Controls on space–time distribution of soft-sediment deformation structures: Applying palaeomagnetic dating to approach the apparent recurrence period of paleoseisms at the Concud Fault (eastern Spain)

This work describes soft-sediment deformation structures (clastic dykes, load structures, diapirs, slumps, nodulizations or mudcracks) identified in three sections (Concud, Ramblillas and Masada Cociero) in the Iberian Range, Spain. These sections were logged from boreholes and outcrops in Upper Pliocene-Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Teruel-Concud Residual Basin, close to de Concud normal fault. Timing of the succession and hence of seismic and non-seismic SSDSs, covering a time span between ~ 3.6 and ~ 1.9 Ma, has been constrained from previous biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic information, then substantially refined from a new magnetostratigraphic study at Masada Cociero profile. Non-seismic SSDSs are relatively well-correlated between sections, while seismic ones are poorly correlated except for several clusters of structures. Between 29 and 35 seismic deformed levels have been computed for the overall stratigraphic succession. Factors controlling the lateral and vertical distribution of SSDSs are their seismic or non-seismic origin, the distance to the seismogenic source (Concud Fault), the sedimentary facies involved in deformation and the observation conditions (borehole core vs. natural outcrop). In the overall stratigraphic section, seismites show an apparent recurrence period of 56 to 108 ka. Clustering of seismic SSDSs levels within a 91-ka-long interval records a period of high paleoseismic activity with an apparent recurrence time of 4.8 to 6.1 ka, associated with increasing sedimentation rate and fault activity. Such activity pattern of the Concud Fault for the Late Pliocene-Early Pliocene, with alternating periods of faster and slower slip, is similar to that for the most recent Quaternary (last ca. 74 ka BP). Concerning the research methods, time occurrence patterns recognized for peaks of paleoseismic activity from SSDSs in boreholes are similar to those inferred from primary evidence in trenches. Consequently, apparent recurrence periods calculated from SSDS inventories collected in borehole logs close to seismogenic faults are comparable to actual recurrence times of large paleoearthquakes

Expresión de la tectónica sinsedimentaria Aptiense en la subcuenca de Las Parras y su potencial estratigráfico (Cuenca del Maestrazgo, Cordillera Ibérica, Teruel)

Evidences of tectonic subsidence during the deposition of the marine Villarroya de los Pinares Formation (Aptian, Urgonian Facies) is found in the marginal Las Parras sub-basin (Maestrazgo Basin, Teruel). This tectonic activity is identified by the presence of a wedge-shaped strata! package related to fault activity and block rotation. The base of the wedge is an erosive surface that laterally evolves into an onlap surface, being the top a drowning surface. The wedge in the eastern section is built up by four shallowing upwards sequences, describing a retrogradational stacking pattern. A clear change from bioclastic, quartz rich limestone to muddy limestone with rudists, occurs gradually from base to top of the section. The western section is thinner than the eastern one and it only records the last muddy phase. Integration of both outcrops shows a higher subsidence at the easter portion of the fault. The little dimensions of faulted blocks in Las Parras sub-basin suggest the possibility of evaluate and separate tectonic, eustatic and sedimentary signals in the Aptian record

Niveles de tormenta en un intervalo siliciclástico costero aptiense de la subcuenca de Las Parras (Teruel): consideraciones paleogeográficas y estratigráficas

A coastal siliciclastic unit was deposited during the Aptian at the base ofVillarroya de los Pinares Formation in Las Parras sub-basin. It can be subdivided in four coarsening-upwards coastal sequences. We focus in the third sequence (S3), which is built up of fine to coarse sandstones, representing an upward change from storm dominated lower shoreface to upper shoreface environments. This sequence represent a reliable datum for correlation across the study area, allowing enhanced stratigraphic precision and the recognition of interesting relationships in the siliciclastic unit. Its lateral facies change suggests the location of a clastic discharge system toward the southeast. The major thickness unhomogeneity across this sequence is also found at the south- easternmost section, which is related with a different structural location involving a jump towards another subsiding block

