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<title>bioRxiv Channel: North Carolina State University</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org</link>
<description>
This feed contains articles for bioRxiv Channel "North Carolina State University"
</description>

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<prism:publicationName>bioRxiv</prism:publicationName>
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<title>bioRxiv</title>
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<link>https://biorxiv.org</link>
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<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/010785v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-wide association study of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the maize nested association mapping population 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/010785v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism are critical to plant growth and development and at the basis of yield and adaptation. We have applied high throughput metabolite analyses to over 12,000 diverse field grown samples from the maize nested association mapping population. This allowed us to identify natural variation controlling the levels of twelve key C and N metabolites, often with single gene resolution. In addition to expected genes like invertases, critical natural variation was identified in key C4 metabolism genes like carbonic anhydrases and a malate transporter. Unlike prior maize studies, extensive pleiotropy was found for C and N metabolites. This integration of field-derived metabolite data with powerful mapping and genomics resources allows dissection of key metabolic pathways, providing avenues for future genetic improvement.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nengyi Zhang</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yves Gibon</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicholas Lepak</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pinghua Li</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lauren Dedow</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charles Chen</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoon-Sup So</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jason Wallace</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karl Kremling</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peter Bradbury</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas Brutnell</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mark Stitt</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edward Buckler</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2014-10-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/010785</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-wide association study of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the maize nested association mapping population]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2014-10-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/010793v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Settlement, growth and survival of eastern oysters on alternative reef substrates 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/010793v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Restoration of the native eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) has been severely hindered by the dwindling supply and rising costs of fossil and new oyster shell for use in reef restoration. Consequently, emphasis has shifted to the use of alternative oyster reef materials, which need to be tested for their effectiveness as settlement substrate. Furthermore, low recruitment of wild larvae has also impeded restoration, indicating a need to assess the potential of field setting of cultured larvae. We experimentally examined oyster settlement, growth and survival on unconsolidated oyster shell, oyster shell embedded vertically in concrete, and concrete Oyster Castles(R) in field and mesocosm experiments. In addition, we examined settlement success of cultured larvae in the mesocosm experiment. In the field experiment, juvenile recruitment was 3x higher on castles and unconsolidated shell than on embedded shell. Castles retained 4x the number of oysters and hosted 5x the biomass than embedded shell, and retained 1.5x the oysters and hosted 3x the biomass than unconsolidated shell. The proportion of live oyster recruits on castles was 1.5x that on both embedded and unconsolidated shell. In the mesocosm experiment (90-d post-larval deployment), the castles recruited, retained, and hosted an oyster biomass 4x higher than that of unconsolidated and embedded shell. This study confirms that artificial reef materials such as Oyster Castles(R) are suitable alternative substrates for oyster restoration, and remote setting of larvae onto conditioned substrate can be effective under controlled environmental conditions. Future restoration efforts should consider use of alternative reef substrates and field setting of larvae to maximize oyster recruitment, while simultaneously minimizing the cost of reef restoration.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Seth J. Theuerkauf</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Russell P. Burke</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romuald N. Lipcius</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2014-10-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/010793</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Settlement, growth and survival of eastern oysters on alternative reef substrates]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2014-10-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/014340v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bayesian priors for tree calibration: Evaluating two new approaches based on fossil intervals 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/014340v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundStudies of diversification and trait evolution increasingly rely on combining molecular sequences and fossil dates to infer time-calibrated phylogenetic trees. Available calibration software provides many options for the shape of the prior probability distribution of ages at a node to be calibrated, but the question of how to assign a Bayesian prior from limited fossil data remains open.nnResultsWe introduce two new methods for generating priors based upon (1) the interval between the two oldest fossils in a clade, i.e., the penultimate gap (PenG), and (2) the ghost lineage length (GLin), defined as the difference between the oldest fossils for each of two sister lineages. We show that PenG and GLin/2 are point estimates of the interval between the oldest fossil and the true age for the node. Furthermore, given either of these quantities, we derive a principled prior distribution for the true age. This prior is log-logistic, and can be implemented approximately in existing software. Using simulated data, we test these new methods against some other approaches.nnConclusionsWhen implemented as approaches for assigning Bayesian priors, the PenG and GLin methods increase the accuracy of inferred divergence times, showing considerably more precision than the other methods tested, without significantly greater bias. When implemented as approaches to post-hoc scaling of a tree by linear regression, the PenG and GLin methods exhibit less bias than other methods tested. The new methods are simple to use and can be applied to a variety of studies that call for calibrated trees.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ryan W Norris</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cory L Strope</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David M McCandlish</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arlin Stoltzfus</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-01-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/014340</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bayesian priors for tree calibration: Evaluating two new approaches based on fossil intervals]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-01-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/017855v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-wide analysis reveals novel regulators of growth in Drosophila melanogaster 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/017855v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Organismal size depends on the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association (GWA) analyses in humans have implied many genes in the control of height but suffer from the inability to control the environment. Genetic analyses in Drosophila have identified conserved signaling pathways controlling size; however, how these pathways control phenotypic diversity is unclear. We performed GWA of size traits using the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel of inbred, sequenced lines. We find that the top associated variants differ between traits and sexes; do not map to canonical growth pathway genes, but can be linked to these by epistasis analysis; and are enriched for genes and putative enhancers. Performing GWA on well-studied developmental traits under controlled conditions expands our understanding of developmental processes underlying phenotypic diversity.nnAUTHOR SUMMARYGenetic studies in Drosophila have elucidated conserved signaling pathways and environmental factors that together control organismal size. In humans, hundreds of genes are associated with height variation, but these associations have not been performed in a controlled environment. As a result we are still lacking an understanding of the mechanisms creating size variability within a species. Here, under carefully controlled environmental conditions, we identify naturally occurring genetic variants that are associated with size diversity in Drosophila. We identify a cluster of associations close to the kek1 locus, a well-characterized growth regulator, but otherwise find that most variants are located in or close to genes that do not belong to the conserved pathways but may interact with these in a biological network. Many of these genes have a conserved role in humans. We validate 33 novel growth regulatory genes that participate in diverse cellular processes, most notably cellular metabolism and cell polarity. This study is the first genome-wide association analysis of natural variants underlying size in Drosophila and our results complement the knowledge we have accumulated on this trait from mutational studies of single genes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sibylle Chantal Vonesch</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David Lamparter</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trudy FC Mackay</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sven Bergmann</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ernst Hafen</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-04-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/017855</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-wide analysis reveals novel regulators of growth in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-04-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/025981v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Application of a dense genetic map for assessment of genomic responses to selection and inbreeding in Heliothis virescens. 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/025981v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adaptation of pest species to laboratory conditions and selection for resistance to toxins in the laboratory are expected to cause inbreeding and genetic bottlenecks that reduce genetic variation. Heliothis virescens, a major cotton pest, has been colonized in the laboratory many times, and a few laboratory colonies have been selected for Bt resistance. We developed 350 bp Double-Digest Restriction-site Associated DNA-sequencing (ddRAD-seq) molecular markers to examine and compare changes in genetic variation associated with laboratory adaptation, artificial selection, and inbreeding in this non-model insect species. We found that allelic and nucleotide diversity declined dramatically in laboratory-reared H. virescens as compared with field-collected populations. The declines were primarily due to the loss of low frequency alleles present in field-collected H. virescens. A further, albeit modest decline in genetic diversity was observed in a Bt-selected population. The greatest decline was seen in H. virescens that were sib-mated for 10 generations, where more than 80% of loci were fixed for a single allele. To determine which regions of the genome were resistant to fixation in our sib-mated line, we generated a dense intraspecific linkage map containing 3 PCR-based, and 659 ddRAD-seq markers. Markers that retained polymorphism were observed in small clusters spread over multiple linkage groups, but this clustering was not statistically significant. Here, we confirmed and extended the general expectations for reduced genetic diversity in laboratory colonies, provided tools for further genomic analyses, and produced highly homozygous genomic DNA for future whole genome sequencing of H. virescens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Megan Fritz</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sandra Paa</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jennifer Baltzegar</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fred Gould</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-09-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/025981</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Application of a dense genetic map for assessment of genomic responses to selection and inbreeding in Heliothis virescens.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-09-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/029223v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Disruption of endosperm development is a major cause of hybrid seed inviability between Mimulus guttatus and M. nudatus 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/029223v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIDivergence of developmental mechanisms within populations may lead to hybrid developmental failure, and may be a factor driving speciation in angiosperms.nC_LIO_LIWe investigate patterns of endosperm and embryo development in Mimulus guttatus and the closely related, serpentine endemic M. nudatus, and compare them to those of reciprocal hybrid seed. We address whether disruption in hybrid seed development is the primary source of reproductive isolation between these sympatric taxa.nC_LIO_LIM. guttatus and M. nudatus differ in the pattern and timing of endosperm and embryo development. Some hybrid seed exhibit early disruption of endosperm development and are completely inviable, while others develop relatively normally at first, but later exhibit impaired endosperm proliferation and low germination success. These developmental patterns are reflected in mature hybrid seed, which are either small and flat (indicating little to no endosperm), or shriveled (indicating reduced endosperm volume). Hybrid seed inviability forms a potent reproductive barrier between M. guttatus and M. nudatus.nC_LIO_LIWe shed light on the extent of developmental variation between closely related species within the M. guttatus species complex, an important ecological model system, and provide a partial mechanism for the hybrid barrier between M. guttatus and M. nudatus.nC_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Elen Oneal</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>John H. Willis</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robert Franks</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/029223</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Disruption of endosperm development is a major cause of hybrid seed inviability between Mimulus guttatus and M. nudatus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/029686v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single molecule targeted sequencing for cancer gene mutation detection 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/029686v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
With the rapid decline cost of sequencing, it is now clinically affordable to examine multiple genes in a single disease-targeted test using next generation sequencing. Current targeted sequencing methods require a separate step of targeted capture enrichment during sample preparation before sequencing, and the library preparation process is labor intensive and time consuming. Here, we introduced an amplification-free Single Molecule Targeted Sequencing (SMTS) technology, which combined targeted capture and sequencing in one step. We demonstrated that this technology can detect low-frequency mutations of cancer genes. SMTS has several advantages, namely that it requires little sample preparation and avoids biases and errors introduced by PCR reaction. SMTS can be applied in cancer gene mutation detection, inherited condition screening and noninvasive prenatal diagnosis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yan Gao</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liwei Deng</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qin Yan</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yongqian Gao</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zengding Wu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jinsen Cai</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daorui Ji</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gailing Li</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ping Wu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huan Jin</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luyang Zhao</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song Liu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michael W Deem</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiankui He</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-10-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/029686</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single molecule targeted sequencing for cancer gene mutation detection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-10-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/030247v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sporadic, global linkage disequilibrium between unlinked segregating sites 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/030247v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Demographic, genetic, or stochastic factors can lead to perfect linkage disequilibrium (LD) between alleles at two loci without respect to the extent of their physical distance, a phenomenon that Lawrence et al. (2005a) refer to as "genetic indistinguishability". This phenomenon can complicate genotype-phenotype association testing by hindering the ability to localize causal alleles, but has not been thoroughly explored from a theoretical perspective or using large, dense whole-genome polymorphism datasets. We derive a simple theoretical model of the prevalence of genetic indistinguishability between unlinked loci, and verify its accuracy via simulation. We show that sample size and minor allele frequency are the major determinants of the prevalence of perfect LD between unlinked loci but that demographic factors, such as deviations from random mating, can produce significant effects as well. Finally, we quantify this phenomenon in three model organisms and find thousands of pairs of moderate-frequency (> 5%) genetically indistinguishable variants in relatively large datasets. These results clarify a previously underexplored population genetic phenomenon with important implications for association studies, and define conditions under which it is likely to manifest.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Daniel A Skelly</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paul M Magwene</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eric A Stone</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-10-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/030247</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sporadic, global linkage disequilibrium between unlinked segregating sites]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-10-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/032128v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Temporal and spatial domain-specific transcriptomic analysis of a vital reproductive meristem in Arabidopsis thaliana 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/032128v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundPlant meristems are analogous to animal stem cell niches as they maintain a pool of undifferentiated cells that divide and differentiate to give rise to organs. The carpel margin meristem is a vital, multi-potent structure located in the medial domain of the Arabidopsis thaliana gynoecium, the female floral reproductive organ. The carpel margin meristem generates ovules that upon fertilization become seeds. The molecular mechanisms that specify this meristematic region and regulate its organogenic potential are poorly understood. Here, we present an analysis of the transcriptional profile of the medial domain of the Arabidopsis gynoecium highlighting the developmental stages that immediately proceed ovule initiation, the earliest stages of seed development.nnResultsUsing a floral synchronization system and a SHATTERPROOF2 domain-specific reporter, paired with fluorescence-activated cell sorting and RNA sequencing, we assayed the transcriptome of the gynoecial medial domain with temporal and spatial precision. This analysis reveals a set of genes that are differentially expressed within the SHATTERPROOF2 expression domain that marks portions of the developing medial domain. Many members of this gene set have been shown previously to function during the development of medial domain-derived structures, including the ovules, thus validating our approach. Other uncharacterized members including differentially expressed cis-natural antisense transcripts, are potential novel regulators of medial domain development. Members of the REPRODUCTIVE MERISTEM (REM) family of transcriptional regulators were enriched in the SHATTERPROOF2-expressing cell population including a previously unrecognized REM family member. Finally, the analysis transcriptional isoforms in the medial domain identified genes that may exhibit "isoform switching" behavior during gynoecial development.nnConclusionsThis data set provides genome-wide transcriptional insight into the development of the gynoecial medial domain that contains the carpel margin meristem, a vital reproductive structure that gives rise to the ovules in Arabidopsis thaliana.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gonzalo H Villarino</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miguel Flores-Vergara</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qiwen Hu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhupinder Sehra</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Linda Robles</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Javier Brumos</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anna Stepanova</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silvia Manrique</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lucia Colombo</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eva Sundberg</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steffen Heber</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robert G Franks</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-11-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/032128</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Temporal and spatial domain-specific transcriptomic analysis of a vital reproductive meristem in Arabidopsis thaliana]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-11-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/034884v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Purifying selection and drift, not life history or RNAi, determine transposable element evolution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/034884v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Transposable elements (TEs) are a major source of genome variation across the branches of life. Although TEs may occasionally play an adaptive role in their hosts genome, they are much more often deleterious, and purifying selection is thus an important factor controlling genomic TE loads. In contrast, life history and genomic characteristics such as mating system, parasitism, GC content, and RNAi pathways, have been suggested to account for the startling disparity of TE loads in different species. Previous studies of fungal, plant, and animal genomes have reported conflicting results regarding the direction in which these genomic features drive TE evolution. Many of these studies have had limited power because they studied taxonomically narrow systems, comparing only a limited number of phylogenetically independent contrasts, and did not address long term effects on TE evolution. Here we explicitly test the long term determinants of TE evolution by comparing 42 nematode genomes that span over 500 million years of diversification, and include numerous transitions between life history states and RNAi pathways. We have analysed the reconstructed TE loads of ancestors through the Nematoda phylogeny to account for correlation with GC content and transitions in TE evolutionary models. We also analysed the effect of transitions in life history characteristics and RNAi using ANOVA of phylogenetically independent contrasts. We show that purifying selection against TEs is the dominant force throughout the evolutionary history of Nematoda, as indicated by reconstructed ancestral TE loads, and that strong stochastic Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes are the underlying models which best explain TE diversification among extant species. In contrast we found no evidence that life history or RNAi variations have a significant influence upon genomic TE load across extended periods of evolutionary history. We suggest that these are largely inconsequential to the large differences in TE content observed between genomes and only by these large-scale comparisons can we distinguish long term and persistent effects from transient effects or misleading random changes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Amir Szitenberg</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soyeon Cha</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charles H Opperman</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David M Bird</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mark Blaxter</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David H Lunt</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-12-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/034884</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Purifying selection and drift, not life history or RNAi, determine transposable element evolution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-12-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/039875v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Validation of a habitat suitability index for oyster restoration 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/039875v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Habitat suitability index (HSI) models provide spatially explicit information on the capacity of a given habitat to support a species of interest, and their prevalence has increased dramatically in recent years. Despite caution that the reliability of HSIs must be validated using independent, quantitative data, most HSIs intended to inform terrestrial and marine species management remain unvalidated. Furthermore, of the eight HSI models developed for eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) restoration and fishery production, none has been validated. Consequently, we developed, calibrated, and validated an HSI for the eastern oyster to identify optimal habitat for restoration in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, the Great Wicomico River (GWR). The GWR harbors an unparalleled, restored oyster population, and therefore serves as an excellent model system for assessing the validity of the HSI. The HSI was derived from GIS layers of bottom type, salinity, and water depth (surrogate for dissolved oxygen), and was tested using live adult oyster density data from a survey of high vertical relief reefs (HRR) and low vertical relief reefs (LRR) in the sanctuary network. Live adult oyster density was a statistically significant sigmoid function of the HSI, which validates the HSI as a robust predictor of suitable oyster reef habitat for rehabilitation or restoration. In addition, HRR had on average 103-116 more adults m-2 than LRR at a given level of the HSI. For HRR, HSI values [&ge;]0.3 exceeded the accepted restoration target of 50 live adult oysters m-2. For LRR, the HSI was generally able to predict live adult oyster densities that meet or exceed the target at HSI values [&ge;]0.3. The HSI indicated that there remain large areas of suitable habitat for restoration in the GWR. This study provides a robust framework for HSI model development and validation, which can be refined and applied to other systems and previously developed HSIs to improve the efficacy of native oyster restoration.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Seth Theuerkauf</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romuald Lipcius</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-02-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/039875</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Validation of a habitat suitability index for oyster restoration]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-02-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/041434v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Genetic Architecture of Quantitative Traits Cannot Be Inferred From Variance Component Analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/041434v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Classical quantitative genetic analyses estimate additive and non-additive genetic and environmental components of variance from phenotypes of related individuals. The genetic variance components are defined in terms of genotypic values reflecting underlying genetic architecture (additive, dominance and epistatic genotypic effects) and allele frequencies. However, the dependency of the definition of genetic variance components on the underlying genetic models is not often appreciated. Here, we show how the partitioning of additive and non-additive genetic variation is affected by the genetic models and parameterization of allelic effects. We show that arbitrarily defined variance components often capture a substantial fraction of total genetic variation regardless of the underlying genetic architecture in simulated and real data. Therefore, variance component analysis cannot be used to infer genetic architecture of quantitative traits. The genetic basis of quantitative trait variation in a natural population can only be defined empirically using high resolution mapping methods followed by detailed characterization of QTL effects.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wen Huang</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trudy F.C. Mackay</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-02-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/041434</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Genetic Architecture of Quantitative Traits Cannot Be Inferred From Variance Component Analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-02-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/046383v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Functional partitioning of local and distal gene expression regulation in multiple human tissues 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/046383v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Studies of the genetics of gene expression have served as a key tool for linking genetic variants to phenotypes. Large-scale eQTL mapping studies have identified a large number of local eQTLs, but the molecular mechanism of how genetic variants regulate expression is still unclear, particularly for distal eQTLs, which these studies are not well-powered to detect. In this study, we use a heritability partitioning approach to dissect the functional components of gene regulation. We make use of an existing method, stratified LD score regression, that leverages all variants (not just those that pass stringent significance thresholds) to partition heritability across functional categories, and we extend this method to partition local and distal gene expression heritability in 15 human tissues. The top enriched functional categories in local regulation of peripheral blood gene expression included super enhancers (5.18x), coding regions (3.73x), conserved regions (2.33x) and four histone marks (p<3x10-7 for all enrichments); local enrichments were similar across the 15 tissues. We also observed substantial enrichments for distal regulation of peripheral blood gene expression: super enhancers (1.91x), coding regions (4.47x), conserved regions (4.51x) and two histone marks (p<3x10-7 for all enrichments). Analyses of the genetic correlation of gene expression across tissues showed that local gene expression regulation is largely shared across tissues, but distal gene expression regulation is highly tissue-specific. Our results elucidate the functional components of the genetic architecture of local and distal gene expression regulation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xuanyao Liu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hilary Kiyo Finucane</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alexander Gusev</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaurav Bhatia</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steven Gazal</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luke O'Connor</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brendan Bulik-Sullivan</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fred Wright</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patrick Sullivan</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benjamin Neale</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alkes Price</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-03-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/046383</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Functional partitioning of local and distal gene expression regulation in multiple human tissues]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-03-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/052811v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Drosophila genes disconnected and disco-related together specify development of adult legs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/052811v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, specification of the legs begins during embryogenesis when Wingless signaling induces small groups of cells to form the imaginal disc primordia in the thoracic segments. This signal initiates expression of transcription factors that will later be used to pattern the legs. The paralogous genes disconnected and disco-related encode transcription factors that are expressed in the disc primordia during early embryogenesis, and their expression continues in the leg discs during larval and pupal stages. The importance of these two genes in establishing the leg development trajectory was indicated by our previous observation that ectopic expression of either gene in the wing discs cells caused legs to develop in place of wings. However, because of their redundancy and requirement for survival during embryogenesis, we were unable to define their role in development of the adult legs. Here, we report loss-of-function analyses of the disco genes during development of the legs. We discovered that loss of both genes functions causes both truncation of the distal leg with apparent overgrowth of proximal regions and complete loss of legs and ventral thoracic body patterning. At the molecular level we noted reduction or loss of signaling and transcription factors that pattern the proximal-distal axis of the legs. We conclude from these studies that the disco genes promote leg development through regulation of signaling processes, but also by stabilizing expression of the leg determination gene network.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Juan Rosario</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>James Mahaffey</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-05-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/052811</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Drosophila genes disconnected and disco-related together specify development of adult legs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-05-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/062612v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modifications to a LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY-1 gene are responsible for the major leaf shapes of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/062612v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Leaf shape is spectacularly diverse. As the primary source of photo-assimilate in major crops, understanding the evolutionary and environmentally induced changes in leaf morphology are critical to improving agricultural productivity. The role of leaf shape in cotton domestication is unique, as breeders have purposefully selected for entire and lobed leaf morphs resulting from a single locus, okra (L-D1). The okra locus is not only of agricultural importance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), but through pioneering chimeric and morphometric studies it has contributed to fundamental knowledge about leaf development. Here we show that the major leaf shapes of cotton at the L-D1 locus are controlled by a HD-Zip transcription factor most similar to Late Meristem Identity1 (LMI1) gene. The classical okra leaf shape gene has133-bp tandem duplication in the promoter, correlated with elevated expression, while an 8-bp deletion in the third exon of the presumed wild-type normal leaf causes a frame-shifted and truncated coding sequence. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of this LMI1-like gene in an okra variety was sufficient to induce normal leaf formation. An intermediate leaf shape allele, sub-okra, lacks both the promoter duplication and the exonic deletion. Our results indicate that sub-okra is the ancestral leaf shape of tetraploid cotton and normal is a derived mutant allele that came to predominate and define the leaf shape of cultivated cotton.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ryan J Andres</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Viktoriya Coneva</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Margaret Frank</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>John R Tuttle</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sang-Won Han</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luis F Samayoa</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baljinder Kaur</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Linglong Zhu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hui Fang</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daryl T Bowman</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marcela Rojas-Pierce</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Candace H Haigler</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Don C Jones</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>James B Holland</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniel H Chitwood</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasu Kuraparthy</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-07-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/062612</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modifications to a LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY-1 gene are responsible for the major leaf shapes of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-07-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/072199v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionary dynamics of an epigenetic switch in a fluctuating environment 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/072199v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adaptation and survival in fluctuating environments is an evolutionary challenge faced by organisms. Epigenetic switches (bistable, molecular systems built from self-reinforcing feedback loops) have been suggested as a mechanism of bet-hedging and adaptation to fluctuating environments. These epigenetic systems are capable of spontaneously switching between phenotypes in the absence of DNA mutation and these phenotypes are stably inherited through multiple cell generations. The extent to which epigenetic switches outcompete adaptation through genetic mutation in fluctuating environments remains unexplored. To better understand the conditions that select for epigenetic switching, we used computer simulation to evolve a mechanistic model of a self-activating genetic circuit, which can adapt genetically and exhibit epigenetic switching. We evolved this model in a fluctuating environment under different selection pressures, mutation step-sizes, population sizes, and fluctuation frequencies. There was a trade-off between minimizing the adaptation time after each environmental transition and increasing the robustness of the phenotype during the constant environment between transitions. We show that surviving lineages evolved bistable, epigenetic switching to adapt quickly in fast fluctuating environments, whereas genetic adaptation was favored in slowly fluctuating environments. For some evolutionary conditions, a strategy emerged where the population adapted genetically between two bistable genotypes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mariana Gómez-Schiavon</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicolas E Buchler</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-08-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/072199</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionary dynamics of an epigenetic switch in a fluctuating environment]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-08-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/074450v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Local genetic effects on gene expression across 44 human tissues 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/074450v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping provides a powerful means to identify functional variants influencing gene expression and disease pathogenesis. We report the identification of cis-eQTLs from 7,051 post-mortem samples representing 44 tissues and 449 individuals as part of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. We find a cis-eQTL for 88% of all annotated protein-coding genes, with one-third having multiple independent effects. We identify numerous tissue-specific cis-eQTLs, highlighting the unique functional impact of regulatory variation in diverse tissues. By integrating large-scale functional genomics data and state-of-the-art fine-mapping algorithms, we identify multiple features predictive of tissue-specific and shared regulatory effects. We improve estimates of cis-eQTL sharing and effect sizes using allele specific expression across tissues. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of this large compendium of cis-eQTLs for understanding the tissue-specific etiology of complex traits, including coronary artery disease. The GTEx project provides an exceptional resource that has improved our understanding of gene regulation across tissues and the role of regulatory variation in human genetic diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Francois Aguet</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andrew A Brown</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephane Castel</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joe R Davis</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pejman Mohammadi</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ayellet V Segre</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zachary Zappala</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nathan S Abell</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laure Fresard</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eric R Gamazon</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ellen Gelfand</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machael J Gloudemans</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yuan He</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farhad Hormozdiari</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao Li</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xin Li</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boxiang Liu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diego Garrido-Martin</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halit Ongen</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>John J Palowitch</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>YoSon Park</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Christine B Peterson</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gerald Quon</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephan Ripke</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andrey A Shabalin</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyler C Shimko</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benjamin J Strober</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Timothy J Sullivan</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicole A Teran</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Emily K Tsang</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hailei Zhang</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi-Hui Zhou</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alexis Battle</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carlos D Bustamonte</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nancy J Cox</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barbara E Engelhardt</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eleazar Eskin</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gad Getz</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manolis Kellis</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gen Li</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniel G MacArt</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-09-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/074450</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Local genetic effects on gene expression across 44 human tissues]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-09-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/079194v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evidence of cryptic incidence in childhood diseases 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/079194v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Persistence and extinction are key processes in infectious disease dynamics that, due to incomplete reporting, are seldom directly observable. For fully-immunizing diseases, reporting probabilities can be readily estimated from demographic records and case reports. Yet reporting probabilities are not sufficient to unambiguously reconstruct disease incidence from case reports. Here, we focus on disease presence (i.e., marginal probability of non-zero incidence), which provides an upper bound on the marginal probability of disease extinction. We examine measles and pertussis in pre-vaccine era U.S. cities, and describe a conserved scaling relationship between population size, reporting probability, and observed presence (i.e., non-zero case reports). We use this relationship to estimate disease presence given perfect reporting, and define cryptic presence as the difference between estimated and observed presence. We estimate that, in early 20th century U.S. cities, pertussis presence was higher than measles presence across a range of population sizes, and that cryptic presence was common in small cities with imperfect reporting. While the methods employed here are specific to fully-immunizing diseases, our results suggest that cryptic incidence deserves careful attention, particularly in diseases with low case counts, poor reporting, and longer infectious periods.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Christian E Gunning</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matthew J Ferrari</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Erik B Erhardt</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Helen J Wearing</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-10-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/079194</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evidence of cryptic incidence in childhood diseases]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-10-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/093807v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Incorporating the Rate of Transcriptional Change Improves Construction of Transcription Factor Regulatory Networks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/093807v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) can be developed by computational approaches that infer regulator-target gene interactions from transcriptional assays. Successful algorithms that generate predictive, accurate TRNs enable the identification of regulator-target relationships in conditions where experimentally determining regulatory interactions is a challenge. Improving the ability of TRNs to successfully predict known regulator-target relationships in model species will enhance confidence in applying these approaches to determine regulator-target interactions in non-model species where experimental validation is challenging. Many transcriptional profiling experiments are performed across multiple time points; therefore we sought to improve regulator-target predictions by adjusting how time is incorporated into the network. We created ExRANGES, which incorporates Expression in a Rate-Normalized GEne Specific manner that adjusts how expression data is provided to the network algorithm. We tested this on a two different network construction approaches and found that ExRANGES prioritizes targets differently than traditional expression and improves the ability of these networks to accurately predict known regulator targets. ExRANGES improved the ability to correctly identify targets of transcription factors in large data sets in four different model systems: mouse, human, Arabidopsis, and yeast. Finally, we examined the performance of ExRANGES on a small data set from field-grown Oryza sativa and found that it also improved the ability to identify known targets even with a limited data set.nnAuthor SummaryTo understand how organisms can turn a collection of genes into a physiological response, we need to understand how certain genes are turned on and off. In model organisms, the ability to identify direct targets of transcription factors via ChIP-Seq in a high-throughput manner has advanced our understanding of transcriptional regulatory networks and how organisms regulate gene expression. However, for non-model organisms, it remains a challenge to identify TF-target relationships through experimental approaches such as ChIP-Seq. Without this information, the ability to understand regulatory control is limited. Computational approaches to identify regulator-target relationships in silico from easily attainable transcriptional data offer a solution. Several approaches exist for identifying gene regulatory networks, including many that take advantage of time series data. Most of these approaches weigh the relationship between regulators and putative targets at all time points equally. However, many regulators may control a single target in response to different inputs. In our approach, we focus on the association between regulators and targets primarily at times when there is a significant change in expression. ExRANGES essentially weights the expression value of each time point by the slope change after that time point so that relationships between regulators and targets are emphasized at the time points when the transcript levels are changing. This change in input into network identification algorithms improves the ability to predict regulator-target interactions and could be applied to many different algorithms We hope this improvement will increase the ability to identify regulators of interest in non-model species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Desai, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sartor, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lawas, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagadish SV, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-12-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/093807</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Incorporating the Rate of Transcriptional Change Improves Construction of Transcription Factor Regulatory Networks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-12-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/094177v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Repliscan: a tool for classifying replication timing regions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/094177v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundReplication timing experiments that use label incorporation and high throughput sequencing produce peaked data similar to ChIP-Seq experiments. However, the differences in experimental design, coverage density, and possible results make traditional ChIP-Seq analysis methods inappropriate for use with replicating timing.nnResultsTo accurately detect and classify regions of replication across the genome, we present Repliscan. Repliscan robustly normalizes, automatically removes outlying and uninformative data points, and classifies Repli-seq signals into discrete combinations of replication signatures. The quality control steps and self-fitting methods makes Repliscan generally applicable and superior to previous methods with thresholds inapplicable to different genomes.nnConclusionsRepliscan is simple and effective to use on organisms with different magnitude genome sizes and sequencing coverage as low as 2.4x.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zynda, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Concia, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wear, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaughn, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-12-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/094177</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Repliscan: a tool for classifying replication timing regions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-12-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/099291v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparison of one-stage and two-stage genome-wide association studies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/099291v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Linear mixed models are widely used in humans, animals, and plants to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A characteristic of experimental designs for plants is that experimental units are typically multiple-plant plots of families or lines that are replicated across environments. This structure can present computational challenges to conducting a genome scan on raw (plot-level) data. Two-stage methods have been proposed to reduce the complexity and increase the computational speed of whole-genome scans. The first stage of the analysis fits raw data to a model including environment and line effects, but no individual marker effects. The second stage involves the whole genome scan of marker tests using summary values for each line as the dependent variable. Missing data and unbalanced experimental designs can result in biased estimates of marker association effects from two-stage analyses. In this study, we developed a weighted two-stage analysis to reduce bias and improve power of GWAS while maintaining the computational efficiency of two-stage analyses. Simulation based on real marker data of a diverse panel of maize inbred lines was used to compare power and false discovery rate of the new weighted two-stage method to single-stage and other two-stage analyses and to compare different two-stage models. In the case of severely unbalanced data, only the weighted two-stage GWAS has power and false discovery rate similar to the one-stage analysis. The weighted GWAS method has been implemented in the open-source software TASSEL.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xue, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ogut, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Verma, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradbury, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-01-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/099291</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparison of one-stage and two-stage genome-wide association studies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-01-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/100107v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estrogen and Soy Isoflavonoids Decrease Sensitivity of Medulloblastoma and Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor Cells to Chemotherapeutic Cytotoxicity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/100107v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundOur previous studies demonstrated that growth and migration of medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant brain tumor in children, are stimulated by 17{beta}-estradiol. The growth stimulating effects of estrogens are mediated through ER{beta} and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling to inhibit caspase 3 activity and reduce tumor cell apoptosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether estrogens decreased sensitivity of MB cells to cytotoxic actions of chemotherapeutic drugs.nnMethodsUsing in vitro cell viability and clonogenic survival assays, concentration response analysis was used to determine whether the cytoprotective effects of estradiol protected human D283 Med MB cells from the cytotoxic actions of the MB chemotherapeutic drugs cisplatin, vincristine, or lomustine. Additional experiments were done to determine whether the ER antagonist fulvestrant or the selective ER modulator tamoxifen blocked the cytoprotective actions of estradiol. ER-selective agonists and antagonists were used to define receptor specificity, and the impacts of the soy-derived phytoestrogens genistein, daidzein, and s-equol on chemosensitivity were evaluated.nnResultsIn D283 Med cells the presence of 10 nM estradiol increased the IC50 for cisplatin-induced inhibition of viability 2-fold from ~5 M to >10 M. In clonogenic survival assays estradiol decreased the chemosensitivity of D283 Med exposed to cisplatin, lomustine and vincristine. The ER{beta} selective agonist DPN and low physiological concentrations of the soy-derived phytoestrogens genistein, daidzein, and s-equol also decreased sensitivity of D283 Med cells to cisplatin. The protective effects of estradiol were blocked by the antiestrogens 4-hydroxytamoxifen, fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) and the ER{beta} selective antagonist PPHTP. Whereas estradiol also decreased chemosensitivity of PFSK1 cells, estradiol increased sensitivity of Daoy cell to cisplatin, suggesting that ER{beta} mediated effects may vary in different subtypes of MB.nnConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that E2 and environmental estrogens decrease sensitivity of MB to cytotoxic chemotherapeutics, and that ER{beta} selective and non-selective inhibition of estrogen receptor activity blocks these cytoprotective actions. These findings support the therapeutic potential of antiestrogen adjuvant therapies for MB, and findings that soy phytoestrogens also decrease sensitivity of MB cells to cytotoxic chemotherapeutics suggest that decreased exposure to environmental estrogens may benefit MB patient responses to chemotherapy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burton, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cookman, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kirby, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miranda, G. L. