Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted tropical insect assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts

Both community composition changes due to species redistribution and within-species size shifts may alter body size structures under climate warming. Here we assess the relative contribution of these processes in community-level body size changes in tropical moth assemblages that moved uphill during a period of warming. Based on resurvey data for seven assemblages (>8000 individuals) on Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo in 1965 and 2007, we show significant wing-length reduction (mean shrinkage of 1.3% per species). Range shifts explain most size re-structuring, due to uphill shifts of relatively small species, especially at high elevations. Overall, mean forewing length shrank by ca. 5%, much of which accounted for by species range boundary shifts (3.9%), followed by within-boundary distribution changes (0.5%), and within-species size shrinkage (0.6%). We conclude that the effects of range shifting predominate, but considering species physiological responses is also important for understanding community size reorganization under climate warming

14-3-3 gamma is upregulated by in vitro ischemia and binds to protein kinase Raf in primary cultures of astrocytes

The 14-3-3 protein family comprises critical regulatory molecules involved in signaling during cell division, proliferation, and apoptosis. Despite extensive study, the functions of the 14-3-3 proteins in brain remain unclear. 14-3-3gamma, a subtype of the 14-3-3 family of proteins, was thought to be brain- and neuron-specific. Using RNA arbitrarily primed PCR, we identified an upregulated cDNA fragment of the 14-3-3gamma gene in primary cultures of astrocytes. Using Northern blot. analysis, we confirmed this fragment was brain-specific. In cultures of astrocytes, 14-3-3gamma genes and proteins were differentially expressed at different ages and the proteins were distributed only in the cytoplasm. These results indicated that 14-3-3gamma was not neuron-specific but also expressed in astrocytes. The function of this protein in brain is unclear. Northern and Western blot analyses demonstrated that 14-3-3gamma mRNA and protein were upregulated in cultured astrocytes in an anaerobic chamber-induced ischemia model. The induction of 14-3-3gamma proteins was neither suppressed by an MAP kinase inhibitor (U0126) nor a PI-3 kinase inhibitor (LY294002). These data indicated that induction of 14-3-3gamma might not involve PI-3 and MAP kinase-dependent pathways. Using coimmunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that endogenous 14-3-3gamma bound to c-Raf-1 and p-Raf 259. As Raf is one of the critical serine/threonine kinases controlling cell growth, differentiation, and death, the binding of 14-3-3gamma to Raf indicates the critical role of this protein in ischemia-induced apoptosis and the changes in signal transduction in astrocytes in culture. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Structural basis and sequence co-evolution analysis of the hemagglutinin protein of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (2009) virus

Severe pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) infection, especially in the lower respiratory tract, is often associated with the virus carrying a D222G substitution in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of the virus. The mechanism for this association has not been fully explored. In the in vitro binding assay, it was found that clinical isolates carrying D222G substitution exhibit higher binding avidity to 2,3-linked sialic acids than the wild-type virus. The receptor binding pocket of the pandemic influenza (H1N1) HA was found to be smaller than those of other influenza A strains, allowing tighter binding of the virus with the receptor, yet also inducing steric stress for the binding. Our homology modeling and molecular docking calculations implicated that residue 222 may affect the positioning of the conserved Q223 residue, hence modulating flexibility of the binding pocket and steric hindrance during receptor binding. The molecular property of residue 222 can also directly influence the 'lysine fence' via the polarity of the amino acid residue where D222G substitution will enhance the electrostatic interactions between the receptor and the protein. The potential importance of residue 222 was illustrated by evolutionary analysis, which showed that this site is under intense selection pressure during adaptation of the virus to human host. Our findings provide a useful reference for follow-up studies in monitoring the ongoing evolution of the pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) virus. © 2011 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Molecular features and functional consequence of CD44 activation by a novel recurrent IGH translocation t(11;14) (p13;q32) in mature B-cell lymphoid neoplasm

Poster Session 8 - Functional Identification of New Cancer Genes: abstract no. 258Dysregulation of an oncogene by translocation to Ig locus is a common event in the pathogenesis of most non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Using inverse-PCR, CD44 on 11p13 was identified as a novel translocation partner of IgH in 9 of 114 cases of gastric, non-gastric extranodal, follicular and nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) analyzed. IgHSμ/CD44 translocation juxtaposes the enhancer of IgHSμ to the 5’ regulatory region of CD44 in a tail-to-head orientation, leading to the removal of exon 1 of CD44. Sequencing analysis showed microhomology sequences at the junction breakpoints of all the IGHSμ/CD44 translocations, suggesting that these translocations were the results of illegitimate switch recombination facilitated by homologous sequences present on both chromosomes. By interphase-FISH using home-grown CD44 dual-color break-apart probes (consisting of BACs RP4-607I7 and RP4-683L5), breakage at the CD44 locus in each of the nine IGHSμ/CD44 translocation-positive cases was confirmed. By 5’ RACE analysis, fusion Iμ-CD44ΔEx1 hybrid transcripts (with a splicing of the Iμ exon upstream of Sμ to exon 2 of CD44), were identified in all the nine lymphomas with IGHSμ/CD44 translocations. Notably, these translocations were detected exclusively in GCB-type DLBCLs. However, CD44 mRNA was minimally or not expressed in CD10+ microdissected reactive GCB cells. The IGHSμ/CD44 translocation substitute Sμ for the CD44 promoter and remove exon 1 of CD44, resulting in over-expression of the Iμ-CD44 hybrid transcript which encodes for a new CD44 variant lacking leader peptide sequence but retaining a unique C-terminus (CD44ΔEx1). The Iμ-CD44ΔEx1 ORF would encode for the CD44ΔEx1 protein starting from the ATG at nucleotide 254 with strong Kozak sequence. The new CD44ΔEx1 variant showed some similarity to CD44v5, but it lacked the leader peptide. The IGHSμ/CD44 translocation was detected in patients with advanced-stage disease (stages III and IV). When overexpressed in vitro in the CD44-negative GCB-DLBCL cell line BJAB, the CD44ΔEx1-GFP was localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus, while CD44s-GFP (standard form) was localized to the plasma membrane. The ectopic expression of CD44ΔEx1 in BJAB cells enhanced the cell proliferation rate and its clonogenic ability. These findings indicate a possible pathogenic role of the recurrent translocation in several malignant B-cell lymphomas.link_to_OA_fulltextThe 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR 2010), Washington D.C., 17-21 April 2010. In AACR Meeting Abstracts, 201

CD44 activation in mature B-cell malignancies by a novel recurrent IGH translocation

Using inverse polymerase chain reaction, we identified CD44, located on chromosome 11p13, as a novel translocation partner of IGH in 9 of 114 cases of gastric, nongastric extranodal, follicular, and nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Notably, these translocations involving IGHSμ were detected in follicular lymphomas and exclusively in germinal center B cell - like (GCB) - DLBCLs. CD44 is not expressed in reactive GC B cells. The IGHSμ/CD44 translocations substitute Sμ for the CD44 promoter and remove exon 1 of CD44, resulting in the overexpression of Iμ-CD44 hybrid mRNA transcripts activated from derivative 11 that encode a new CD44 variant lacking the leader peptide and with a unique C-terminus (CD44ΔEx1). When overexpressed in vitro in the CD44 - GCB-DLBCL cell line BJAB, CD44ΔEx1 - green fluorescent protein localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus, whereas CD44s - green fluorescent protein (standard form) localized to the plasma membrane. The ectopic expression of CD44ΔEx1 in BJAB cells enhanced their proliferation rate and clonogenic ability, indicating a possible pathogenic role of the translocation. © 2010 by The American Society of Hematology.link_to_OA_fulltex