Niveles de tormenta en un intervalo siliciclástico costero aptiense de la subcuenca de Las Parras (Teruel): consideraciones paleogeográficas y estratigráficas

A coastal siliciclastic unit was deposited during the Aptian at the base ofVillarroya de los Pinares Formation in Las Parras sub-basin. It can be subdivided in four coarsening-upwards coastal sequences. We focus in the third sequence (S3), which is built up of fine to coarse sandstones, representing an upward change from storm dominated lower shoreface to upper shoreface environments. This sequence represent a reliable datum for correlation across the study area, allowing enhanced stratigraphic precision and the recognition of interesting relationships in the siliciclastic unit. Its lateral facies change suggests the location of a clastic discharge system toward the southeast. The major thickness unhomogeneity across this sequence is also found at the south- easternmost section, which is related with a different structural location involving a jump towards another subsiding block.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Facies control on seismites in an alluvial–aeolian system: the Pliocene dunefield of the Teruel half-graben basin (eastern Spain)

The recognition of seismically induced soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) in sedimentary successions characterized by different facies, and hence by different rheology, is challenging. This is the case for high porosity and high permeability aeolian facies interbedded with muddy wet interdune deposits and alluvial conglomerates and sandstones. Several types of SSDS have been studied in two exposures of the Upper Pliocene (2.9–2.6 Ma) sediments of a fault-bounded intracontinental aeolian dune field in the Teruel Basin (Iberian Chain, eastern Spain). Among SSDS, load and fluid-escape structures, apart from several animal tracks, have been recognized. Those structures show an irregular distribution through the studied stratigraphic sections, being scarce in homogenous aeolian sands and frequent in water-related facies. A detailed study of the distribution and geometry of SSDS and their relationships with respect to the stratigraphic architecture and facies has allowed a critical discrimination of trigger mechanisms, i.e. biological or physical overloading vs. earthquakes. The seismically induced structures are concentrated into seven deformed beds, showing an uneven lateral distribution and geometry closely controlled by the hosting sedimentary facies and their rheology. These seismites resulted from liquefaction during moderate earthquakes (estimated magnitude from 5.0 to 6.8). The most probable seismogenic source was the Sierra del Pobo normal fault zone, located 2 km to the East. Results show how an appropriate recognition of sedimentary facies is crucial to understand the lateral variability of seismites in sedimentary environments characterized by sharp facies changes

Nuevas cartografías temáticas del sector norte de la Fosa de Teruel

La Cuenca de Teruel tiene una dirección N-S y es la mayor estructura extensional intracontinental del Mioceno tardío-Cua- ternario ubicada dentro de la Cadena Ibérica centro-oriental. A pesar de esto, su estudio ha sido algo desigual a lo largo de los años, lo que también se refleja en las cartografías existentes de la cuenca. Los mapas geológicos anteriores a escala de cuenca muestran una carencia en el reconocimiento de las principales estructuras de borde e intracuencales (e.g. Godoy et al., 1983a,b). En este trabajo presentamos un nuevo conjunto de mapas temáticos (geológico, estructural, sedimentario y morfotectónico) del sector norte de la cuenca y su implementación en un espacio de trabajo vectorial, lo que permite un aná- lisis “rápido y fácil” de la fracturación, segmentación estructural, salto vs. distancia y evolución del rifting. La fracturación a escala cartográfica muestra una red de fracturas NE-SW, E-W a ESE-WNW, N-S y NNW-SSE en las rocas mesozoicas del pre-rift, mientras que en los materiales neógenos synrift presentan una dirección N-S dominante en el borde de cuenca pero las principales fallas intracuencales tienen una orientación más diversa (NNE-SSW a NE-SW, E-W o NW-SE). La correlación y los desplazamientos verticales de las sucesivas unidades sedimentarias y de varias superficies de aplanamiento erosivo revelan que la deformación se inició en las fallas del margen, mientras que las fallas intracuencales se desarrollaron principalmente en una etapa posterior. The N-S trending Teruel Basin rift is the largest Late Miocene-Quaternary extensional intracontinental structure located within the central-eastern Iberian Chain. Despite this, its study has been somewhat uneven over the years, which is also reflected in the existing maps of the basin. The previous geological maps at a basin-scale do not recognize the main boundary and intrabasinal structures (e.g. Godoy et al., 1983a,b). In this work, we present a new themed map group of the northern sector (geological, structural, sedimentary and morphotectonic) and their implementation in a vectorial workspace, which allows a “quick&easy” analysis of fractures, segmentation structures, throws vs. distance and rifting evolution. Fractures on a map scale show a network of NE-SW, E-W to ESE-WNW, N-S and NNW-SSE fractures in the pre-rift Mesozoic rocks, while Neogene synrift sediments present a dominant N-S strike in the boundary but intrabasinal major faults with diverse orientation (NNE-SSW to NE-SW, E-W, or NW-SE). The correlation and offsets of the successive sedimentary units and seve- ral planation surfaces reveal that tectonic slip initiated at the border faults under an E-W extension, while intrabasinal ones mainly developed in a later stage