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saeed, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wray, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-01-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/100107</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estrogen and Soy Isoflavonoids Decrease Sensitivity of Medulloblastoma and Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor Cells to Chemotherapeutic Cytotoxicity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-01-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/103382v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Contemporary evolution of a Lepidopteran species, Heliothis virescens, in response to modern agricultural practices 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/103382v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adaptation to human-induced environmental change has the potential to profoundly influence the genomic architecture of affected species. This is particularly true in agricultural ecosystems, where anthropogenic selection pressure is strong. Heliothis virescens feeds on cotton in its larval stages and US populations have been declining since the widespread planting of transgenic cotton, which endogenously express proteins derived Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). No physiological adaptation to Bt toxin has been found in the field, so adaptation to this altered environment could involve: 1) shifts in host plant selection mechanisms to avoid cotton, 2) changes in detoxification mechanisms required for cotton-feeding versus feeding on other host plants, or 3) loss of resistance to previously used management practices including insecticides. Here we begin to address the question of whether such changes occurred in H. virescens populations between the years 1997 and 2012. As part of our study, we produced an H. virescens genome assembly and used this in concert with a ddRAD-seq enabled genome scan to identify loci with significant allele frequency changes over the 15 year period after Bt crops became widespread in the agricultural landscape. Confirmation that a known genetic change at a previously described H. virescens target of selection was detectable in our genome scan increased our confidence in this methodology. We quantified the strength of selection required to elicit the observed allele frequency changes at loci under selection. Potential contributions of genes near the loci under selection to adaptive phenotypes in the H. virescens cotton system are discussed.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fritz, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deyonke, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Papanicolaou, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Micinski, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Westbrook, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-01-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/103382</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Contemporary evolution of a Lepidopteran species, Heliothis virescens, in response to modern agricultural practices]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-01-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/105908v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Immune Loss as a Driver of Coexistence During Host-Phage Coevolution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/105908v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacteria and their viral pathogens face constant pressure for augmented immune and infective capabilities, respectively. Under this reciprocally imposed selective regime, we expect to see a runaway evolutionary arms race, ultimately leading to the extinction of one species. Despite this prediction, in many systems host and pathogen coexist with minimal coevolution even when well-mixed. Previous work explained this puzzling phenomenon by invoking fitness tradeoffs, which can diminish an arms race dynamic. Here we propose that the regular loss of immunity by the bacterial host can also produce host-phage coexistence. We pair a general model of immunity with an experimental and theoretical case study of the CRISPR-Cas immune system to contrast the behavior of tradeoff and loss mechanisms in well-mixed systems. We find that, while both mechanisms can produce stable coexistence, only immune loss does so robustly within realistic parameter ranges.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Weissman, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmes, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrangou, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moineau, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fagan, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levin, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, P. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-02-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/105908</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Immune Loss as a Driver of Coexistence During Host-Phage Coevolution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-02-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/109009v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Impacts of Bisphenol A and Ethinyl Estradiol on Male and Female CD-1 Mouse Spleen 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/109009v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) and the pharmaceutical 17-ethinyl estradiol (EE) are synthetic chemicals with estrogen-like activities. Despite ubiquitous human exposure to BPA, and the wide-spread clinical use of EE as oral contraceptive adjuvant, the impact of these estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the immune system is unclear. Here we report results of in vivo dose response studies that analyzed the histology and microstructural changes in the spleen of adult male and female CD-1 mice exposed to 4 to 40,000 g/kg/day BPA or 0.02 to 2 g/kg/day EE from conception until 12-14 weeks of age. Results of that analysis indicate that both BPA and EE have dose- and sex-specific impacts on the cellular and microanatomical structures of the spleens that reveal minor alterations in immunomodulatory and hematopoietic functions. These findings support previous studies demonstrating the murine immune system as a sensitive target for estrogens, and that oral exposures to BPA and EE have important estrogen-like immunomodulatory affects in both sexes of the CD-1 mouse.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gear, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-02-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/109009</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Impacts of Bisphenol A and Ethinyl Estradiol on Male and Female CD-1 Mouse Spleen]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-02-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/111005v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic Architecture and Molecular Networks Underlying Leaf Thickness in Desert-Adapted Tomato Solanum pennellii 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/111005v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Thicker leaves allow plants to grow in water-limited conditions. However, our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of this highly functional leaf shape trait is poor. We used a custom-built confocal profilometer to directly measure leaf thickness in a set of introgression lines (ILs) derived from the desert tomato species Solanum pennellii, and identified quantitative trait loci (QTL). We report evidence of a complex genetic architecture of this trait and roles for both genetic and environmental factors. Several ILs with thick leaves have dramatically elongated palisade mesophyll cells and, in some cases, increased leaf ploidy. We characterized thick ILs 2-5 and 4-3 in detail and found increased mesophyll cell size and leaf ploidy levels, suggesting that endoreduplication underpins leaf thickness in tomato. Next, we queried the transcriptomes and inferred Dynamic Bayesian Networks of gene expression across early leaf ontogeny in these lines to compare the molecular networks that pattern leaf thickness. We show that thick ILs share S. pennellii-like expression profiles for putative regulators of cell shape and meristem determinacy, as well as a general signature of cell cycle related gene expression. However, our network data suggest that leaf thickness in these two lines is patterned by at least partially distinct mechanisms. Consistent with this hypothesis, double homozygote lines combining introgression segments from these two ILs show additive phenotypes including thick leaves, higher ploidy levels and larger palisade mesophyll cells. Collectively, these data establish a framework of genetic, anatomical, and molecular mechanisms that pattern leaf thickness in desert-adapted tomato.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Coneva, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frank, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chitwood, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-02-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/111005</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic Architecture and Molecular Networks Underlying Leaf Thickness in Desert-Adapted Tomato Solanum pennellii]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-02-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/113597v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exact sequence variants should replace operational taxonomic units in marker gene data analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/113597v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent advances have made it possible to analyze high-throughput marker-gene sequencing data without resorting to the customary construction of molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs): clusters of sequencing reads that differ by less than a fixed dissimilarity threshold. New methods control errors sufficiently that sequence variants (SVs) can be resolved exactly, down to the level of single-nucleotide differences over the sequenced gene region. The benefits of finer taxonomic resolution are immediately apparent, and arguments for SV methods have focused on their improved resolution. Less obvious, but we believe more important, are the broad benefits deriving from the status of SVs as consistent labels with intrinsic biological meaning identified independently from a reference database. Here we discuss how those features grant SVs the combined advantages of closed-reference OTUs -- including computational costs that scale linearly with study size, simple merging between independently processed datasets, and forward prediction -- and of de novo OTUs -- including accurate diversity measurement and applicability to communities lacking deep coverage in reference databases. We argue that the improvements in reusability, reproducibility and comprehensiveness are sufficiently great that SVs should replace OTUs as the standard unit of marker gene analysis and reporting.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McMurdie, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmes, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-03-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/113597</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exact sequence variants should replace operational taxonomic units in marker gene data analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-03-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/119271v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assembly Of Whole-Chromosome Pseudomolecules For Polyploid Plant Genomes Using Outcrossed Mapping Populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/119271v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The assembly of whole-chromosome pseudomolecules for plant genomes remains challenging due to polyploidy and high repeat content. We developed an approach for constructing complete pseudomolecules for polyploid species using genotyping-by-sequencing data from outcrossing mapping populations coupled with high coverage whole genome sequence data of a reference genome. Our approach combines de novo assembly with linkage mapping to arrange scaffolds into pseudomolecules. We show that the method is able to reconstruct simulated chromosomes for both diploid and tetraploid genomes. Comparisons to three existing genetic mapping tools show that our method outperforms the other methods in accuracy on both grouping and ordering, and is robust to the presence of substantial amounts of missing data and genotyping errors. We applied our method to three real datasets including a diploid Ipomoea trifida and two tetraploid potato mapping populations. The linkage maps show significant concordance with the reference chromosomes. We resolved seven assembly errors for the published Ipomoea trifida genome assembly as well as anchored an unplaced scaffold in the published potato genome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhou, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gemenet, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruneberg, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cao, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fei, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>George, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-03-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/119271</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assembly Of Whole-Chromosome Pseudomolecules For Polyploid Plant Genomes Using Outcrossed Mapping Populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-03-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/128454v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of Bisphenol A on Incidence and Severity of Cardiac Lesions in the NCTR-Sprague-Dawley Rat: A CLARITY-BPA Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/128454v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The goal of this study was to determine whether bisphenol A (BPA) had adverse effects indicative of cardiac toxicity. As part of the "Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity" (CLARITY-BPA), study dams and offspring were exposed by daily gavage to five doses of BPA ranging from 2.5 to 25000 g/kg/day, 0.05 or 0.5 g/kg/day 17-ethinyl-estradiol (EE) or 0.3% carboxymethylcellulose vehicle. Exposure-related effects were analyzed in isolated hearts by quantitative morphometry and histopathology. No dose-related changes in body weight were detected. Across all exposure groups including vehicle controls, body weight of continuously dosed males was reduced compared to males dosed only until PND21. Heart weight was increased only in females exposed to EE, and consistent alterations in LV wall thickness were not observed. Exposure-related changes in collagen accumulation were minor and limited to highest EE exposure groups with increased collagen accumulation in PND21 males. Decreased collagen was observed in hearts of BPA or EE exposed females at PND90 and PND180. In BPA or EE treated females cardiomyopathy incidence and severity was significantly increased compared to control females at PND21 with myocardial degeneration observed in both males and females at PND21 and PND90.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Robin, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kendziorski, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-04-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/128454</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of Bisphenol A on Incidence and Severity of Cardiac Lesions in the NCTR-Sprague-Dawley Rat: A CLARITY-BPA Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-04-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/131706v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A heuristic method to identify runs of homozygosity associated with reduced performance in livestock. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/131706v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
While for the most part genome-wide metrics are currently employed in managing livestock inbreeding, genomic data offer, in principle, the ability to identify functional inbreeding. Here we present a heuristic method to identify haplotypes contained within a run of homozygosity (ROH) associated with reduced performance. Results are presented for simulated and swine data. The algorithm comprises 3 steps. Step 1 scans the genome based on marker windows of decreasing size and identifies ROH genotypes associated with an unfavorable phenotype. Within this stage, multiple aggregation steps reduce the haplotype to the smallest possible length. In step 2, the resulting regions are formally tested for significance with the use of a linear mixed model. Lastly, step 3 removes nested windows. The effect of the unfavorable haplotypes identified and their associated haplotype probabilities for a progeny of a given mating pair or an individual can be used to generate an inbreeding load matrix (ILM). Diagonals of ILM characterize the functional inbreeding load of individual (IIL). We estimated the accuracy of predicting the phenotype based on ILL. We further compared the significance of the regression coefficient for IIL on phenotypes to genome-wide inbreeding metrics. We tested the algorithm using simulated scenarios (n =12) combining different levels of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and number of loci impacting a quantitative trait. Additionally, we investigated 9 traits from two maternal purebred swine lines. In simulated data, as the LD in the population increased the algorithm identified a greater proportion of the true unfavorable ROH effects. For example, the proportion of highly unfavorable true ROH effects identified raised from 32 to 41 % for the low to the high LD scenario. In both simulated and real data the haplotypes identified were contained within a much larger ROH (9.12-12.1 Mb). The IIL prediction accuracy was greater than zero across all scenarios for simulated data (high LD scenario mean (95% confidence interval): 0.49 (0.47-0.52)) and for nearly all swine traits (mean {+/-} SD: 0.17{+/-}0.10). On average across simulated and swine datasets the IIL regression coefficient was more closely related to progeny performance than any genome-wide inbreeding metric. A heuristic method was developed that identified ROH genotypes with reduced performance and characterized the combined effects of ROH genotypes within and across individuals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Howard, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiezzi, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gray, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-04-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/131706</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A heuristic method to identify runs of homozygosity associated with reduced performance in livestock.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-04-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/140269v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An Inference Approach Combines Spatial And Temporal Gene Expression Data To Predict Gene Regulatory Networks In Arabidopsis Stem Cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/140269v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Identifying the transcription factors (TFs) and associated networks involved in stem cell regulation is key for understanding the initiation and growth of plant tissues and organs. Although many TFs have been shown to have a role in the Arabidopsis root stem cells, a comprehensive view of the transcriptional signature of the stem cells is lacking. In this work, we used spatial and temporal transcriptomic data to predict interactions among the genes involved in stem cell regulation. For this, we transcriptionally profiled several stem cell populations and developed a gene regulatory network (GRN) inference algorithm that combines clustering with Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) inference. We leveraged the topology of our networks to infer potential key regulators. The results presented in this work show that our combination of molecular biology approaches, computational biology and mathematical modeling was key to identify candidate factors that function in the stem cells. Specifically, through experimental validation and mathematical modeling, we identified PERIANTHIA (PAN) as an important molecular regulator of quiescent center (QC) function.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez-Espinosa, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moller, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weijers, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lohmann, J. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenzo, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/140269</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An Inference Approach Combines Spatial And Temporal Gene Expression Data To Predict Gene Regulatory Networks In Arabidopsis Stem Cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/141846v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inter-individual Recovery Of The Microbiota And Metabolome Over Time Following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation In Patients With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/141846v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A significant proportion of individuals develop recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) following initial disease. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a highly effective treatment method for recurrent CDI, has been demonstrated to induce microbiota recovery, a critical component of disease recovery. However, identification of the specific microbes and their functions that directly impact recovery from CDI remains difficult. We assessed for associations among microbial community members and metabolites in patients with recurrent CDI following treatment with FMT over time to identify groups of bacteria with potential restorative functions. Using 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing, we observed marked similarity of the microbiota between recipients following FMT (n = 6, sampling up to 6 months post-FMT) and their respective donors. Increased levels of the secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid and the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) butyrate, acetate, and propionate were observed post-FMT. To take into account longitudinal sampling and intra-individual differences, we applied a generalized estimating equation approach to model metabolite concentrations with the presence of specific members of the microbiota. Microbial metabolites that were increased following FMT associated with members classified within the Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and unclassified Clostridiales families. In contrast, members of these taxa were inversely associated with primary bile acids. The longitudinal aspect of this study allowed us to characterize individualized patterns of recovery, revealing variability between and within patients following FMT.nnIMPORTANCEClostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an urgent and serious healthcare-associated problem. In recent years, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been successfully used to treat recurrent CDI, a frequent outcome of disease. While it is apparent that FMT promotes recovery of the microbiota, it is unclear how microbes and their functions promote recovery from disease. This study aimed to identify associations among microbes and metabolites following FMT and to identify critical microbial functions following FMT treatment for recurrent CDI. Overall, recovery of the metabolome was highly dynamic and individualized in all patients, who were all successfully treated. Our results suggest that microbial changes following FMT may be highly specific to the donor-recipient relationship. Further understanding of the host-microbe environments necessary to enable successful transplantation of microbes during FMT could aid development of specific microbial therapeutics for recurrent CDI and other gastrointestinal diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Seekatz, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chang, Y.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freeman, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kao, J. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Young, V. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/141846</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inter-individual Recovery Of The Microbiota And Metabolome Over Time Following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation In Patients With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/144097v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluating Strategies For Reversing CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Drives 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/144097v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A gene drive biases inheritance of a gene so that it increases in frequency within a population even when the gene confers no fitness benefit. There has been renewed interest in environmental releases of engineered gene drives due to recent proof of principle experiments with the CRISPR-Cas9 system as a drive mechanism. Release of modified organisms, however, is controversial, especially when the drive mechanism could theoretically alter all individuals of a species. Thus, it is desirable to have countermeasures to reverse a drive if a problem arises. Several genetic mechanisms for limiting or eliminating gene drives have been proposed and/or developed, including synthetic resistance, reversal drives, and immunizing reversal drives. While predictions about efficacy of these mechanisms have been optimistic, we lack detailed analyses of their expected dynamics. We develop a discrete time model for population genetics of a drive and proposed genetic countermeasures. Efficacy of drive reversal varies between countermeasures. For some parameter values, the model predicts unexpected behavior including polymorphic equilibria and oscillatory dynamics. The timing and number of released individuals containing a genetic countermeasure can substantially impact outcomes. The choice among countermeasures by researchers and regulators will depend on specific goals and population parameters of target populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vella, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gunning, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/144097</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluating Strategies For Reversing CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Drives]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/144626v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Plasticity Of Plant Defense And Its Evolutionary Implications In Wild Populations Of Boechera stricta 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/144626v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phenotypic plasticity is thought to impact evolutionary trajectories by shifting trait values in a direction that is either favored by natural selection ("adaptive plasticity") or disfavored ("nonadaptive" plasticity). However, it is unclear how commonly each of these types of plasticity occurs in natural populations. To answer this question, we measured glucosinolate defensive chemistry and reproductive fitness in over 1,500 individuals of the wild perennial mustard Boechera stricta, planted in four common gardens across central Idaho, USA. Glucosinolate profiles--including total glucosinolate quantity as well as the relative abundances and overall diversity of different compounds--were strongly plastic both among habitats and within habitats. Patterns of glucosinolate plasticity varied greatly among genotypes. More often than expected by chance, glucosinolate profiles shifted in a direction that matched the direction of natural selection, indicating that plasticity among habitats tended to increase relative fitness. In contrast, we found no evidence for within-habitat selection on glucosinolate reaction norm slopes (i.e., plasticity along a continuous environmental gradient). Together, our results indicate that glucosinolate plasticity may improve the ability of B. stricta populations to persist after migration to new habitats.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitchell-Olds, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/144626</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Plasticity Of Plant Defense And Its Evolutionary Implications In Wild Populations Of Boechera stricta]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/151712v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Persistent homology demarcates a leaf morphospace 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/151712v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Current morphometric methods that comprehensively measure shape cannot compare the disparate leaf shapes found in seed plants and are sensitive to processing artifacts. We explore the use of persistent homology, a topological method applied across the scales of a function, to overcome these limitations. The described method isolates subsets of shape features and measures the spatial relationship of neighboring pixel densities in a shape. We apply the method to the analysis of 182,707 leaves, both published and unpublished, representing 141 plant families collected from 75 sites throughout the world. By measuring leaves from throughout the seed plants using persistent homology, a defined morphospace comparing all leaves is demarcated. Clear differences in shape between major phylogenetic groups are detected and estimates of leaf shape diversity within plant families are made. This approach does not only predict plant family, but also the collection site, confirming phylogenetically invariant morphological features that characterize leaves from specific locations. The application of a persistent homology method to measure leaf shape allows for a unified morphometric framework to measure plant form, including shape and branching architectures.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>An, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Angelovici, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bagaza, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Batushansky, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coneva, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donoghue, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fajardo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frank, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gallaher, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gebken, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hill, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jansky, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaur, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klahs, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klein, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuraparthy, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Londo, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Migicovsky, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohn, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Myles, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Otoni, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riffer, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmerler, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spriggs, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Topp, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Deynze, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zink, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chitwood, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-06-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/151712</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Persistent homology demarcates a leaf morphospace]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-06-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/159855v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Invasion and migration of self-limiting gene drives: a comparative analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/159855v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent advances in research on gene drives have produced genetic constructs that could theoretically spread a desired gene (payload) into all populations of a species, with a single release in one place. This attribute has advantages, but also comes with risks and ethical concerns. There has been a call for research on gene drive systems that are spatially and/or temporally self-limiting. Here we use a population genetics model to compare the expected characteristics of three spatially self-limiting gene drive systems: one-locus underdominance, two-locus underdominance, and daisy-chain drives. We find large differences between these gene drives in the minimum release size required for successfully driving a payload into a population. The daisy-chain system is the most efficient, requiring the smallest release, followed by the two-locus underdominance system, and then the one-locus underdominance system. However, when the target population exchanges migrants with a non-target population, the gene drives requiring smaller releases suffer from higher risks of unintended spread. For payloads that incur relatively low fitness costs (up to 30%), a simple daisy-chain drive is practically incapable of remaining localized, even with migration rates as low as 0.5% per generation. The two-locus underdominance system can achieve localized spread under a broader range of migration rates and of payload fitness costs, while the one-locus underdominance system largely remains localized. We also find differences in the extent of population alteration and in the permanence of the alteration achieved by the three gene drives. The two-locus underdominance system does not always spread the payload to fixation, even after successful drive, while the daisy-chain system can, for a small set of parameter values, achieve a temporally-limited spread of the payload. These differences could affect the suitability of each gene drive for specific applications. Note: This manuscript has been accepted for publication in the journal Evolutionary Applications and is pending publication. We suggest that any reference to or quotation of this article should be made with this recognition.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dhole, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vella, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-07-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/159855</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Invasion and migration of self-limiting gene drives: a comparative analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-07-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/169441v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid and scalable characterization of CRISPR technologies using an E. coli cell-free transcription-translation system 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/169441v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
CRISPR-Cas systems have offered versatile technologies for genome engineering, yet their implementation has been outpaced by the ongoing discovery of new Cas nucleases and anti-CRISPR proteins. Here, we present the use of E. coli cell-free transcription-translation systems (TXTL) to vastly improve the speed and scalability of CRISPR characterization and validation. Unlike prior approaches that require protein purification or live cells, TXTL can express active CRISPR machinery from added plasmids and linear DNA, and TXTL can output quantitative dynamics of DNA cleavage and gene repression. To demonstrate the applicability of TXTL, we rapidly measure guide RNA-dependent DNA cleavage and gene repression for single- and multi-effector CRISPR-Cas systems, accurately predict the strength of gene repression in E. coli, quantify the inhibitory activity of anti-CRISPR proteins, and develop a fast and scalable high-throughput screen for protospacer-adjacent motifs. These examples underscore the potential of TXTL to facilitate the characterization and application of CRISPR technologies across their many uses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Marshall, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maxwell, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luo, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobsen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noireaux, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-07-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/169441</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid and scalable characterization of CRISPR technologies using an E. coli cell-free transcription-translation system]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-07-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/169938v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Anticipating complexity in the deployment of gene drive insects in agriculture 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/169938v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insects cause substantial losses to agricultural crops each year and require intensive management approaches. Genetic pest management (GPM) has emerged as a viable, non-chemical alternative for managing insect pests. The development of engineered gene drives for agricultural use is promising, though unproven, and has the potential to impact farmers as well as broader socio-ecological systems in several ways. Drawing on lessons from the deployment of other pest control technologies, this paper considers how gene drive insects could intersect with some of the complexities that characterize agricultural systems. The development of gene drives is emerging in a landscape of pest management shaped by past and current approaches, experiences, regulations, public opinion and pest invasions. Because gene drive insects may spread well beyond their release area, stakeholder groups at different spatial scales need to be engaged in decisions about their deployment. This new paradigm both complicates and offers great promise for future pest management efforts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baltzegar, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cavin Barnes, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elsensohn, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gutzmann, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sudweeks, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-07-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/169938</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Anticipating complexity in the deployment of gene drive insects in agriculture]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-07-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/170993v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bioinformatics Core Competencies for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/170993v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bioinformatics is becoming increasingly central to research in the life sciences. However, despite its importance, bioinformatics skills and knowledge are not well integrated in undergraduate biology education. This curricular gap prevents biology students from harnessing the full potential of their education, limiting their career opportunities and slowing genomic research innovation. To advance the integration of bioinformatics into life sciences education, a framework of core bioinformatics competencies is needed. To that end, we here report the results of a survey of life sciences faculty in the United States about teaching bioinformatics to undergraduate life scientists. Responses were received from 1,260 faculty representing institutions in all fifty states with a combined capacity to educate hundreds of thousands of students every year. Results indicate strong, widespread agreement that bioinformatics knowledge and skills are critical for undergraduate life scientists, as well as considerable agreement about which skills are necessary. Perceptions of the importance of some skills varied with the respondents degree of training, time since degree earned, and/or the Carnegie classification of the respondents institution. To assess which skills are currently being taught, we analyzed syllabi of courses with bioinformatics content submitted by survey respondents. Finally, we used the survey results, the analysis of syllabi, and our collective research and teaching expertise to develop a set of bioinformatics core competencies for undergraduate life sciences students. These core competencies are intended to serve as a guide for institutions as they work to integrate bioinformatics into their life sciences curricula.nnSignificance StatementBioinformatics, an interdisciplinary field that uses techniques from computer science and mathematics to store, manage, and analyze biological data, is becoming increasingly central to modern biology research. Given the widespread use of bioinformatics and its impacts on societal problem-solving (e.g., in healthcare, agriculture, and natural resources management), there is a growing need for the integration of bioinformatics competencies into undergraduate life sciences education. Here, we present a set of bioinformatics core competencies for undergraduate life scientists developed using the results of a large national survey and the expertise of our working group of bioinformaticians and educators. We also present results from the survey on the importance of bioinformatics skills and the current state of integration of bioinformatics into biology education.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wilson Sayres, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hauser, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sierk, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robic, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosenwald, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Triplett, E. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinsdale, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morgan, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burnette, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donovan, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drew, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elgin, S. C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fowlks, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galindo-Gonzalez, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goodman, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grandgenett, N. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goller, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jungck, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newman, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearson, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ryder, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tosado-Acevedo, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tapprich, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tobin, T. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toro-Martinez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Welch, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ebenbach, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olney, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McWilliams, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pauley, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-08-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/170993</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bioinformatics Core Competencies for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-08-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/175091v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The roles of Conserved Domains in DEMETER-Mediated Active DNA Demethylation in planta 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/175091v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
DNA methylation plays critical roles in maintaining genome stability, genomic imprinting, transposon silencing, and development. In Arabidopsis genomic imprinting is established in the central cell by DEMETER (DME)-mediated active DNA demethylation, and is essential for seed viability. DME is a large polypeptide with multiple poorly characterized conserved domains. Here we show that the C-terminal enzymatic core of DME is sufficient to complement dme associated developmental defects. When targeted by a native DME promoter, nuclear-localized DME C-terminal region rescues dme seed abortion and pollen germination defects, and ameliorates CG hypermethylation phenotype in dme-2 endosperm. Furthermore, targeted expression of the DME N-terminal region in wild-type central cell induces dme-like seed abortion phenotype. Our results support a bipartite organization for DME protein, and suggest that the N-terminal region might have regulatory function such as assisting in DNA binding and enhancing the processivity of active DNA demethylation in heterochromatin targets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hung, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, X.-Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iyer, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aravind, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huh, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-08-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/175091</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The roles of Conserved Domains in DEMETER-Mediated Active DNA Demethylation in planta]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-08-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/181909v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/181909v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees and ants, appeared. Here, we report the first, 2GB genome of a cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3GB genome of the drywood termite, Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different, thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harrison, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jongepier, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robertson, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arning, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bitard-Feildel, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chao, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Childers, C. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinh, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doddapaneni, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dugan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gowin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greiner, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hughes, D. S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huylmans, A.-K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kemena, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kremer, L. P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopez-Ezquerra, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mallet, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Monroy-Kuhn, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moser, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murali, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muzny, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Otani, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piulachs, M.-D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poelchau, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schaub, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wada-Katsumata, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Worley, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ylla, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poulsen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gibbs, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richards, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belles, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Korb, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bornberg-Bauer, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-08-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/181909</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-08-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/185769v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic Analysis of Lodging in Diverse Maize Hybrids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/185769v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Damage caused by lodging is a significant problem in corn production that results in estimated annual yield losses of 5-20%. Over the past 100 years, substantial maize breeding efforts have increased lodging resistance by artificial selection. However, less research has focused on understanding the genetic architecture underlying lodging. Lodging is a problematic trait to evaluate since it is greatly influenced by environmental factors such as wind, rain, and insect infestation, which make replication difficult. In this study over 1,723 diverse inbred maize genotypes were crossed to a common tester and evaluated in five environments over multiple years. Natural lodging due to severe weather conditions occurred in all five environments. By testing a large population of genetically diverse maize lines in multiple field environments, we detected significant correlations for this highly environmentally influenced trait across environments and with important agronomic traits such as yield and plant height. This study also permitted the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for lodging. Several QTL identified in this study overlapped with loci previously mapped for stalk strength in related maize inbred lines. QTL intervals mapped in this study also overlapped candidate genes implicated in the regulation of lignin and cellulose synthesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Larsson, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peiffer, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ersoz, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McMullen, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuinstra, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romay, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-09-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/185769</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic Analysis of Lodging in Diverse Maize Hybrids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-09-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/196089v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Improving the Generation and Selection of Virtual Populations in Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/196089v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) models aim to describe mechanistically the pathophysiology of disease and predict the effects of therapies on that disease. For most drug development applications, it is important to predict not only the mean response to an intervention but also the distribution of responses, due to inter-patient variability. Given the necessary complexity of QSP models, and the sparsity of relevant human data, the parameters of QSP models are often not well determined. One approach to overcome these limitations is to develop alternative virtual patients (VPs) and virtual populations (Vpops), which allow for the exploration of parametric uncertainty and reproduce inter-patient variability in response to perturbation. Here we evaluated approaches to improve the efficiency of generating Vpops. We aimed to generate Vpops without sacrificing diversity of the VPs pathophysiologies and phenotypes. To do this, we built upon a previously published approach (Allen, Rieger et al. 2016) by (a) incorporating alternative optimization algorithms (genetic algorithm and Metropolis-Hastings) or alternatively (b) augmenting the optimized objective function. Each method improved the baseline algorithm by requiring significantly fewer plausible patients (precursors to VPs) to create a reasonable Vpop. #ddct #qsp
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rieger, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bystricky, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colopy, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cui, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Everett, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banks, H. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Musante, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-09-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/196089</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Improving the Generation and Selection of Virtual Populations in Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-09-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/196337v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Somatic inactivating PTPRJ mutations and dysregulated pathways identified in canine melanoma by integrated comparative genomic analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/196337v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Canine malignant melanoma, a significant cause of mortality in domestic dogs, is a powerful comparative model for human melanoma, but little is known about its genetic etiology. We mapped the genomic landscape of canine melanoma through multi-platform analysis of 37 tumors (31 mucosal, 3 acral, 2 cutaneous, and 1 uveal) and 17 matching constitutional samples including long- and short-insert whole genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, array comparative genomic hybridization, single nucleotide polymorphism array, and targeted Sanger sequencing analyses. We identified novel predominantly truncating mutations in the putative tumor suppressor gene PTPRJ in 19% of cases. No BRAF mutations were detected, but activating RAS mutations (24% of cases) occurred in conserved hotspots in all cutaneous and acral and 13% of mucosal subtypes. MDM2 amplifications (24%) and TP53 mutations (19%) were mutually exclusive. Additional low-frequency recurrent alterations were observed amidst low point mutation rates, an absence of ultraviolet light mutational signatures, and an abundance of copy number and structural alterations. Mutations that modulate cell proliferation and cell cycle control were common and highlight therapeutic axes such as MEK and MDM2 inhibition. This mutational landscape resembles that seen in BRAF wild-type and sun-shielded human melanoma subtypes. Overall, these data inform biological comparisons between canine and human melanoma while suggesting actionable targets in both species.nnAUTHOR SUMMARYMelanoma, an aggressive cancer arising from transformed melanocytes, commonly occurs in pet dogs. Unlike human melanoma, which most often occurs in sun-exposed cutaneous skin, canine melanoma typically arises in sun-shielded oral mucosa. Clinical features of canine melanoma resemble those of human melanoma, particularly the less common sun-shielded human subtypes. However, whereas the genomic basis of diverse human melanoma subtypes is well understood, canine melanoma genomics remain poorly defined. Similarly, although diverse new treatments for human melanoma based on a biologic disease understanding have recently shown dramatic improvements in outcomes for these patients, treatments for canine melanoma are limited and outcomes remain universally poor. Detailing the genomic basis of canine melanoma thus provides untapped potential for improving the lives of pet dogs while also helping to establish canine melanoma as a comparative model system for informing human melanoma biology and treatment. In order to better define the genomic landscape of canine melanoma, we performed multi-platform characterization of 37 tumors. Our integrated analysis confirms that these tumors commonly contain mutations in canine orthologs of human cancer genes such as RAS, MDM2, and TP53 as well mutational patterns that share important similarities with human melanoma subtypes. We have also found a new putative cancer gene, PTPRJ, frequently mutated in canine melanoma. These data will guide additional biologic and therapeutic studies in canine melanoma while framing the utility of comparative studies of canine and human cancers more broadly.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hendricks, W. P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zismann, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sivaprakasam, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Legendre, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poorman, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tembe, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kiefer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeLuca, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stark, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruhe, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Froman, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duesbury, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Washington, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aldrich, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neff, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huentelman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hayward, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thamm, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Post, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khanna, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sekulic, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trent, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-09-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/196337</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Somatic inactivating PTPRJ mutations and dysregulated pathways identified in canine melanoma by integrated comparative genomic analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-09-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.12.871756v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Holistic Analysis of the Intestinal Stem Cell Niche Network 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.12.871756v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although many studies into the intestinal stem cell (ISC) niche have been carried out, they have focused on the role of a single cell type or molecular signal. However, no holistic comparisons of the predominant cell types and signals present within the intestinal mucosa have been conducted to date. We utilize bulk RNA sequencing to profile 20 different mucosal cell types covering four major cell categories: epithelial, stromal, endothelial and immune. We further examined the stromal signaling environment using scRNAseq to provide a more comprehensive view of the signaling microenvironment within the intestinal mucosa. We identified the primary signals for the major ISC regulatory pathways and their respective cellular sources. Our analysis suggests that a  niche network exists, with no single cell type being responsible for ISC self-renewal, proliferation, or differentiation; rather, each cell type within the network carries out specific functions in a highly cooperative and coordinated manner.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hansen, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meneses Giles, P. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, X. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paulson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dekaney, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venkatraman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaddis, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olack, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, J. C. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Henning, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanash, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Houchen, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lynch, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niland, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stelzner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wong, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, T. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2019.12.12.871756</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Holistic Analysis of the Intestinal Stem Cell Niche Network]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.20.885608v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Content of xylose, trehalose and L-citrulline in cucumber fermentations and utilization of such compounds by certain lactobacilli 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.20.885608v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This research determined the concentration of trehalose, xylose and L-citrulline in fresh and fermented cucumbers and their utilization by Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus buchneri. Targeted compounds were measured by HPLC and the ability of certain lactobacilli to utilize them was scrutinized in fermented cucumber juice. Fresh cucumber juice was supplemented with trehalose, xylose and L-citrulline to observed mixed culture fermentations. Changes in the biochemistry, pH and colony counts during fermentations were monitored. Trehalose was detected in fermentations to 15.51 {+/-} 1.68 mM. Xylose was found in a fresh cucumber sample to 36.05 mM. L-citrulline was present in fresh and fermented cucumber samples to 1.05 {+/-} 0.63 mM. Most of the lactobacilli tested utilized trehalose and xylose in FCJM at pH 4.7. L-citrulline was utilized by L. buchneri and produced by other LAB. L-citrulline (12.43 {+/-} 2.3 mM) was converted to ammonia (14.54 {+/-} 3.60 mM) and the biogenic amine ornithine (14.19 {+/-} 1.07 mM) by L. buchneri at pH 4.7 in the presence of 0.5 {+/-} 0.2 mM glucose enhancing growth by 0.5 log CFU/mL. The use of a mixed starter culture containing L. buchneri aided in the removal of L-citrulline and enhanced the fermentation stability. The utilization of L-citrulline by L. buchneri may be a cause of concern for the stability of cucumber fermentations at pH 3.7 or above. This study identifies the use of a tripartite starter culture as an enhancer of microbial stability for fermented cucumbers.

