1,233 research outputs found
Generation of thermo-sensitive allele of the TPR like protein Nup211by PCR mutagenesis
Motivation: TPR proteins are conserved large coiled-coil proteins that localize at the nucleoplasmic side of the nuclear pore complex and participate in multiple aspects of DNA metabolism. The protein Nup211, fission yeast homolog of Mlp1/Mlp2/Tpr, participate in the mRNA export and is essential for vegetative growth. The aim of this work is to create a collection of thermo-sensitive alleles of nup211.Methods: To create the collection, we have generated a new strain with the nup211 gen tagged with GFP at the amino terminal extreme and confirmed by fluorescent microscopy that the protein Nup211 localized in the nuclear envelop. Then, we have carried out a Taq PCR-based Random Mutagenesis with reduced concentration of dATP. The PCR products were transformed into a wild type strain to generate conditional mutants. The transformants obtained whose growth was impaired at 36ºC were preselected as thermo-sensitive mutants. To confirm the growth deficiency of these clones, a drop assay was performed and the best candidates were selected. These thermo-sensitive mutants were cultivated at 25ºC as well as 36ºC and both cultures were subjected to various experiments in order to study any changes in the localization of Nup211.Results: Up to now, we have demonstrated by fluorescent microscopy that the thermo-sensitive mutants show a modified nuclear distribution of Nup211 and different cellular phenotype, suggesting that the differents clones might represent differents nup211 thermo-sensitive alleles. These alleles are going to be subjected to various experiments to clarify the role of the protein in the mRNA export
The impact of environmental effects on AGN: a decline in the incidence of ionized outflows
AGN have been generally considered to be less frequent in denser environments
due to the lower number of galaxy-galaxy interactions and/or the removal of
their gas-rich reservoirs by the dense intergalactic medium. However, recent
observational and theoretical works suggest that the effect of ram-pressure
stripping might reduce the angular momentum of their gas, causing it to infall
towards the super massive black hole (SMBH) at their centre, activating the AGN
phase. In this work we explore the connection between environment and nuclear
activity by evaluating the variation in the incidence of ionized outflows in
AGN across different environments. We select a sample of optical AGN
from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 13 that we match with the group
catalogue from Lim et al. 2017. We further probe their environment through the
projected distance to the central galaxy of the group/cluster and the projected
surface density to the 5th neighbour (). We find that at lower masses
(M), the fraction of ionized outflows is significantly
lower in satellite (%) than in isolated (%) AGN. The fraction of
outflows in all satellite AGN decreases towards closer distances to the
central, whereas only the lower-mass ones display a significant decline with
. Although this study does not include AGN in the densest regions of
galaxy clusters, our findings suggest that AGN in dense environments accrete
less gas than those in the field potentially due to the removal of the gas
reservoirs via stripping or starvation, consistent with a negative connection
between environment and AGN activity. We propose that the observed change in
the incidence of outflows towards denser regions of groups and clusters could
contribute to the higher gas metallicities of cluster galaxies compared to
field ones, especially at lower masses.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Wavelength self-calibration and sky subtraction for Fabry–Pérot interferometers: applications to OSIRIS
We describe techniques concerning wavelength calibration and sky subtraction to maximize the scientific utility of data from tunable filter instruments. While we specifically address data from the Optical System for Imaging and low Resolution Integrated Spectroscopy instrument (OSIRIS) on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias telescope, our discussion is generalizable to data from other tunable filter instruments. A key aspect of our methodology is a coordinate transformation to polar coordinates, which simplifies matters when the tunable filter data are circularly symmetric around the optical centre. First, we present a method for rectifying inaccuracies in the wavelength calibration using OH sky emission rings. Using this technique, we improve the absolute wavelength calibration from an accuracy of ∼5 to 1 Å, equivalent to ∼7 per cent of our instrumental resolution, for 95 per cent of our data. Then, we discuss a new way to estimate the background sky emission by median filtering in polar coordinates. This method suppresses contributions to the sky background from the outer envelopes of distant galaxies, maximizing the fluxes of sources measured in the corresponding sky-subtracted images. We demonstrate for data tuned to a central wavelength of 7615 Å that galaxy fluxes in the new sky-subtracted image are ∼37 per cent higher, versus a sky-subtracted image from existing methods for OSIRIS tunable filter data
