mTORC1 signaling is involved in nephron size control in the metanephric kidney

The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney that uses channels and transporters to regulate water concentration and recover essential biomolecules. Previous studies in mouse have shown that the proximal tubules, which are primarily responsible for biomolecule recovery, undergo a rapid burst of cell proliferation. Other studies suggest that the development and growth of proximal tubules in Xenopus is regulated by the developmental signaling pathway mTORC1. Here we now identified that various mTORC1 signaling molecules are expressed in mouse kidneys and that they follow a pattern that mimics the previously identified growth cycle. Additionally, comparing mouse kidneys lacking mTORC1 signaling to those with an intact pathway demonstrates, size variations in the kidney structures. Together these data suggest that the mTORC1 pathway is crucial in the development of mouse kidneys and follows a similar expression pattern in the proximal tubules as the Xenopus model

On the road to extinction? Population declines of the endangered white abalone, Haliotis sorenseni

a b s t r a c t In 2001, the white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) became the first marine invertebrate to be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Low densities and recruitment failure due to Allee effects were identified as being the major threats to the species' long-term viability. Visual transect surveys conducted using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) since 2002 indicate a dramatic and continued decline in white abalone total abundance ($78% decrease) and density (33-100% decrease, depending on depth and year) between 2002 and 2010 at Tanner Bank, an area of historically high abundance (>1/m 2 ). An increase in the size distribution over this same time period suggests individuals in the white abalone population are growing larger (and aging) with little or no indication of adequate recruitment success. The vast majority (between 77% and 89%, depending on the year) of white abalone were observed alone, which suggests that the likelihood of reproductive success within this population remains very low. The continuing decline 30 years after the last major commercial harvest demonstrates that the strategy of benign neglect, or allowing the population to recover without intervention, has clearly failed. We recommend immediate proactive conservation through population enhancement by out-planting healthy, captivebred white abalone in areas where populations have reached or are approaching local extinction. Published by Elsevier Ltd

A survey of deep-water coral and sponge habitats along the west coast of the US using a remotely operated vehicle: NOAA Fisheries Survey Vessel (FSV)'Bell M. Shimada', November 1-5, 2010

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys were conducted from NOAA’s state-of-the-art Fisheries Survey Vessel (FSV) Bell M. Shimada during a six-day transit November 1-5, 2010 between San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA. The objective of this survey was to locate and characterize deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems at several recommended sites in support of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. Deep-sea corals and sponges were photographed and collected whenever possible using the Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s (SWFSC) Phantom ROV ‘Sebastes’ (Fig. 1). The surveyed sites were recommended by National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) scientists at Monterey Bay NMS, Gulf of the Farallones NMS, and Olympic Coast NMS (Fig. 2). The specific sites were: Sur Canyon, The Football, Coquille Bank, and Olympic Coast NMS. During each dive, the ROV collected digital still images, video, navigation, and along-track conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD), and optode data. Video and high-resolution photographs were used to quantify abundance of corals, sponges, and associated fishes and invertebrates to the lowest practicable taxonomic level, and also to classify the seabed by substrate type. A reference laser system was used to quantify area searched and estimate the density of benthic fauna

Seasonal and interannual effects of hypoxia on fish habitat quality in central Lake Erie

1. Hypoxia occurs seasonally in many stratified coastal marine and freshwater ecosystems when bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are depleted below 2–3 mg O 2  L −1 .2. We evaluated the effects of hypoxia on fish habitat quality in the central basin of Lake Erie from 1987 to 2005, using bioenergetic growth rate potential (GRP) as a proxy for habitat quality. We compared the effect of hypoxia on habitat quality of (i) rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax mordax Mitchill (young-of-year, YOY, and adult), a cold-water planktivore, (ii) emerald shiner, Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque (adult), a warm-water planktivore, (iii) yellow perch, Perca flavescens Mitchill (YOY and adult), a cool-water benthopelagic omnivore and (iv) round goby Neogobius melanostomus Pallas (adult) a eurythermal benthivore. Annual thermal and DO profiles were generated from 1D thermal and DO hydrodynamics models developed for Lake Erie’s central basin.3. Hypoxia occurred annually, typically from mid-July to mid-October, which spatially and temporally overlaps with otherwise high benthic habitat quality. Hypoxia reduced the habitat quality across fish species and life stages, but the magnitude of the reduction varied both among and within species because of the differences in tolerance to low DO levels and warm-water temperatures.4. Across years, trends in habitat quality mirrored trends in phosphorus concentration and water column oxygen demand in central Lake Erie. The per cent reduction in habitat quality owing to hypoxia was greatest for adult rainbow smelt and round goby (mean: −35%), followed by adult emerald shiner (mean: −12%), YOY rainbow smelt (mean: −10%) and YOY and adult yellow perch (mean: −8.5%).5. Our results highlight the importance of differential spatiotemporally interactive effects of DO and temperature on relative fish habitat quality and quantity. These effects have the potential to influence the performance of individual fish species as well as population dynamics, trophic interactions and fish community structure.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79212/1/j.1365-2427.2010.02504.x.pd