ImportanceUtilization of trehalose, xylose and L-citrulline as energy sources by the indigenous cucumber microbiota was studied to determine if this was a cause for the spoilage of the fermented fruit. While the plant derived sugars, trehalose and xylose, were occasionally present in cucumber fermentations, they are readily utilized by the bacteria spearheading primary fermentation. L-citrulline, however, is an amino acid not naturally found in proteins, was detected in all the samples tested and was uniquely utilized by the spoilage associated bacterium, L. buchneri. Additionally, the bacteria involved in cucumber fermentation produced L-citrulline. It was observed that the use of L. pentosus, L. brevis and L. buchneri in a mixed starter culture aids in the removal of the alternate energy sources, including L-citrulline, and the generation of a stable cucumber fermentation for 55 days under anaerobiosis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ucar, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez-Diaz, I. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dean, L. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2019.12.20.885608</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Content of xylose, trehalose and L-citrulline in cucumber fermentations and utilization of such compounds by certain lactobacilli]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.02.893016v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structure-function analysis of interallelic complementation in ROOTY transheterozygotes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.02.893016v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Auxin is a crucial plant growth regulator. Forward genetic screens for auxin-related mutants have led to the identification of key genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling. Loss-of-function mutations in the genes involved in indole glucosinolate biosynthesis, a metabolically-related route that produces defense compounds from indolic precursors shared with the auxin pathway, result in auxin overproduction. We identified an allelic series of fertile, hypomorphic mutants for an essential indole glucosinolate route gene ROOTY (RTY) that show a range of high-auxin defects. Genetic characterization of these lines uncovered phenotypic suppression by cyp79b2 b3, wei2, and wei7 mutants and revealed the phenomenon of interallelic complementation in several RTY transheterozygotes. Structural modeling of RTY shed light on the structure-to-function relations in the RTY homo- and heterodimers and unveiled the likely structural basis of interallelic complementation. This work underscores the importance of employing true null mutants in genetic complementation studies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brumos, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bobay, B. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stepanova, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.02.893016</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structure-function analysis of interallelic complementation in ROOTY transheterozygotes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.02.893248v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estimating invasion dynamics with geopolitical-unit level records: performance and similarity of common methods using both simulated data and a real case 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.02.893248v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Estimating invasion dynamic is important to the management of invasive species, and geopolitical-unit level data are usually the most abundant and available records of invasive species. Here, for the first time we evaluated performances and similarities of eight common methods to estimate spread pattern and spread dynamic of invasive species with geopolitical-unit level data, and assessed impacts of variations in geopolitical-units on each method using simulated spread data. We also formulated a concave hull boundary displacement method (i.e., CEB) and an area-based regression method (i.e., AER) for estimating spread with geopolitical-unit data. Three regions with different sized counties in the United States (U.S.) were selected to conduct simulations and three spread scenarios were simulated. R2 and root mean square error were used to evaluate the abilities of all methods to estimate spread. Correlation coefficients were used to assess the similarity pattern of all methods. Finally, kudzu bug Megacopta cribraria, an invasive insect in the U.S., was used as a case study to test the generality of some results concluded from the simulated research. We found the CEB and two regression methods consistently estimated the right expansion patterns. Two boundary displacement and two area-based regression methods estimated highly correlated spread and were the best four methods, among which CEB had the best estimation. Distance-based regression methods are sensitive to irregularity and stochasticity in spread, and the minimum spread distance method had low ability to estimate spread. The case study showed consistent results with the simulated research. Both regression and boundary displacement methods can estimate spread patterns, overall rate, and spread dynamics of invasive species. Boundary displacement methods best estimate spread rates and dynamics; however, for spread without clear infestation outlines, area-based regression methods can be good alternatives.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Liang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tran, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiggins, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grant, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.02.893248</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estimating invasion dynamics with geopolitical-unit level records: performance and similarity of common methods using both simulated data and a real case]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.13.904250v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionary dynamics of Tomato spotted wilt virus within and between alternate plant hosts and thrips 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.13.904250v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a generalist pathogen with one of the broadest known host ranges among RNA viruses. To understand how TSWV adapts to different hosts, we experimentally passaged viral populations between two alternate hosts, Emilia sochifolia and Datura stramonium, and an obligate vector in which it also replicates, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). Deep sequencing viral populations at multiple time points allowed us to track the evolutionary dynamics of viral populations within and between hosts. High levels of viral genetic diversity were maintained in both plants and thrips between transmission events. Rapid fluctuations in the frequency of amino acid variants indicated strong host-specific selection pressures on proteins involved in viral movement (NSm) and replication (RdRp). While several genetic variants showed opposing fitness effects in different hosts, fitness effects were generally positively correlated between hosts indicating that positive rather than antagonistic pleiotropy is pervasive. These results suggest that high levels of genetic diversity together with the positive pleiotropic effects of mutations have allowed TSWV to rapidly adapt to new hosts and expand its host range.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ruark-Seward, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bonville, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.13.904250</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionary dynamics of Tomato spotted wilt virus within and between alternate plant hosts and thrips]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.13.904979v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microbiome composition differs in hybrid and inbred maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.13.904979v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIMacroorganisms genotypes shape their phenotypes, which in turn shape the habitat available to potential microbial symbionts. This influence of host genotype on microbiome composition has been demonstrated in many systems; however, most previous studies have either compared unrelated genotypes or delved into molecular mechanisms. As a result, it is currently unclear whether the heritability of host-associated microbiomes follows similar patterns to the heritability of other complex traits.
C_LIO_LIWe take a new approach to this question by comparing the microbiomes of diverse maize inbred lines and their F1 hybrid offspring, which we quantified in both rhizosphere and leaves of field-grown plants using 16S-v4 and ITS1 amplicon sequencing.
C_LIO_LIWe show that inbred lines and hybrids differ consistently in composition of bacterial and fungal rhizosphere communities, as well as leaf-associated fungal communities. A wide range of microbiome features display heterosis within individual crosses, consistent with patterns for non-microbial maize phenotypes. For leaf microbiomes, these results were supported by the observation that broad-sense heritability in hybrids was substantially higher than narrow-sense heritability.
C_LIO_LIOur results support our hypothesis that at least some heterotic host traits affect microbiome composition in maize.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balint-Kurti, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.13.904979</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microbiome composition differs in hybrid and inbred maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.14.904847v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Building the lac operon: A guided-inquiry activity using 3D printed models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.14.904847v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Undergraduate biology courses rely heavily on visual representation of information. Students view images of plants, animals, and microbes, interpret data presented in graphs, and use drawings to understand how cells and molecules interact in three dimensions. Traditional teaching approaches exclude students with visual impairments and disadvantage students with disabilities that affect their interpretation and processing of visual and spatial information as well as students who simply do not identify as "visual learners". By using new technologies to develop tactile teaching tools (TTTs) that can be employed in classrooms, we aim to create inclusive learning environments and more effectively instruct diverse learners. The advent of affordable and accessible 3D printing technology makes it possible to create tactile models that represent molecules, cells, and entire organisms more accurately than traditional visual representations. We describe the assessment of a 3D gene expression puzzle as a guided inquiry learning activity in which students must correctly assemble a series of components in order to achieve an output. Upon completion of the puzzle, the TTT provides tactile feedback through vibration to signal transcriptional activation. Analysis of pre- and post-assessment performance demonstrated statistically significant increases in individual students paired assessment scores in two different classroom implementations, with a greater effect size at a rural minority-serving institution than an urban R1 university. These encouraging preliminary data suggest that TTTs with guided-inquiry learning disproportionately benefit disadvantaged student populations and could serve as a tool in leveling the playing field when teaching abstract biological concepts in diverse educational settings.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gordy, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sandefur, C. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lacara, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, F. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramirez, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.14.904847</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Building the lac operon: A guided-inquiry activity using 3D printed models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.15.908020v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Urban warming inverse contribution on risk of dengue transmission in the southeastern North America 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.15.908020v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIPreventing diseases from becoming a problem where they are not is a common ground for disease ecology. The expectation for vector-borne diseases, especially those transmitted by mosquitos, is that warm and wet conditions favor vector traits increasing transmission potential. The advent of urbanization altering inner climate conditions hazards to increase mosquitos transmission potential on "disease-free" cooler areas as a consequence of a warming urban heat island (UHI) effect.
C_LIO_LIWe assessed the realism of the anticipated dengue transmission potential into the southern United States in a causal pathway with the ongoing UHI effect, vectors spatial distribution patterns, and exogenous environment; We also measured the climatic niche similarity between both dengue vectors species.
C_LIO_LIOur path model revealed that the UHI effect presents negative or no relation with dengue transmission potential. Instead, the surrounding non-urban temperature was rather suitable for the expected mosquitos transmission potential.
C_LIO_LIBoth dengue vectors occurrence revealed to be more aggregated then expected by chance. These mosquitos density patterns were responsive to the warming effect of UHI-especially Aedes Aegypti-but not a reliable predictor for the anticipated dengue transmission potential pattern. The climatic niches of both vectors are not equivalent. Although currently highly overlapped, there is a wide space of their climatic niche still to be filled.
C_LIO_LIPolicy implications. We highlight that the warming UHI effect on urban sites is not congruent with the expected suitability for dengue transmission. Instead, non-urban areas would be a better focus for dengue hazards into the southern United States. Our study also highlights the need for including low scale temperature on further mosquito-borne disease transmission models and track vectors niche filling under anthropogenic changes.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Simon, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pinto-Ledezma, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rangel, T. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.15.908020</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Urban warming inverse contribution on risk of dengue transmission in the southeastern North America]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.15.908442v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microbial DNA on the move: sequencing based detection and analysis of transduced DNA in pure cultures and microbial communities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.15.908442v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a central role in microbial evolution. Our understanding of the mechanisms, frequency and taxonomic range of HGT in polymicrobial environments is limited, as we currently rely on historical HGT events inferred from genome sequencing and studies involving cultured microorganisms. We lack approaches to observe ongoing HGT in microbial communities. To address this knowledge gap, we developed a DNA sequencing based "transductomics" approach that detects and characterizes microbial DNA transferred via transduction. We validated our approach using model systems representing a range of transduction modes and show that we can detect numerous classes of transducing DNA. Additionally, we show that we can use this methodology to obtain insights into DNA transduction among all major taxonomic groups of the intestinal microbiome. This work extends the genomic toolkit for the broader study of mobile DNA within microbial communities and could be used to understand how phenotypes spread within microbiomes.

Significance StatementMicrobes can rapidly evolve new capabilities by acquiring genes from other organisms through a process called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). HGT occurs via different routes, one of which is by the transfer of DNA carried by microbe infecting viruses (phages) or virus-like agents. This process is called transduction and has primarily been studied in the lab using pure cultures or indirectly in environmental communities by analyzing signatures in microbial genomes revealing past transduction events. The transductomics approach that we present here, allows for the detection and characterization of genes that are potentially transferred between microbes in complex microbial communities at the time of measurement and thus provides insights into real-time ongoing horizontal gene transfer.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bushnell, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanderson, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hooper, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duerkop, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.15.908442</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microbial DNA on the move: sequencing based detection and analysis of transduced DNA in pure cultures and microbial communities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.16.910018v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) mitigates the host inflammatory response during Clostridioides difficile infection by altering gut bile acids which attenuates NF-κB signaling via bile acid activated receptors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.16.910018v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality posing an urgent threat to public health. Recurrence of CDI after successful treatment with antibiotics is high, thus necessitating discovery of novel therapeutics against this enteric pathogen. Administration of the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, ursodiol) inhibits the life cycle of various strains of C. difficile in vitro, suggesting the FDA approved formulation of UDCA, known as ursodiol, may be able to restore colonization resistance against C. difficile in vivo. However, the mechanism(s) by which ursodiol is able to restore colonization resistance against C. difficile remains unknown. Here, we confirmed that ursodiol inhibits C. difficile R20291 spore germination and outgrowth, growth, and toxin activity in a dose dependent manner in vitro. In a murine model of CDI, exogenous administration of ursodiol resulted in significant alterations in the bile acid metabolome with little to no changes in gut microbial community structure. Ursodiol pretreatment resulted in attenuation of CDI pathogenesis early in the course of disease, which coincided with alterations in the cecal and colonic inflammatory transcriptome, bile acid activated receptors nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and transmembrane G protein-coupled membrane receptor 5 (TGR5), which are able to modulate the innate immune response through signaling pathways such as NF-{kappa}B. Although ursodiol pretreatment did not result in a consistent decrease in the C. difficile life cycle in vivo, it was able to attenuate an overly robust inflammatory response that is detrimental to the host during CDI. Ursodiol remains a viable non-antibiotic treatment and/or prevention strategy against CDI. Likewise, modulation of the host innate immune response via bile acid activated receptors, FXR and TGR5, represents a new potential treatment strategy for patients with CDI.

ImportanceThe clinical utility of ursodiol for prevention of recurrent CDI is currently in Phase 4 clinical trials. However, the mechanism by which ursodiol exerts its impacts on C. difficile pathogenesis is poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrated that ursodiol pretreatment attenuates CDI pathogenesis early in the course of disease in mice, which coincides with alterations in the cecal and colonic inflammatory transcriptome, bile acid activated receptors nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and transmembrane G protein-coupled membrane receptor 5 (TGR5), which are able to modulate the innate immune response through signaling pathways such as NF-{kappa}B. Ursodiol attenuated an overly robust inflammatory response that is detrimental to the host during CDI, and thus remains a viable non-antibiotic treatment and/or prevention strategy against CDI. Likewise, modulation of the host innate immune response via bile acid activated receptors, FXR and TGR5, represents a new potential treatment strategy for patients with CDI.

AbbreviationsMCA - -Muricholic acid; {beta}MCA -{beta}-Muricholic acid; {omega}MCA -{omega}-Muricholic acid; CA - Cholic acid; CDCA - Chenodeoxycholic acid; DCA - Deoxycholic acid; GCDCA - Glycochenodeoxycholic acid; GDCA - Glycodeoxycholic acid; GLCA - Glycolithocholic acid; GUDCA - Glycoursodeoxycholic acid; HCA - Hyodeoxycholic acid; iDCA - Isodeoxycholic acid; iLCA - Isolithocholic acid; LCA - Lithocholic acid; TCA - Taurocholic acid; TCDCA - Taurochenodeoxycholic acid; TDCA - Taurodeoxycholic acid; THCA - Taurohyodeoxycholic acid; TUDCA - Tauroursodeoxycholic acid; T{beta}MCA- Tauro-{beta}-muricholic acid; T{omega}MCA -Tauro {omega}-muricholic acid; UDCA Ursodeoxycholic acid.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Winston, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivera, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thanissery, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montgomery, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patterson, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.16.910018</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) mitigates the host inflammatory response during Clostridioides difficile infection by altering gut bile acids which attenuates NF-κB signaling via bile acid activated receptors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.22.915389v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Establishing Probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii as a Model Organism for Synthesis and Delivery of Biomolecules 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.22.915389v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Saccharomyces boulardii is a widely used yeast probiotic which can counteract various gastrointestinal disorders1. As a relative of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. boulardii exhibits rapid growth and is easy to transform2 and thus represents a promising chassis for the engineered secretion of biomolecules. To establish S. boulardii as a platform for delivery of biomolecules to the mammalian gut, we measured the amount and variance in protein expression enabled by promoters, terminators, selective markers, and copy number control elements in this organism. These genetic elements were characterized in plasmidic and genomic contexts, revealing strategies for tunable control of gene expression and CRISPR-mediated genome editing in this strain. We then leveraged this set of genetic parts to combinatorially assemble pathways enabling a wide range of drug and vitamin titers. Finally, we measured S. boulardiis residence time in the gastrointestinal tracts of germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice, revealing the relationships between dosing strategy and colonization level. This work establishes S. boulardii as a genetically tractable commensal fungus and provides a set of strategies for engineering S. boulardii to synthesize and deliver biomolecules during gut colonization.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Durmusoglu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al'Abri, I. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.22.915389</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Establishing Probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii as a Model Organism for Synthesis and Delivery of Biomolecules]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.22.916304v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Strain-dependent inhibition of Clostridioides difficile by commensal Clostridia encoding the bile acid inducible (bai) operon 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.22.916304v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Clostridioides difficile is one of the leading causes of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Gut microbiota-derived secondary bile acids and commensal Clostridia that encode the bile acid inducible (bai) operon are associated with protection from C. difficile infection (CDI), although the mechanism is not known. In this study we hypothesized that commensal Clostridia are important for providing colonization resistance against C. difficile due to their ability to produce secondary bile acids, as well as potentially competing against C. difficile for similar nutrients. To test this hypothesis, we examined the ability of four commensal Clostridia encoding the bai operon (C. scindens VPI 12708, C. scindens ATCC 35704, C. hiranonis, and C. hylemonae) to convert CA to DCA in vitro, and if the amount of DCA produced was sufficient to inhibit growth of a clinically relevant C. difficile strain. We also investigated the competitive relationship between these commensals and C. difficile using an in vitro co-culture system. We found that inhibition of C. difficile growth by commensal Clostridia supplemented with CA was strain-dependent, correlated with the production of [~]2 mM DCA, and increased expression of bai operon genes. We also found that C. difficile was able to outcompete all four commensal Clostridia in an in vitro co-culture system. These studies are instrumental in understanding the relationship between commensal Clostridia and C. difficile in the gut, which is vital for designing targeted bacterial therapeutics. Future studies dissecting the regulation of the bai operon in vitro and in vivo and how this affects CDI will be important.

ImportanceCommensal Clostridia encoding the bai operon such as C. scindens have been associated with protection against CDI, however the mechanism for this protection is unknown. Herein, we show four commensal Clostridia that encode the bai operon effect C. difficile growth in a strain-dependent manner, with and without the addition of cholate. Inhibition of C. difficile by commensals correlated with the efficient conversion of cholate to deoxycholate, a secondary bile acid that inhibits C. difficile germination, growth, and toxin production. Competition studies also revealed that C. difficile was able to outcompete the commensals in an in vitro co-culture system. These studies are instrumental in understanding the relationship between commensal Clostridia and C. difficile in the gut, which is vital for designing targeted bacterial therapeutics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Reed, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nethery, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrangou, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.22.916304</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Strain-dependent inhibition of Clostridioides difficile by commensal Clostridia encoding the bile acid inducible (bai) operon]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.24.917914v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparing DNA replication programs reveals large timing shifts at centromeres of endocycling cells in maize roots 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.24.917914v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant cells undergo two types of cell cycles - the mitotic cycle in which DNA replication is coupled to mitosis, and the endocycle in which DNA replication occurs in the absence of cell division. To investigate DNA replication programs in these two types of cell cycles, we pulse labeled intact root tips of maize (Zea mays) with 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) and used flow sorting of nuclei to examine DNA replication timing (RT) during the transition from a mitotic cycle to an endocycle. Here, we compare sequence-based RT profiles and found that most regions of the maize genome replicate at the same time during S phase in mitotic and endocycling cells, despite the need to replicate twice as much DNA in the endocycle. However, regions collectively corresponding to 2% of the genome displayed significant changes in timing between the two types of cell cycles. The majority of these regions are small, with a median size of 135 kb, and shift to a later RT in the endocycle. However, we found larger regions that shifted RT in centromeres of seven of the ten maize chromosomes. These regions covered the majority of the previously defined functional centromere in each case, which are [~]1-2 Mb in size in the reference genome. They replicate mainly during mid S phase in mitotic cells, but primarily in late S phase of the endocycle. Strikingly, the immediately adjacent pericentromere sequences are primarily late replicating in both cell cycles. Analysis of CENH3 enrichment levels in nuclei of different ploidies suggested that there is only a partial replacement of CENH3 nucleosomes after endocycle replication is complete. The shift to later replication of centromeres and reduced CENH3 enrichment after endocycle replication is consistent with the hypothesis that centromeres are being inactivated as their function is no longer needed.

AUTHOR SUMMARYIn traditional cell division, or mitosis, a cells genetic material is duplicated and then split between two daughter cells. In contrast, in some specialized cell types, the DNA is duplicated a second time without an intervening division step, resulting in cells that carry twice as much DNA - a phenomenon called an endocycle, which is common during plant development. At each step, DNA replication follows an ordered program, in which highly compacted DNA is unraveled and replicated in sections at different times during the synthesis (S) phase. In plants, it is unclear whether traditional and endocycle programs are the same. Using root tips of maize, we found a small portion of the genome whose replication in the endocycle is shifted in time, usually to later in S phase. Some of these regions are scattered around the genome, and mostly coincide with active genes. However, the most prominent shifts occur in centromeres. This location is noteworthy because centromeres orchestrate the process of separating duplicated chromosomes into daughter cells, a function that is not needed in the endocycle. Our observation that centromeres replicate later in the endocycle suggests there is an important link between the time of replication and the function of centromeres.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wear, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zynda, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mickelson-Young, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LeBlanc, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, T.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deppong, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martienssen, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaughn, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.24.917914</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparing DNA replication programs reveals large timing shifts at centromeres of endocycling cells in maize roots]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.25.919506v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Heterozygous mutation of Sonic Hedgehog receptor (Ptch) drives cerebellar overgrowth and sex-specifically alters hippocampal and cortical layer structure, activity, and social behavior in female mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.25.919506v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling is essential for the differentiation and migration of early stem cell populations during cerebellar development. Dysregulation of SHH-signaling can result in cerebellar overgrowth and the formation of the brain tumor medulloblastoma. Treatment for medulloblastoma is extremely aggressive and patients suffer life-long side effects including behavioral deficits. Considering that other behavioral disorders including autism spectrum disorders, holoprosencephaly, and basal cell nevus syndrome are known to present with cerebellar abnormalities, it is proposed that some behavioral abnormalities could be inherent to the medulloblastoma sequalae rather than treatment. Using a haploinsufficient SHH receptor knockout mouse model (Ptch1+/-), a partner preference task was used to explore activity, social behavior and neuroanatomical changes resulting from dysregulated SHH signaling. Compared to wild-type, Ptch1+/- females displayed increased activity by traveling a greater distance in both open-field and partner preference tasks. Social behavior was also sex-specifically modified in Ptch1+/- females that interacted more with both novel and familiar animals in the partner preference task compared to same-sex wild-type controls. Haploinsufficency of PTCH resulted in cerebellar overgrowth in lobules IV/V and IX of both sexes, and female-specific decreases in hippocampal size and isocortical layer thickness. Taken together, neuroanatomical changes related to deficient SHH signaling may alter social behavior.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jackson, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bendfeldt, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beam, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rock, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.25.919506</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Heterozygous mutation of Sonic Hedgehog receptor (Ptch) drives cerebellar overgrowth and sex-specifically alters hippocampal and cortical layer structure, activity, and social behavior in female mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.03.932939v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Beef cattle that respond differently to fescue toxicosis have distinct gastrointestinal tract microbiota 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.03.932939v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) is a widely used forage grass which shares a symbiosis with the endophytic fungus Epichloe coenophiala. The endophyte produces an alkaloid toxin that provides herbivory, heat and drought resistance to the grass, but can cause fescue toxicosis in grazing livestock. Fescue toxicosis can lead to reduced weight gain and milk yields resulting in significant losses to the livestock industry. In this trial, 149 Angus cows across two farms were continuously exposed to toxic, endophyte-infected, fescue for a total of 13 weeks. Of those 149 cows, 40 were classified into either high (HT) or low (LT) tolerance groups according to their growth performance (weight gain). 20 HT and 20 LT cattle balanced by farm were selected for 16S rRNA gene and ITS1 region Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing to compare the fecal microbiota of the two tolerance groups. This study reveals significantly (P<0.05) different bacterial and fungal microbiota between HT and LT cattle, and indicates that fungal phylotypes may be important for an animals response to fescue toxicosis: We found that fungal phylotypes affiliating to the Neocallimastigaceae, which are known to be important fiber-degrading fungi, were consistently more abundant in the HT cattle. Whereas fungal phylotypes related to the genus Thelebolus were more abundant in the LT cattle. This study also found more pronounced shifts in the microbiota in animals receiving higher amounts of the toxin. We identified fungal phylotypes which were consistently more abundant either in HT or LT cattle and may thus be associated with the respective animals response to fescue toxicosis. Our results thus suggest that some fungal phylotypes might be involved in mitigating fescue toxicosis. The results of our study provide a basis for investigating the functional role of the gastrointestinal microbiota in fescue toxicosis in more detail in the future.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Koester, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poole, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Serao, N. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmitz-Esser, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.03.932939</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Beef cattle that respond differently to fescue toxicosis have distinct gastrointestinal tract microbiota]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.12.941716v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.12.941716v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundThe western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber and ornamental crops. While there are numerous studies centered on thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance, the underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing these areas of research are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present the F. occidentalis draft genome assembly and official gene set.

ResultsWe report on the first genome sequence for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) assessments of the genome assembly (size = 415.8 Mb, scaffold N50 = 948.9 Kb) revealed a relatively complete and well-annotated assembly in comparison to other insect genomes. The genome is unusually GC-rich (50%) compared to other insect genomes to date. The official gene set (OGS v1.0) contains 16,859 genes, of which [~]10% were manually verified and corrected by our consortium. We focused on manual annotation, phylogenetic and expression evidence analyses for gene sets centered on primary themes in the life histories and activities of plant-colonizing insects. Highlights include: 1) divergent clades and large expansions in genes associated with environmental sensing (chemosensory receptors) and detoxification (CYP4, CYP6 and CCE enzymes) of substances encountered in agricultural environments; 2) a comprehensive set of salivary gland-associated genes supported by enriched expression; 3) apparent absence of members of the IMD innate immune defense pathway; and 4) developmental- and sex-specific expression analyses of genes associated with progression from larvae to adulthood through neometaboly, a distinct form of maturation compared to complete metamorphosis in the Holometabola.

ConclusionsAnalysis of the F. occidentalis genome offers insights into the polyphagous behavior of this insect pest to find, colonize and survive on a widely diverse array of plants. The genomic resources presented here enable a more complete analysis of insect evolution and biology, providing a missing taxon for contemporary insect genomics-based analyses. Our study also offers a genomic benchmark for molecular and evolutionary investigations of other thysanopteran species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baumann, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ben-Mahmoud, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Christiaens, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dermauw, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ioannidis, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobs, C. G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vargas Jentzsch, I. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oliver, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poelchau, M. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajarapu, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schneweis, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snoeck, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taning, C. N. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Widana-Gamage, S. M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hughes, D. S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murali, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bailey, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bejerman, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmes, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jennings, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosendale, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosselot, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hervey, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schneweis, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Childers, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simao, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dietzgen, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chao, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinh, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doddapaneni, H. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dugan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muzny, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Worley, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benoit, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.12.941716</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.14.934166v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A resurrection study reveals limited evolution of thermal performance in response to recent climate change across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.14.934166v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Evolutionary rescue can prevent populations from declining under climate change, and should be more likely at high-latitude, "leading" edges of species ranges due to greater temperature anomalies and gene flow from warm-adapted populations. Using a resurrection study with seeds collected before and after a seven-year period of record warming, we tested for thermal adaptation in the scarlet monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis. We grew ancestors and descendants from northern-edge, central, and southern-edge populations across eight temperatures. Despite recent climate anomalies, populations showed limited evolution of thermal performance curves. However, one southern population evolved a narrower thermal performance breadth by 1.25 {degrees}C, which matches the direction and magnitude of the average decrease in seasonality experienced. Consistent with the climate variability hypothesis, thermal performance breadth increased with temperature seasonality across the species geographic range. Inconsistent with performance trade-offs between low and high temperatures across populations, we did not detect a positive relationship between thermal optimum and mean temperature. These findings fail to support the hypothesis that evolutionary response to climate change is greatest at the leading edge, and suggest that the evolution of thermal performance is unlikely to rescue most populations from the detrimental effects of rapidly changing climate.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wooliver, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tittes, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.14.934166</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A resurrection study reveals limited evolution of thermal performance in response to recent climate change across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.17.952424v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Stony coral populations are more sensitive tochanges in vital rates in disturbed environments 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.17.952424v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Reef-building corals, like many long-lived organisms, experience environmental change as a combination of separate but concurrent processes, some of which are gradual yet long-lasting, while others are more acute but short-lived. For corals, some chronic environmental stressors, such as rising temperature and ocean acidification, are thought to induce gradual changes in colonies vital rates. Meanwhile, other environmental changes, such as the intensification of tropical cyclones, change the disturbance regime that corals experience. Here, we use a physiologically structured population model to explore how chronic environmental stressors that impact the vital rates of individual coral colonies interact with the intensity and magnitude of disturbance to affect coral population dynamics and cover. We find that when disturbances are relatively benign, intraspecific density dependence driven by space competition partially buffers coral populations against gradual changes in vital rates. However, the impact of chronic stressors is amplified in more highly disturbed environments, because disturbance weakens the buffering effect of space competition. We also show that coral cover is more sensitive to changes in colony growth and mortality than to external recruitment, at least in non-self-seeding populations, and that space competition and size structure mediate the extent and pace of coral-population recovery following a large-scale mortality event. Understanding the complex interplay among chronic environmental stressors, mass-mortality events, and population size structure sharpens our ability to project coral dynamics in an increasingly disturbed future.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hall, T. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freedman, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Roos, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edmunds, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carpenter, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gross, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.17.952424</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Stony coral populations are more sensitive tochanges in vital rates in disturbed environments]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.23.961383v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sequencing depth and genotype quality: Accuracy and breeding operation considerations for genomic selection applications in autopolyploid crops 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.23.961383v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The autopolyploid nature of potato and sweetpotato ensures a wide range of meiotic configurations and linkage phases leading to complex gene action and pose problems in genotype data quality and genomic selection analyses. We used a 315-progeny biparental population of hexaploid sweetpotato and a diversity panel of 380 tetraploid potato, genotyped using different platforms to answer the following questions: i) do polyploid crop breeders need to invest more for additional sequencing depth? ii) how many markers are required to make selection decisions? iii) does considering non-additive genetic effects improve predictive ability (PA)? iv) does considering dosage or quantitative trait loci (QTL) offer significant improvement to PA? Our results show that only a small number of highly informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; [&le;] 1000) are adequate for prediction, hence it is possible to get this number at the current sequencing depth from most service providers. We also show that considering dosage information and additive-effects only models had the best PA for most traits, while the comparative advantage of considering non-additive genetic effects and including known QTL in the predictive model depended on trait architecture. We conclude that genomic selection can help accelerate the rate of genetic gains in potato and sweetpotato. However, application of genomic selection should be considered as part of optimizing the entire breeding program. Additionally, since the predictions in the current study are based on single populations, further studies on the effects of haplotype structure and inheritance on PA should be studied in actual multi-generation breeding populations.