Heterogeneous subsidence and paleogeographic elements in an extensional setting revealed through the correlation of a storm deposit unit (Aptian, E Spain)

Durante el Aptiense, en la Subcuenca de Las Parras (NW Cuenca del Maestrazgo) se depositó una unidad siliciclástica en un contexto tectónico extensional. Esta unidad se ha dividido en cuatro secuencias granocrecientes, de las cuales se analiza en detalle la tercera (S3) ya que presenta un alto potencial de correlación lateral. El análisis sedimentológico de la secuencia S3 ha permitido interpretar una evolución vertical de shoreface inferior con procesos de tormenta, a shoreface superior; también ha permitido correlacionar esta secuencia entre dos sectores de la subcuenca que presentan un desarrollo litológico considerablemente diferente. El techo de la secuencia S3 es una superfi cie erosiva menor con valor cronoestratigráfi co y se ha utilizado como datum de correlación para el análisis de la unidad siliciclástica. Las variaciones laterales de facies de la secuencia S3 permiten interpretar la proximidad de un sistema de descarga siliciclástico hacia el sureste, y se propone una zona de intersección de fallas normales, próxima al sector suroriental de la zona estudiada, como un elemento paleoestructural favorable para la entrada de un sistema de drenaje en la cuenca. En el sector suroriental, por encima del datum de correlación, la secuencia S4 presenta un desarrollo muy reducido debido a la ausencia de su parte inferior; esto ha permitido interpretar la presencia de una discontinuidad local intra-S4. Esta discontinuidad local se correlaciona con otra reconocida en el sector noroccidental. Debido a las diferencias de espesor y al grado de desarrollo de la discontinuidad intra-S4 se deduce que la historia de subsidencia de diferentes bloques de la cuenca no es exactamente la misma. Esta discontinuidad intra-S4 podría tener interés regional ya que separa sedimentos dominantemente siliciclásticos de sedimentos carbonatados y podría indicar una modifi cación importante del sistema sedimentario. Para uno de los bloques estudiados, las variaciones espaciales de espesor para cada secuencia podrían representar un desarrollo de la subsidencia alternando periodos con subsidencia diferencial atenuada y periodos con subsidencia diferencial acentuada, que pueden estar relacionados con la dinámica extensional