Fundulus as the premier teleost model in environmental biology : opportunities for new insights using genomics

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics 2 (2007): 257-286, doi:10.1016/j.cbd.2007.09.001.A strong foundation of basic and applied research documents that the estuarine fish Fundulus heteroclitus and related species are unique laboratory and field models for understanding how individuals and populations interact with their environment. In this paper we summarize an extensive body of work examining the adaptive responses of Fundulus species to environmental conditions, and describe how this research has contributed importantly to our understanding of physiology, gene regulation, toxicology, and ecological and evolutionary genetics of teleosts and other vertebrates. These explorations have reached a critical juncture at which advancement is hindered by the lack of genomic resources for these species. We suggest that a more complete genomics toolbox for F. heteroclitus and related species will permit researchers to exploit the power of this model organism to rapidly advance our understanding of fundamental biological and pathological mechanisms among vertebrates, as well as ecological strategies and evolutionary processes common to all living organisms.This material is based on work supported by grants from the National Science Foundation DBI-0420504 (LJB), OCE 0308777 (DLC, RNW, BBR), BES-0553523 (AW), IBN 0236494 (BBR), IOB-0519579 (DHE), IOB-0543860 (DWT), FSML-0533189 (SC); National Institute of Health NIEHS P42-ES007381(GVC, MEH), P42-ES10356 (RTD), ES011588 (MFO); and NCRR P20 RR-016463 (DWT); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery (DLM, TDS, WSM) and Collaborative Research and Development Programs (DLM); NOAA/National Sea Grant NA86RG0052 (LJB), NA16RG2273 (SIK, MEH,GVC, JJS); Environmental Protection Agency U91620701 (WSB), R82902201(SC) and EPA’s Office of Research and Development (DEN)

Lactate dehydrogenase is crucial for tumor associated macrophage protection of multiple myeloma cells against chemotherapy

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer characterized by an accumulation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Although chemotherapy is the most effective treatment, the majority of patients experience relapse. The major cause of treatment failure is the development of multidrug resistance. Thus, overcoming drug resistance will greatly improve patient survival. The enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) plays an important role in anaerobic respiration by converting pyruvate into lactate in the absence or low supply of oxygen. It has been observed that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) present in tumor environments can protect MM from chemotherapy treatment. We discovered that an LDH knockdown in myeloma cells decreased TAMs’ role in cell protection against chemotherapy treatment. Also, we found that, without LDH, macrophages were not able to differentiate into TAMs successfully. These results suggest that LDH activity in tumor environments promotes tumor survival, stimulates tumorigenesis, and manipulates local macrophages into performing pro-tumor functions

Ordinary Language and Fundamental Ontology: Understanding the Political Subject

What I attempt to do in the following pages is to pick up on various strains of philosophical and political thought and transmit them in to a series of arguments and suggestions. Beginning with the operative notions of power in contemporary society, this paper develops a model for social construction within the epistemological, economic and linguistic dimensions of contemporary consumer culture. Ultimately it questions the absolute necessity of the assumption of an identity, bringing moral claims to bear upon the legitimacy of such models, and articulating a philosophical alternative

Modeling the past, present, and future distributions of endangered white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) to inform recovery efforts in California.

White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) was once commonly found in coastal waters of the Southern California Bight (SCB) and south to Punta Abreojos, Baja California, Mexico. During the 1970s, white abalone supported a commercial fishery, which reduced the population and resulted in the closure of the fishery in 1996. When population levels continued to decline, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed the species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and NMFS began surveying the wild populations, propagating specimens in captivity, and protecting its seabed habitat. We modeled coarse-scale (17 x 17 km) historical (using fishery-dependent data [1955-1996]) and contemporary (using fishery-independent data [1996-2017]) distributions of white abalone throughout its historical domain using random forests and maximum entropy (MaxEnt), respectively, and its fine-scale (10 x 10 m) contemporary distribution (fishery-independent data) using MaxEnt. We also investigated potential outplanting habitat farther north under two scenarios of future climate conditions. The coarse-scale models identified potential regions to focus outplanting efforts within SCB while fine-scale models can inform population monitoring and outplanting activities in these particular areas. These models predict that areas north of Point Conception may become candidate outplant sites as seawater temperatures continue to rise in the future due to climate change. Collectively, these results provide guidance on the design and potential locations for experimental outplanting at such locations to ultimately improve methods and success of recovery efforts