Key messagePolypoid crop breeders do not need more investment for sequencing depth, dosage information and fewer highly informative SNPs recommended, non-additive models and QTL advantages on prediction dependent on trait architecture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gemenet, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindqvist-Kreuze, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Boeck, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>da Silva Pereira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campos, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.23.961383</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sequencing depth and genotype quality: Accuracy and breeding operation considerations for genomic selection applications in autopolyploid crops]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.24.956573v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multidimensional Analysis of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytokines and Mast Cell Proteases Reveals Interferon-γ as a Key Biomarker in Equine Asthma Syndrome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.24.956573v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Naturally-occurring equine asthma is an inflammatory lung disease characterized by chronic, partially reversible airway obstruction, pulmonary remodeling and lower airway inflammation. The cytokine profiles that distinguish asthma groups or subtypes in horses have not been systematically classified, and mast cell phenotypes, which, in human asthma, correlate with asthma type, lung function, and response to therapy, have not been well-described in horses. The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare mast cell protease mRNA expression between healthy and asthmatic horses, (2) analyze the cytokine profile present in BALF of currently defined equine asthma groups, and (3) use these data to evaluate potential biomarkers of defined asthma groups. Mast cell protease gene expression and select cytokine gene expression in cells isolated from BALF, and BALF multiplex cytokine assays were performed. Multidimensional analysis demonstrated that IFN{gamma} differentiates severe from moderate asthma, and that TNF and CXCL8 are key biomarkers of equine asthma subtype. Expression of chymase mRNA, a mast cell-specific protease, was significantly decreased in horses with mastocytic asthma. These results will help further define EAS immunopathology, which could improve understanding and definitions of asthma groups, while also potentially identify novel therapeutic strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Woodrow, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hines, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sommardahl, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flatland, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheats, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lo, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lennon, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.24.956573</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multidimensional Analysis of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytokines and Mast Cell Proteases Reveals Interferon-γ as a Key Biomarker in Equine Asthma Syndrome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.26.967224v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Characterizing Trabecular Bone Properties near the Glenohumeral Joint Following Brachial Plexus Birth Injury 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.26.967224v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) causes functional arm impairment in 30-40% of those affected due to altered loading on the glenohumeral joint. While gross morphological osseous deformities have been seen in the humerus and scapula, alterations in the underlying trabecular bone microstructure and mineralization are not clear. Using a murine model of BPBI, trabecular bone alterations were explored in the proximal humerus and distal scapula, which surround the articulating surface of the joint. Samples were scanned using micro-CT, reoriented, and analyzed for standard trabecular metrics. The regions of interest closest to the articulating surface showed the greatest detriments. In the scapula, the scapular neck region showed less robust trabecular bone in the neurectomy group with decreased BV/TV (p=0.001), BMD (p=0.001), Conn.D (p=0.006), Tb.N (p<0.0001), and DA (p=0.033), and increased Tb.Sp (p<0.0001) compared to sham. In the humerus, the epiphysis showed less robust trabecular bone in neurectomy group, but to a much lesser extent than the scapular neck. The neurectomy group showed reduced BMD (p=0.007) and Tb.N (p=0.029) compared to sham. Data suggest deformities are worse near the articulating surface, likely due to the greater amount of mechanical loading. The reduction in trabecular microstructure and mineralization may compromise bone strength of the affected limb following BPBI. Further investigation of the underlying trabecular bone deformities following injury are necessary to eventually inform better treatments to limit the development of deformities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fawcett, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCormick, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murray, A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crouch, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saul, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.26.967224</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Characterizing Trabecular Bone Properties near the Glenohumeral Joint Following Brachial Plexus Birth Injury]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.26.967273v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Forelimb unloading impairs glenohumeral muscle development in growing rats 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.26.967273v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Proper joint loading is essential for healthy musculoskeletal development. Many pediatric neuromuscular disorders cause irreversible muscle impairments resulting from both physiological changes and mechanical unloading of the joint. While previous studies have examined the effects of hindlimb unloading on musculoskeletal development in the lower limb, none have examined solely forelimb unloading. Thus, a large deficit in knowledge of the effect of upper limb unloading exists and must be addressed in order to better understand how the glenohumeral joint adapts during development. Two forelimb unloading models were developed to study the effects of varying degrees of unloading on the glenohumeral joint in growing rats: forelimb suspension (n=6, intervention 21 days post-natal) with complete unloading of both limbs via a novel suspension system and forearm amputation (n=8, intervention 3-6 days post-natal) with decreased loading and limb use in one limb after below-elbow amputation. After 8 weeks of unloading, changes in muscle architecture and composition were examined in ten muscles surrounding the shoulder. Results were compared to control rats from a previous study (n=8). Both methods of altered loading significantly affected muscle mass, sarcomere length, and optimal muscle length compared to control rats, with the biceps long head and triceps long head observing the most marked differences. Forearm amputation also significantly affected muscle mass, sarcomere length, and optimal muscle length in the affected limb relative to the contralateral limb. Muscle composition, assessed by collagen content, remained unchanged in all groups. This study demonstrated that forearm amputation, which was administered closer to birth, had greater effects on muscle than forelimb suspension, which was administered a few weeks later than amputation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tushak, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tamburro, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fawcett, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Merritt, L. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saul, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.26.967273</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Forelimb unloading impairs glenohumeral muscle development in growing rats]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.27.961847v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Candidate stress biomarkers for queen failure diagnostics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.27.961847v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundQueen failure is a persistent problem in beekeeping operations, but in the absence of overt symptoms it is often difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain the root cause. Stressors like heat-shock, cold-shock, and sublethal pesticide exposure can reduce stored sperm viability and lead to cryptic queen failure. Previously, we suggested candidate protein markers indicating heat-shock in queens, which we investigate further here, and tested new stressors to identify additional candidate protein markers.

ResultsWe found that heat-shocking queens for upwards of one hour at 40 {degrees}C was necessary to induce significant changes in the two strongest candidate heat-shock markers, and that relative humidity significantly influenced the degree of activation. In blind heat-shock experiments, we tested the efficiency of these markers at assigning queens to their respective treatment groups and found that one marker was sufficient to correctly assign queens 75% of the time. Finally, we compared cold-shocked queens at 4 {degrees}C and pesticide-exposed queens to controls to identify candidate markers for these additional stressors, and compared relative abundances of all markers to queens designated as  healthy and  failing by beekeepers.

ConclusionsThis work offers some of the first steps towards developing molecular diagnostic tools to aid in determining cryptic causes of queen failure. Further work will be necessary to determine how long after the stress event a markers expression remains changed and how accurate these could be in the field.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milone, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chapman, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pettis, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.27.961847</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Candidate stress biomarkers for queen failure diagnostics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.02.973412v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A lipid metabolic map of the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.02.973412v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lipids play a fundamental role in fungal cell biology, being essential cell membrane components and major targets of antifungal drugs. A deeper knowledge of lipid metabolism is key for developing new drugs and a better understanding of fungal pathogenesis. Here we built a comprehensive map of the Histoplasma capsulatum lipid metabolic pathway by incorporating proteomic and lipidomic analyses. We performed genetic complementation and overexpression of H. capsulatum genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to validate reactions identified in the map and to determine enzymes responsible for catalyzing orphan reactions. The map led to the identification of both the fatty acid desaturation and the sphingolipid biosynthesis pathways as targets for drug development. We found that the sphingolipid biosynthesis inhibitor myriocin, the fatty acid desaturase inhibitor thiocarlide and the fatty acid analog 10-thiastearic acid inhibit H. capsulatum growth in nanomolar to low micromolar concentrations. These compounds also reduced the intracellular infection in an alveolar macrophage cell line. Overall, this lipid metabolic map revealed pathways that can be targeted for drug development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zamith-Miranda, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heyman, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burnet, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Couvillion, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munoz, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kyle, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zink, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weitz, K. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bloodsworth, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clair, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zucker, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teuton, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Payne, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, Y.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reyes Gil, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bredeweg, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nosanchuk, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nakayasu, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.02.973412</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A lipid metabolic map of the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.05.979872v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The combination of mitogenic stimulation and cell cycle arrest induces senescence in equine and human cartilage explants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.05.979872v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ObjectiveCellular senescence is a phenotypic state characterized by stable cell-cycle arrest, enhanced lysosomal activity, and the secretion of inflammatory molecules and matrix degrading enzymes. Senescence has been implicated in osteoarthritis (OA) pathophysiology; however, the mechanisms that drive senescence induction in cartilage and other joint tissues are unknown. While numerous physiological signals are capable of initiating the senescence phenotype, one emerging theme is that growth-arrested cells convert to senescence in response to sustained mitogenic stimulation. The goal of this study was to develop an in vitro articular cartilage explant model to investigate the mechanisms of senescence induction.

DesignThis study utilized healthy articular cartilage derived from cadaveric equine stifles and human ankles. Explants were irradiated or treated with palbociclib to initiate cell cycle arrest, and mitogenic stimulation was provided by serum-containing medium (horse) and the inclusion of growth factors (human). The primary readout of senescence was a quantitative flow cytometry assay to detect senescence-associated {beta} galactosidase activity (SA-{beta}-gal).

ResultsIrradiation of equine explants caused 25.39% of cells to express high levels of SA-{beta}-gal, as compared to 3.82% in control explants (p=0.0031). For human cartilage, explants that received both mitogenic stimulation and cell cycle arrest showed increased rates of senescence induction as compared to baseline control (7.16% vs. 2.34% SA-{beta}-gal high, p=0.0007).

ConclusionsTreatment of cartilage explants with mitogenic stimuli in the context of cell-cycle arrest reliably induces high levels of SA-{beta} gal activity, which provides a physiologically relevant model system to investigate the mechanisms of senescence induction.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Copp, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flanders, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gagliardi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilbertie, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sessions, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chubinskaya, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loeser, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schnabel, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diekman, B. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.05.979872</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The combination of mitogenic stimulation and cell cycle arrest induces senescence in equine and human cartilage explants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.08.982074v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Deep learning-enabled phenotyping reveals distinct patterns of neurodegeneration induced by aging and cold-shock 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.08.982074v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Access to quantitative information is crucial to obtain a deeper understanding of biological systems. In addition to being low-throughput, traditional image-based analysis is mostly limited to error-prone qualitative or semi-quantitative assessment of phenotypes, particularly for complex subcellular morphologies. In this work, we apply deep learning to perform quantitative image-based analysis of complex neurodegeneration patterns exhibited by the PVD neuron in C. elegans. We apply a Convolutional Neural Network algorithm (Mask R-CNN) to identify neurodegenerative sub-cellular protrusions that appear after cold-shock or as a result of aging. A multiparametric phenotypic profile captures the unique morphological changes induced by each perturbation. We identify that acute cold-shock-induced neurodegeneration is reversible and depends on rearing temperature, and importantly, that aging and cold-shock induce distinct neuronal beading patterns.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Saberi-Bosari, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flores, K. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San-Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.08.982074</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Deep learning-enabled phenotyping reveals distinct patterns of neurodegeneration induced by aging and cold-shock]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.25.007294v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The bacterial community structure dynamics in Meloidogyne incognita infected roots and its role in worm-microbiome interactions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.25.007294v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundPlant parasitic nematodes such as Meloidogyne incognita have a complex life cycle, occurring sequentially in various niches of the root and rhizosphere. They are known to form a range of interactions with bacteria and other microorganisms, that can affect their densities and virulence. High throughput sequencing can reveal these interactions in high temporal, and geographic resolutions, although thus far we have only scratched the surface. We have carried out a longitudinal sampling scheme, repeatedly collecting rhizosphere soil, roots, galls and second stage juveniles from 20 plants to provide a high resolution view of bacterial succession in these niches, using 16S rRNA metabarcoding.

ResultsWe find that a structured community develops in the root, in which gall communities diverge from root segments lacking a gall, and that this structure is maintained throughout the crop season. We detail the successional process leading toward this structure, which is driven by interactions with the nematode and later by an increase in bacteria often found in hypoxic and anaerobic environments. We show evidence that this structure may play a role in the nematodes chemotaxis towards uninfected root segments. Finally, we describe the J2 epibiotic microenvironment as ecologically deterministic, in part, due to active bacterial attraction of second stage juveniles.

ConclusionsHigh density sampling, both temporally and across adjacent microniches, coupled with the power and relative low cost of metabarcoding, has provided us with a high resolution description of our study system. Such an approach can advance our understanding of holobiont ecology. Meloidogyne spp., with their relatively low genetic diversity, large geographic range and the simplified agricultural ecosystems they occupy, can serve as a model organism. Additionally, the perspective this approach provides could promote the efforts toward biological control efficacy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yergaliyev, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alexander-Shani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dimeretz, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pivonia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bird, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rachmilevitch, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Szitenberg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.25.007294</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The bacterial community structure dynamics in Meloidogyne incognita infected roots and its role in worm-microbiome interactions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.29.013250v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetically encoded live cell sensor for tyrosinated microtubules 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.29.013250v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microtubule cytoskeleton exists in various biochemical forms in different cells due to tubulin post-translational modification (PTMs). These PTMs are known to affect microtubule stability, dynamics and interaction with MAPs and motors in a specific manner, widely known as tubulin code hypothesis. At present there exist no tool that can specifically mark tubulin PTMs in live cells, thus severely limiting our understanding of tubulin PTMs. Using yeast display library, we identified a binder against terminal tyrosine of alpha tubulin, a unique PTM site. Extensive characterization validates the robustness and non-perturbing nature of our binder as tyrosination sensor, a live cell tubulin nanobody specific towards tyrosinated or unmodified microtubules. Using which, in real time we followed nocodazole, colchicine and vincristine induced depolymerization events of unmodified microtubules, and found each distinctly perturb microtubule polymer. Together, our work describes the tyrosination sensor and potential applications to study microtubule and PTM processes in living cells.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kesarwani, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lama, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chandra, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reddy, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jijumon, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bodakuntla, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janke, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Das, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sirajuddin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.29.013250</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetically encoded live cell sensor for tyrosinated microtubules]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.31.018713v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Parasites as niche modifiers for the microbiome: A field test with multiple parasites 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.31.018713v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Parasites can affect and be affected by the hosts microbiome, with consequences for host susceptibility, parasite transmission, and host and parasite fitness. Yet, there are two aspects of the relationship between parasite infection and the host microbiome that remain little understood: the nature of the relationship under field conditions, and how the relationship varies among parasite species. To overcome these limitations, we assayed the within-leaf fungal community in a grass population to investigate how diversity and composition of the fungal microbiome are associated with natural infection by fungal parasites with different feeding strategies. We hypothesized that parasites that more strongly modify niches available within a host will thereby alter the microbial taxa that can colonize the community and be associated with greater changes in microbiome diversity and composition. A parasite that creates necrotic tissue to extract resources (necrotrophs) may act as a particularly strong niche modifier whereas one that does not (biotrophs) may not. Barcoded amplicon sequencing of the fungal ITS region revealed that the microbiome of leaf segments that were symptomatic of necrotrophs had lower fungal diversity and distinct composition compared to segments that were asymptomatic or symptomatic of other parasites. There were no clear differences in fungal diversity or composition between leaf segments that were asymptomatic and segments that were symptomatic of other parasite feeding strategies. This supports the hypothesis that within-host niches link infection by parasites to the hosts microbiome. Together, these results highlight the importance of parasite traits in determining parasite impacts on the hosts microbiome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>O'Keeffe, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halliday, F. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitchell, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.31.018713</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Parasites as niche modifiers for the microbiome: A field test with multiple parasites]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.03.024281v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Expansion of the circadian transcriptome in Brassica rapa and genome-wide diversification of paralog expression patterns 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.03.024281v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An important challenge of crop improvement strategies is assigning function to paralogs in polyploid crops. Gene expression is one method for determining the activity of paralogs; however, the majority of transcript abundance data represents a static point that does not consider the spatial and temporal dynamics of the transcriptome. Studies in Arabidopsis have estimated up to 90% of the transcriptome to be under diel or circadian control depending on the condition. As a result, time of day effects on the transcriptome have major implications on how we characterize gene activity. In this study, we aimed to resolve the circadian transcriptome in the polyploid crop Brassica rapa and explore the fate of multicopy orthologs of Arabidopsis circadian regulated genes. We performed a high-resolution time course study with 2 h sampling density to capture the genes under circadian control. Strikingly, more than two-thirds of expressed genes exhibited rhythmicity indicative of circadian regulation. To compare the expression patterns of paralogous genes, we developed a program in R called DiPALM (Differential Pattern Analysis by Linear Models) that analyzes time course data to identify transcripts with significant pattern differences. Using DiPALM, we identified genome-wide divergence of expression patterns among retained paralogs. Cross-comparison with a previously generated diel drought experiment in B. rapa revealed evidence for differential drought response for these diverging paralog pairs. Using gene regulatory network models we compared transcription factor targets between B. rapa and Arabidopsis circadian networks to reveal additional evidence for divergence in expression between B. rapa paralogs that may be driven in part by variation in conserved non coding sequences. These findings provide new insight into the rapid expansion and divergence of the transcriptional network in a polyploid crop and offer a new method for assessing paralog activity at the transcript level.

SignificanceThe circadian regulation of the transcriptome leads to time of day changes in gene expression that coordinates environmental conditions with physiological responses. Brassica rapa, a morphologically diverse crop species, has undergone whole genome triplication since diverging from Arabidopsis resulting in an expansion of gene copy number. To examine how this expansion has influenced the circadian transcriptome we developed a new method for comparing gene expression patterns. This method facilitated the discovery of genome-wide expansion of expression patterns for genes present in multiple copies and divergence in temporal abiotic stress response. We find support for conserved sequences outside the gene body contributing to these expression pattern differences and ultimately generating new connections in the gene regulatory network.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Greenham, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sartor, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zorich, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lou, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mockler, T. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McClung, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.03.024281</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Expansion of the circadian transcriptome in Brassica rapa and genome-wide diversification of paralog expression patterns]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.06.026765v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Noisy Pooled PCR for Virus Testing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.06.026765v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Fast testing can help mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite their accuracy for single sample analysis, infectious diseases diagnostic tools, like RT-PCR, require substantial resources to test large populations. We develop a scalable approach for determining the viral status of pooled patient samples. Our approach converts group testing to a linear inverse problem, where false positives and negatives are interpreted as generated by a noisy communication channel, and a message passing algorithm estimates the illness status of patients. Numerical results reveal that our approach estimates patient illness using fewer pooled measurements than existing noisy group testing algorithms. Our approach can easily be extended to various applications, including where false negatives must be minimized. Finally, in a Utopian world we would have collaborated with RT-PCR experts; it is difficult to form such connections during a pandemic. We welcome new collaborators to reach out and help improve this work!
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivera, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baron, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.06.026765</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Noisy Pooled PCR for Virus Testing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.06.028738v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mathematical modeling of genetic pest management through female lethality with independently segregating alleles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.06.028738v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Many novel genetic approaches are under development to combat insect pests. One genetic strategy aims to suppress or locally eliminate a species through large, repeated releases of genetically engineered strains that render female offspring unviable under field conditions. Strains with this female-killing (FK) characteristic have been developed either with all of the molecular components in a single construct or with the components in two constructs inserted at independently assorting loci. Strains with two constructs are typically considered to be only of value as research tools and for producing solely male offspring in rearing factories which are subsequently sterilized by radiation before release. A concern with the two-construct strains is that once released, the two constructs would become separated and therefore non-functional. The only FK strains that have been released in the field without sterilization are single-construct strains. Here, we use a population genetics model with density dependence to evaluate the relative effectiveness of female killing approaches based on single- and two-construct arrangements. We find that, in general, the single-construct arrangement results in slightly faster population suppression, but the two-construct arrangement can eventually cause stronger suppression and cause local elimination with a smaller release size. Based on our results, there is no a priori reason that males carrying two independently segregating constructs need to be sterilized prior to release. In some cases, a fertile release would be more efficient for population suppression.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vella, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.06.028738</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mathematical modeling of genetic pest management through female lethality with independently segregating alleles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.032177v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metabolic differences between symbiont subpopulations in the deep-sea tubeworm Riftia pachyptila 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.032177v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The hydrothermal vent tube worm Riftia pachyptila lives in intimate symbiosis with intracellular sulfur-oxidizing gammaproteobacteria. Although the symbiont population consists of a single 16S rRNA phylotype, bacteria in the same host animal exhibit a remarkable degree of metabolic diversity: They simultaneously utilize two carbon fixation pathways and various energy sources and electron acceptors. Whether these multiple metabolic routes are employed in the same symbiont cells, or rather in distinct symbiont subpopulations, was unclear. As Riftia symbionts vary considerably in cell size and shape, we enriched individual symbiont cell sizes by density gradient centrifugation in order to test whether symbiont cells of different sizes show different metabolic profiles. Metaproteomic analysis and statistical evaluation using clustering and random forests, supported by microscopy and flow cytometry, strongly suggest that Riftia symbiont cells of different sizes represent metabolically dissimilar stages of a physiological differentiation process: Small symbionts actively divide and may establish cellular symbiont-host interaction, as indicated by highest abundance of the cell division key protein FtsZ and highly abundant chaperones and porins in this initial phase. Large symbionts, on the other hand, apparently do not divide, but still replicate DNA, leading to DNA endoreduplication. Highest abundance of enzymes for CO2 fixation, carbon storage and biosynthesis in large symbionts indicates that in this late differentiation stage the symbionts metabolism is efficiently geared towards the production of organic material. We propose that this division of labor between smaller and larger symbionts benefits the productivity of the symbiosis as a whole.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hinzke, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meister, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schlueter, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hentschker, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pane-Farre, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hildebrandt, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felbeck, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sievert, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bonn, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Voelker, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Becher, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schweder, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Markert, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.08.032177</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metabolic differences between symbiont subpopulations in the deep-sea tubeworm Riftia pachyptila]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.09.032037v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Addressable Nanoantennas with Cleared Hotspots for Single-Molecule Detection on a Portable Smartphone Microscope 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.09.032037v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The advent of highly sensitive photodetectors1,2 and the development of photostabilization strategies3 made detecting the fluorescence of a single molecule a routine task in many labs around the world. However, to this day, this process requires cost-intensive optical instruments due to the truly nanoscopic signal of a single emitter. Simplifying single-molecule detection would enable many exciting applications, e.g. in point-of-care diagnostic settings, where costly equipment would be prohibitive.4 Here, we introduce addressable NanoAntennas with Cleared HOtSpots (NACHOS) that are scaffolded by DNA origami nanostructures and can be specifically tailored for the incorporation of bioassays. Single emitters placed in the NACHOS emit up to 461-fold brighter enabling their detection with a customary smartphone camera and an 8-US-dollar objective lens. To prove the applicability of our system, we built a portable, battery-powered smartphone microscope and successfully carried out an exemplary single-molecule detection assay for DNA specific to antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia "on the road ".
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Trofymchuk, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Glembockyte, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grabenhorst, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steiner, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vietz, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Close, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pfeiffer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richter, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schütte, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Selbach, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yaadav, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zähringer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ozcan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lalkens, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Acuna, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tinnefeld, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.09.032037</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Addressable Nanoantennas with Cleared Hotspots for Single-Molecule Detection on a Portable Smartphone Microscope]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.09.034181v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
On reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus dissemination across pig production systems in the United States 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.09.034181v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains widespread in the North American pig population. Despite improvements in virus characterization, it is unclear whether PRRSV infections are a product of viral circulation within a farm, within production systems (local) or across production systems (external). Here we examined the dissemination dynamics of PRRSV and the processes facilitating its spread within and among pig farms in three production systems. Overall, PRRSV genetic diversity declined since 2018, while phylodynamic results support frequent transmission across-production systems. We found that PRRSV dissemination occurred mostly through transmission between farms of different production companies, which were predominant for several months, especially from November until May when PRRSV tends to peak in the studied region. Within production systems, dissemination occurred mainly through regular pig flow (from sow to nursery and then to finisher farms); nevertheless, an important flux of PRRSV dissemination from finisher to sow and nursery farms highlighted the importance of downstream farms as sources of the virus. Farms at areas with pig density from 500 to 1000 pig/km2 and farms located at a range within 0.5 km and 0.7 km from major roads were more likely to infect by PRRSV, whereas farms at elevation between 41 and 61 meters and denser vegetation acted as dissemination barriers. Although remains a challenge, there is a need to disentangle the route of PRRSV transmission, results evidenced that dissemination among commercially unrelated pig production systems was intense, reinforcing the importance of farm proximity on PRRSV spread. Thus, consideration of farm location and their geographic characteristics may help to forecast dissemination. The understanding of PRRSV transmission routes has the potential to inform targeted strategies for its prevention and control. Further studies are needed to quantify the relative contribution of PRRSV transmission routes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corzo, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.09.034181</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[On reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus dissemination across pig production systems in the United States]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.13.039685v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Caspases from Scleractinian Coral Show Unique Regulatory Features 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.13.039685v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Diseases affecting coral have led to massive decline and altered the community structure of reefs. In response to immune challenges, cnidaria activate apoptotic or autophagic pathways, and the particular pathway correlates with disease sensitivity (apoptosis) or resistance (autophagy). Although cnidaria contain complex apoptotic signaling pathways, similar to those in vertebrates, the mechanisms leading to cell death are largely unexplored. We identified and characterized two caspases each from Orbicella faveolata, a disease-sensitive stony coral, and Porites astreoides, a disease-resistant stony coral. The four caspases are predicted homologs of human caspases-3 and -7, but OfCasp3a and PaCasp7a contain an amino-terminal caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD) similar to human initiator/inflammatory caspases. In contrast, OfCasp3b and PaCasp3 have short pro-domains, like human effector caspases. We show that OfCasp3a and PaCasp7a are DxxDases, like human caspases-3 and -7, while OfCasp3b and PaCasp3 are more similar to human caspase-6, with VxxDase activity. Our biochemical analyses suggest a mechanism in coral in which the CARD-containing DxxDase is activated on death platforms, but the protease does not directly activate the VxxDase. We also report the first X-ray crystal structure of a coral caspase, that of PaCasp7a determined at 1.57[A] resolution. The structure reveals overall conservation of the caspase-hemoglobinase fold in coral as well as an N-terminal peptide bound near the active site that may serve as a regulatory exosite. The binding pocket has been observed in initiator caspases of other species, suggesting mechanisms for the evolution of substrate selection while maintaining common activation mechanisms of CARD-mediated dimerization.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shrestha, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grinshpon, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swartz, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, P. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mydlarz, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.13.039685</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Caspases from Scleractinian Coral Show Unique Regulatory Features]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.13.040014v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Nairobi Sheep Disease Virus: a historical and epidemiological perspective 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.13.040014v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Nairobi Sheep Disease virus (NSDv) is a zoonotic and tick-borne disease that can cause over 90% mortality in small ruminants. NSDv has historically circulated in East Africa and has recently emerged in the Asian continent. Despite efforts to control the disease, some regions, mostly in warmer climates, persistently report disease outbreaks. Consequently, it is necessary to understand how environmental tolerances and factors that influence transmission may shed light on its possible emergence in other regions. In this study, we quantified the available literature of NSDv from which occurrence data was extracted. In total, 308 locations from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, India, Sri Lanka and China were coupled with landscape conditions to reconstruct the ecological conditions for NSDv circulation and identify areas of potential disease transmission risk. Our results identified areas suitable for NSDv in Ethiopia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Southeastern China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Unsuitable areas included Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Southern Somalia. In summary, soil moisture, livestock density, and precipitation predispose certain areas to NSDv circulation. It is critical to investigate the epidemiology of NSDv in order to promote better allocation of resources to control its spread in regions that are more at risk. This will help reduce disease impact worldwide as climate change will favor emergence of such vector-borne diseases in areas with dense small ruminant populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Krasteva, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frias-De-Diego, A. F.-D.-D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.13.040014</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Nairobi Sheep Disease Virus: a historical and epidemiological perspective]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.044438v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Isolation of Chemically Cyclized Peptide Binders Using Yeast Surface Display 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.044438v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cyclic peptides with engineered protein-binding activity have gained increasing attention for use in therapeutic and biotechnology applications. We describe the efficient isolation and characterization of cyclic peptide binders from genetically encoded combinatorial libraries using yeast surface display. Here, peptide cyclization is achieved by disuccinimidyl glutarate-mediated crosslinking of amine groups within a linear peptide sequence that is expressed as a yeast cell surface fusion. Using this approach, we first screened a library of cyclic heptapeptides by magnetic selection and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), to isolate binders for a model target (lysozyme) with low micromolar binding affinity (KD ~ 1.2 - 3.7 {micro}M). The isolated peptides bound lysozyme selectively, and only when cyclized. Importantly, we showed that yeast surface displayed cyclic peptides could be used to efficiently obtain quantitative estimates of binding affinity, without chemical synthesis of the selected peptides. Subsequently, to demonstrate broader applicability of our approach, we isolated cyclic heptapeptides that bind human interleukin-17 (IL-17) using yeast-displayed IL-17 as a target for magnetic selection, followed by FACS using recombinant IL-17. Molecular docking simulations and follow-up experimental analyses identified a candidate cyclic peptide that binds IL-17 in its receptor binding region with moderate affinity (KD ~ 300 nM). Taken together, our results show that yeast surface display can be used to efficiently isolate and characterize cyclic peptides generated by chemical modification from combinatorial libraries.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bacon, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blain, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burroughs, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McArthur, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.16.044438</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Isolation of Chemically Cyclized Peptide Binders Using Yeast Surface Display]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.17.047209v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
What makes Hemidactylus invasions successful? A case study on the island of Curacao. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.17.047209v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hemidactylus spp. (House geckos) rank among the most successful invasive reptile species worldwide. Hemidactylus mabouia in particular has become ubiquitous across tropical urban settings in the Western Hemisphere. H. mabouia’s ability to thrive in close proximity to humans has led to the rapid displacement of native geckos in urban areas, however the mechanisms driving this displacement remain understudied. Here we combine data from nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes, stomach contents, and morphometric analyses of traits associated with feeding and locomotion to test alternate hypotheses of displacement between H. mabouia and a native gecko, Phyllodactylus martini, on the island of Curaçao. Consistent with expectations of direct food resource competition, we demonstrate substantial overlap of invertebrate prey resources between the species. Additionally, we found strong evidence from both diet content and stable isotope analyses that H. mabouia acts as a vertebrate predator, preying upon P. martini as well as other native and non-native reptiles. Finally, we show that H. mabouia possesses several morphological advantages, including larger sizes in feeding-associated traits and limb proportions that could offer a propulsive locomotor advantage on vertical surfaces. Together, these findings suggest the successful establishment of H. mabouia likely involves a combination of both exploitative interspecific competition and predation. Given the ubiquity of H. mabouia, illuminating the role of this species as both a competitor and a predator casts new concerns on the ecological and demographic impacts of this widespread urban invader.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lamb, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lippi, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watkins-Colwell, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Warren, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iglesias, T. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brandley, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neagle, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dornburg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.17.047209</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[What makes Hemidactylus invasions successful? A case study on the island of Curacao.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.23.051300v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Detection of Gray Mold in Plants Using a Multispectral Imaging System 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.23.051300v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Gray mold disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea damages many crop hosts worldwide and is responsible for heavy economic losses. Early diagnosis and detection of the disease would allow for more effective crop management practices to prevent outbreaks in field or greenhouse settings. Furthermore, having a simple, non-invasive way to quantify the extent of gray mold disease is important for plant pathologists interested in quantifying infection rates. In this paper, we design and build a multispectral imaging system for discriminating between leaf regions, infected with gray mold, and those that remain unharmed on a lettuce (Lactuca spp.) host. First, we describe a method to select two optimal (high contrast) spectral bands from continuous hyperspectral imagery (450-800 nm). We then built a system based on these two spectral bands, located at 540 and 670 nm. The resultant system uses two cameras, with a narrow band-pass spectral filter mounted on each, to measure the multispectral reflectance of a lettuce leaf. The two resulting images are combined using a normalized difference calculation that produces a single image with high contrast between the leaves infected and healthy regions. A classifier was then created based on the thresholding of single pixel values. We demonstrate that this simple classification produces a true positive rate of 95.25% with a false positive rate of 9.316%.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Scarboro, C. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruzsa, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kudenov, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.23.051300</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Detection of Gray Mold in Plants Using a Multispectral Imaging System]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.04.076729v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcription of intragenic CpG islands influences spatiotemporal host gene pre-mRNA processing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.04.076729v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA) generate diverse transcripts in mammalian genomes during development and differentiation. Epigenetic factors such as trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36me3) and DNA methylation play a role in generating transcriptome diversity. Intragenic CpG islands (iCGIs) and their corresponding host genes exhibit dynamic epigenetic and gene expression patterns during development and between different tissues. We hypothesise that iCGI-associated H3K36me3, DNA methylation and transcription can influence host gene AS and/or APA. We investigate H3K36me3 and find that this histone mark is not a major regulator of AS or APA in our model system. Genomewide, we identify over 4000 host genes that harbour an iCGI in the mammalian genome, including both previously annotated and novel iCGI/host gene pairs. The transcriptional activity of these iCGIs is tissue- and developmental stage-specific and, for the first time, we demonstrate that the premature termination of host gene transcripts upstream of iCGIs is closely correlated with the level of iCGI transcription in a DNA-methylation independent manner. These studies suggest that iCGI transcription, rather than H3K36me3 or DNA methylation, interfere with host gene transcription and pre-mRNA processing genomewide and contributes to the spatiotemporal diversification of both the transcriptome and proteome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Amante, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montibus, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cowley, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barkas, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Setiadi, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saadeh, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giemza, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Contreras-Castillo, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleischanderl, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schulz, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oakey, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-05-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.05.04.076729</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcription of intragenic CpG islands influences spatiotemporal host gene pre-mRNA processing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-05-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.05.078766v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microbe-dependent heterosis in maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.05.078766v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hybrids account for nearly all commercially planted varieties of maize and many other crop plants, because crosses between inbred lines of these species produce F1 offspring that greatly outperform their parents. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, called heterosis or hybrid vigor, are not well understood despite over a century of intensive research (1). The leading hypotheses--which focus on quantitative genetic mechanisms (dominance, overdominance, and epistasis) and molecular mechanisms (gene dosage and transcriptional regulation)--have been able to explain some but not all of the observed patterns of heterosis (2, 3). However, possible ecological drivers of heterosis have largely been ignored. Here we show that heterosis of root biomass and germination in maize is strongly dependent on the belowground microbial environment. We found that, in some cases, inbred lines perform as well by these criteria as their F1 offspring under sterile conditions, but that heterosis can be restored by inoculation with a simple community of seven bacterial strains. We observed the same pattern for seedlings inoculated with autoclaved vs. live soil slurries in a growth chamber, and for plants grown in fumigated vs. untreated soil in the field. Together, our results demonstrate a novel, ecological mechanism for heterosis whereby soil microbes generally impair the germination and early growth of inbred but not hybrid maize.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Salvato, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clouse, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartlett, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sermons, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoffmann, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balint-Kurti, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-05-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.05.05.078766</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microbe-dependent heterosis in maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-05-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.19.104661v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
K-fiber bundles in the mitotic spindle are mechanically reinforced by Kif15 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.19.104661v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mitotic spindle, a self-constructed microtubule-based machine, segregates chromosomes into two eventual daughter nuclei. In mammalian cells, microtubule bundles called kinetochore-fibers (k-fibers) anchor chromosomes within the spindle. Chromosome segregation thus depends on the mechanical integrity of k-fibers. Here, we investigate the physical and molecular basis of k-fiber bundle cohesion. We sever k-fibers using laser ablation, thereby detaching them from poles and testing the contribution of pole-localized force generation to k-fiber cohesion. We then measure the physical response of the remaining kinetochore-bound segments of the k-fibers. We observe that microtubules within ablated k-fibers often, but not always, splay apart from their minus-ends. Furthermore, we find that minus-end clustering forces induced in response to ablation seem at least partially responsible for k-fiber splaying. We also investigate the role of the putative k-fiber-binding kinesin-12 Kif15. We find that pharmacological inhibition of Kif15 microtubule binding reduces k-fiber mechanical integrity. In contrast, inhibition of its motor activity but not its microtubule binding does not greatly affect splaying. Altogether, the data suggest that forces holding k-fibers together are of similar magnitude to other spindle forces, and that Kif15, acting as a microtubule crosslinker, helps fortify and repair k-fibers. This feature of Kif15 may help support robust k-fiber function and prevent chromosome segregation errors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Begley, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Solon, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sherrill, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ohi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-05-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.05.19.104661</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[K-fiber bundles in the mitotic spindle are mechanically reinforced by Kif15]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-05-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.23.112946v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transmission and control strategies for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.23.112946v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Many aspects of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) between-farm transmission dynamics have been investigated, but uncertainty remains about the significance of farm type and different transmission routes on PRRSV spread. We developed a stochastic epidemiological model calibrated on weekly PRRSV outbreaks accounting for the population dynamics in different pig production phases, breeding herds, gilt development units, nurseries, and finisher farms, of three hog producer companies. Our model accounted for indirect contacts by the close distance between farms (local transmission), between-farm animal movements (pig flow), and reinfection of sow farms (re-break). The fitted model was used to examine the effectiveness of vaccination strategies and complementary interventions such as enhanced PRRSV detection and vaccination delays and forecast the spatial distribution of PRRSV outbreak. The results of our analysis indicated that for sow farms, 59% of the simulated infections were related to local transmission (e.g. airborne, feed deliveries, shared equipment) whereas 36% and 5% were related to animal movements and re-break, respectively. For nursery farms, 80% of infections were related to animal movements and 20% to local transmission; while at finisher farms it was split between local transmission and animal movements. Assuming that the current vaccines are 1% effective in mitigating between-farm PRRSV transmission, weaned pigs vaccination would reduce the incidence of PRRSV outbreaks by 2%, indeed under any scenario vaccination alone was insufficient for completely controlling PRRSV spread. Our results also showed that intensifying PRRSV detection and/or vaccination pigs at placement increased the effectiveness of all simulated vaccination strategies. Our model reproduced the incidence and PRRSV spatial distribution; therefore, this model could also be used to map current and future farms at-risk. Finally, this model could be a useful tool for veterinarians, allowing them to identify the effect of transmission routes and different vaccination interventions to control PRRSV spread.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prada, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-05-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.05.23.112946</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transmission and control strategies for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-05-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.29.124396v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Elephant genomes reveal insights into differences in disease defense mechanisms between species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.29.124396v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Disease susceptibility and resistance comprise important factors in conservation, particularly in elephants. To determine genetic mechanisms underlying disease resistance and other unique elephant traits, we estimated 862 and 1,017 potential regulatory elements in Asian and African elephants, respectively. These elements are significantly enriched in both species with differentially expressed genes involved in immunity pathways, including tumor-necrosis factor which plays a role in the response to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Population genomics analyses indicate that amplified TP53 retrogenes are maintained by purifying selection and may contribute to cancer resistance in elephants, including less malignancies in African vs. Asian elephants. Positive selection scans across elephant genomes revealed genes that may control iconic elephant traits such as tusk development, memory, and somatic maintenance. Our study supports the hypothesis that interspecies variation in gene regulation contributes to differential inflammatory responses leading to increased infectious disease and cancer susceptibility in Asian versus African elephants. Genomics can inform functional immunological studies which may improve both conservation for elephants and human therapies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tollis, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferris, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campbell, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, V. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rupp, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kiso, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmitt, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garner, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aktipis, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yandell, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gregg, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiffman, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abegglen, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-05-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.05.29.124396</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Elephant genomes reveal insights into differences in disease defense mechanisms between species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-05-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.05.137083v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ancient viral genomes reveal introduction of HBV and B19V to Mexico during the transatlantic slave trade. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.05.137083v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
After the European colonization of the Americas there was a dramatic population collapse of the Indigenous inhabitants caused in part by the introduction of new pathogens. Although there is much speculation on the etiology of the Colonial epidemics, direct evidence for the presence of specific viruses during the Colonial era is lacking. To uncover the diversity of viral pathogens during this period, we designed an enrichment assay targeting ancient DNA (aDNA) from viruses of clinical importance and applied it on DNA extracts from individuals found in a Colonial hospital and a Colonial chapel (16th c. - 18th c.) where records suggest victims of epidemics were buried during important outbreaks in Mexico City. This allowed us to reconstruct three ancient human parvovirus B19 genomes, and one ancient human hepatitis B virus genome from distinct individuals. The viral genomes are similar to African strains, consistent with the inferred morphological and genetic African ancestry of the hosts as well as with the isotopic analysis of the human remains, suggesting an origin on the African continent. This study provides direct molecular evidence of ancient viruses being transported to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade and their subsequent introduction to New Spain. Altogether, our observations enrich the discussion about the etiology of infectious diseases during the Colonial period in Mexico.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Guzman-Solis, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blanco-Melo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villa-Islas, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bravo-Lopez, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sandoval-Velasco, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wesp, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez-Valdes, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moreno-Cabrera, M. d. l. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meraz-Moreno, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Solis-Pichardo, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schaaf, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>tenOever, B. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Avila-Arcos, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.05.137083</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ancient viral genomes reveal introduction of HBV and B19V to Mexico during the transatlantic slave trade.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.12.130195v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A comprehensive framework for handling location error in animal tracking data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.12.130195v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Animal tracking data are being collected more frequently, in greater detail, and on smaller taxa than ever before. These data hold the promise to increase the relevance of animal movement for understanding ecological processes, but this potential will only be fully realized if their accompanying location error is properly addressed. Historically, coarsely-sampled movement data have proved invaluable for understanding large scale processes (e.g., home range, habitat selection, etc.), but modern fine-scale data promise to unlock far more ecological information. While GPS location error can often be ignored in coarsely sampled data, fine-scale data require more care, and tools to do this have not kept pace. Current approaches to dealing with location error largely fall into two categories--either discarding the least accurate location estimates prior to analysis or simultaneously fitting movement and error parameters in a hidden-state model. In some cases these approaches can provide a level of correction, but they have known limitations, and in some cases they can be worse than doing nothing. Here, we provide a general framework to account for location error in the analysis of triangulated and trilatcralizcd animal tracking data, which includes GPS, Argos Doppler-shift, triangulated VHF, trilatcralized acoustic and cellular location data. We apply our error-modelselection framework to 190 GPS, cellular, and acoustic devices representing 27 models from 14 manufacturers. Collectively, these devices were used to track a wide range of taxa comprising birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals of different sizes and with different behaviors, in urban, suburban, and wild settings. In almost half of the tested device models, error-model selection was necessary to obtain the best performing error model, and in almost a quarter of tested device models, the reported DOP values were actually misinformative. Then, using empirical tracking data from multiple species, we provide an overview of modern, error-informed movement analyses, including continuous-time path reconstruction, home-range distribution, home-range overlap, speed, and distance estimation. Adding to these techniques, we introduce new error-informed estimators for outlier detection and autocorrelation visualization. Because error-induced biases depend on many factors--sampling schedule, movement characteristics, tracking device, habitat, etc.--differential bias can easily confound biological inference and lead researchers to draw false conclusions. We demonstrate how error-informed analyses on calibrated tracking data can provide more accurate estimates are that are insensitive to location error, and allow researchers to use all of their data.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drescher-Lehman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noonan, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akre, T. S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cochrane, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dejid, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeNicola, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DePerno, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunlop, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, N. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hollins, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ishii, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaneko, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Killen, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koeck, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lambertucci, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LaPoint, S. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Medici, E. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyburg, B.-U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moen, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mueller, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pfeiffer, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pike, K. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roulin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Safi, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sechaud, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scharf, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shephard, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stabach, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stein, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tonra, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yamazaki, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fagan, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calabrese, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.12.130195</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A comprehensive framework for handling location error in animal tracking data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.153296v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Surprising amount of stasis in repetitive genome content across the Brassicales 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.153296v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genome size of plants has long piqued the interest of researchers due to the vast differences among organisms. However, the mechanisms that drive size differences have yet to be fully understood. Two important contributing factors to genome size are expansions of repetitive elements, such as transposable elements (TEs), and whole-genome duplications (WGD). Although studies have found correlations between genome size and both TE abundance and polyploidy, these studies typically test for these patterns within a genus or species. The plant order Brassicales provides an excellent system to test if genome size evolution patterns are consistent across larger time scales, as there are numerous WGDs. This order is also home to one of the smallest plant genomes, Arabidopsis thaliana - chosen as the model plant system for this reason - as well as to species with very large genomes. With new methods that allow for TE characterization from low-coverage genome shotgun data and 71 taxa across the Brassicales, we find no correlation between genome size and TE content, and more surprisingly we identify no significant changes to TE landscape following WGD.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Beric, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mabry, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harkess, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schranz, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conant, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edger, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyers, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.15.153296</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Surprising amount of stasis in repetitive genome content across the Brassicales]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.16.155218v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transposable element mobilization in interspecific yeast hybrids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.16.155218v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Barbara McClintock first hypothesized that interspecific hybridization could provide a "genomic shock" that leads to the mobilization of transposable elements. This hypothesis is based on the idea that regulation of transposable element movement is potentially disrupted in hybrids. However, the handful of studies testing this hypothesis have yielded mixed results. Here, we set out to identify if hybridization can increase transposition rate and facilitate colonization of transposable elements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae x Saccharomyces uvarum interspecific yeast hybrids. S. cerevisiae have a small number of active long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons (Ty elements), while their distant relative S. uvarum have lost the Ty elements active in S. cerevisiae. While the regulation system of Ty elements is known in S. cerevisiae, it is unclear how Ty elements are regulated in other Saccharomyces species, and what mechanisms contributed to the loss of most classes of Ty elements in S. uvarum. Therefore, we first assessed whether transposable elements could insert in the S. uvarum sub-genome of a S. cerevisiae x S. uvarum hybrid. We induced transposition to occur in these hybrids and developed a sequencing technique to show that Ty elements insert readily and non-randomly in the S. uvarum genome. We then used an in vivo reporter construct to directly measure transposition rate in hybrids, demonstrating that hybridization itself does not alter rate of mobilization. However, we surprisingly show that species-specific mitochondrial inheritance can change transposition rate by an order of magnitude. Overall, our results provide evidence that hybridization can facilitate the introduction of transposable elements across species boundaries and alter transposition via mitochondrial transmission, but that this does not lead to unrestrained proliferation of transposable elements suggested by the genomic shock theory.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Smukowski Heil, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patterson, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hickey, A. S.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alcantara, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunham, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.16.155218</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transposable element mobilization in interspecific yeast hybrids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.17.156596v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Improved neurocognitive performance in FIV infected cats following treatment with the p75 neurotrophin receptor ligand LM11A-31 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.17.156596v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
HIV rapidly infects the central nervous system (CNS) and establishes a persistent viral reservoir within microglia, perivascular macrophages and astrocytes. Inefficient control of CNS viral replication by antiretroviral therapy results in chronic inflammation and progressive cognitive decline in up to 50% of infected individuals with no effective treatment options. Neurotrophin based therapies have excellent potential to stabilize and repair the nervous system. A novel non-peptide ligand, LM11A-31, that targets the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) has been identified as a small bioavailable molecule capable of strong neuroprotection with minimal side effects. To evaluate the neuroprotective effects of LM11A-31 in a natural infection model, we treated cats chronically infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) with 13 mg/kg LM11A-31 twice daily over a period of 10 weeks and assessed effects on cognitive functions, open field behaviors, activity, sensory thresholds, plasma FIV, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) FIV, peripheral blood mononuclear cell provirus, CD4 and CD8 cell counts and general physiology. Between 12 and 18 months post-inoculation, cats began to show signs of neural dysfunction in T maze testing and novel object recognition, which were prevented by LM11A-31 treatment. Anxiety-like behavior was reduced in the open field and no changes were seen in sensory thresholds. Systemic FIV titers were unaffected but treated cats exhibited a log drop in CSF FIV titers. No significant adverse effects were observed under all conditions. The data indicate that LM11A-31 is likely to be a potent adjunctive treatment for the control of neurodegeneration in HIV infected individuals.