Physics of ULIRGs with MUSE and ALMA: The PUMA project: I. Properties of the survey and first MUSE data results
Ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) are characterised by extreme
starburst (SB) and AGN activity, and are therefore ideal laboratories for
studying the outflow phenomena. We have recently started a project called
Physics of ULIRGs with MUSE and ALMA (PUMA), which is a survey of 25 nearby (z
< 0.165) ULIRGs observed with the integral field spectrograph MUSE and the
interferometer ALMA. This sample includes systems with both AGN and SB nuclear
activity in the pre- and post-coalescence phases of major mergers. The main
goals of the project are to study the prevalence of multi-phase outflows as a
function of the galaxy properties, to constrain the driving mechanisms of the
outflows (e.g. distinguish between SB and AGN winds), and to identify feedback
effects on the host galaxy. In this first paper, we present details on the
sample selection, MUSE observations, and derive first data products. MUSE data
were analysed to study the dynamical status of each of the 21 ULIRGs observed
so far, taking the stellar kinematics and the morphological properties inferred
from MUSE narrow-band images into account. We also located the ULIRG nuclei,
using near-IR (HST) and mm (ALMA) data, and studied their optical spectra to
infer the ionisation state through BPT diagnostics, and outflows in both
ionised and neutral gas. We show that the morphological and stellar kinematic
classifications are consistent: post-coalescence systems are more likely
associated with ordered motions, while interacting (binary) systems are
dominated by non-ordered and streaming motions. We also find broad and
asymmetric [OIII] and NaID profiles in almost all nuclear spectra, with line
widths in the range 300-2000 km/s, possibly associated with AGN- and SB-driven
winds. This result reinforces previous findings that indicated that outflows
are ubiquitous during the pre- and post-coalescence phases of major mergers.ERC
STF
MUSE view of Arp220: Kpc-scale multi-phase outflow and evidence for positive feedback
Arp220 is the nearest and prototypical ULIRG, and shows evidence of pc-scale
molecular outflows in its nuclear regions and strongly perturbed ionised gas
kinematics on kpc scales. It is therefore the ideal system for investigating
outflows and feedback phenomena in details. We investigate the feedback effects
on the Arp220 ISM, deriving a detailed picture of the atomic gas in terms of
physical and kinematic properties, with a spatial resolution never obtained
before (0.56", i.e. ~ 210 pc). We use optical IFS observations from VLT/MUSE-AO
to obtain spatially resolved stellar and gas kinematics, for both ionised ([N
II]6583) and neutral (Na ID5891,96) components; we also derive dust
attenuation, electron density, ionisation conditions and hydrogen column
density maps to characterise the ISM properties. Arp220 kinematics reveal the
presence of a disturbed, kpc-scale disk in the innermost nuclear regions, and
highly perturbed, multi-phase (neutral and ionised) gas along the minor-axis of
the disk, which we interpret as a galactic-scale outflow emerging from the
Arp220 eastern nucleus. This outflow involves velocities up to ~ 1000 km/s at
galactocentric distances of ~ 5 kpc, and has a mass rate of ~ 50 Msun/yr, and
kinetic and momentum power of ~ 1e43 erg/s and ~ 1e35 dyne, respectively. The
inferred energetics do not allow us to distinguish the origin of the outflows,
i.e. whether they are AGN-driven or starburst-driven. We also present evidence
for enhanced star formation at the edges of - and within - the outflow, with a
star formation rate SFR ~ 5 Msun/yr (i.e. ~ 2% of the total SFR). Our findings
suggest the presence of powerful winds in Arp220: they might be capable of
removing or heating large amounts of gas from the host ("negative feedback"),
but could be also responsible for triggering star formation ("positive
feedback").STFC
ER
The role of physico-chemical interactions in the seasonality of toxic dinoflagellate cyst assemblages: The case of the NW Patagonian fjords system
