Tracking Canada Geese Near Airports: Using Spatial Data to Better Inform Management

The adaptation of birds to urban environments has created direct hazards to air transportation with the potential for catastrophic incidents. Bird–aircraft collisions involving Canada geese (Branta canadensis; goose) pose greater risks to aircraft than many bird species due to their size and flocking behavior. However, information on factors driving movements of geese near airports and within aircraft arrival/departure areas for application to management are limited. To address this need, we deployed 31 neck collar-mounted global positioning system transmitters on Canada geese near Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, USA during November 2015 to February 2016. We used the movement data obtained to model environmental and behavioral factors influencing the intersection of goose movements (i.e., transition from 1 location to another) with air operations areas (i.e., aircraft flight paths). Of 3,008 goose movements recorded, 821 intersected a 3-km buffer around the airport representing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration recommended distances from wildlife attractants, and 399 intersected flight paths for approaching and landing aircraft. The effects of weather (i.e., snow cover, temperature, wind speed) on the probability of geese flying varied with different air operation areas while certain habitat resources greatly increased the probability of intersection. For example, the juxtaposition of foraging (railyards with spilled grain) and loafing areas (rooftops) near the airport led to a higher probability of movements intersecting important air operations areas. The average altitude of flying geese was 29.8 m above the ground, resulting in the greatest risk of collision being within 0.5 km of the end of runways. We suggest airport goose collision mitigation management actions, such as reducing habitat resources near the airport and using focused nonlethal harassment or physical modifications, when guided by animal movement data, may further mitigate bird-strike risks

Yeast Sgf73/Ataxin-7 serves to anchor the deubiquitination module into both SAGA and Slik(SALSA) HAT complexes

Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a physically devastating, genetically inherited disorder characterized by abnormal brain function that results in the progressive loss of the ability to coordinate movements. There are many types of SCAs as there are various gene mutations that can cause this disease. SCA types 1–3, 6–10, 12, and 17 result from a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the DNA-coding sequence. Intriguingly, recent work has demonstrated that increased trinucleotde expansions in the SCA7 gene result in defect in the function of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex. The SCA7 gene encodes a subunit of the SAGA complex. This subunit is conserved in yeast as the SGF73 gene. We demonstrate that Sgf73 is required to recruit the histone deubiquitination module into both SAGA and the related SliK(SALSA) complex, and to maintain levels of histone ubiquitination, which is necessary for regulation of transcription at a number of genes

Determining Protein Complex Connectivity Using a Probabilistic Deletion Network Derived from Quantitative Proteomics

Protein complexes are key molecular machines executing a variety of essential cellular processes. Despite the availability of genome-wide protein-protein interaction studies, determining the connectivity between proteins within a complex remains a major challenge. Here we demonstrate a method that is able to predict the relationship of proteins within a stable protein complex. We employed a combination of computational approaches and a systematic collection of quantitative proteomics data from wild-type and deletion strain purifications to build a quantitative deletion-interaction network map and subsequently convert the resulting data into an interdependency-interaction model of a complex. We applied this approach to a data set generated from components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rpd3 histone deacetylase complexes, which consists of two distinct small and large complexes that are held together by a module consisting of Rpd3, Sin3 and Ume1. The resulting representation reveals new protein-protein interactions and new submodule relationships, providing novel information for mapping the functional organization of a complex

A Mammalian Mediator Subunit that Shares Properties with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mediator Subunit Cse2

The multiprotein Mediator complex is a coactivator required for activation of RNA polymerase II transcription by DNA bound transcription factors. We previously identified and partially purified a mammalian Mediator complex from rat liver nuclei (Brower, C.S., Sato, S., Tomomori-Sato, C., Kamura, T., Pause, A., Stearman, R., Klausner, R.D., Malik, S., Lane, W.S., Sorokina, I., Roeder, R.G., Conaway, J.W., and Conaway, R.C. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99, 10353-10358). Analysis by tandem mass spectrometry of proteins present in the most highly purified rat Mediator fractions led to the identification of a collection of new mammalian Mediator subunits, as well as several potential Mediator subunits including a previously uncharacterized protein encoded by the FLJ10193open reading frame. In this study, we present direct biochemical evidence that the FLJ10193protein, which we designate Med25, is a bona fide subunit of the mammalian Mediator complex. In addition, we present evidence that Med25 shares structural and functional properties with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mediator subunit Cse2 and may be a mammalian Cse2 ortholog. Taken together, our findings identify a novel mammalian Mediator subunit and shed new light on the architecture of the mammalian Mediator complex

The ATAC Acetyltransferase Complex Coordinates MAP Kinases to Regulate JNK Target Genes

SummaryIn response to extracellular cues, signal transduction activates downstream transcription factors like c-Jun to induce expression of target genes. We demonstrate that the ATAC (Ada two A containing) histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex serves as a transcriptional cofactor for c-Jun at the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) target genes Jra and chickadee. ATAC subunits are required for c-Jun occupancy of these genes and for H4K16 acetylation at the Jra enhancer, promoter, and transcribed sequences. Under conditions of osmotic stress, ATAC colocalizes with c-Jun, recruits the upstream kinases Misshapen, MKK4, and JNK, and suppresses further activation of JNK. Relocalization of these MAPKs and suppression of JNK activation by ATAC are dependent on the CG10238 subunit of ATAC. Thus, ATAC governs the transcriptional response to MAP kinase signaling by serving as both a coactivator of transcription and as a suppressor of upstream signaling

The Spliceosomal Protein SF3B5 is a Novel Component of Drosophila SAGA that Functions in Gene Expression Independent of Splicing

