Diel rhythmicity in amino acid uptake by Prochlorococcus

The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus, the most abundant phototrophic organism on Earth, numerically dominates the phytoplankton in nitrogen (N)-depleted oceanic gyres. Alongside inorganic N sources such as nitrite and ammonium, natural populations of this genus also acquire organic N, specifically amino acids. Here, we investigated using isotopic tracer and flow cytometric cell sorting techniques whether amino acid uptake by Prochlorococcus is subject to a diel rhythmicity, and if so, whether this was linked to a specific cell cycle stage. We observed, in contrast to diurnally similar methionine uptake rates by Synechococcus cells, obvious diurnal rhythms in methionine uptake by Prochlorococcus cells in the tropical Atlantic. These rhythms were confirmed using reproducible cyclostat experiments with a light synchronised axenic Prochlorococcus (PCC9511 strain) culture and 35S-methionine and 3H-leucine tracers. Cells acquired the tracers at lower rates around dawn and higher rates around dusk despite >104 times higher concentration of ammonium in the medium, presumably because amino acids can be directly incorporated into protein. Leucine uptake rates by cells in the S+G2 cell cycle stage were consistently 2.2 times higher than those of cells at the G1 stage. Furthermore, S+G2 cells up-regulated amino acid uptake 3.5 times from dawn to dusk to boost protein synthesis prior to cell division. Because Prochlorococcus populations can account from 13% at midday, and up to 42% at dusk, of total microbial uptake of methionine and probably of other amino acids in N-depleted oceanic waters, this genus exerts diurnally variable, strong competitive pressure on other bacterioplankton populations

Nutrient recycling facilitates long-term stability of marine microbial phototroph–heterotroph interactions

Biological interactions underpin the functioning of marine ecosystems, be it via competition, predation, mutualism or symbiosis processes. Microbial phototroph–heterotroph interactions propel the engine that results in the biogeochemical cycling of individual elements, and they are critical for understanding and modelling global ocean processes. Unfortunately, studies thus far have focused on exponentially growing cultures in nutrient-rich media, meaning knowledge of such interactions under in situ conditions is rudimentary at best. Here, we have performed long-term phototroph–heterotroph co-culture experiments under nutrient-amended and natural seawater conditions, and show that it is not the concentration of nutrients but rather their circulation that maintains a stable interaction and a dynamic system. Using the Synechococcus–Roseobacter interaction as a model phototroph–heterotroph case study, we show that although Synechococcus is highly specialized for carrying out photosynthesis and carbon fixation, it relies on the heterotroph to remineralize the inevitably leaked organic matter, making nutrients circulate in a mutualistic system. In this sense we challenge the general belief that marine phototrophs and heterotrophs compete for the same scarce nutrients and niche space, and instead suggest that these organisms more probably benefit from each other because of their different levels of specialization and complementarity within long-term stable-state systems

Challenges to the development of antigen-specific breast cancer vaccines

Continued progress in the development of antigen-specific breast cancer vaccines depends on the identification of appropriate target antigens, the establishment of effective immunization strategies, and the ability to circumvent immune escape mechanisms. Methods such as T cell epitope cloning and serological expression cloning (SEREX) have led to the identification of a number target antigens expressed in breast cancer. Improved immunization strategies, such as using dendritic cells to present tumor-associated antigens to T lymphocytes, have been shown to induce antigen-specific T cell responses in vivo and, in some cases, objective clinical responses. An outcome of successful tumor immunity is the evolution of antigen-loss tumor variants. The development of a polyvalent breast cancer vaccine, directed against a panel of tumor-associated antigens, may counteract this form of immune escape

Remotely sensed and modelled pasture biomass, land condition and the potential to improve grazing-management decision tools across the Australian rangelands

This report assesses the potential for expanding on current capacity to monitor land condition using remotely sensed fractional cover products to improve biomass estimation, animal productivity, pasture growth models and grazing decision tools (e.g. safe carrying capacity) across the Australian rangelands. We focus on northern Australia and include relevant research and implementation from southern Australia where appropriate

Влияние тяжелых металлов на жизнеспособность пыльцы некоторых древесных

The influence of Сu, Zn, Pb, Cr on sensitivity male gametophyte of Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, Philadelphus coronarius, Aesculus hippocastanum, Betula pendula, Catalpa bignonioides, Tilia cordata, Elaeagnus angustifolia was investigated. The most sensitive to metals have appeared the following species: to Cu and Zn - Betula pendula, Catalpa bignonoides, to Pb - Philadelphus coronarius, Catalpa bignonoides to Cr - Philadelphus coronarius, Catalpa bignonoides. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/1074

Frequent and specific immunity to the embryonal stem cell–associated antigen SOX2 in patients with monoclonal gammopathy

Specific targets of cellular immunity in human premalignancy are largely unknown. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) represents a precursor lesion to myeloma (MM). We show that antigenic targets of spontaneous immunity in MGUS differ from MM. MGUS patients frequently mount a humoral and cellular immune response against SOX2, a gene critical for self-renewal in embryonal stem cells. Intranuclear expression of SOX2 marks the clonogenic CD138− compartment in MGUS. SOX2 expression is also detected in a proportion of CD138+ cells in MM patients. However, these patients lack anti-SOX2 immunity. Cellular immunity to SOX2 inhibits the clonogenic growth of MGUS cells in vitro. Detection of anti-SOX2 T cells predicts favorable clinical outcome in patients with asymptomatic plasmaproliferative disorders. Harnessing immunity to antigens expressed by tumor progenitor cells may be critical for prevention and therapy of human cancer

A Survey of the Humoral Immune Response of Cancer Patients to a Panel of Human Tumor Antigens

Evidence is growing for both humoral and cellular immune recognition of human tumor antigens. Antibodies with specificity for antigens initially recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), e.g., MAGE and tyrosinase, have been detected in melanoma patient sera, and CTLs with specificity for NY-ESO-1, a cancer-testis (CT) antigen initially identified by autologous antibody, have recently been identified. To establish a screening system for the humoral response to autoimmunogenic tumor antigens, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed using recombinant NY-ESO-1, MAGE-1, MAGE-3, SSX2, Melan-A, and tyrosinase proteins. A survey of sera from 234 cancer patients showed antibodies to NY-ESO-1 in 19 patients, to MAGE-1 in 3, to MAGE-3 in 2, and to SSX2 in 1 patient. No reactivity to these antigens was found in sera from 70 normal individuals. The frequency of NY-ESO-1 antibody was 9.4% in melanoma patients and 12.5% in ovarian cancer patients. Comparison of tumor NY-ESO-1 phenotype and NY-ESO-1 antibody response in 62 stage IV melanoma patients showed that all patients with NY-ESO-1+ antibody had NY-ESO-1+ tumors, and no patients with NY-ESO-1− tumors had NY-ESO-1 antibody. As the proportion of melanomas expressing NY-ESO-1 is 20–40% and only patients with NY-ESO-1+ tumors have antibody, this would suggest that a high percentage of patients with NY-ESO-1+ tumors develop an antibody response to NY-ESO-1

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs