Loss of redundant gene expression after polyploidization in plants

Based on chromosomal location data of genes encoding 28 biochemical systems in allohexaploid wheat,Triticum aestivum L. (genomes AABBDD), it is concluded that the proportions of systems controlled by triplicate, duplicate, and single loci are 57%, 25%, and 18% respectively

An analytic expression for the electronic correlation term of the kinetic functional

We propose an analytic formula for the non-local Fisher information functional, or electronic kinetic correlation term, appearing in the expression of the kinetic density functional. Such an explicit formula is constructed on the basis of well-founded physical arguments and a rigorous mathematical prescription

Obesity-induced changes in lipid mediators persist after weight loss.

BackgroundObesity induces significant changes in lipid mediators, however, the extent to which these changes persist after weight loss has not been investigated.Subjects/methodsWe fed C57BL6 mice a high-fat diet to generate obesity and then switched the diet to a lower-fat diet to induce weight loss. We performed a comprehensive metabolic profiling of lipid mediators including oxylipins, endocannabinoids, sphingosines and ceramides in key metabolic tissues (including adipose, liver, muscle and hypothalamus) and plasma.ResultsWe found that changes induced by obesity were largely reversible in most metabolic tissues but the adipose tissue retained a persistent obese metabolic signature. Prostaglandin signaling was perturbed in the obese state and lasting increases in PGD2, and downstream metabolites 15-deoxy PGJ2 and delta-12-PGJ2 were observed after weight loss. Furthermore expression of the enzyme responsible for PGD2 synthesis (hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase, HPGDS) was increased in obese adipose tissues and remained high after weight loss. We found that inhibition of HPGDS over the course of 5 days resulted in decreased food intake in mice. Increased HPGDS expression was also observed in human adipose tissues obtained from obese compared with lean individuals. We then measured circulating levels of PGD2 in obese patients before and after weight loss and found that while elevated relative to lean subjects, levels of this metabolite did not decrease after significant weight loss.ConclusionsThese results suggest that lasting changes in lipid mediators induced by obesity, still present after weight loss, may play a role in the biological drive to regain weight

On the upper bound of the electronic kinetic energy in terms of density functionals

We propose a simple density functional expression for the upper bound of the kinetic energy for electronic systems. Such a functional is valid in the limit of slowly varying density, its validity outside this regime is discussed by making a comparison with upper bounds obtained in previous work. The advantages of the functional proposed for applications to realistic systems is briefly discussed.Comment: 10 pages, no figure

Model Reactions Involving Ester Functional Groups during Thermo‐Oxidative Degradation of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel used in diesel engines that is typically blended with diesel fuel. However, biodiesel is susceptible to oxidation, which has the potential to produce higher molecular weight materials that may adversely impact vehicle fuel‐system performance. To investigate the chemical reactions potentially important in biodiesel oxidation, four different types of chemical reactions involving esters were studied: (1) ester formation (reactions of acids with alcohols), (2) alcoholysis (reactions of alcohols with esters), (3) acidolysis (reaction of acids with esters), and (4) ester exchange (reactions between two esters). Experiments with representative model compounds were used to evaluate these reactions at 90 °C with aeration; conditions previously used to simulate thermo‐oxidative degradation during biodiesel aging. Reactions were monitored using gas chromatography, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and total acid number (TAN). Evidence is presented suggesting that alcoholysis and ester formation (Reactions 1 and 2), catalyzed by carboxylic acids, are important reactions of esters that could lead to larger molecules. Acidolysis (Reaction 3) proceeded at a comparatively slow rate and ester exchange reaction products (Reaction 4) were not detected under these aging conditions.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151841/1/aocs12277_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151841/2/aocs12277.pd

High cooperativity coupling of electron-spin ensembles to superconducting cavities

Electron spins in solids are promising candidates for quantum memories for superconducting qubits because they can have long coherence times, large collective couplings, and many quantum bits can be encoded into the spin-waves of a single ensemble. We demonstrate the coupling of electron spin ensembles to a superconducting transmission-line resonator at coupling strengths greatly exceeding the cavity decay rate and comparable to spin linewidth. We also use the enhanced coupling afforded by the small cross-section of the transmission line to perform broadband spectroscopy of ruby at millikelvin temperatures at low powers. In addition, we observe hyperfine structure in diamond P1 centers and time domain saturation-relaxation of the spins.Comment: 4pgs, 4 figure

Unraveling the CLCC1 interactome: Impact of the Asp25Glu variant and its interaction with SigmaR1 at the Mitochondrial-Associated ER Membrane (MAM).

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays an indispensable role in cellular processes, including maintenance of calcium homeostasis, and protein folding, synthesized and processing. Disruptions in these processes leading to ER stress and the accumulation of misfolded proteins can instigate the unfolded protein response (UPR), culminating in either restoration of balanced proteostasis or apoptosis. A key player in this intricate balance is CLCC1, an ER-resident chloride channel, whose essential role extends to retinal development, regulation of ER stress, and UPR. The importance of CLCC1 is further underscored by its interaction with proteins localized to mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs), where it participates in UPR induction by MAM proteins. In previous research, we identified a p.(Asp25Glu) pathogenic CLCC1 variant associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) (CLCC1 hg38 NC_000001.11; NM_001048210.3, c.75C > A; UniprotKB Q96S66). In attempt to decipher the impact of this variant function, we leveraged liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify likely CLCC1-interacting proteins. We discovered that the CLCC1 interactome is substantially composed of proteins that localize to ER compartments and that the Asp25Glu variant results in noticeable loss and gain of specific protein interactors. Intriguingly, the analysis suggests that the CLCC1Asp25Glu mutant protein exhibits a propensity for increased interactions with cytoplasmic proteins compared to its wild-type counterpart. To corroborate our LC-MS data, we further scrutinized two novel CLCC1 interactors, Calnexin and SigmaR1, chaperone proteins that localize to the ER and MAMs. Through microscopy, we demonstrate that CLCC1 co-localizes with both proteins, thereby validating our initial findings. Moreover, our results reveal that CLCC1 co-localizes with SigmaR1 not merely at the ER, but also at MAMs. These findings reinforce the notion of CLCC1 interacting with MAM proteins at the ER-mitochondria interface, setting the stage for further exploration into how these interactions impact ER or mitochondria function and lead to retinal degenerative disease when impaired

Thermal cues drive plasticity of desiccation resistance in montane salamanders with implications for climate change

Organisms rely upon external cues to avoid detrimental conditions during environmental change. Rapid water loss, or desiccation, is a universal threat for terrestrial plants and animals, especially under climate change, but the cues that facilitate plastic responses to avoid desiccation are unclear. We integrate acclimation experiments with gene expression analyses to identify the cues that regulate resistance to water loss at the physiological and regulatory level in a montane salamander (Plethodon metcalfi). Here we show that temperature is an important cue for developing a desiccation-resistant phenotype and might act as a reliable cue for organisms across the globe. Gene expression analyses consistently identify regulation of stem cell differentiation and embryonic development of vasculature. The temperature-sensitive blood vessel development suggests that salamanders regulate water loss through the regression and regeneration of capillary beds in the skin, indicating that tissue regeneration may be used for physiological purposes beyond replacing lost limbs

Complete positivity and entangled degrees of freedom

We study how some recently proposed noncontextuality tests based on quantum interferometry are affected if the test particles propagate as open systems in presence of a gaussian stochastic background. We show that physical consistency requires the resulting markovian dissipative time-evolution to be completely positive.Comment: 23 pages, plain-TeX, no figure