The interaction between splicing factors and the transcriptional machinery provides an intriguing link between the coupled processes of transcription and splicing. Here, we show that the two components of the SF3B complex, SF3B3 and SF3B5, that form part of the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) are also subunits of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase (SAGA) transcriptional coactivator complex in Drosophila melanogaster. Whereas SF3B3 had previously been identified as a human SAGA subunit, SF3B5 had not been identified as a component of SAGA in any species. We show that SF3B3 and SF3B5 bind to SAGA independent of RNA and interact with multiple SAGA subunits including Sgf29 and Spt7 in a yeast two-hybrid assay. Through analysis of sf3b5mutant flies, we show that SF3B5 is necessary for proper development and cell viability but not for histone acetylation. Although SF3B5 does not appear to function in SAGA\u27s histone-modifying activities, SF3B5 is still required for expression of a subset of SAGA-regulated genes independent of splicing. Thus, our data support an independent function of SF3B5 in SAGA\u27s transcription coactivator activity that is separate from its role in splicing

Regulation of the CRL4(Cdt2) ubiquitin ligase and cell-cycle exit by the SCF(Fbxo11) ubiquitin ligase

F-box proteins and DCAF proteins are the substrate binding subunits of the Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein (SCF) and Cul4-RING protein ligase (CRL4) ubiquitin ligase complexes, respectively. Using affinity purification and mass spectrometry, we determined that the F-box protein FBXO11 interacts with CDT2, a DCAF protein that controls cell-cycle progression, and recruits CDT2 to the SCF(FBXO11)complex to promote its proteasomal degradation. In contrast to most SCF substrates, which exhibit phosphodegron-dependent binding to F-box proteins, CDK-mediated phosphorylation of Thr464 present in the CDT2 degron inhibits recognition by FBXO11. Finally, our results show that the functional interaction between FBXO11 and CDT2 is evolutionary conserved from worms to humans and plays an important role in regulating the timing of cell-cycle exit.Fil: Rossi, Mario. University Of New York; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Duan, Shanshan. University Of New York; Estados Unidos. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Jeong, Yeon Tae. University Of New York; Estados UnidosFil: Horn, Moritz. Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing; Alemania. University of Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Saraf, Anita. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research; Estados UnidosFil: Florens, Laurence. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research; Estados UnidosFil: Washburn, Michael P.. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research; Estados Unidos. University of Kansas; Estados UnidosFil: Antebi, Adam. Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing; Alemania. University of Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Pagano, Michele. University Of New York; Estados Unidos. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados Unido

Histone H3 Methylation by Set2 Directs Deacetylation of Coding Regions by Rpd3S to Suppress Spurious Intragenic Transcription

SummaryYeast Rpd3 histone deacetylase plays an important role at actively transcribed genes. We characterized two distinct Rpd3 complexes, Rpd3L and Rpd3S, by MudPIT analysis. Both complexes shared a three subunit core and Rpd3L contains unique subunits consistent with being a promoter targeted corepressor. Rco1 and Eaf3 were subunits specific to Rpd3S. Mutants of RCO1 and EAF3 exhibited increased acetylation in the FLO8 and STE11 open reading frames (ORFs) and the appearance of aberrant transcripts initiating within the body of these ORFs. Mutants in the RNA polymerase II-associated SET2 histone methyltransferase also displayed these defects. Set2 functioned upstream of Rpd3S and the Eaf3 methyl-histone binding chromodomain was important for recruitment of Rpd3S and for deacetylation within the STE11 ORF. These data indicate that Pol II-associated Set2 methylates H3 providing a transcriptional memory which signals for deacetylation of ORFs by Rpd3S. This erases transcription elongation-associated acetylation to suppress intragenic transcription initiation

<i>Schizosaccharomyces pombe</i> Pol II transcription elongation factor ELL functions as part of a rudimentary super elongation complex

ELL family transcription factors activate the overall rate of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription elongation by binding directly to Pol II and suppressing its tendency to pause. In metazoa, ELL regulates Pol II transcription elongation as part of a large multisubunit complex referred to as the Super Elongation Complex (SEC), which includes P-TEFb and EAF, AF9 or ENL, and an AFF family protein. Although orthologs of ELL and EAF have been identified in lower eukaryotes including Schizosaccharomyces pombe, it has been unclear whether SEClike complexes function in lower eukaryotes. In this report, we describe isolation from S. pombe of an ELL-containing complex with features of a rudimentary SEC. This complex includes S. pombe Ell1, Eaf1, and a previously uncharacterized protein we designate Ell1 binding protein 1 (Ebp1), which is distantly related to metazoan AFF family members. Like the metazoan SEC, this S. pombe ELL complex appears to function broadly in Pol II transcription. Interestingly, it appears to have a particularly important role in regulating genes involved in cell separation

Cyclin F-Mediated Degradation of Ribonucleotide Reductase M2 Controls Genome Integrity and DNA Repair

F-box proteins are the substrate binding subunits of SCF (Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein) ubiquitin ligase complexes. Using affinity purifications and mass spectrometry, we identified RRM2 (the ribonucleotide reductase family member 2) as an interactor of the F-box protein cyclin F. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs), which are necessary for both replicative and repair DNA synthesis. We found that, during G2, following CDK-mediated phosphorylation of Thr33, RRM2 is degraded via SCFcyclin F to maintain balanced dNTP pools and genome stability. After DNA damage, cyclin F is downregulated in an ATR-dependent manner to allow accumulation of RRM2. Defective elimination of cyclin F delays DNA repair and sensitizes cells to DNA damage, a phenotype that is reverted by expressing a nondegradable RRM2 mutant. In summary, we have identified a biochemical pathway that controls the abundance of dNTPs and ensures efficient DNA repair in response to genotoxic stress