Author SummaryThere are no effective treatments to halt the progression of most neurodegenerative diseases including HIV-associated neurodegeneration. Neurotrophins have the potential to provide strong neuroprotection but it has been difficult to develop usable interventions. A new drug, LM11A-31, that targets the p75 neurotrophin receptor has been developed that provides potent neuroprotection, is orally bioavailable and has the potential to prevent disease progression. The current studies were designed to evaluate the effects of the compound in an animal model of active HIV infection in preparation for a human clinical trial. Treatment of chronically infected animals with LM11A-31 normalized deficits in T maze performance, novel object recognition and open field behavior with no measurable adverse effects. Potential adverse effects associated with natural neurotrophins such as changes in sensory perception and increased systemic viral burden were not observed. A decrease in CSF FIV titers and a slight improvement in the CD4:CD8 ratio suggested that LM11A-31 may have beneficial effects beyond the anticipated neuroprotective effects. These findings are similar to beneficial effects seen in other animal models of neurodegeneration and CNS injury and support the use of LM11A-31 as an adjunctive neuroprotective agent for the treatment of HIV infected individuals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fogle, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hudson, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sherman, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lacelles, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colby, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clary, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Longo, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meeker, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.17.156596</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Improved neurocognitive performance in FIV infected cats following treatment with the p75 neurotrophin receptor ligand LM11A-31]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.23.163501v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Response of Regulatory Genetic Variation in Gene Expression to Environmental Change in Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.23.163501v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The genetics of phenotypic responses to changing environments remains elusive. Using whole genome quantitative gene expression as a model, we studied how the genetic architecture of regulatory variation in gene expression changed in a population of fully sequenced inbred Drosophila melanogaster strains when flies developed at different environments (25 {degrees}C and 18 {degrees}C). We found a substantial fraction of the transcriptome exhibited genotype by environment interaction, implicating environmentally plastic genetic architecture of gene expression. Genetic variance in expression increased at 18 {degrees}C relative to 25 {degrees}C for most genes that had a change in genetic variance. Although the majority of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for the gene expression traits in the two environments were shared and had similar effects, analysis of the environment-specific eQTLs revealed enrichment of binding sites for two transcription factors. Finally, although genotype by environment interaction in gene expression could potentially disrupt genetic networks, the co-expression networks were highly conserved across environments. Genes with higher network connectivity were under stronger stabilizing selection, suggesting that stabilizing selection on expression plays an important role in promoting network robustness.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyman, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anholt, R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.23.163501</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Response of Regulatory Genetic Variation in Gene Expression to Environmental Change in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.23.167270v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic and Genomic Resources to Study Natural Variation in Brassica rapa 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.23.167270v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ABSTRACTThe globally important crop Brassica rapa, a close relative of Arabidopsis, is an excellent system for modeling our current knowledge of plant growth on a morphologically diverse crop. The long history of B. rapa domestication across Asia and Europe provides a unique collection of locally adapted varieties that span large climatic regions with various abiotic and biotic stress tolerance traits. This diverse gene pool provides a rich source of targets with the potential for manipulation towards the enhancement of productivity of crops both within and outside the Brassicaceae. To expand the genetic resources available to study natural variation in B. rapa, we constructed an Advanced Intercross Recombinant Inbred (AI-RIL) population using B. rapa subsp. trilocularis (Yellow Sarson) R500 and the B. rapa subsp. parachinensis (Cai Xin) variety L58. Our current understanding of genomic structure variation across crops suggests that a single reference genome is insufficient for capturing the genetic diversity within a species. To complement this AI-RIL population and current and future B. rapa genomic resources, we generated a de novo genome assembly of the B. rapa subsp. trilocularis (Yellow Sarson) variety R500, the maternal parent of the AI-RIL population. The genetic map for the R500 x L58 population generated using this de novo genome was used to map QTL for seed coat color and revealed the improved mapping resolution afforded by this new assembly.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lou, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woody, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenham, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>vanBuren, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colle, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edger, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sartor, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levendoski, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lim, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>So, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stoveken, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woody, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shen, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amasino, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McClung, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.23.167270</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic and Genomic Resources to Study Natural Variation in Brassica rapa]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.26.173047v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Age and genetic background modify hybrid male sterility in house mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.26.173047v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hybrid male sterility (HMS) contributes to reproductive isolation commonly observed among house mouse (Mus musculus) subspecies, both in the wild and in laboratory crosses. Incompatibilities involving specific Prdm9 alleles and certain Chromosome (Chr) X genotypes are known determinants of fertility and HMS, and previous work in the field has demonstrated that genetic background modifies these two major loci. We constructed hybrids that have identical genotypes at Prdm9 and identical X chromosomes, but differ widely across the rest of the genome. In each case, we crossed female PWK/PhJ mice representative of the M. m. musculus subspecies to males from a classical inbred strain representative of M. m. domesticus: 129S1/SvImJ, A/J, C57BL/6J, or DBA/2J. We detected three distinct trajectories of fertility among the hybrids using breeding experiments. The PWK129S1 males were always infertile. PWKDBA2 males were fertile, despite their genotypes at the major HMS loci. We also observed age-dependent changes in fertility parameters across multiple genetic backgrounds. The PWKB6 and PWKAJ males were always infertile before 15 weeks and after 35 weeks, yet some PWKB6 and PWKAJ males were fertile between fifteen and 35 weeks. This observation could resolve previous contradictory reports about the fertility of PWKB6. Taken together, these results point to multiple segregating HMS modifier alleles, some of which have age-related modes of action. The ultimate identification of these alleles and their age-related mechanisms will advance understanding both of the genetic architecture of HMS and of how reproductive barriers are maintained between house mouse subspecies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Widmayer, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Handel, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.26.173047</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Age and genetic background modify hybrid male sterility in house mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.29.178913v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Trade-offs between sperm viability and immune protein expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.29.178913v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Queens of many social hymenoptera keep sperm alive within their specialized storage organ, the spermatheca, for years, defying the typical trade-off between lifespan and reproduction. However, whether honey bee queens experience a trade-off between reproduction and immunity is unknown, and the biochemical processes underlying sperm viability are poorly understood. Here, we survey quality metrics and viral loads of honey bee queens from nine genetic sources. Queens rated as  failed by beekeepers had lower sperm viability, fewer sperm, and higher levels of SBV and BQCV. Quantitative proteomics on N = 123 spermathecal fluid samples shows, after accounting for sperm count, health status, and apiary effects, five spermathecal fluid proteins significantly correlating with sperm viability: odorant binding protein (OBP)14, lysozyme, serpin 88Ea, artichoke, and heat-shock protein (HSP)10. The significant negative correlation of lysozyme--a conserved immune effector--with sperm viability is consistent with a reproduction vs. immunity trade-off in honey bee queens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chapman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pettis, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.29.178913</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Trade-offs between sperm viability and immune protein expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.02.182808v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolution of a sex megachromosome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.02.182808v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chromosome size and morphology vary within and among species, but little is known about either the proximate or ultimate causes of these differences. Cichlid fish species in the tribe Oreochromini share an unusual megachromosome that is ~3 times longer than any of the other chromosomes. This megachromosome functions as a sex chromosome in some of these species. We explore two hypotheses of how this sex megachromosome may have evolved. The first hypothesis proposes that it developed by the accumulation of repetitive elements as recombination was reduced around a dominant sex-determination locus, as suggested by traditional models of sex chromosome evolution. An alternative hypothesis is that the megachromosome originated via the fusion of an autosome with a highly-repetitive B chromosome, one of which had carried a sex-determination locus. Here we test these hypotheses using comparative analysis of several chromosome-scale cichlid and teleost genomes. We find the megachromosome consists of three distinct regions based on patterns of recombination, gene and transposable element content, and synteny to the ancestral autosome. A WZ sex-determination locus encompasses the last ~105Mbp of the 134Mbp megachromosome and the last 47Mbp of the megachromosome shares no obvious homology to any ancestral chromosome. Comparisons across 69 teleost genomes reveal the megachromosome contains unparalleled amounts of endogenous retroviral elements, immunoglobulin genes, and long non-coding RNAs. Although the origin of this megachromosome remains ambiguous, it has clearly been a focal point of extensive evolutionary genomic conflicts. This megachromosome represents an interesting system for studying sex chromosome evolution and genomic conflicts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Conte, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, F. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kocher, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.02.182808</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolution of a sex megachromosome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.06.189316v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Babesia bovis Rad51 ortholog influences switching of ves genes but is not essential for segmental gene conversion in antigenic variation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.06.189316v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The tick-borne apicomplexan parasite, Babesia bovis, a highly persistent bovine pathogen, expresses VESA1 proteins on the infected erythrocyte surface to mediate cytoadhesion. The cytoadhesion ligand, VESA1, which protects the parasite from splenic passage, is itself protected from a host immune response by rapid antigenic variation. B. bovis relies upon segmental gene conversion (SGC) as a major mechanism to vary VESA1 structure. Gene conversion has been considered a form of homologous recombination (HR), a process for which Rad51 proteins are considered pivotal components. This makes BbRad51 a choice target for development of inhibitors that could both interfere with parasite genome integrity and disrupt HR-dependent antigenic variation. Previously, we knocked out the Bbrad51 gene from the B. bovis haploid genome, resulting in a phenotype of sensitivity to methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) and apparent loss of HR-dependent integration of exogenous DNA. In a further characterization of BbRad51, we demonstrate here a failure to upregulate the Bbrad51 gene in response to DNA damage. Moreover, we demonstrate that {Delta}Bbrad51 parasites are not more sensitive than wild-type to DNA damage induced by {gamma}-irradiation, and repair their genome with similar kinetics. To assess the need for BbRad51 in SGC, RT-PCR was used to observe alterations to a highly variant region of ves1 transcripts over time. Mapping of these amplicons to the genome revealed a significant reduction of in situ transcriptional switching (isTS) among ves loci, but not cessation. By combining existing pipelines for analysis of the amplicons, we demonstrate that SGC continues unabated in {Delta}Bbrad51 parasites, albeit at an overall reduced rate, and a reduction in SGC tract lengths was observed. By contrast, no differences were observed in the lengths of homologous sequences at which recombination occurred. These results indicate that, whereas BbRad51 is not essential to babesial antigenic variation, it influences epigenetic control of ves loci, and its absence significantly reduces successful variation. These results necessitate a reconsideration of the likely enzymatic mechanism(s) underlying SGC and suggest the existence of additional targets for development of small molecule inhibitors.