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are recurrent in the NW Patagonia fjords system and their frequency has increased over the last few decades. Outbreaks of HAB species such as Alexandrium catenella, a causal agent of paralytic shellfish poisoning, and Protoceratium reticulatum, a yessotoxins producer, have raised considerable concern due to their adverse socioeconomic consequences. Monitoring programs have mainly focused on their planktonic stages, but since these species produce benthic resting cysts, the factors influencing cyst distributions are increasingly gaining recognition as potentially important to HAB recurrence in some regions. Still, a holistic understanding of the physico-chemical conditions influencing cyst distribution in this region is lacking, especially as it relates to seasonal changes in drivers of cyst distributions as the characteristics that favor cyst preservation in the sediment may change through the seasons. In this study, we analyzed the physico–chemical properties of the sediment (temperature, pH, redox potential) and measured the bottom dissolved oxygen levels in a “hotspot” area of southern Chile, sampling during the spring and summer as well as the fall and winter, to determine the role these factors may play as modulators of dinoflagellate cyst distribution, and specifically for the cysts of A. catenella and P. reticulatum. A permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) showed the significant effect of sediment redox conditions in explaining the differences in the cyst assemblages between spring-summer and fall-winter periods (seasonality). In a generalized linear model (GLM), sediment redox potential and pH were associated with the highest abundances of A. catenella resting cysts in the spring-summer, however it was sediment temperature that most explained the distribution of A. catenella in the fall-winter. For P. reticulatum, only spring-summer sediment redox potential and temperature explained the variation in cyst abundances. The implications of environmental physico-chemical seasonality for the resting cysts dynamics of both species are discussed.Postprint3,74
The ultra-dense, interacting environment of a dual AGN at z 3.3 revealed by JWST/NIRSpec IFS
LBQS 0302-0019 is a blue quasar (QSO) at z ~ 3.3, hosting powerful outflows,
and residing in a complex environment consisting of an obscured AGN candidate,
and multiple companions, all within 30 kpc in projection. We use JWST NIRSpec
IFS observations to characterise the ionized gas in this complex system. We
develop a procedure to correct for the spurious oscillations (or 'wiggles') in
NIRSpec single-spaxel spectra, due to the spatial under-sampling of the point
spread function. We perform a quasar-host decomposition with the QDeblend3D
tools, and use multi-component kinematic decomposition of the optical emission
line profiles to infer the physical properties of the emitting gas. The
quasar-host decomposition allows us to identify i) a low-velocity component
possibly tracing a warm rotating disk, with a dynamical mass Mdyn Msun and a rotation-to-random motion ratio /; ii) a spatially unresolved ionised outflow, with a velocity of 1000
km/s and an outflow mass rate of Msun/yr. We also detect eight
interacting companion objects close to LBQS 0302-0019. Optical line ratios
confirm the presence of a second, obscured AGN at kpc of the primary
QSO; the dual AGN dominates the ionization state of the gas in the entire
NIRSpec field-of-view. This work has unveiled with unprecedented detail the
complex environment of this dual AGN, which includes nine interacting
companions (five of which were previously unknown), all within 30 kpc of the
QSO. Our results support a scenario where mergers can trigger dual AGN, and can
be important drivers for rapid early SMBH growth.Comment: 23 pages, 23 figures; accepted for publication by A&
GA-NIFS: co-evolution within a highly star-forming galaxy group at z=3.7 witnessed by JWST/NIRSpec IFS
We present NIRSpec IFS observations of a galaxy group around the massive
GS_4891 galaxy at z=3.7 in GOODS-South that includes two other two systems,
GS_4891_n to the north and GS_28356 to the east. These observations, obtained
as part of the GTO GA-NIFS program, allow for the first time to study the
spatially resolved properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) and ionized gas
kinematics of a galaxy at this redshift. Leveraging the wide wavelength range
spanned with the high-dispersion grating (with resolving power R=2700)
observations, covering from [OII]3726,29 to
[SII]6716,31, we explore the spatial distribution of
star-formation rate, nebular attenuation and gas metallicity, together with the
mechanisms responsible for the excitation of the ionized gas. GS_4891 presents
a clear gradient of gas metallicity (as traced by 12 + log(O/H)) by more than
0.2dex from the south-east (where a star-forming clump is identified) to the
north-west. The gas metallicity in the less-massive northern system, GS_4891_n,
is also higher by 0.2 dex than at the center of GS_4891, suggesting that
inflows of lower-metallicity gas might be favoured in higher-mass systems. The
kinematic analysis shows that GS_4891 presents velocity gradients in the
ionized gas consistent with rotation. The region between GS_4891 and GS_4891_n
does not present high gas turbulence which, together with the difference in gas
metallicities, suggests that these two systems might be in a pre-merger stage.