The Effect of OPA1 on Mitochondrial Ca2+ Signaling

The dynamin-related GTPase protein OPA1, localized in the intermembrane space and tethered to the inner membrane of mitochondria, participates in the fusion of these organelles. Its mutation is the most prevalent cause of Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy. OPA1 controls the diameter of the junctions between the boundary part of the inner membrane and the membrane of cristae and reduces the diffusibility of cytochrome c through these junctions. We postulated that if significant Ca2+ uptake into the matrix occurs from the lumen of the cristae, reduced expression of OPA1 would increase the access of Ca2+ to the transporters in the crista membrane and thus would enhance Ca2+ uptake. In intact H295R adrenocortical and HeLa cells cytosolic Ca2+ signals evoked with K+ and histamine, respectively, were transferred into the mitochondria. The rate and amplitude of mitochondrial [Ca2+] rise (followed with confocal laser scanning microscopy and FRET measurements with fluorescent wide-field microscopy) were increased after knockdown of OPA1, as compared with cells transfected with control RNA or mitofusin1 siRNA. Ca2+ uptake was enhanced despite reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. In permeabilized cells the rate of Ca2+ uptake by depolarized mitochondria was also increased in OPA1-silenced cells. The participation of Na+/Ca2+ and Ca2+/H+ antiporters in this transport process is indicated by pharmacological data. Altogether, our observations reveal the significance of OPA1 in the control of mitochondrial Ca2+ metabolism

Mitochondrial Localization of ABC Transporter ABCG2 and Its Function in 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Mediated Protoporphyrin IX Accumulation

Accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in malignant cells is the basis of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-mediated photodynamic therapy. We studied the expression of proteins that possibly affect ALA-mediated PpIX accumulation, namely oligopeptide transporter-1 and -2, ferrochelatase and ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2), in several tumor cell lines. Among these proteins, only ABCG2 correlated negatively with ALA-mediated PpIX accumulation. Both a subcellular fractionation study and confocal laser microscopic analysis revealed that ABCG2 was distributed not only in the plasma membrane but also intracellular organelles, including mitochondria. In addition, mitochondrial ABCG2 regulated the content of ALA-mediated PpIX in mitochondria, and Ko143, a specific inhibitor of ABCG2, enhanced mitochondrial PpIX accumulation. To clarify the possible roles of mitochondrial ABCG2, we characterized stably transfected-HEK (ST-HEK) cells overexpressing ABCG2. In these ST-HEK cells, functionally active ABCG2 was detected in mitochondria, and treatment with Ko143 increased ALA-mediated mitochondrial PpIX accumulation. Moreover, the mitochondria isolated from ST-HEK cells exported doxorubicin probably through ABCG2, because the export of doxorubicin was inhibited by Ko143. The susceptibility of ABCG2 distributed in mitochondria to proteinase K, endoglycosidase H and peptide-N-glycosidase F suggested that ABCG2 in mitochondrial fraction is modified by N-glycans and trafficked through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus and finally localizes within the mitochondria. Thus, it was found that ABCG2 distributed in mitochondria is a functional transporter and that the mitochondrial ABCG2 regulates ALA-mediated PpIX level through PpIX export from mitochondria to the cytosol

Nutrient supply affects the mRNA expression profile of the porcine skeletal muscle

Background: The genetic basis of muscle fat deposition in pigs is not well known. So far, we have only identified a limited number of genes involved in the absorption, transport, storage and catabolism of lipids. Such information is crucial to interpret, from a biological perspective, the results of genome-wide association analyses for intramuscular fat content and composition traits. Herewith, we have investigated how the ingestion of food changes gene expression in the gluteus medius muscle of Duroc pigs. Results: By comparing the muscle mRNA expression of fasted pigs (T0) with that of pigs sampled 5 h (T1) and 7 h (T2) after food intake, we have detected differential expression (DE) for 148 (T0-T1), 520 (T0-T2) and 135 (T1-T2) genes (q-value of 1.5). Many of these DE genes were transcription factors, suggesting that we have detected the coordinated response of the skeletal muscle to nutrient supply. We also found DE genes with a dual role in oxidative stress and angiogenesis (THBS1, THBS2 and TXNIP), two biological processes that are probably activated in the post-prandial state. Finally, we have identified several loci playing a key role in the modulation of circadian rhythms (ARNTL, PER1, PER2, BHLHE40, NR1D1, SIK1, CIART and CRY2), a result that indicates that the porcine muscle circadian clock is modulated by nutrition. Conclusion: We have shown that hundreds of genes change their expression in the porcine skeletal muscle in response to nutrient intake. Many of these loci do not have a known metabolic role, a result that suggests that our knowledge about the genetic basis of muscle energy homeostasis is still incomplete