Author summaryB. bovis establishes highly persistent infections in cattle, in part by using cytoadhesion to avoid passage through the spleen. While protective, a host antibody response targeting the cytoadhesion ligand is quickly rendered ineffective by antigenic variation. In B. bovis, antigenic variation relies heavily upon segmental gene conversion (SGC), presumed to be a form of homologous recombination (HR), to generate variants. As Rad51 is generally considered essential to HR, we investigated its contribution to SGC. While diminishing the parasites capacity for HR-dependent integration of exogenous DNA, the loss of BbRad51 did not affect the parasites sensitivity to ionizing radiation, overall genome stability, or competence for SGC. Instead, loss of BbRad51 diminished the extent of in situ transcriptional switching (isTS) among ves gene loci, the accumulation of SGC recombinants, and the mean lengths of SGC sequence tracts. Given the overall reductions in VESA1 variability, compromise of the parasites capacity for in vivo persistence is predicted.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mack, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tagliamonte, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, Y.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quesada, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allred, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.06.189316</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Babesia bovis Rad51 ortholog influences switching of ves genes but is not essential for segmental gene conversion in antigenic variation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.06.190470v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF RETINAL DEGENERATION: AEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS IN A SINGLE CONE 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.06.190470v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cell degeneration, including that resulting in retinal diseases, is linked to metabolic issues. In the retina, photoreceptor degeneration can result from imbalance in lactate production and consumption as well as disturbances to pyruvate and glucose levels. To identify the key mechanisms in metabolism that may be culprits of this degeneration, we use a nonlinear system of differential equations to mathematically model the metabolic pathway of aerobic glycolysis in a healthy cone photoreceptor. This model allows us to analyze the levels of lactate, glucose, and pyruvate within a single cone cell. We perform numerical simulations, use available metabolic data to estimate parameters and fit the model to this data, and conduct a sensitivity analysis using two different methods (LHS/PRCC and eFAST) to identify pathways that have the largest impact on the system. Using bifurcation techniques, we find that the system has a bistable regime, biologically corresponding to a healthy versus a pathological state. The system exhibits a saddle node bifurcation and hysteresis. This work confirms the necessity for the external glucose concentration to sustain the cell even at low initial internal glucose levels. It also validates the role of {beta}-oxidation of fatty acids which fuel oxidative phosphorylation under glucose- and lactate-depleted conditions, by showing that the rate of {beta}-oxidation of ingested outer segment fatty acids in a healthy cone cell must be low. Model simulations reveal the modulating effect of external lactate in bringing the system to steady state; the bigger the difference between external lactate and initial internal lactate concentrations, the longer the system takes to achieve steady state. Parameter estimation for metabolic data demonstrates the importance of rerouting glucose and other intermediate metabolites to produce glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P), thus increasing lipid synthesis (a precursor to fatty acid production) to support their high growth rate. While a number of parameters are found to be significant by one or both of the methods for sensitivity analysis, the rate of {beta}-oxidation of ingested outer segment fatty acids is shown to consistently play an important role in the concentration of glucose, G3P, and pyruvate, whereas the extracellular lactate level is shown to consistently play an important role in the concentration of lactate and acetyl coenzyme A. The ability of these mechanisms to affect key metabolites variability and levels (as revealed in our analyses) signifies the importance of inter-dependent and inter-connected feedback processes modulated by and affecting both the RPEs and cones metabolism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Camacho, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dobrovera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larripa, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Radulescu, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmidt, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trejo, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.06.190470</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF RETINAL DEGENERATION: AEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS IN A SINGLE CONE]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.07.192286v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ultra-accurate Microbial Amplicon Sequencing with Synthetic Long Reads 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.07.192286v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Out of the many pathogenic bacterial species that are known, only a fraction are readily identifiable directly from a complex microbial community using standard next generation DNA sequencing technology. Long-read sequencing offers the potential to identify a wider range of species and to differentiate between strains within a species, but attaining sufficient accuracy in complex metagenomes remains a challenge. Here, we describe and analytically validate LoopSeq, a commercially-available synthetic long-read (SLR) sequencing technology that generates highly-accurate long reads from standard short reads. LoopSeq reads are sufficiently long and accurate to identify microbial genes and species directly from complex samples. LoopSeq applied to full-length 16S rRNA genes from known strains in a microbial community perfectly recovered the full diversity of full-length exact sequence variants in a known microbial community. Full-length LoopSeq reads had a per-base error rate of 0.005%, which exceeds the accuracy reported for other long-read sequencing technologies. 18S-ITS and genomic sequencing of fungal and bacterial isolates confirmed that LoopSeq sequencing maintains that accuracy for reads up to 6 kilobases in length. Analysis of rinsate from retail meat samples demonstrated that LoopSeq full-length 16S rRNA synthetic long-reads could accurately classify organisms down to the species level, and could differentiate between different strains within species identified by the CDC as potential foodborne pathogens. The order-of-magnitude improvement in both length and accuracy over standard Illumina amplicon sequencing achieved with LoopSeq enables accurate species-level and strain identification from complex and low-biomass microbiome samples. The ability to generate accurate and long microbiome sequencing reads using standard short read sequencers will accelerate the building of quality microbial sequence databases and removes a significant hurdle on the path to precision microbial genomics.Competing Interest StatementMichael Balamotis and Tuval Ben Yehezkel are employees of Loop Genomics, the vendor for the synthetic long-read sequencing technology analyzed in this manuscript.View Full Text
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grinevich, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thakur, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balamotis, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yehezkel, T. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.07.192286</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ultra-accurate Microbial Amplicon Sequencing with Synthetic Long Reads]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.08.193649v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Using Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Academic Performance in Biochemistry 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.08.193649v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Growing evidence suggests that students self-beliefs about the ability to alter their academic abilities can directly influence long-term achievement. These self-beliefs or mindsets can either be fixed (unchangeable) or growth oriented. Students with growth mindsets believe their academic abilities can change, which leads to higher grades and academic persistence in contrast to students with fixed mindsets. However, less is known about how these attributes affect student learning, particularly in college level biochemistry courses. In this study, we utilized social-psychological interventions to promote growth mindset among third and fourth year undergraduate students enrolled in a one semester Biochemistry survey course. Using a mixed-methods study design we evaluated student mindset, attitudes towards learning, and academic performance over four semesters. Our results suggest that although students mindsets did not change as a result of metacognitive interventions, their positive perceptions about learning vs performance did increase. Furthermore, students receiving growth mindset interventions significantly outperformed students who did not receive interventions on the final cumulative exam that assessed critical thinking skills. These results suggest that metacognitive interventions can be an effective tool to improve student academic performance in a biochemistry course.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Heather B. Miller</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Melissa C. Srougi</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.08.193649</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Using Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Academic Performance in Biochemistry]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.14.202093v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ungulate Responses to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Flying at Different Altitudes in Africas Arid Savanna 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.14.202093v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This paper tests the hypothesis that ungulate-UAV interaction depends strongly on flight altitude, that there may be a lowest altitude range for which the ungulates are not exceedingly disturbed, dictating a practically achievable level of discernibility in flight observation. This question strongly influences the future viability of the UAV in the study and protection of the ungulates in Africas arid savanna. This paper examined the behavioral responses of a group of free ranging ungulate species (Oryx, Kudu, Springbok, Giraffe, Eland, Hartebeest, and Impala) found in an animal reserve in Namibia to the presence of different in-flight UAV models. The study included 99 flights (337 passes) at altitudes ranging from 15 to 55 meters. The ungulates were unhabituated to the UAVs and the study was conducted in the presence of stress-inducing events that occur naturally in the environment. The results suggest strong correlations between flight altitude and response across the different ungulates and anecdotal evidence suggests in some cases rapid habituation to the UAVs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>van Vuuren, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Vuuren, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silverberg, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manning, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pacifici, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorgeloh, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campbell, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.14.202093</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ungulate Responses to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Flying at Different Altitudes in Africas Arid Savanna]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.203448v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Eleven biosynthetic genes explain the majority of natural variation for carotenoid levels in maize grain 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.203448v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Vitamin A deficiency remains prevalent in parts of Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa where maize is a food staple. Extensive natural variation exists for carotenoids in maize grain; to understand its genetic basis, we conducted a joint linkage and genome-wide association study in the U.S. maize nested association mapping panel. Eleven of the 44 detected quantitative trait loci (QTL) were resolved to individual genes. Six of these were correlated expression and effect QTL (ceeQTL), showing strong correlations between RNA-seq expression abundances and QTL allelic effect estimates across six stages of grain development. These six ceeQTL also had the largest percent phenotypic variance explained, and in major part comprised the three to five loci capturing the bulk of genetic variation for each trait. Most of these ceeQTL had strongly correlated QTL allelic effect estimates across multiple traits. These findings provide the most comprehensive genome-level understanding of the genetic and molecular control of carotenoids in any plant system, and a roadmap to accelerate breeding for provitamin A and other priority carotenoid traits in maize grain that should be readily extendable to other cereals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Diepenbrock, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ilut, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magallanes-Lundback, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kandianis, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lipka, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradbury, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wooldridge, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaillancourt, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gongora-Castillo, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wallace, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cepela, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mateos-Hernandez, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Owens, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiede, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rocheford, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buell, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gore, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DellaPenna, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.15.203448</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Eleven biosynthetic genes explain the majority of natural variation for carotenoid levels in maize grain]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.205617v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exposure to a mixture of BMAA and MCLR synergistically modulates behavior in larval zebrafish while exacerbating molecular changes related to neurodegeneration. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.205617v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Exposure to toxins produced by cyanobacteria (i.e., cyanotoxins) is an emerging health concern due to their increased occurrence and previous associations with neurodegenerative disease including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the neurotoxic effects of a mixture of two co-occurring cyanotoxins, {beta}-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and microcystin leucine and arginine (MCLR), using the larval zebrafish model. We combined high-throughput behavior based toxicity assays with discovery proteomic techniques to identify behavioral and molecular changes following 6 days of exposure. While neither toxin caused mortality, morphological defects, or altered general locomotor behavior in zebrafish larvae, both toxins increased acoustic startle sensitivity in a dose-dependent manner by at least 40% (p<0.0001). Furthermore, startle sensitivity was enhanced by an additional 40% in larvae exposed to the BMAA/MCLR mixture relative to those exposed to the individual toxins. Supporting these behavioral results, our proteomic analysis revealed a 4-fold increase in the number of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the mixture exposed group. Additionally, prediction analysis reveals activation and/or inhibition of 8 enriched canonical pathways (enrichment p-value<0.01; z-score[&ge;]|2|), including ILK, Rho Family GTPase, RhoGDI, and calcium signaling pathways, which have been implicated in neurodegeneration. We also found that expression of TDP-43, of which cytoplasmic aggregates are a hallmark of ALS pathology, was significantly upregulated by 5.7-fold following BMAA/MCLR mixture exposure. Together, our results emphasize the importance of including mixtures of cyanotoxins when investigating the link between environmental cyanotoxins and neurodegeneration as we reveal that BMAA and MCLR interact in vivo to enhance neurotoxicity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Martin, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bereman, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.15.205617</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exposure to a mixture of BMAA and MCLR synergistically modulates behavior in larval zebrafish while exacerbating molecular changes related to neurodegeneration.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.20.212142v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Discovery of membrane-permeating cyclic peptides via mRNA display 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.20.212142v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Small synthetic peptides capable of crossing biological membranes represent valuable tools in cell biology and drug delivery. While several cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) of natural or synthetic origin have been reported, no peptide is currently known to cross both cytoplasmic and outer embryonic membranes. Here we describe a method to engineer membrane-permeating cyclic peptides (MPPs) with broad permeation activity by screening mRNA display libraries of cyclic peptides against embryos at different developmental stages. The proposed method was demonstrated by identifying peptides capable of permeating Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) embryos and mammalian cells. The selected peptide cyclo[Glut-MRKRHASRRE-K*] showed a strong permeation activity of embryos exposed to minimal permeabilization pretreatment, as well as human embryonic stem cells and a murine fibroblast cell line. Notably, in both embryos and mammalian cells, the cyclic peptide outperformed its linear counterpart and the control MPPs. Confocal microscopy and single cell flow cytometry analysis were utilized to assess the degree of permeation both qualitatively and quantitatively. These MPPs have potential application in studying and non-disruptively controlling intracellular or intraembryonic processes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bowen, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schloop, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.20.212142</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Discovery of membrane-permeating cyclic peptides via mRNA display]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.22.208553v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Centennial clonal stability of asexual Daphnia in Greenland lakes despite climate variability 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.22.208553v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Climate and environmental condition drive biodiversity at many levels of biological organisation, from populations to ecosystems. Combined with palaeoecological reconstructions, palaeogenetic information on resident populations provides novel insights into evolutionary trajectories and genetic diversity driven by environmental variability. While temporal observations of changing genetic structure are often made of sexual populations, little is known about how environmental change affects the long-term fate of asexual lineages. Here, we provide information on obligately asexual, triploid Daphnia populations from three Arctic lakes in West Greenland through the past 200-300 years to test the impact of a changing environment on the temporal and spatial population genetic structure. The contrasting ecological state of the lakes, specifically regarding salinity and habitat structure may explain the observed lake-specific clonal composition over time. Palaeolimnological reconstructions show considerable environmental fluctuations since 1700 (the end of the Little Ice Age), but the population genetic structure in two lakes was almost unchanged with at most two clones per time period. Their local populations were strongly dominated by a single clone that has persisted for 250-300 years. We discuss three possible explanations for the apparent population genetic stability: (1) the persistent clones are general purpose genotypes that thrive under broad environmental conditions, (2) clonal lineages evolved subtle genotypic differences that are unresolved by microsatellite markers, or (3) epigenetic modifications allow for clonal adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Our results will motivate research into the mechanisms of adaptation in these populations, as well as their evolutionary fate in the light of accelerating climate change in the polar regions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dane, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Osburn, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colbourne, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frisch, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.22.208553</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Centennial clonal stability of asexual Daphnia in Greenland lakes despite climate variability]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.22.216226v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Decadal changes in fire frequencies shift tree communities and functional traits 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.22.216226v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Global change has resulted in chronic shifts in fire regimes, increasing fire frequency in some regions and decreasing it in others. Predicting the response of ecosystems to changing fire frequencies is challenging because of the multi-decadal timescales over which fire effects emerge and the variability in environmental conditions, fire types, and plant composition across biomes. Here, we address these challenges using surveys of tree communities across 29 sites that experienced multi-decadal alterations in fire frequencies spanning ecosystems and environmental conditions. Relative to unburned plots, more frequently burned plots had lower tree basal area and stem densities that compounded over multiple decades: average fire frequencies reduced basal area by only 4% after 16 years but 57% after 64 years, relative to unburned plots. Fire frequency had the largest effects on basal area in savanna ecosystems and in sites with strong wet seasons. Analyses of tree functional-trait data across North American sites revealed that frequently burned plots had tree communities dominated by species with low biomass nitrogen and phosphorus content and with more efficient nitrogen acquisition through ectomycorrhizal symbioses (rising from 85% to nearly 100%). Our data elucidate the impact of long-term fire regimes on tree community structure and composition, with the magnitude of change depending on climate, vegetation type, and fire history. The effects of widespread changes in fire regimes underway today will manifest in decades to come and have long-term consequences for carbon storage and nutrient cycling.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pellegrini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Refsland, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Averill, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Terrer, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Staver, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brockway, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caprio, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clatterbuck, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coetsee, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haywood, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hobbie, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoffmann, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kush, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewis, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moser, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Overby, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patterson, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peay, K. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reich, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ryan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sword, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scharenbroch, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schoennagel, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swanston, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Varner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.22.216226</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Decadal changes in fire frequencies shift tree communities and functional traits]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.23.218370v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inferring the genetic basis of sex determination from the genome of a dioecious nightshade 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.23.218370v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Dissecting the genetic mechanisms underlying dioecy (i.e. separate female and male individuals) is critical for understanding the evolution of this pervasive reproductive strategy. Nonetheless, the genetic basis of sex determination remains unclear in many cases, especially in systems where dioecy has arisen recently. Within the economically important plant genus Solanum ([~]2000 species), dioecy is thought to have evolved independently at least 4 times across roughly 20 species. Here, we generate the first genome sequence of a dioecious Solanum and use it to ascertain the genetic basis of sex determination in this species. We de novo assembled and annotated the genome of S. appendiculatum (assembly size: [~]750 Mb; scaffold N50: 0.92 Mb; [~]35,000 genes), identified sex-specific sequences and their locations in the genome, and inferred that males in this species are the heterogametic sex. We also analyzed gene expression patterns in floral tissues of males and females, finding [~]100 genes that are differentially expressed between the sexes. These analyses, together with observed patterns of gene-family evolution specific to S. appendiculatum, consistently implicate a suite of genes from the regulatory network controlling pectin degradation and modification in the expression of sex. Furthermore, the genome of a species with a relatively young sex determination system provides the foundational resources for future studies on the independent evolution of dioecy in this speciose clade.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hahn, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moyle, L. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.23.218370</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inferring the genetic basis of sex determination from the genome of a dioecious nightshade]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.24.199539v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Computer vision approach to characterize size and shape phenotypes of horticultural crops using high-throughput imagery 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.24.199539v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
For many horticultural crops, variation in quality (e.g., shape and size) contribute significantly to the crops market value. Metrics characterizing less subjective harvest quantities (e.g., yield and total biomass) are routinely monitored. In contrast, metrics quantifying more subjective crop quality characteristics such as ideal size and shape remain difficult to characterize objectively at the production-scale due to the lack of modular technologies for high-throughput sensing and computation. Several horticultural crops are sent to packing facilities after having been harvested, where they are sorted into boxes and containers using high-throughput scanners. These scanners capture images of each fruit or vegetable being sorted and packed, but the images are typically used solely for sorting purposes and promptly discarded. With further analysis, these images could offer unparalleled insight on how crop quality metrics vary at the industrial production-scale and provide further insight into how these characteristics translate to overall market value. At present, methods for extracting and quantifying quality characteristics of crops using images generated by existing industrial infrastructure have not been developed. Furthermore, prior studies that investigated horticultural crop quality metrics, specifically of size and shape, used a limited number of samples, did not incorporate deformed or non-marketable samples, and did not use images captured from high-throughput systems. In this work, using sweetpotato (SP) as a use case, we introduce a computer vision algorithm for quantifying shape and size characteristics in a high-throughput manner. This approach generates 3D model of SPs from two 2D images captured by an industrial sorter 90 degrees apart and extracts 3D shape features in a few hundred milliseconds. We applied the 3D reconstruction and feature extraction method to thousands of image samples to demonstrate how variations in shape features across sweetptoato cultivars can be quantified. We created a sweetpotato shape dataset containing sweetpotato images, extracted shape features, and qualitative shape types (U.S. No. 1 or Cull). We used this dataset to develop a neural network-based shape classifier that was able to predict Cull vs. U.S. No. 1 sweetpotato with 84.59% accuracy. In addition, using univariate Chi-squared tests and random forest, we identified the most important features for determining qualitative shape (U.S. No. 1 or Cull) of the sweetpotatoes. Our study serves as the first step towards enabling big data analytics for sweetpotato agriculture. The methodological framework is readily transferable to other horticultural crops, particularly those that are sorted using commercial imaging equipment.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Haque, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lobaton, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nelson, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pecota, K. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mierop, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kudenov, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boyette, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.24.199539</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Computer vision approach to characterize size and shape phenotypes of horticultural crops using high-throughput imagery]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.24.220160v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Protective Plant Immune Responses are Elicited by Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.24.220160v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) perform a variety of functions in bacterial survival and virulence. In mammalian systems, OMVs activate immune responses and have been exploited as vaccines. However, little work has focused on the role that OMVs play during interactions with plant hosts. Here we report that OMVs from the pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae and the beneficial Pseudomonas fluorescens activate plant immune responses that protect against bacterial and oomycete pathogens. OMVs from these two species display different sensitivity to biochemical stressors, which could indicate differences in OMV cargo packaging. Furthermore, our study shows that OMV-induced protective immune responses are T3SS- and protein-independent, while OMV-mediated seedling growth inhibition largely depends on protein cargo. Importantly, OMV-mediated plant responses are distinct from those triggered by PAMP/MAMPs or effector molecules alone. OMVs provide a unique opportunity to study virulence factors in combination and add a new layer of interaction and complexity to host-microbe interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McMillan, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zebell, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ristaino, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dong, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuehn, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.24.220160</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Protective Plant Immune Responses are Elicited by Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.28.224139v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
From plants to ants: Fungal modification of leaf lipids for nutrition and communication in the leaf-cutter ant fungal garden ecosystem 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.28.224139v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lipids are essential to all living organisms, as an energy source, as an important cellular structural component, and as a communication tool. In this study, we used global lipidomic methods to evaluate the lipids in leaf-cutter ant fungal gardens. Leaf-cutter ants and their coevolved fungal cultivar, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, are a model mutualistic system. The fungus enzymatically digests fresh plant material that the ants cut and deliver, converting energy and nutrients from plants, and providing them to the ants through specialized hyphal swellings called gongylidia. Using combined liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, and tandem mass spectrometry we evaluated differences between the molecular speciation of lipids in the leaf-cutter ant fungal garden ecosystem. This lipidomic study characterized leaves that are fed to the gardens, gongylidia that are produced by the fungus to feed the ants, and spatially resolved regions of the fungal garden through stages of leaf degradation. Lipids containing alpha-linolenic acid (18:3) were enriched in leaves and the top of the gardens, but not dominant in the middle or bottom regions. Gongylidia were dominated by lipids containing linoleic acid (18:2). To evaluate the communicative potential of the lipids in fungal gardens we conducted a behavioral experiment that showed Atta leaf-cutter ants responded differently to 18:3 and 18:2 fatty acids, with aggression towards 18:3 and attraction for 18:2. This work demonstrates the role of lipids in both the transfer of energy and as an inter-kingdom communication tool in leaf-cutter ant fungal gardens.

ImportanceIn this work we examined the role of lipids in the mutualism between leaf-cutter ants and fungus. These ants cut fresh leaf material, which they provide to their fungal cultivar, that converts energy and nutrients from the plants and provides it to the ants in specialized hyphal swellings called gongylidia. This work constitutes the first example of a global lipidomics study of a symbiotic system and provides insights as to how the fungus modifies plant lipids into a usable source for the ants. Through a behavioral experiment, this work also demonstrates how lipids can be used as an inter-kingdom communication tool, in this case an attractant, rather than as a repellant, which is more often seen.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Khadempour, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kyle, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Webb-Robertson, B.-J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicora, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, F. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lipton, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Currie, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burnum-Johnson, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.28.224139</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[From plants to ants: Fungal modification of leaf lipids for nutrition and communication in the leaf-cutter ant fungal garden ecosystem]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.227629v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Molecular Parallelism Underlies Convergent Highland Adaptation of Maize Landraces 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.227629v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Convergent phenotypic evolution provides some of the strongest evidence for adaptation. However, the extent to which recurrent phenotypic adaptation has arisen via parallelism at the molecular level remains unresolved, as does the evolutionary origin of alleles underlying such adaptation. Here, we investigate genetic mechanisms of convergent highland adaptation in maize landrace populations and evaluate the genetic sources of recurrently selected alleles. Population branch excess statistics reveal strong evidence of parallel adaptation at the level of individual SNPs, genes and pathways in four independent highland maize populations, even though most SNPs show unique patterns of local adaptation. The majority of selected SNPs originated via migration from a single population, most likely in the Mesoamerican highlands. Polygenic adaptation analyses of quantitative traits reveal that alleles affecting flowering time are significantly associated with elevation, indicating the flowering time pathway was targeted by highland adaptation. In addition, repeatedly selected genes were significantly enriched in the flowering time pathway, indicating their significance in adapting to highland conditions. Overall, our study system represents a promising model to study convergent evolution in plants with potential applications to crop adaptation across environmental gradients.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Josephs, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.31.227629</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Molecular Parallelism Underlies Convergent Highland Adaptation of Maize Landraces]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.06.238881v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Clostridioides difficile exploits toxin-mediated inflammation to alter the host nutritional landscape and exclude competitors from the gut microbiota 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.06.238881v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Introductory paragraphClostridioides difficile is a bacterial pathogen that causes a range of clinical disease from mild to moderate diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, and toxic megacolon. Typically, C. difficile infections (CDIs) occur after antibiotic treatment, which alters the gut microbiota, decreasing colonization resistance against C. difficile. Disease is mediated by two large toxins and the expression of their genes is induced upon nutrient depletion via the alternative sigma factor TcdR. Using tcdR mutants in two strains of C. difficile, we defined how toxin-induced inflammation alters C. difficile metabolism, tissue gene expression, and the gut microbiota to determine how inflammation by the host may be beneficial to C. difficile. Here we show that C. difficile metabolism is significantly different in the face of inflammation, with changes in many carbohydrate and amino acid uptake and utilization pathways. Host gene expression signatures suggest that degradation of collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix by matrix metalloproteinases is a major source of peptides and amino acids that supports C. difficile growth in vivo. Lastly, the inflammation induced by C. difficile toxin activity alters the gut microbiota, excluding members from the genus Bacteroides that are able to compete against C. difficile for the same essential nutrients released from collagen degradation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fletcher, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pike, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parsons, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivera, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foley, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McLaren, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montgomery, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.06.238881</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Clostridioides difficile exploits toxin-mediated inflammation to alter the host nutritional landscape and exclude competitors from the gut microbiota]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.07.241620v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Remodeling hydrogen bond interactions results in relaxed specificity of Caspase-3 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.07.241620v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Caspase enzymes play important roles in apoptosis and inflammation, and the non-identical but overlapping specificity profiles direct cells to different fates. Although all caspases prefer aspartate at the P1 position of the substrate, the caspase-6 subfamily shows preference for valine at the P4 position, while caspase-3 shows preference for aspartate. In comparison to human caspases, caspase-3a from zebrafish has relaxed specificity and demonstrates equal selection for either valine or aspartate at the P4 position. In the context of the caspase-3 conformational landscape, we show that changes in hydrogen bonding near the S3 subsite affect selection of the P4 amino acid. Swapping specificity with caspase-6 requires accessing new conformational space, where each landscape results in optimal binding of DxxD (caspase-3) or VxxD (caspase-6) substrate and simultaneously disfavors binding of the other substrate. Within the context of the caspase-3 conformational landscape, substitutions near the active site result in nearly equal activity against DxxD and VxxD by disrupting a hydrogen bonding network in the substrate binding pocket. The converse substitutions in zebrafish caspase-3a result in increased selection for P4 aspartate over valine. Overall, the data show that evolutionary neofunctionalization resulting in a dual function protease, as in zebrafish caspase-3a, requires fewer amino acid substitutions compared to those required to access new conformational space for swapping substrate specificity, such as between caspases-3 and -6.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yao, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swartz, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.07.241620</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Remodeling hydrogen bond interactions results in relaxed specificity of Caspase-3]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.08.242537v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Screening of yeast display libraries of enzymatically-cyclized peptides to discover macrocyclic peptide ligands 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.08.242537v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We present the construction and screening of yeast display libraries of cyclic peptides wherein site-selective enzymatic cyclization of linear peptides is achieved using bacterial transglu-taminase. To this end, we developed two alternative routes, namely (i) yeast display of linear peptides followed by treatment with recombinant transglutaminase in solution; or (ii) intracellular co-expression of linear peptides and transglutaminase to achieve cyclization in the endoplasmic reticulum prior to yeast surface display. The cyclization yield was evaluated via orthogonal detection of epitope tags integrated in the yeast-displayed peptides by flow cytometry, and via comparative cleavage of cyclic vs. linear peptides by tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. Subsequently, yeast display libraries of transglutaminase-cyclized peptides were screened to isolate binders to the N-terminal region of the Yes-Associated Protein (YAP) and its WW domains using magnetic selection and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). The identified cyclic peptide cyclo[E-LYLAYPAH-K] featured a KD of 1.67 {micro}M for YAP and 0.84 {micro}M for WW as well as high binding selectivity against albumin and lysozyme. These results demonstrate the usefulness of yeast surface display for screening transglutaminase-cyclized peptide libraries, and efficient identification of cyclic peptide ligands.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bowen, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schneible, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Labar, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.08.242537</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Screening of yeast display libraries of enzymatically-cyclized peptides to discover macrocyclic peptide ligands]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.244335v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Deeply sequenced infectious clones of key cassava begomovirus isolates from Cameroon 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.244335v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We deeply sequenced two pairs of widely used infectious clones (4 plasmids) of the bipartite begomoviruses African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) and East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCV). The sequences of the ACMV clones were quite divergent from our expectations. We have made raw reads, consensus plasmid sequences, and the infectious clones themselves publicly available.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hoyer, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fondong, V. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dallas, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aimone, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deppong, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duffy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.10.244335</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Deeply sequenced infectious clones of key cassava begomovirus isolates from Cameroon]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.244665v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Tomato spotted wilt virus benefits its thrips vector by modulating metabolic and plant defense pathways in tomato 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.244665v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Several plant viruses modulate vector fitness and behavior in ways that may enhance virus transmission. Previous studies have documented indirect, plant-mediated effects of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) infection on the fecundity, growth and survival of its principal thrips vector, Frankliniella occidentalis, the western flower thrips. In this study, we conducted thrips performance and preference experiments combined with plant gene expression, phytohormone and total free amino acid analyses to identify tomato host responses to single and dual challenge with TSWV and F. occidentalis, compared to F. occidentalis alone, to address the question: do systemically-infected, symptomatic tomato plants modulate primary metabolic (photosynthesis and related physiological functions) and defense-related pathways to culminate into a more favorable environment for the vector. In a greenhouse setting, we documented a significant increase in the number of offspring produced by F. occidentalis on TSWV-infected tomato plants compared to mock-inoculated plants, and in choice test assays, females exhibited enhanced settling on TSWV-infected leaves. Microarray analysis combined with phytohormone signaling pathway analysis revealed that TSWV infection, regardless of thrips activity, robustly upregulated salicylic acid (SA) synthesis and downstream defense signaling pathway genes typically known to be associated with execution of defense against pathogens. TSWV alone downregulated a few jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive, anti-herbivore defense genes, however these were limited to wound-induced proteinase inhibitors. While this may indicate a subtle SA-JA antagonistic cross-talk in response to the virus, abscisic acid (ABA, upregulated) and auxin pathways (downregulated) were also perturbed by TSWV infection, regardless of F. occidentalis colonization, and may play roles in coordinating and dampening defense against the vector on infected plants. Frankliniella occidentalis alone triggered JA and ET pathways, phytohormones that have been reported to work cooperatively to enhance induced resistance to microbes and herbivores; however, on infected plants, ET remained unperturbed by the thrips vector. TSWV infection, alone or in combination with thrips, suppressed genes associated with photosynthesis and chloroplast function thereby significantly impacting primary metabolism of the host plant, and hierarchical cluster analysis and network analysis revealed that many of these genes were co-regulated with phytohormone defense signaling genes. Virus infection also altered genes related to cell wall organization which may render plants more susceptible to the penetration of thrips mouthparts. Lastly, TSWV infection increased expression of genes related to protein synthesis and degradation which is reflected in the increased total free amino acid content in virus-infected plants that harbored higher thrips populations. These results suggest coordinated gene networks that regulate plant primary metabolism and defense responses rendering virus-infected plants more conducive host for vectors, a relationship that is beneficial to the vector and the virus when considered within the context of the complex transmission biology of TSWV. To our knowledge this is the first study to identify global transcriptional networks that underlie the TSWV-thrips interaction as compared to a single mechanistic approach. Findings of this study increase our fundamental knowledge of host plant-virus-vector interactions and identifies underlying mechanisms of induced host susceptibility to the insect vector.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nachappa, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Challacombe, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Margolies, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nechols, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.10.244665</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Tomato spotted wilt virus benefits its thrips vector by modulating metabolic and plant defense pathways in tomato]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.244954v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Location, location, location: Feeding site affects aphid performance by altering access and quality of nutrients 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.244954v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Feeding location on a plant can affect aphid reproduction and survival, however little is known about factors that influence aphid performance on specific plant parts. We determined performance and feeding behavior of soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) on stem, adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) leaf surfaces during early vegetative growth of soybean plants and analyzed the associated phloem sap composition. Stems harbored greater aphid populations and aphids had shorter development time on stems compared to adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. While aphids feeding on the stem took the longest time to begin probing, potentially due to higher density and length of trichomes, this did not impact aphid population growth. Once aphids began probing, the sieve elements were more conducive to feeding as evidenced by less salivation from the stem as compared to either leaf surface. Moreover, vascular sap-enriched exudates from stems had higher sugars and amino acids, which supported higher aphid populations in artificial diet feeding assays. The high quality of stems as a food source may in part explain the shorter development time and overall greater population of aphids observed on stems. In summary, our findings suggest that the choice of feeding location and performance of aphids on a specific plant is driven largely by accessibility to and the quality of nutrients rather than morphological factors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nalam, V. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pitt, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Acharya, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nachappa, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.10.244954</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Location, location, location: Feeding site affects aphid performance by altering access and quality of nutrients]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.245258v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Contributions of the Allopolyploid Parents of the Mesopolyploid Brassiceae are Evolutionarily Distinct but Functionally Compatible 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.10.245258v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The members of the tribe Brassiceae share a whole genome triplication (WGT), and one proposed model for its formation is a "two-step" pair of hybridizations producing hexaploid descendants. However, evidence for this model is incomplete, and the evolutionary and functional constraints that drove evolution after the hexaploidy are even less understood. Here we report a new genome sequence of Crambe hispanica, a species sister to most sequenced Brassiceae. Using this new genome and three others that share the hexaploidy, we traced the history of gene loss after the WGT using POInT (the Polyploidy Orthology Inference Tool). We confirm the two-step formation model and infer that there was a significant temporal gap between those two allopolyploidizations, with about a third of the gene losses from the first two subgenomes occurring prior to the arrival of the third. We also, for the 90,000 individual genes in our study, make parental "subgenome" assignments, inferring, with measured uncertainty, which of the progenitor genomes of the allohexaploidy each gene derives from. We further show that each subgenome has a statistically distinguishable rate of homoeolog losses. There is little indication of functional distinction between the three subgenomes: the individual subgenomes show no patterns of functional enrichment, no excess of shared protein-protein or metabolic interactions between their members, and no biases in their likelihood of having experienced a recent selective sweep. We propose a "mix and match" model of allopolyploidy, where subgenome origin drives homoeolog loss propensities but where genes from different subgenomes function together without difficulty.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mabry, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edger, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freeling, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>VanBuren, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colle, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>An, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abrahams, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qi, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barry, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daum, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmutz, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sankoff, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyons, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conant, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.10.245258</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Contributions of the Allopolyploid Parents of the Mesopolyploid Brassiceae are Evolutionarily Distinct but Functionally Compatible]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.11.245274v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ever-increasing viral diversity associated with the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.11.245274v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundAdvances in sequencing and analysis tools have facilitated discovery of many new viruses from invertebrates, including ants. Solenopsis invicta is an invasive ant that has quickly spread around world causing significant ecological and economic impacts. Its virome has begun to be characterized pertaining to potential use of viruses as natural enemies. Although the S. invicta virome is best characterized among ants, most studies have been performed in its native range, with little information from invaded areas.

MethodsUsing a metatranscriptome approach, we further characterized viruses associated with S. invicta, in two introduced areas, U.S and Taiwan. The data set used here was obtained from different stages (larvae, pupa, and adults) of S. invicta life cycle. Publicly available RNA sequences from GenBanks Sequence Read Archive were downloaded and de novo assembled using CLC Genomics Workbench 20.0.1. Contigs were compared against the non-redundant protein sequences and those showing similarity to viral sequences were further analyzed.

ResultsWe characterized five putative new viruses associated with S. invicta transcriptomes. Sequence comparisons revealed extensive divergence across ORFs and genomic regions with most of them sharing less than 40% amino acid identity with those closest homologous sequences previously characterized. The first negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses included in the orders Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales are reported. In addition, two positive single-strand viruses and one single strand DNA virus were also characterized. While the presence of a putative tenuivirus associated with S. invicta was previously suggested to be a contamination, here we characterized and present strong evidence that Solenopsis invicta virus 14 (SINV-14) is a tenui-like virus that has a long-term association with the ant. Furthermore, based on virus abundance compared to housekeeping genes, phylogenetic relationships, and completeness of viral coding sequences, our results suggest that four of five viruses reported, those being SINV-14, SINV-15, SINV-16 and SINV-17, replicate in the ant S. invicta.

ConclusionsThe present study expands our knowledge about viral diversity associated with S. invicta in introduced areas with potential to be used as biological control agents, which will require further biological characterization.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xavier, C. A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.11.245274</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ever-increasing viral diversity associated with the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta (Formicidae: Hymenoptera)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.11.246777v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomically Complex Human Angiosarcoma and Canine Hemangiosarcoma Establish Convergent Angiogenic Transcriptional Programs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.11.246777v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sporadic angiosarcomas (ASs) are aggressive vascular sarcomas whose rarity and genomic complexity present significant obstacles in deciphering the pathogenic significance of individual genetic alterations. Numerous fusion genes have been identified across multiple types of cancers, but their existence and significance remain unclear in sporadic ASs. In this study, we leveraged RNA sequencing data from thirteen human ASs and 76 spontaneous canine hemangiosarcomas (HSAs) to identify fusion genes associated with spontaneous vascular malignancies. Ten novel protein-coding fusion genes, including TEX2-PECAM1 and ATP8A2-FLT1, were identified in seven of the thirteen human tumors, with two tumors showing mutations of TP53. HRAS and NRAS mutations were found in ASs without fusions or TP53 mutations. We found fifteen novel protein-coding fusion genes including MYO16-PTK2, GABRA3-FLT1, and AKT3-XPNPEP1 in eleven of the 76 canine HSAs; these fusion genes were seen exclusively in tumors of the angiogenic molecular subtype that contained recurrent mutations in TP53, PIK3CA, PIK3R1, and NRAS. In particular, fusion genes and mutations of TP53 co-occurred in tumors with higher frequency than expected by random chance, and they enriched gene signatures predicting activation of angiogenic pathways. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of human ASs and canine HSAs identified shared molecular signatures associated with activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. Our data show that, while driver events of malignant vasoformative tumors of humans and dogs include diverse mutations and stochastic rearrangements that create novel fusion genes, convergent transcriptional programs govern the highly conserved morphological organization and biological behavior of these tumors in both species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kim, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Megquier, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarver, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, Y. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schulte, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Linden, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murugan, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oseth, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elvers, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swofford, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner-Maier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karlsson, E. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindblad-Toh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Modiano, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.11.246777</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomically Complex Human Angiosarcoma and Canine Hemangiosarcoma Establish Convergent Angiogenic Transcriptional Programs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.12.247874v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantitative yeast-yeast two hybrid for discovery and binding affinity estimation of protein-protein interactions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.12.247874v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Quantifying the binding affinity of protein-protein interactions is important for elucidating connections within biochemical signaling pathways, as well as characterization of binding proteins isolated from combinatorial libraries. We describe a quantitative yeast-yeast two hybrid (qYY2H) system that not only enables discovery of specific protein-protein interactions, but also efficient, quantitative estimation of their binding affinities (KD). In qYY2H, the bait and prey proteins are expressed as yeast cell surface fusions using yeast surface display. We developed a semi-empirical framework for estimating the KD of monovalent bait-prey interactions, using measurements of the apparent KD of yeast-yeast binding, which is mediated by multivalent interactions between yeast-displayed bait and prey. Using qYY2H, we identified interaction partners of SMAD3 and the tandem WW domains of YAP from a cDNA library and characterized their binding affinities. Finally, we showed that qYY2H could also quantitatively evaluate binding interactions mediated by post-translational modifications on the bait protein.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bacon, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blain, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bowen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burroughs, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McArthur, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.12.247874</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantitative yeast-yeast two hybrid for discovery and binding affinity estimation of protein-protein interactions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.13.249722v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Use of target-displaying magnetized yeast in screening mRNA display peptide libraries to identify ligands 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.13.249722v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This work presents the first use of yeast-displayed protein targets for screening mRNA display libraries of cyclic and linear peptides. The WW domains of Yes-Associated Protein 1 (WW-YAP) and mitochondrial import receptor subunit TOM22 were adopted as protein targets. Yeast cells displaying WW-YAP or TOM22 were magnetized with iron oxide nanoparticles to enable the isolation of target-binding mRNA-peptide fusions. Equilibrium adsorption studies were conducted to estimate the binding affinity (KD) of selected WW-YAP-binding peptides: KD values of 37 M and 4 M were obtained for cyclo[M-AFRLC-K] and its linear cognate, and 40 M and 3 M for cyclo[M-LDFVNHRSRG-K] and its linear cognate, respectively. TOM22-binding peptide cyclo[M-PELNRAI-K] was conjugated to magnetic beads and incubated with yeast cells expressing TOM22 and luciferase. A luciferase-based assay showed a 4.5-fold higher binding of TOM22+ yeast compared to control cells. This work demonstrates that integrating mRNA and yeast display accelerates the discovery of biospecific peptides.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bowen, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bacon, K. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reese, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.13.249722</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Use of target-displaying magnetized yeast in screening mRNA display peptide libraries to identify ligands]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.14.251769v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcriptomic and epigenomic dynamics of honey bees in response to lethal IAPV viral infection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.14.251769v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L) suffer from many brood pathogens, including viruses. Despite considerable research, the molecular responses and dynamics of honey bee pupae to viral pathogens remain poorly understood. Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) is emerging as a model virus since its association with severe colony losses. Using worker pupae, we studied the transcriptomic and methylomic consequences of IAPV infection over three distinct time points after inoculation. Contrasts of gene expression and 5mC DNA methylation profiles between IAPV-infected and control individuals at these time points--corresponding to the pre-replicative (5 hr), replicative (20 hr), and terminal (48 hr) phase of infection--indicate that profound immune responses and distinct manipulation of host molecular processes accompany the lethal progression of this virus. We identify the temporal dynamics of the transcriptomic response to with more genes differentially expressed in the replicative and terminal phases than in the pre-replicative phase. However, the number of differentially methylated regions decreased dramatically from the pre-replicative to the replicative and terminal phase. Several cellular pathways experienced hyper- and hypo-methylation in the pre-replicative phase and later dramatically increased in gene expression at the terminal phase, including the MAPK, Jak-STAT, Hippo, mTOR, TGF-beta signaling pathways, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, and spliceosome. These affected biological functions suggest that adaptive host responses to combat the virus are mixed with viral manipulations of the host to increase its own reproduction, all of which are involved in anti-viral immune response, cell growth, and proliferation. Comparative genomic analyses with other studies of viral infections of honey bees and fruit flies indicated that similar immune pathways are shared. Our results further suggest that dynamic DNA methylation responds to viral infections quickly, regulating subsequent gene activities. Our study provides new insights of molecular mechanisms involved in epigenetic that can serve as foundation for the long-term goal to develop anti-viral strategies for honey bees, the most important commercial pollinator.