Finally, GS_4891 hosts an ionized outflow that extends out to r_out=1.2 kpc
from the nucleus and reaches maximum velocities v_out of approximately 400
km/s. Despite entraining an outflowing mass rate of M_out2Msun/yr, the
low associated mass-loading factor, =0.05, implies that the outflow does
not have a significant impact on the star-formation activity of the galaxy.Comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics on September 25th, 202
Aportaciones a la flora de Galicia, VIII
Se citan 37 plantas de variado interés para la flora gallega. Se incluyen 8 novedades de carácter regional
(Pteris incompleta Cav., Potentilla recta L., Myriophyllum spicatum L., Solanum sisymbrifolium Lam., Knautia
integrifolia (L.) Bertol., Senecio inaequidens DC. Melica arrecta G. Kunze y Stipa clausa Trab.), 17 novedades
provinciales (Vandenboschia speciosa (Willd.) G. Kunkel, Ranunculus bupleuroides Brot., Silene niceensis All.,
Armeria transmontana (Samp.) Lawr., Alcea rosea L., Crambe hispanica L., Rorippa microphylla (Rchb.) Hyl.,
Saxifraga lepismigena Planellas, Cytisus commutatus subsp. merinoi Laínz & M. Laínz, Galega officinalis L.,
Melilotus spicatus (Sm.) Breistr., Calystegia silvatica (Kit.) Griseb., Orobanche hederae Baucher ex Duby, Aegilops
triuncialis L., Eleusine tristachya (Lam.) Lam., Gagea nevadensis Boiss. y Paradisea lusitanica (Cout.)
Samp.) y 12 de interés corológico pero que no suponen novedad gallega o provincial (Lycopodiella inundata (L.)
Holub., Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. & Körte, Quercus cerris L., Genista sanabrensis Valdés Berm., Castrov.
& Casaseca, Oenothera speciosa Nutt., Ligustrum vulgare L., Stachys sylvatica L., Antirrhinum meonanthum
Hoffmanns. & Link, Cynara cardunculus L., Nardus stricta L., Gagea pratensis (Pers.) Dumort. y Narcissus
rupicola Dufour). Como en anteriores aportaciones, cada taxon va acompañado de diversos comentarios que
indican su relevancia corológica o ecológica
Single-cell Atlas of common variable immunodeficiency shows germinal center-associated epigenetic dysregulation in B-cell responses
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), the most prevalent symptomatic primary immunodeficiency, displays impaired terminal B-cell differentiation and defective antibody responses. Incomplete genetic penetrance and ample phenotypic expressivity in CVID suggest the participation of additional pathogenic mechanisms. Monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for CVID are uniquely valuable for studying the contribution of epigenetics to the disease. Here, we generate a single-cell epigenomics and transcriptomics census of naïve-to-memory B cell differentiation in a CVID-discordant MZ twin pair. Our analysis identifies DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility and transcriptional defects in memory B-cells mirroring defective cell-cell communication upon activation. These findings are validated in a cohort of CVID patients and healthy donors. Our findings provide a comprehensive multi-omics map of alterations in naïve-to-memory B-cell transition in CVID and indicate links between the epigenome and immune cell cross-talk. Our resource, publicly available at the Human Cell Atlas, gives insight into future diagnosis and treatments of CVID patients
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