Common Genetic Denominators for Ca++-Based Skeleton in Metazoa: Role of Osteoclast-Stimulating Factor and of Carbonic Anhydrase in a Calcareous Sponge

Calcium-based matrices serve predominantly as inorganic, hard skeletal systems in Metazoa from calcareous sponges [phylum Porifera; class Calcarea] to proto- and deuterostomian multicellular animals. The calcareous sponges form their skeletal elements, the spicules, from amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). Treatment of spicules from Sycon raphanus with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) results in the disintegration of the ACC in those skeletal elements. Until now a distinct protein/enzyme involved in ACC metabolism could not been identified in those animals. We applied the technique of phage display combinatorial libraries to identify oligopeptides that bind to NaOCl-treated spicules: those oligopeptides allowed us to detect proteins that bind to those spicules. Two molecules have been identified, the (putative) enzyme carbonic anhydrase and the (putative) osteoclast-stimulating factor (OSTF), that are involved in the catabolism of ACC. The complete cDNAs were isolated and the recombinant proteins were prepared to raise antibodies. In turn, immunofluorescence staining of tissue slices and qPCR analyses have been performed. The data show that sponges, cultivated under standard condition (10 mM CaCl2) show low levels of transcripts/proteins for carbonic anhydrase or OSTF, compared to those animals that had been cultivated under Ca2+-depletion condition (1 mM CaCl2). Our data identify with the carbonic anhydrase and the OSTF the first two molecules which remain conserved in cells, potentially involved in Ca-based skeletal dissolution, from sponges (sclerocytes) to human (osteoclast)

Patterns and sources of the association between intelligence, party identification, and political orientations

Bell E, Dawes CT, Weinschenk A, Riemann R, Kandler C. Patterns and sources of the association between intelligence, party identification, and political orientations. INTELLIGENCE. 2020;81: 101457.We examined the association between intelligence, party identification, and political orientations using genetically informative data gathered from German twins and their families (n = 9553 individuals including 1524 adolescent and young-adult twin pairs). The results indicated that supporters of the Pirate Party and the Green Party had levels of intelligence that were significantly higher than those of other party identifiers, with the exception of individuals who preferred the Free Democrats. These findings were remarkably similar to results based on British research participants that were reported in a previous study. We also observed a significant, albeit modest, negative correlation between intelligence and political conservatism, and our data indicated that this correlation could be accounted for by common genetic influences on those two variables. The findings of the study were interpreted in light of competing theories on the nature of the relationship between intelligence, party identification, and political orientations

New evidence on the link between genes, psychological traits, and political engagement.

Weinschenk AC, Dawes CT, Kandler C, Bell E, Riemann R. New evidence on the link between genes, psychological traits, and political engagement. Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences. 2019;38(1):1-13.We investigate the link between genes, psychological traits, and political engagement using a new data set containing information on a large sample of young German twins. The TwinLife Study enables us to examine the predominant model of personality, the Big Five framework, as well as traits that fall outside the Big Five, such as cognitive ability, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the underpinnings of political engagement. Our results support previous work showing genetic overlap between some psychological traits and political engagement. More specifically, we find that cognitive ability and openness to experience are correlated with political engagement and that common genes can explain most of the relationship between these psychological traits and political engagement. Relationships between genes, psychological traits, and political engagement exist even at a fairly young age, which is an important finding given that previous work has relied heavily on older samples to study the link between genes, psychological traits, and political engagement

Rational development of nucleoside diphosphate prodrugs: DiPPro-compounds

The bio-reversible protection of nucleoside diphosphates is summarized. The design, the hydrolysis behavior, and the antiviral activity of these prodrugs of NDPs are described. In contrast to earlier attempts, the DiPPro-approach [-(bis (acyloxybenzyl) nucleoside diphosphates)] successfully led to the delivery of the nucleoside diphosphates. It was proven [by hydrolysis studies in aqueous PBS buffer (pH 7.3), 20 % human plasma in PBS, RPMI-1640 culture medium, and CEM cell extracts] that the stability towards hydrolysis was dependent on the acyl moieties in the bis (acyloxybenzyl) unit as well as on the nucleoside analogue. Contrary to a high chemical and plasma stability, the compounds showed a very low half-life in CEM cell extracts, and efficiently released the nucleoside analogues diphosphates, e.g. of AZT, d4T and BVDU. Two types of cycloSal-NDP prodrugs were also initially studied but proved to be not useful as nucleoside diphosphate prodrugs. Finally the obtained results led to the development of non-symmetric nucleoside diphosphate prodrugs that selectively deliver the nucleoside diphosphate in cell extracts.status: publishe

The relationship between political attitudes and political participation : Evidence from monozygotic twins in the United States, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark

Many studies have shown that political efficacy, interest in politics, and political knowledge are strongly related to political participation. In most analyses, these variables are described as having a causal effect on participation. In this paper, we examine the extent to which the relationship between political attitudes and participation is confounded by familial factors. By using the discordant twin design, which relates within-pair differences in political attitudes to within-pair differences in political participation, we are able to examine the relationship net of confounding factors rooted in genes and the early rearing environment. Using four samples of monozygotic twins from the United States, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark, we find that the relationship between political attitudes and political participation is confounded to a large extent. This study makes an important contribution to the literature on political attitudes and political participation given the longstanding idea that attitudes cause political participation. Our findings also have practical implications for those interested in elevating levels of political participation. In addition, they have important implications for how scholars theorize about, model, and examine political participation in the future