Author SummaryHoney bees, the most important managed pollinators, are experiencing unsustainable mortality. Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) causes economically important disease in honey bees, and it is emerging as a model system to study viral pathogen-host interactions in pollinators. The pupation stage is important for bee development but individuals are particularly vulnerable for parasitic mite infestations and viral infections. Currently, it is unclear how honey bee pupae respond to this virus. However, these responses, including gene expression and DNA methylomic changes, are critical to understand so that anti-viral genes can be identified and new anti-viral strategies be developed. Here, we use next-generation sequencing tools to reveal the dynamic changes of gene expression and DNA methylation as pupae succumb to IAPV infections after 5, 20, and 48 hours. We found that IAPV causes changes in regions of DNA methylation more at the beginning of infection than later. The activity of several common insect immune pathways are affected by the IAPV infections, as are some other fundamental biological processes. Expression of critical enzymes in DNA methylation are also induced by IAPV in a temporal manner. By comparing our results to other virus studies of honey bees and fruit flies, we identified common anti-viral immune responses. Thus, our study provides new insight on the genome responses of honey bees over the course of a fatal virus infection with theoretical and practical implications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li-Byarlay, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boncristiani, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howell, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strand, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rueppell, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.14.251769</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcriptomic and epigenomic dynamics of honey bees in response to lethal IAPV viral infection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.16.250100v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Consensus-based somatic variant-calling method correlates FBXW7 mutations with poor prognosis in canine B-cell lymphoma 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.16.250100v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
INTRODUCTIONCanine Lymphoma (CL) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in the domestic dog, with estimates reaching 80,000 new cases per year in the United States. Understanding of genetic factors involved in development and progression of canine B-Cell Lymphoma (cBCL), the most common of the two major subtypes of CL, can help guide efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease in dogs. Such findings also have implications for human Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), as pet dogs have recently emerged as an important translational model due to the many shared histopathological, biological, and clinical characteristics between cBCL and NHL.

OBJECTIVESWe aimed to identify potential driver mutations in cBCL and detect associations between affected genes and differential clinical outcomes.

METHODSUsing exome sequencing of paired normal and tumor tissues from 71 dogs of various breeds with cBCL, we identified somatic variants with a consensus approach: keeping variants called by both MuTect2 and with high-confidence by VarScan 2. We predicted effects of these variants using SnpEff then measured associations between mutated genes and survival times from clinical data available for 62 cohort dogs using a multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards Model.

RESULTSMutations in FBXW7, a gene commonly mutated in both human and canine cancers including lymphoma, were associated with shorter overall survival (OS; p=0.01, HR 3.3 [1.4-7.6]). The two most frequently mutated codons of FBXW7 in our cohort correspond to the most frequently mutated codons in human cancers.

CONCLUSIONSOur findings show that exome sequencing results can be combined with clinical data to identify key mutations associated with prognosis in cBCL. These results may have implications for precision medicine in dogs and also allow subsets of dogs to serve as models for specific subtypes of human lymphoma.

Translational RelevanceIdentifying tumor biomarkers associated with clinical outcomes has been a major driver in improved success in treating many types of human cancers, including Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Since canine B-cell Lymphoma (cBCL) shares many clinically identifiable characteristics with NHL, our detection of recurring mutations in certain genes in cBCL and their association with clinical outcomes stands to benefit both humans and dogs. If common canine lymphoma subtypes show mutational similarity to certain human subtypes, then therapies found to be effective for a subtype in one species may be more likely to improve treatment response in the analogous subtype in the other.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>White, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hayward, J. J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hertafeld, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castelhano, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leung, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dave, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhinder, B. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elemento, O. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richards, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suter, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.16.250100</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Consensus-based somatic variant-calling method correlates FBXW7 mutations with poor prognosis in canine B-cell lymphoma]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.24.261628v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estimating encounter location distributions from animal tracking data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.24.261628v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIEcologists have long been interested in linking individual behavior with higher-level processes. For motile species, this  upscaling is governed by how well any given movement strategy maximizes encounters with positive factors, and minimizes encounters with negative factors. Despite the importance of encounter events for a broad range of ecological processes, encounter theory has not kept pace with developments in animal tracking or movement modeling. Furthermore, existing work has focused primarily on the relationship between animal movement and encounter rates while no theoretical framework exists for directly relating individual movement with the spatial locations of encounter events in the environment.
C_LIO_LIHere, we bridge this gap by introducing a new theoretical concept describing the long-term encounter location probabilities for movement within home ranges, termed the conditional distribution of encounters (CDE). We then derive this distribution, as well as confidence intervals, implement its statistical estimator into open source software, and demonstrate the broad ecological relevance of this novel concept.
C_LIO_LIWe first use simulated data to show how our estimator provides asymptotically consistent estimates. We then demonstrate the general utility of this method for three simulation-based scenarios that occur routinely in biological systems: i) a population of individuals with home ranges that overlap with neighbors; ii) a pair of individuals with a hard territorial border between their home ranges; and iii) a predator with a large home range that encompassed the home ranges of multiple prey individuals. Using GPS data from white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) tracked on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, and sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) tracked in Bundey, South Australia, we then show how the CDE can be used to estimate the locations of territorial borders, identify key resources, quantify the location-specific potential for competition, and/or identify any changes in behaviour that directly result from location-specific encounter probability.
C_LIO_LIThis novel target distribution enables researchers to better understand the dynamics of populations of interacting individuals. Notably, the general estimation framework developed in this work builds straightforwardly off of home range estimation and requires no specialised data collection protocols. This method is now openly available via the ctmm R package.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Noonan, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez-Garcia, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, G. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crofoot, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hirsch, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Payne, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sih, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sinn, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spiegel, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fagan, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calabrese, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.24.261628</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estimating encounter location distributions from animal tracking data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.24.265397v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The recombination landscape and multiple QTL mapping in a Solanum tuberosum cv. 'Atlantic'-derived F1 population 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.24.265397v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
There are many challenges involved with the genetic analyses of autopolyploid species, such as the tetraploid potato, Solanum tuberosum (2n = 4x = 48). The development of new analytical methods has made it valuable to re-analyze an F1 population (n = 156) derived from a cross involving  Atlantic, a widely grown chipping variety in the USA. A fully integrated genetic map with 4,285 single nucleotide polymorphisms, spanning 1,630 cM, was constructed with MAPpoly software. We observed that bivalent configurations were the most abundant ones (51.0[~]72.4% depending on parent and linkage group), though multivalent configurations were also observed (2.2[~]39.2%). Seven traits were evaluated over four years (2006-8 and 2014) and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was carried out using QTLpoly software. Based on a multiple-QTL model approach, we detected 21 QTL for 15 out of 27 trait-year combination phenotypes. A hotspot on linkage group 5 was identified as QTL for maturity, plant yield, specific gravity and internal heat necrosis resistance over different years were co-located. Additional QTL for specific gravity and dry matter were detected with maturity-corrected phenotypes. Among the genes around QTL peaks, we found those on chromosome 5 that have been previously implicated in maturity (StCDF1) and tuber formation (POTH1). These analyses have the potential to provide insights into the biology and breeding of tetraploid potato and other autopolyploid species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Da Silva Pereira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schumann, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clough, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.24.265397</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The recombination landscape and multiple QTL mapping in a Solanum tuberosum cv. 'Atlantic'-derived F1 population]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.28.254672v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Reporting to the Convention on Biology Diversity: How are countries assessing and protecting their genetic diversity? 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.28.254672v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genetic diversity is critically important for all species-domesticated and wild- to adapt to environmental change, and for ecosystem resilience to extreme events. International agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have committed to conserve and sustainably and equitably use all levels of biodiversity-genes, species and ecosystems-globally. However, assessment and monitoring of genetic diversity are often overlooked, and there are large knowledge and policy gaps regarding genetic diversity conservation. In this study, we present the first quantitative analysis of genetic diversity assessments conducted by Parties to the CBD. We conducted a detailed, systematic analysis of 114 CBD 5th (submitted 2014) and 6th (submitted 2018) National Reports to quantitatively assess actions, progress on targets, values and indicators related to genetic diversity. First, we found that the importance of genetic diversity is recognised by most Parties to the CBD, and that recognition increased over time. However, genetic targets mainly addressed genetic diversity within cultivated plants, farm animals, and crop wild relatives, with little focus on other wild species. Also, actions for conserving genetic diversity primarily concerned ex-situ facilities and policy, rather than monitoring and intervention for maintaining genetic diversity in situ. The most commonly used indicators of genetic diversity status were the number of genetic resources in conservation facilities, number of threatened breeds, and Red List Index, which are not well correlated to genetic erosion in most species -- highlighting that genetic change is poorly monitored by current indicators. Lastly, analyses of genetic data observations, indigenous use and knowledge of genetic diversity, and strategies being developed and implemented to conserve genetic diversity are highly under-reported. We make several recommendations for the post-2020 CBD Biodiversity Framework to improve awareness, assessment, and monitoring, and facilitate consistent and complete reporting of progress of genetic diversity in future National Reports.

Article Impact StatementAn analysis of genetic diversity in CBD National Reports neglects non-domesticated species and demonstrates need for sufficient indicators.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hoban, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campbell, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>da Silva, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ekblom, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Funk, W. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garner, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godoy, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kershaw, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacDonald, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mergeay, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Minter, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Brien, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paz-Vinas, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearson, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez-Espona, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Potter, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Russo, I.-R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Segelbacher, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vernesi, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunter, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.28.254672</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Reporting to the Convention on Biology Diversity: How are countries assessing and protecting their genetic diversity?]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.04.283788v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Integrated omics networks reveal the temporal signaling events of brassinosteroid response in Arabidopsis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.04.283788v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant steroid hormones that are known to regulate cell division and stress response. We used a systems biology approach to integrate multi-omic datasets and unravel the molecular signaling events of BR response in Arabidopsis. We profiled the levels of 32,549 transcripts, 9,035 protein groups, and 26,950 phosphorylation sites from Arabidopsis seedlings treated with brassinolide (BL, most active BR) for six different lengths of time. We then constructed a network inference pipeline called Spatiotemporal Clustering and Inference of Omics Networks (SC-ION) that was able to integrate these multi-omic data into one, cohesive regulatory network. Our network illustrates the signaling cascade of BR response, starting with kinase-substrate phosphorylation and ending with transcriptional regulation. We used our network predictions to identify putative, relevant phosphorylation sites on the TF BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1); the importance of which we experimentally validated. Additionally, we identified an uncharacterized TF, which we named BRONTOSAURUS (BRON), that regulates cell division. Further, we show that bron mutant roots are hypersensitive to BL. Together, this work demonstrates the power of integrative network analysis applied to multiomic data and provides fundamental insights into the molecular signaling events occurring during BR response.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clark, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nolan, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montes, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guo, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yin, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walley, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.04.283788</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Integrated omics networks reveal the temporal signaling events of brassinosteroid response in Arabidopsis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.10.291252v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The evolution of thermal performance in native and invasive populations of Mimulus guttatus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.10.291252v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
1. The rise of globalization has spread organisms beyond their natural range, allowing further opportunity for species to adapt to novel environments and potentially become invaders. Yet, the role of climatic niche evolution in promoting the success of invasive species remains poorly understood. Here, we use thermal performance curves (TPCs) to test hypotheses about thermal adaptation during the invasion process. First, if novel temperature regimes impose strong selection in the introduced range, invasive populations may evolve distinct TPCs relative to native populations. Second, invasive species may not exhibit specialist-generalist tradeoffs and instead may be "masters-of-all" with high maximum performance and broad TPCs. Third, with sufficient time, standing genetic variation, and temperature-mediated selection, TPCs of native and invasive populations may show parallel evolution in response to thermal gradients.
2. To test these hypotheses, we built TPCs for 18 native (United States) and 13 invasive (United Kingdom) populations of the yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus. We grew clones of multiple genotypes per population across six temperature regimes in growth chambers.
3. Invasive populations have not evolved different thermal optima or performance breadths, providing evidence for evolutionary stasis of thermal performance between the native and invasive ranges after over 200 years post-introduction. Further, both native and invasive populations experienced similar specialist-generalist tradeoffs whereby broad TPCS come at the cost of lower peak performance. Inconsistent with the idea that the degree of thermal specialization varies across spatial or temperature gradients, native and invasive populations did not exhibit adaptive clines in thermal performance breadth with latitude or temperature seasonality. However, thermal optimum increased with mean annual temperature in the native range, indicating some adaptive differentiation among native populations
4. Synthesis: These findings suggest that thermal niches were static during the invasion process, and that general-purpose genotypes, rather than rapid evolution in the introduced range, may promote invasion.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Querns, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wooliver, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vallejo-Marin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.10.291252</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The evolution of thermal performance in native and invasive populations of Mimulus guttatus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.10.292359v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cellular mechanisms of chick limb bud morphogenesis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.10.292359v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although some of the molecular pathways involved in limb bud morphogenesis have been identified, the cellular basis of the process is not yet understood. Proposed cell behaviours include active cell migration and oriented cell division, but ultimately, these questions can only be resolved by watching individual mesenchymal cells within a completely normal developmental context. We developed a minimally-invasive in ovo two-photon technique, to capture high quality time-lapse sequences up to 100 microns deep in the unperturbed growing chick limb bud. Using this technique, we characterized cell shapes and other oriented behaviours throughout the limb bud, and found that cell intercalation drives tissue movements, rather than oriented cell divisions or migration. We then developed a 3D cell-based computer simulation of morphogenesis, in which cellular extensions physically pull cells towards each other, with directional bias controlled by molecular gradients from the ectoderm (Wnts) and the Apical Ectodermal Ridge (FGFs). We defined the initial and target shapes of the chick limb bud in 3D by OPT scanning, and explored which orientations of mesenchymal intercalation correctly explain limb morphogenesis. The model made a couple of predictions: Firstly, that elongation can only be explained when cells intercalate along the direction towards the nearest ectoderm. This produces a general convergence of tissue towards the central proximo-distal (PD) axis of the limb, and a resultant extension of the tissue along the PD axis. Secondly, the correct in silico morphology can only be achieved if the contractile forces of mesenchymal cells in the very distal region (under the Apical Ectodermal Ridge) have shorter life times than in the rest of the limb bud, effectively making the tissue more fluid by augmenting the rate of cell rearrangement. We argue that this less-organised region of mesenchyme is necessary to prevent PD-oriented intercalation events in the distal tip that would otherwise inhibit outgrowth.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lesnicar-Pucko, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Musy, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Glazier, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharpe, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.10.292359</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cellular mechanisms of chick limb bud morphogenesis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.12.286559v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TIN2 facilitates TRF1-mediated trans- and cis-interactions on physiologically relevant long telomeric DNA 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.12.286559v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The shelterin complex consisting of TRF1, TRF2, RAP1, TIN2, TPP1, and POT1, functions to prevent false recognition of telomeres as double-strand DNA breaks, and to regulate telomerase and DNA repair protein access. TIN2 is a core component linking double-stranded telomeric DNA binding proteins (TRF1 and TRF2) and proteins at the 3 overhang (TPP1-POT1). Since knockdown of TIN2 also removes TRF1 and TRF2 from telomeres, determining TIN2s unique mechanistic function has been elusive. Here, we investigated DNA molecular structures promoted by TRF1-TIN2 using complementary single-molecule imaging platforms, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), and the DNA tightrope assay. We demonstrate that TIN2S and TIN2L isoforms facilitate TRF1-mediated DNA compaction (cis-interactions) and DNA-DNA bridging (trans-interactions) in a telomeric sequence- and length-dependent manner. On the short telomeric DNA substrate (6 TTAGGG repeats), the majority of TRF1 mediated telomeric DNA-DNA bridging events are transient with a lifetime of ~1.95 s. On longer DNA substrates (270 TTAGGG), TIN2 forms multi-protein complexes with TRF1 and stabilizes TRF1-mediated DNA-DNA bridging events that last for at least minutes. Preincubation of TRF1 with its regulator protein Tankyrase 1 significantly reduces TRF1-TIN2 mediated DNA-DNA bridging, whereas TIN2 protects the disassembly of TRF1-TIN2 mediated DNA-DNA bridging upon Tankyrase 1 addition. Our study provides evidence that TIN2 functions to promote TRF1 mediated trans-interactions of telomeric DNA, leading to new mechanistic insight into sister telomere cohesion.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pan, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaur, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahn, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barnes, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hao, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhattaram, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>You, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piehler, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weninger, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riehn, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Opersko, P. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.12.286559</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TIN2 facilitates TRF1-mediated trans- and cis-interactions on physiologically relevant long telomeric DNA]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.16.299404v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Contrasting impacts of urban and farmland cover on flying insect biomass 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.16.299404v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent studies report declines in biomass, abundance and diversity of terrestrial insect groups. While anthropogenic land use is one likely contributor to this decline, studies assessing land cover as a driver of insect dynamics are rare and mostly restricted in spatial scale and types of land cover. In this study, we used rooftop-mounted car nets in a citizen science project ( InsectMobile) to allow for large-scale geographic sampling of flying insects across Denmark and parts of Germany. Citizen scientists sampled insects along 278 10 km routes in urban, farmland and semi-natural (grassland, wetland and forest) landscapes in the summer of 2018. We assessed the importance of local to landscape-scale effects and land use intensity by relating insect biomass to land cover in buffers of 50, 250, 500 and 1000 m along the routes. We found a negative association of urban cover and a positive association of farmland on insect biomass at a landscape-scale (1000 m buffer) in both countries. In Denmark, we also found positive effects of all semi-natural land covers, i.e. grassland (largest at the landscape-scale, 1000 m), forests (largest at intermediate scales, 250 m), and wetlands (largest at the local-scale, 50 m). The negative association of insect biomass with urban land cover and positive association with farmland were not clearly modified by any variable associated with land use intensity. Our results show that land cover has an impact on flying insect biomass with the magnitude of this effect varying across spatial scales. Since we consistently found negative effects of urban land cover, our findings highlight the need for the conservation of semi-natural areas, such as wetlands, grasslands and forests, in Europe.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Svenningsen, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bowler, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hecker, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bladt, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grescho, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Dam, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dauber, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eichenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ejrnaes, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flojgaard, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frenzel, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Froslev, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heilmann-Clausen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larsen, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menger, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nayan, N. L. B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pedersen, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richter, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tottrup, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bonn, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.16.299404</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Contrasting impacts of urban and farmland cover on flying insect biomass]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.17.301804v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Processing variables of direct-write, near-field electrospinning impact size and morphology of gelatin fibers 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.17.301804v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Several biofabrication methods are being investigated to produce scaffolds that can replicate the structure of the extracellular matrix. Direct-write, near-field electrospinning of polymer solutions and melts is one such method which combines fine fiber formation with computer-guided control. Research with such systems has focused primarily on synthetic polymers. To better understand the behavior of biopolymers used for direct-writing, this project investigated changes in fiber morphology, size, and variability caused by varying gelatin and acetic acid concentration, as well as process parameters such as needle gauge and height, stage speed, and interfiber spacing. Increasing gelatin concentration at a constant acetic acid concentration improved fiber morphology from large, planar structures to small, linear fibers with a median of 2.3 m. Further varying the acetic acid concentration at a constant gelatin concentration did not alter fiber morphology and diameter throughout the range tested. Varying needle gauge and height further improved the median fiber diameter to below 2 m and variability of the first and third quartiles to within +/-1 m of the median for the optimal solution combination of gelatin and acetic acid concentrations. Additional adjustment of stage speed did not impact the fiber morphology or diameter. Repeatable interfiber spacings down to 250 m were shown to be capable with the system. In summary, this study illustrates the optimization of processing parameters for direct-writing of gelatin to produce fibers on the scale of collagen fibers. This system is thus capable of replicating the fibrous structure of musculoskeletal tissues with biologically relevant materials which will provide a durable platform for the analysis of single cell-fiber interactions to help better understand the impact scaffold materials and dimensions have on cell behavior.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Davis, Z. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hussain, A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.17.301804</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Processing variables of direct-write, near-field electrospinning impact size and morphology of gelatin fibers]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.308056v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microbial metabolites of flavanols in urine are associated with enhanced anti-proliferative activity in bladder cancer cells in vitro 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.308056v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Dietary flavanols and their metabolites are excreted primarily via the urine, suggesting uroepithelial cells as a site of activity due to lengthy exposure to high concentrations of these compounds. Flavanols are metabolized by the gut microbiota to numerous bioavailable metabolites. The observed effects of flavanols, including cancer chemoprevention, may be due in part to the activities of microbial metabolites. Most in vitro mechanistic work in this area relies on a limited pool of commercially available or synthesized flavanol microbial metabolites, and little work has been done in the area of bladder cancer. The impact of physiologically relevant mixtures of native flavanols and their metabolites generated in vivo remains unknown. Rats were fed various flavanols after which 48 h urine samples, approximating the total bioavailable metabolome, were collected. Urine samples were profiled by UPLC-MS/MS, and their anti-proliferative activities were assayed in vitro in four bladder cancer cell models. Significant interindividual variability was observed for chemical profiles and anti-proliferative activities. Concentrations of microbial metabolites (valerolactones, phenylalkyl acids and hippuric acids) were positively associated with reduced bladder cancer cell proliferation in vitro, while native flavanols were poorly correlated with activity. These results suggest that microbial metabolites may be the primary compounds responsible for chemoprevention in uroepithelial cell following flavanol consumption. Furthermore, this highlights the potential for exploiting knowledge about individual genetics, microbiome profiles, flavonoid metabolism profiles, tumor characteristics, etc. to design personalized dietary interventions for cancer prevention and/or adjuvant therapy to reduce bladder cancer incidence and improve outcomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Griffin, L. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kohrt, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rathore, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kay, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grabowska, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neilson, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.22.308056</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microbial metabolites of flavanols in urine are associated with enhanced anti-proliferative activity in bladder cancer cells in vitro]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.25.314005v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Whole genome comparisons reveal panmixia among fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) from diverse locations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.25.314005v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)) is a highly polyphagous agricultural pest with long-distance migratory behavior threatening food security worldwide. This pest has a host range of >80 plant species, but two host strains are recognized based on their association with corn (C-strain) or rice and smaller grasses (R-strain). In this study, the population structure and genetic diversity in 55 S. frugiperda samples from Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, Puerto Rico and the United States (USA) were surveyed to further our understanding of whole genome nuclear diversity. Comparisons at the genomic level suggest panmixia in this population, other than a minor reduction in gene flow between the two overwintering populations in the continental USA that also corresponded to genetically distinct host strains. Two maternal lines were detected from analysis of mitochondrial genomes. We found members from the Eastern Hemisphere interspersed within both continental USA overwintering subpopulations, suggesting multiple individuals were likely introduced to Africa. Comparisons between laboratory-reared and field collected S. frugiperda support similar genomic diversity, validating the experimental use of laboratory strains. Our research is the largest diverse collection of United States S. frugiperda whole genome sequences characterized to date, covering eight continental states and a USA territory (Puerto Rico). The genomic resources presented provide foundational information to understand gene flow at the whole genome level among S. frugiperda populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schlum, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamour, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Placidi De Bortoli, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banerjee, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Emrich, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meagher, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereira, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murua, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sword, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tessnow, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dillon, D. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Linares Ramirez, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akutse, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmidt-Jeffris, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reisig, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jurat-Fuentes, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.25.314005</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Whole genome comparisons reveal panmixia among fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) from diverse locations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.29.318097v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effect of sanitation improvements on soil-transmitted helminth eggs in courtyard soil from rural Bangladesh: Evidence from a cluster-randomized controlled trial 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.29.318097v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Improved sanitation has been hypothesized to reduce soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections by reducing the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs/larvae in soil. We evaluated the effect of a randomized sanitation program (providing households with an improved dual-pit latrine, tools for child/animal feces management, and behavioral messaging) on reducing STH eggs in soil from household courtyards. We collected soil samples from 1405 households enrolled in the sanitation intervention (n=419) and control (n=914) groups of a cluster-randomized controlled trial (WASH Benefits) in rural Bangladesh approximately 2 years after the initiation of the interventions. We analyzed samples for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm eggs by microscopy. We estimated prevalence ratios (PR) and relative egg count reductions (ECR) to compare the prevalence of any STH eggs and arithmetic and geometric mean egg counts for any STH per gram of soil between the sanitation and control arms.

Among intervention households, latrines achieved high and sustained user uptake by adults while child open defecation remained common and most households did not dispose of child feces hygienically. In courtyard soil from control households, the prevalence of any STH eggs was 75.7% and the prevalence of any larvated STH eggs was 67.3%. A. lumbricoides was detected in 63.0% of control samples and T. trichiura in 55.7% of control samples; hookworm was not detected in any sample. The arithmetic mean egg count for any STH was 3.96 eggs/dry gram, while the geometric mean was 1.58 eggs/dry gram. There was no difference between the intervention and control groups in the prevalence of any STH eggs (PR=0.98 (95% CI: 0.91-1.05)) or mean egg counts (ECR=0.08 (95% CI: -0.10, 0.26) for geometric mean and 0.07 (95% CI: -0.22, 0.37) for arithmetic mean). Adjusted models gave similar results.

A compound-level sanitation intervention that provided improved latrines and tools for disposal of child and animal feces did not have an impact on environmental reservoirs of STH eggs. In order to effectively reduce the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs in the environment, sustained, widespread use of sanitation strategies to isolate and hygienically dispose of child and animal feces may need to complement traditional strategies for containment of adult human feces.

Author summaryImproved sanitation has been hypothesized to reduce soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections by reducing the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs/larvae in soil. We evaluated the effect of a randomized sanitation program (providing households with an improved dual-pit latrine, tools for child/animal feces management, and behavioral messaging) on reducing STH eggs in soil from household courtyards. We collected soil samples from 1405 households enrolled in the control and sanitation groups of a cluster-randomized controlled trial (WASH Benefits) in rural Bangladesh approximately 2 years after the initiation of the interventions. We analyzed samples for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm eggs by microscopy. We found no effect of the sanitation intervention on STH eggs in soil. In order to effectively reduce the prevalence and abundance of STH eggs in the environment, sustained, widespread use of sanitation strategies to isolate and hygienically dispose of child and animal feces may need to complement traditional strategies for containment of adult human feces.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kwong, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Islam, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shahriar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benjamin-Chung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arnold, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hubbard, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parvez, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unicomb, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colford, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luby, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ercumen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.29.318097</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effect of sanitation improvements on soil-transmitted helminth eggs in courtyard soil from rural Bangladesh: Evidence from a cluster-randomized controlled trial]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.29.319590v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enhanced Anticoagulation Activity of Functional RNA Origami 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.29.319590v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anticoagulants are commonly utilized during surgeries and to treat thrombotic diseases like stroke and deep vein thrombosis. However, conventional anticoagulants have serious side-effects, narrow therapeutic windows, and lack safe reversal agents (antidotes). Here, an alternative RNA origami displaying RNA aptamers as target-specific anticoagulant, is described. Improved design and construction techniques for self-folding, single-molecule RNA origami as a platform for displaying pre-selected RNA aptamers with precise orientational and spatial control, are reported. Nuclease resistance is added using 2-fluoro-modified pyrimidines during in vitro transcription. When four aptamers are displayed on the RNA origami platform, the measured thrombin inhibition and anticoagulation activity is higher than observed for free aptamers, ssRNA-linked RNA aptamers, and RNA origami displaying fewer aptamers. Importantly, thrombin inhibition is immediately switched off by addition of specific reversal agents. Results for ssDNA and ssPNA (peptide nucleic acid) antidotes show restoration of 75% and 95% coagulation activity, respectively. To demonstrate potential for practical, long-term storage for clinical use, RNA origami was freeze-dried, and stored at room temperature. Freshly produced and freeze-dried RNA show identical levels of activity in coagulation assays. Compared to current commercial intravenous anticoagulants, RNA origami-based molecules show promise as safer alternatives with rapid activity switching for future therapeutic applications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Krissanaprasit, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Key, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Froehlich, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pontula, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mihalko, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dupont, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andersen, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kjems, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LaBean, T. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.29.319590</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enhanced Anticoagulation Activity of Functional RNA Origami]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.30.321224v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An improved experimental pipeline for preparing circular ssDNA viruses for next-generation sequencing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.30.321224v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We present an optimized protocol for enhanced amplification and enrichment of viral DNA for Next Generation Sequencing of begomovirus genomes. The rapid ability of these viruses to evolve threatens many crops and underscores the importance of using next generation sequencing efficiently to detect and understand the diversity of these viruses. We combined enhanced rolling circle amplification (RCA) with EquiPhi29 polymerase and size selection to generate a cost-effective, short-read sequencing method. This optimized protocol produced short-read sequencing with at least 50% of the reads mapping to the viral reference genome. We provide other insights into common misconceptions about RCA and lessons we have learned from sequencing single-stranded DNA viruses. Our protocol can be used to examine viral DNA as it moves through the entire pathosystem from host to vector, providing valuable information for viral DNA population studies, and would likely work well with other CRESS DNA viruses.

HighlightsO_LIProtocol for short-read, high throughput sequencing of single-stranded DNA viruses using random primers
C_LIO_LIComparison of the sequencing of total DNA versus size-selected DNA
C_LIO_LIComparison of phi29 and Equiphi29 DNA polymerases for rolling circle amplification of viral single-stranded DNA genomes
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aimone, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyer, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dye, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deppong, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duffy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.30.321224</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An improved experimental pipeline for preparing circular ssDNA viruses for next-generation sequencing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.01.321612v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single Cell Analysis Reveals Multi-faceted miR-375 Regulation of the Intestinal Crypt 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.01.321612v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The role of individual miRNAs in small intestinal (SI) epithelial homeostasis is under-explored. In this study, we discovered that miR-375 is among the most enriched miRNAs in intestinal crypts and stem cells (ISCs), especially facultative ISCs. We then showed by multiple manipulations, including CRISPR/Cas9 editing, that miR-375 is strongly suppressed by Wnt-signaling. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of SI crypt-enriched cells from miR-375 knockout (375-KO) mice revealed elevated numbers of tuft cells and increased expression of pro-proliferative genes in ISCs. Accordingly, the genetic loss of miR-375 promoted resistance to helminth infection and enhanced the regenerative response to irradiation. The conserved effects of miR-375 were confirmed by gain-of-function studies in Drosophila midgut stem cells in vivo. Moreover, functional experiments in enteroids uncovered a regulatory relationship between miR-375 and Yap1 that controls cell survival. Finally, analysis of mouse model and clinical data revealed an inverse association between miR-375 levels and intestinal tumor development.

HighlightsO_LImiR-375 is one of the most enriched miRNAs in ISCs, especially facultative ISCs.
C_LIO_LImiR-375 modifies tuft cell abundance and pro-proliferative gene expression in ISCs.
C_LIO_LILoss of miR-375 in mice enhances the host response to helminth infection and crypt regeneration.
C_LIO_LIMouse and human intestinal cancer are associated with reduced miR-375 expression.
C_LI

eTOC BlurbSethupathy and colleagues show that miR-375 is a Wnt-responsive, ISC-enriched miRNA that serves as a break on intestinal crypt proliferation. They also show that miR-375 modulates tuft cell abundance and pro-proliferative gene expression in ISCs, that miR-375 loss enhances the host response to helminth infection as well as crypt regeneration post-irradiation, and its reduced expression is associated with intestinal cancer.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shanahan, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kanke, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villanueva, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McNairn, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oyesola, O. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bonfini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hung, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheahan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bloom, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cubitt, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Curry, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pitman, W. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rinaldi, V. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dekaney, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ding, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peck, B. C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schimenti, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dow, L. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchon, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tait-Wojno, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sethupathy, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.01.321612</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single Cell Analysis Reveals Multi-faceted miR-375 Regulation of the Intestinal Crypt]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.02.322917v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Leveraging High-Throughput Screening Data and Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks to Advance Predictive Toxicology 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.02.322917v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
There are currently 85,000 chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Toxic Substances Control Act, but only a small fraction have measured toxicological data. To address this gap, high-throughput screening (HTS) methods are vital. As part of one such HTS effort, embryonic zebrafish were used to examine a suite of morphological and mortality endpoints at six concentrations from over 1,000 unique chemicals found in the ToxCast library (phase 1 and 2). We hypothesized that by using a conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) and leveraging this large set of toxicity data, plus chemical structure information, we could efficiently predict toxic outcomes of untested chemicals. CAS numbers for each chemical were used to generate textual files containing three-dimensional structural information for each chemical. Utilizing a novel method in this space, we converted the 3D structural information into a weighted set of points while retaining all information about the structure. In vivo toxicity and chemical data were used to train two neural network generators. The first used regression (Go-ZT) while the second utilized cGAN architecture (GAN-ZT) to train a generator to produce toxicity data. Our results showed that both Go-ZT and GAN-ZT models produce similar results, but the cGAN achieved a higher sensitivity (SE) value of 85.7% vs 71.4%. Conversely, Go-ZT attained higher specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV), and Kappa results of 67.3%, 23.4%, and 0.21 compared to 24.5%, 14.0%, and 0.03 for the cGAN, respectively. By combining both Go-ZT and GAN-ZT, our consensus model improved the SP, PPV, and Kappa, to 75.5%, 25.0%, and 0.211, respectively, resulting in an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.663. Considering their potential use as prescreening tools, these models could provide in vivo toxicity predictions and insight into untested areas of the chemical space to prioritize compounds for HT testing.

