abundances of antennary fucose, and that this profile is positively associated with survival and a better predictor of response than clinical variables alone. Conclusion While changes in serum protein glycosylation have been previously implicated in a pro-metastatic melanoma behaviour, we show here that they are also associated with response to ICI, opening new avenues for the stratification of patients and the design of adjunct therapies aiming at improving immune response

A Tetranuclear Silver-Thiourea Cluster

During the synthesis of the bioactive complex [Ag(phen)(mu-tu)](2)(NO3)(2) (1), some crystals of a new compound were isolated. This crystalline compound, [Ag-4(mu-tu)(5)(tu)(6)](NO3)(4)center dot 7Phen (2) (tu = thiourea, Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), is a novelty for at least two reasons: (i) it is the first tetranuclear silver and thiourea cluster; (ii) it is the first crystal structure with seven neutral, and uncoordinated, phen molecules. Phen molecules pack forming an infinite column, and the tu ligands form an intricate network of hydrogen bonds with the Phen and nitrate entities. The new compound [Ag-4(mu-tu)(5)(tu)(6)](NO3)(4)center dot 7Phen (tu = thiourea, Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) is a novelty at least by two ways: (i) it is the first tetranuclear cluster of silver and thiourea; (ii) it is the first crystal structure with seven neutral, and uncoordinated, phen molecules. [GRAPHICS]