SummaryA conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) can leverage a large chemical set of experimental toxicity data plus chemical structure information to predict the toxicity of untested compounds.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Green, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohlenkamp, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Das, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chaudhari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Truong, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tanguay, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reif, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.02.322917</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Leveraging High-Throughput Screening Data and Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks to Advance Predictive Toxicology]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.05.326801v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome evolution in an agricultural pest following adoption of transgenic crops 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.05.326801v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Replacement of synthetic insecticides with transgenic crops for pest management has been both economically and environmentally beneficial. These benefits have often eroded as pests evolved resistance to transgenic crops, but a broad understanding of the timing and complexity of adaptive changes which lead to field-evolved resistance in pest species is lacking. Wild populations of Helicoverpa zea, a major lepidopteran crop pest and the target of transgenic Cry toxin-expressing cotton and corn, have recently evolved widespread, damaging levels of resistance. Here, we quantified patterns of genomic change in wild H. zea collected between 2002 and 2017 when adoption rates of Cry-expressing crops expanded in North America. Using a combination of genomic approaches, we identified significant temporal changes in allele frequency throughout the genomes of field-collected H. zea. Many of these changes occurred concurrently with increasingly damaging levels of resistance to Cry toxins between 2012 and 2016, in a pattern consistent with polygenic selection. Surprisingly, none of the eleven previously described Cry resistance genes showed signatures of selection in wild H. zea. Furthermore, we observed evidence of a very strong selective sweep in one region of the H. zea genome, yet this strongest change was not additively associated with Cry resistance. This first, whole genome analysis of field-collected specimens to study evolution of Cry resistance demonstrates the potential and need for a more holistic approach to examining pest adaptation to changing agricultural practices.

Significance StatementEvolution of pest resistance to management approaches in agricultural landscapes is common and results in economic losses. Early detection of pest resistance evolution prior to significant crop damage would benefit the agricultural community. It has been hypothesized that new genomic approaches could track molecular signals of emerging resistance problems and trigger efforts to pre-empt widespread damage. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying genomic changes in the pest Helicoverpa zea over a 15 year period concurrent with commercialization and subsequent loss of efficacy of transgenic Bt-expressing crops. Our results demonstrate the complex nature of evolution in agricultural ecosystems and provide insight into the potential for and pitfalls associated with use of genomic approaches for resistance monitoring. We discuss approaches for improvement.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fritz, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamby, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeYonke, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.05.326801</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome evolution in an agricultural pest following adoption of transgenic crops]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.09.333765v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Automated tracking of S. pombe spindle elongation dynamics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.09.333765v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mitotic spindle is a microtubule-based machine that pulls the two identical sets of chromosomes to opposite ends of the cell during cell division. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an important model organism for studying mitosis due to its simple, stereotyped spindle structure and well-established genetic toolset. S. pombe spindle length is a useful metric for mitotic progression, but manually tracking spindle ends in each frame to measure spindle length over time is laborious and can limit experimental throughput. We have developed an ImageJ plugin that can automatically track S. pombe spindle length over time and replace manual or semi-automated tracking of spindle elongation dynamics. Using an algorithm that detects the principal axis of the spindle and then finds its ends, we reliably track the length and angle of the spindle as the cell divides. The plugin integrates with existing ImageJ features, exports its data for further analysis outside of ImageJ, and does not require any programming by the user. Thus, the plugin provides an accessible tool for quantification of S. pombe spindle length that will allow automatic analysis of large microscopy data sets and facilitate screening for effects of cell biological perturbations on mitotic progression.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Uzsoy, A. S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zareiesfandabadi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jennings, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kemper, A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.09.333765</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Automated tracking of S. pombe spindle elongation dynamics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.15.333963v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mechanical competition alters the cellular interpretation of an endogenous genetic programme 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.15.333963v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The intrinsic genetic programme of a cell is not sufficient to explain all of the cells activities. External mechanical stimuli are increasingly recognized as determinants of cell behaviour. In the epithelial folding event that constitutes the beginning of gastrulation in Drosophila, the genetic programme of the future mesoderm leads to the establishment of a contractile actomyosin network that triggers apical constriction of cells, and thereby, tissue folding. However, some cells do not constrict but instead stretch, even though they share the same genetic programme as their constricting neighbours. We show here that tissue-wide interactions force these cells to expand even when an otherwise sufficient amount of apical, active actomyosin is present. Models based on contractile forces and linear stress-strain responses do not reproduce experimental observations, but simulations in which cells behave as ductile materials with non-linear mechanical properties do. Our models show that this behaviour is a general emergent property of actomyosin networks [in a supracellular context, in accordance with our experimental observations of actin reorganisation within stretching cells.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bhide, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gombalova, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stegmaier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mönke, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leptin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.15.333963</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mechanical competition alters the cellular interpretation of an endogenous genetic programme]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.20.345868v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A G protein-coupled receptor-like module regulates Cellulose Synthase secretion from the endomembrane system in Arabidopsis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.20.345868v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cellulose synthesis is essential for plant morphology, water transport and defense, and provides raw material for biomaterials and fuels. Cellulose is produced at the plasma membrane by Cellulose Synthase (CESA) protein complexes (CSCs). CSCs are assembled in the endomembrane system and then trafficked from the Golgi apparatus and trans-Golgi Network (TGN) to the plasma membrane. Since CESA enzymes are only active in the plasma membrane, control of CSC secretion is a critical step in the regulation of cellulose synthesis. However, the regulatory framework for CSC secretion is not clarified. In this study, we identify members of a family of seven transmembrane domain-containing proteins (7TMs) as important for cellulose production during cell wall integrity stress. 7TM proteins are often associated with guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G) protein signalling and mutants in several of the canonical G protein complex components phenocopied the 7tm mutant plants. Unexpectedly, the 7TM proteins localized to the Golgi apparatus/TGN where they interacted with the G protein complex. Here, the 7TMs and G proteins regulated CESA trafficking, but did not affect general protein secretion. Furthermore, during cell wall stress, 7TMs localization was biased towards small CESA-containing vesicles, specifically associated with CSC trafficking. Our results thus outline how a G protein-coupled module regulates CESA trafficking and reveal that defects in this process lead to exacerbated responses upon exposure to cell wall integrity stress.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McFarlane, H. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mutwil-Anderwald, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Verbancic, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Picard, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gookin, T. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Froehlich, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trindade, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Assmann, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Persson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.20.345868</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A G protein-coupled receptor-like module regulates Cellulose Synthase secretion from the endomembrane system in Arabidopsis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.20.347922v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The collapse of the spindle following ablation in S. pombe is mediated by microtubules and the motor protein dynein 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.20.347922v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A microtubule-based machine called the mitotic spindle segregates chromosomes when eukaryotic cells divide. In the fission yeast S. pombe, which undergoes closed mitosis, the spindle forms a single bundle of microtubules inside the nucleus. During elongation, the spindle extends via antiparallel microtubule sliding by molecular motors. These extensile forces from the spindle are thought to resist compressive forces from the nucleus. We probe the mechanism and maintenance of this force balance via laser ablation of spindles at various stages of mitosis. We find that spindle pole bodies collapse toward each other following ablation, but spindle geometry is often rescued, allowing spindles to resume elongation. While this basic behavior has been previously observed, many questions remain about this phenomenons dynamics, mechanics, and molecular requirements. In this work, we find that previously hypothesized viscoelastic relaxation of the nucleus cannot fully explain spindle shortening in response to laser ablation. Instead, spindle collapse requires microtubule dynamics and is powered at least partly by the minus-end directed motor protein dynein. These results suggest a role for dynein in redundantly supporting force balance and bipolarity in the S. pombe spindle.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCES. pombe serves as an important model organism for understanding cell division. Its structurally simple mitotic spindle is especially suited for mechanical perturbation. Since S. pombe undergoes a process of closed cell division, without breakdown of the nuclear envelope, force may be exerted between its nuclear envelope and spindle. Here, we mechanically sever spindles via laser ablation to probe this force balance. Following ablation, S. pombe spindle fragments collapse toward each other. We find that, contrary to prior expectations, forces from the chromosomes and nuclear envelope are not responsible for this collapse. Instead, it is microtubule-dependent, and is powered at least in part by the minus-end directed microtubule motor protein dynein.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zareiesfandabadi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.20.347922</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The collapse of the spindle following ablation in S. pombe is mediated by microtubules and the motor protein dynein]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.24.353557v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantitative trait locus mapping for common scab resistance in a tetraploid potato full-sib population 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.24.353557v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Despite the negative impact of common scab (Streptomyces spp.) to the potato industry, little is known about the genetic architecture of resistance to this bacterial disease in the crop. We evaluated a mapping population (~150 full-sibs) derived from a cross between two tetraploid potatoes ( Atlantic x B1829-5) in three environments (MN11, PA11, ME12) under natural common scab pressure. Three measures to common scab reaction were assessed, namely percentage of scabby tubers, and disease area and lesion indices, which were highly correlated (>0.76). Due to large environmental effect, heritability values were zero for all three traits in MN11, but moderate to high in PA11 and ME12 (0.44~0.79). We identified a single quantitative trait locus (QTL) for lesion index in PA11, ME12 and joint analyses on linkage group 3, explaining 22~30% of the total variation. The identification of QTL haplotypes and candidate genes contributing to disease resistance can support genomics-assisted breeding approaches.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>da Silva Pereira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thill, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haynes, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.24.353557</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantitative trait locus mapping for common scab resistance in a tetraploid potato full-sib population]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.26.355248v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A New Paralog Removal Pipeline Resolves Conflict between RAD-seq and Enrichment 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.26.355248v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Target enrichment and RAD-seq are well-established high throughput sequencing technologies that have been increasingly used for phylogenomic studies, and the choice between methods is a practical issue for plant systematists studying the evolutionary histories of biodiversity of relatively recent origins. However, few studies have compared the congruence and conflict between results from the two methods within the same group of organisms, especially in plants, where extensive genome duplication events may complicate phylogenomic analyses. Unfortunately, currently widely used pipelines for target enrichment data analysis do not have a vigorous procedure for remove paralogs in Hyb-Seq data. In this study, we employed RAD-seq and Hyb-Seq of Angiosperm 353 genes in phylogenomic and biogeographic studies of Hamamelis (the witch-hazels) and Castanea (chestnuts), two classic examples exhibiting the well-known eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunct distribution. We compared these two methods side by side and developed a new pipeline (PPD) with a more vigorous removal of putative paralogs from Hyb-Seq data. The new pipeline considers both sequence similarity and heterozygous sites at each locus in identification of paralogous. We used our pipeline to construct robust datasets for comparison between methods and downstream analyses on the two genera. Our results demonstrated that the PPD identified many more putative paralogs than the popular method HybPiper. Comparisons of tree topologies and divergence times showed significant differences between data from HybPiper and data from our new PPD pipeline, likely due to the error signals from the paralogous genes undetected by HybPiper, but trimmed by PPD. We found that phylogenies and divergence times estimated from our RAD-seq and Hyb-Seq-PPD were largely congruent. We highlight the importance of removal paralogs in enrichment data, and discuss the merits of RAD-seq and Hyb-Seq. Finally, phylogenetic analyses of RAD-seq and Hyb-Seq resulted in well-resolved species relationships, and revealed ancient introgression in both genera. Biogeographic analyses including fossil data revealed a complicated history of each genus involving multiple intercontinental dispersals and local extinctions in areas outside of the taxas modern ranges in both the Paleogene and Neogene. Our study demonstrates the value of additional steps for filtering paralogous gene content from Angiosperm 353 data, such as our new PPD pipeline described in this study. [RAD-seq, Hyb-Seq, paralogs, Castanea, Hamamelis, eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunction, biogeography, ancient introgression]
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhou, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soghigian, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiang, Q. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.26.355248</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A New Paralog Removal Pipeline Resolves Conflict between RAD-seq and Enrichment]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.27.357251v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Root water gates and not changes in root structure provide new insights into plant physiological responses and adaptations to drought, flooding and salinity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.27.357251v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The influence of aquaporin (AQP) activity on plant water movement remains unclear, especially in plants subject to unfavorable conditions. We applied a multitiered approach at a range of plant scales to (i) characterize the resistances controlling water transport under drought, flooding and flooding plus salinity conditions; (ii) quantify the respective effects of AQP activity and xylem structure on root (Kroot), stem (Kstem) and leaf (Kleaf) conductances, and (iii) evaluate the impact of AQP-regulated transport capacity on gas exchange. We found that drought, flooding and flooding-salinity reduced Kroot and root AQP activity in Pinus taeda, whereas Kroot of the flood-tolerant Taxodium distichum did not decline under flooding. The extent of the AQP-control of transport efficiency varied among organs and species, ranging from 35%-55% in Kroot to 10%-30% in Kstem and Kleaf. In response to treatments, AQP-mediated inhibition of Kroot rather than changes in xylem acclimation controlled the fluctuations in Kroot. The reduction in stomatal conductance and its sensitivity to vapor pressure deficit were direct responses to decreased whole-plant conductance triggered by lower Kroot and larger resistance belowground. Our results provide new mechanistic and functional insights on plant hydraulics that are essential to quantifying the influences of future stress on ecosystem function.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Domec, J.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carmichael, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Treado Overby, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wortemann, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miao, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noormets, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.27.357251</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Root water gates and not changes in root structure provide new insights into plant physiological responses and adaptations to drought, flooding and salinity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.30.362806v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mating and starvation modulate feeding and host-seeking responses in female bed bugs, Cimex lectularius 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.30.362806v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adaptive insect behavior is subject to modulation by internal physiological states and external social contexts to enhance reproductive fitness and survival. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius is an obligate hematophagous ectoparasite that requires host blood for growth, development, and reproduction. We investigated how mating, starvation and social factors such as harassment by males affect host-seeking, blood feeding, oviposition, and survival of female bed bugs. The percentage of females that fed and the amount of blood they ingested were greater in mated females (90-100%) than in unmated females (48-60%). Mating state also modulated the females orientation towards human skin odor in an olfactometer; more mated (69%) than unmated (23%) females responded to human odors. The response rate of unmated females (60%) to human odor increased with longer starvation period, while the opposite pattern was observed in mated females (20%). Although fecundity after a single blood meal was unaffected by long or short residence with males, females subjected to frequent copulations had lower survivorship and lifespan than females subjected to males for only 24 h. Taken together, these results indicate that behaviors are adaptively expressed based on the internal physiological state to maximize survival and reproductive fitness.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Saveer, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeVries, Z. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Santangelo, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.30.362806</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mating and starvation modulate feeding and host-seeking responses in female bed bugs, Cimex lectularius]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.30.362871v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inducible Directed Evolution of Complex Phenotypes in Bacteria 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.30.362871v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Directed evolution is a powerful method for engineering biology in the absence of detailed sequence-function relationships. To enable directed evolution of complex phenotypes encoded by multigene pathways, we require large library sizes for DNA sequences >5-10kb in length, elimination of genomic hitchhiker mutations, and decoupling of diversification and screening steps. To meet these challenges, we developed Inducible Directed Evolution (IDE), which uses a temperate bacteriophage to package large plasmids and transfer them to naive cells after intracellular mutagenesis. To demonstrate IDE, we evolved a 5-gene pathway from Bacillus licheniformis that accelerates tagatose catabolism in Escherichia coli, resulting in clones with 65% shorter lag times during growth on tagatose after only two rounds of evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Al'Abri, I. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haller, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.30.362871</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inducible Directed Evolution of Complex Phenotypes in Bacteria]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.04.368373v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Artemin and its cognate receptor, GFRα3, play a function role in osteoarthritis pain 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.04.368373v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Osteoarthritis associated pain (OA-pain) is a significant global problem. OA-pain limits limb use and mobility, and is associated with widespread sensitivity. Therapeutic options are limited, and the ones that are available are often associated with side or adverse effects. The lack of therapeutic options is partly due to a lack of understanding of clinically relevant underlying neural mechanisms of OA-pain. In previous work in naturally occurring OA-pain in dogs, we identified potential signaling molecules (artemin/GFR3) that were upregulated. Here, we use multiple approaches including knockout mice, immunological suppression in a mouse model of OA, and clinically relevant measures of sensitivity and limb use to explore the functional role of artemin/GFR3 signaling in OA-pain. We found the monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA model in mice is associated with decreased limb use and hypersensitivity. GFR3 expression is increased in sensory neurons. Exogenous artemin induces heat, cold and mechanical hypersensitivity, and anti-artemin monoclonal antibody administration reverses this hypersensitivity and restores limb use in mice with MIA-induced OA pain. Our results provide a molecular basis of arthritis pain linked with artemin/GFR3 signaling and indicate that further work is warranted to investigate the neuronal plasticity and the pathways that drive pain in OA.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Minnema, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mishra, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lascelles, B. D. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.04.368373</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Artemin and its cognate receptor, GFRα3, play a function role in osteoarthritis pain]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.06.371724v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
NASA GeneLab RNA-Seq Consensus Pipeline: Standardized Processing of Short-Read RNA-Seq Data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.06.371724v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
With the development of transcriptomic technologies, we are able to quantify precise changes in gene expression profiles from astronauts and other organisms exposed to spaceflight. Members of NASA GeneLab and GeneLab-associated analysis working groups (AWGs) have developed a consensus pipeline for analyzing short-read RNA-sequencing data from spaceflight-associated experiments. The pipeline includes quality control, read trimming, mapping, and gene quantification steps, culminating in the detection of differentially expressed genes. This data analysis pipeline and the results of its execution using data submitted to GeneLab are now all publicly available through the GeneLab database. We present here the full details and rationale for the construction of this pipeline in order to promote transparency, reproducibility and reusability of pipeline data, to provide a template for data processing of future spaceflight-relevant datasets, and to encourage cross-analysis of data from other databases with the data available in GeneLab.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Overbey, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saravia-Butler, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rathi, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fogle, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>da Silveira, W. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bass, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beheshti, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berrios, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blaber, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cekanaviciute, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Costa, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davin, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisch, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gebre, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Geniza, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilbert, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilroy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hardiman, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herranz, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kidane, Y. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kruse, C. P. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liefeld, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewis, N. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McDonald, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meller, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mishra, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perera, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ray, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reinsch, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosenthal, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strong, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Szewczyk, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tahimic, C. G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vandenbrink, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villacampa, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weging, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wolverton, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wya</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.06.371724</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[NASA GeneLab RNA-Seq Consensus Pipeline: Standardized Processing of Short-Read RNA-Seq Data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.06.372433v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sulfate import in Salmonella Typhimurium impacts bacterial aggregation and the neutrophil respiratory burst 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.06.372433v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
During enteric salmonellosis, neutrophil generated reactive oxygen species alter the gut microenvironment favoring survival of Salmonella Typhimurium. While the type-3 secretion system-1 (T3SS-1) and flagellar motility are potent Salmonella Typhimurium agonists of the neutrophil respiratory burst in vitro, neither of these pathways alone are responsible for stimulation of a maximal respiratory burst. In order to identify Salmonella Typhimurium genes that impact the magnitude of the neutrophil respiratory burst, we performed a two-step screen of defined mutant libraries in co-culture with neutrophils. We first screened Salmonella Typhimurium mutants lacking defined genomic regions, followed by the individual mutants mapping to genomic regions under selection. Mutants in four genes, STM1696 (sapF), STM2201 (yeiE), STM2112 (wcaD), and STM2441 (cysA), induced an attenuated respiratory burst. We linked the altered respiratory burst to reduced T3SS-1 expression and/or altered flagellar motility for two mutants ({Delta}STM1696 and {Delta}STM2201). The {Delta}STM2441 mutant, defective for sulfate transport, formed aggregates in minimal media and adhered to surfaces in rich media, suggesting a role for sulfur homeostasis in regulation of aggregation/adherence. We linked the aggregation/adherence phenotype of the {Delta}STM2441 mutant to biofilm-associated protein A and flagellins and hypothesize that aggregation caused the observed reduction in the magnitude of the neutrophil respiratory burst. Our data demonstrate that Salmonella Typhimurium has numerous mechanisms to limit the magnitude of the neutrophil respiratory burst. These data further inform our understanding of how Salmonella may alter neutrophil antimicrobial defenses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Westerman, T. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheats, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elfenbein, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.06.372433</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sulfate import in Salmonella Typhimurium impacts bacterial aggregation and the neutrophil respiratory burst]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.19.389601v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mixing the Message: Do Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affect Dung-Generated Greenhouse Gas Emissions? 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.19.389601v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
By mixing and potentially aerating dung, dung beetles may affect the microbes producing the greenhouse gases (GHGs): carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Here, their sum-total global warming effect is described as the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Our literature analysis of reported GHG emissions and statistics suggests that most dung beetles do not, however, reduce CO2e even if they do affect individual GHGs. Here, we compare the GHG signature of homogenized ("premixed") and unhomogenized ("unmixed") dung with and without dung beetles to test whether mixing and burial influence GHGs. Mixing by hand or by dung beetles did not reduce any GHG - in fact, tunneling dung beetles increased N2O medians by [&ge;]1.8x compared with dung-only. This suggests that either: 1) dung beetles do not meaningfully mitigate GHGs as a whole; 2) dung beetle burial activity affects GHGs more than mixing alone; or 3) greater dung beetle abundance and activity is required to produce an effect.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fowler, F. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillespie, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Denning, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watson, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.19.389601</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mixing the Message: Do Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affect Dung-Generated Greenhouse Gas Emissions?]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.19.389742v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Detecting flying insects using mega-nets and meta-barcoding 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.19.389742v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insect diversity and abundance are increasingly reported as being under pressure. However, monitoring insects across space and time is challenging, due to their vast taxonomic and functional diversity. This study demonstrates how nets mounted on rooftops of cars (car nets) and DNA metabarcoding can be applied to sample flying insect diversity across a large spatial scale within a limited time period.

During June 2018, 365 car net samples were collected by 151 volunteers during two daily time intervals on 218 routes in Denmark. Insect bulk samples were processed with a DNA metabarcoding protocol to estimate taxonomic composition, and the results were compared to known flying insect diversity and occurrence data.

We detected 15 out of 19 flying insect orders present in Denmark. Diptera. Psocoptera and Thysanoptera were overrepresented, while Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, Odonata, Neuroptera and Plecoptera were underrepresented, compared to Danish estimates. We detected 319 species not known for Denmark. Our results indicate that this method can assess the flying insect fauna to a wide extent, but may be, like other methods, biased towards certain insect orders. Furthermore, car net sampling and DNA metabarcoding can update species records for Denmark while preserving specimens for natural history collections.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Svenningsen, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Froslev, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bladt, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pedersen, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larsen, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ejrnaes, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flojgaard, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heilmann-Clausen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tottrup, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.19.389742</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Detecting flying insects using mega-nets and meta-barcoding]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.19.390666v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Are fleas highly modified Mecoptera? Phylogenomic resolution of Antliophora (Insecta: Holometabola) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.19.390666v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insect orders have been defined and stable for decades, with few notable exceptions (e.g., Blattodea and Psocoptera). One of the few remaining questions of order-level monophyly is that of Mecoptera in respect to the phylogenetic placement of Siphonaptera (fleas). We used a large set of transcriptomic nucleotide sequence data representing 56 species and more than 3,000 single-copy genes to resolve the evolutionary history of Antliophora, including fleas (Siphonaptera), scorpionflies and relatives (Mecoptera), and true flies (Diptera). We find that fleas and mecopterans together are the sister group of flies. However, our data and/or analyses are unable to distinguish whether fleas are sister to a monophyletic Mecoptera, or whether they arose from within extant mecopteran families, rendering Mecoptera paraphyletic. We did not detect parameter bias in our dataset after applying a broad range of detection methods. Counter to a previous hypothesis that placed fleas within Mecoptera as the sister group to wingless boreids (snow fleas), we found a potential sister group relationship between fleas and the enigmatic family Nannochoristidae. Although we lack conclusive evidence, it seems possible that fleas represent the most-species rich group of modern mecopterans and that their parasitic lifestyle and morphological adaptations have simply made them unrecognizable in respect to their order-level classification.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Meusemann, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trautwein, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Friedrich, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beutel, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiegmann, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donath, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Podsiadlowski, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petersen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niehuis, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mayer, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bayless, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hlinka, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Minh, B. Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kozlov, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morel, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peters, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartel, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grove, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Misof, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeates, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.19.390666</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Are fleas highly modified Mecoptera? Phylogenomic resolution of Antliophora (Insecta: Holometabola)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.30.404426v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exchange of molecular and cellular information: a hybrid model that integrates stem cell divisions and key regulatory interactions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.30.404426v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Stem cells give rise to the entirety of cells within an organ. Maintaining stem cell identity and coordinately regulating stem cell divisions is crucial for proper development. In plants, mobile proteins, such as WOX5 and SHR, regulate divisions in the root stem cell niche (SCN). However, how these proteins coordinately function to establish systemic behavior is not well understood. We propose a non-cell autonomous role for WOX5 in the CEI and identify a regulator, AN3/GIF1, that coordinates CEI divisions. Here we show with a multiscale hybrid model integrating ODEs and agent-based modeling that QC and CEI divisions have different dynamics. Specifically, by combining continuous models to describe regulatory networks and agent-based rules, we model systemic behavior, which led us to predict cell-type-specific expression dynamics of SHR, SCR, WOX5, AN3, and CYCD6;1, and experimentally validate CEI cell divisions. Conclusively, our results show an interdependency between CEI and QC divisions.

Thumbnail image

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=80 SRC="FIGDIR/small/404426v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@abcd10org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@123e110org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@8d175dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@f8f498_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP  M_FIG C_FIG
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Van den Broeck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spurney, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwartz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Madison, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gobble, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Long, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.30.404426</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exchange of molecular and cellular information: a hybrid model that integrates stem cell divisions and key regulatory interactions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.01.391268v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Neuroprotective mechanisms of red clover and soy isoflavones in Parkinson's disease models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.01.391268v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Parkinsons disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by nigrostriatal degeneration and the spreading of aggregated forms of the presynaptic protein -synuclein (aSyn) throughout the brain. PD patients are currently only treated with symptomatic therapies, and strategies to slow or stop the progressive neurodegeneration underlying the diseases motor and cognitive symptoms are greatly needed. The time between the first neurobiochemical alterations and the initial presentation of symptoms is thought to span several years, and early neuroprotective dietary interventions could delay the disease onset or slow PD progression. In this study, we characterized the neuroprotective effects of isoflavones, a class of dietary polyphenols found in soy products and in the medicinal plant red clover (Trifolium pratense). We found that isoflavone-rich extracts and individual isoflavones rescued the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the shortening of neurites in primary mesencephalic cultures exposed to two PD-related insults, the environmental toxin rotenone and an adenovirus encoding the A53T aSyn mutant. The extracts and individual isoflavones also activated the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response in astrocytes via a mechanism involving inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and they alleviated deficits in mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, an isoflavone-enriched soy extract reduced motor dysfunction exhibited by rats lesioned with the PD-related neurotoxin 6-OHDA. These findings suggest that plant-derived isoflavones could serve as dietary supplements to delay PD onset in at-risk individuals and mitigate neurodegeneration in the brains of patients.

Graphical Abstract

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=167 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/391268v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@14446dcorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1884a7borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d1ebaborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c744b1_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP  M_FIG The isoflavone-rich extracts red clover and soy and the individual isoflavones daidzein and equol protect neuronal cultures against environmental and genetic triggers of Parkinsons disease, and rescue motor deficits in rats exposed to the neurotoxin 6-OHDA.

C_FIG
]]></description>
<dc:creator>de Rus Jacquet, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ambaw, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tambe, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Timmers, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, S. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, Q.-L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simon, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCabe, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lila, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rochet, J.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.01.391268</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Neuroprotective mechanisms of red clover and soy isoflavones in Parkinson's disease models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.03.410696v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Electrical synaptic transmission requires a postsynaptic scaffolding protein 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.03.410696v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Electrical synaptic transmission relies on neuronal gap junctions containing channels constructed by Connexins. While at chemical synapses neurotransmitter-gated ion channels are critically supported by scaffolding proteins, it is unknown if channels at electrical synapses require similar scaffold support. Here we investigated the functional relationship between neuronal Connexins and Zonula Occludens 1 (ZO1), an intracellular scaffolding protein localized to electrical synapses. Using model electrical synapses in zebrafish Mauthner cells, we demonstrated that ZO1 is required for robust synaptic Connexin localization, but Connexins are dispensable for ZO1 localization. Disrupting this hierarchical ZO1/Connexin relationship abolishes electrical transmission and disrupts Mauthner-cell-initiated escape responses. We found that ZO1 is asymmetrically localized exclusively postsynaptically at neuronal contacts where it functions to assemble intercellular channels. Thus, forming functional neuronal gap junctions requires a postsynaptic scaffolding protein. The critical function of a scaffolding molecule reveals an unanticipated complexity of molecular and functional organization at electrical synapses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lasseigne, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Echeverry, F. A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ijaz, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michel, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsh, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trujillo, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereda, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.03.410696</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Electrical synaptic transmission requires a postsynaptic scaffolding protein]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.04.411397v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A neuroprotective locus modulates ischemic stroke infarction independent of collateral vessel anatomy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.04.411397v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ischemic stroke is caused by a disruption of the blood supply to the brain leading to neuronal cell death. Genetic studies of ischemic stroke have identified numerous gene variants that increase the risk to develop stroke. In stark contrast, genetic studies of stroke outcomes, such as the infarct territory size, are confounded by many uncontrollable variables, leading to a paucity of gene targets for treatment of an incipient stroke. Using genetically diverse inbred strains of mice and a surgically-induced model of ischemic stroke, we used quantitative trait locus mapping to identify novel gene targets modulating infarct size, which varies greatly across inbred strains. Although infarct size is largely determined by the extent of collateral vessel connection between arteries in the brain that enables reperfusion of the ischemic territory, we have identified strain pairs that do not vary in this phenotype, but which nonetheless exhibit large differences in infarct size. In this study we performed QTL mapping in mice from an intercross between two such strains, WSB/EiJ and C57BL/6J. We identified a strong locus on chromosome 8 that overlaps with a locus of similar direction and effect previously mapped in an intercross between C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J strains. To identify causative genes within the overlapping genetic interval, we surveyed nonsynonymous coding SNPs and performed RNA sequencing data analysis for all three mapping strains. We identified Macrophage Scavenger Receptor 1 (Msr1) as a strong candidate gene that harbors multiple coding SNPs predicted to be damaging. Using Msr1-deficient mice, we demonstrated that cerebral infarct volume after stroke induction is dramatically increased in a strain background where reperfusion effects due to collateral vessels is blunted. Significantly, the identification of neuroprotective genes such as Msr1 provides new genes for future mechanistic studies of infarction following ischemic stroke and provides novel gene/protein targets for therapeutic development.

Author summaryThe most common form of stroke arises when a blockage occurs in a blood vessel of the brain, thereby preventing delivery of oxygen and nutrients to areas supplied by the affected vessel, leading to tissue death. The main treatment for this form of stroke is medication to dissolve the blockage; however, more treatment options are required to better reduce the death and disability associated with stroke. In this study, we sought to identify genes that can decrease the amount of damage to brain tissue following a stroke, with a specific focus on examining genes that work to directly protect the neurons, rather than returning blood flow to the affected area. Since it is impossible to precisely control the nature of stroke and the genetic variability in humans, we used mice identify a genetic region that is associated with the amount of tissue damage following stroke. Within this genetic region, we identified a list of candidate genes, including the gene Msr1, which we found is important for controlling tissue damage in one genetic population of mice after stroke. The genes identified here require further follow-up to determine the impact on stroke outcomes and the usefulness of these candidates as therapeutic targets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lee, H. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wetzel-Strong, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marchuk, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.04.411397</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A neuroprotective locus modulates ischemic stroke infarction independent of collateral vessel anatomy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.04.412262v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
fullsibQTL: an R package for QTL mapping in biparental populations of outcrossing species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.04.412262v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Accurate QTL mapping in outcrossing species requires software programs which consider genetic features of these populations, such as markers with different segregation patterns and different level of information. Although the available mapping procedures to date allow inferring QTL position and effects, they are mostly not based on multilocus genetic maps. Having a QTL analysis based in such maps is crucial since they allow informative markers to propagate their information to less informative intervals of the map. We developed fullsibQTL, a novel and freely available R package to perform composite interval QTL mapping considering outcrossing populations and markers with different segregation patterns. It allows to estimate QTL position, effects, segregation patterns, and linkage phase with flanking markers. Additionally, several statistical and graphical tools are implemented, for straightforward analysis and interpretations. fullsibQTL is an R open source package with C and R source code (GPLv3). It is multiplatform and can be installed from https://github.com/augusto-garcia/fullsibQTL.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gazaffi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amadeu, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosa, J. R. B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taniguti, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Margarido, G. R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, A. A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.04.412262</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[fullsibQTL: an R package for QTL mapping in biparental populations of outcrossing species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.10.419838v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Baby makes three: maternal, paternal, and zygotic genetic effects shape larval phenotypic evolution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.10.419838v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The evolutionary potential of a population is shaped by the genetic architecture of its life-history traits. Early-life phenotypes are influenced by both maternal and offspring genotype, and efforts to understand life-history evolution therefore require consideration of the interactions between these separate but correlated genomes. We used a four-generation experimental pedigree to estimate the genetic architecture of early-life phenotypes in a species with dramatic variation in larval size and morphology. In the polychaete annelid Streblospio benedicti, females make either many small eggs that develop into complex larvae that feed in the plankton or few large eggs that develop into benthic juveniles without having to feed as larvae. By isolating the contributions of maternal, paternal, and zygotic genotype to larval traits, we determined that larval anatomical structures are governed by the offspring genotype at a small number of large-effect loci. Larval size is not shaped by the larvas own genotype but instead depends on loci that act in the mother, and at two genomic locations, by loci that act in the father. The overall phenotype of each larva thus depends on three separate genomes, and a populations response to selection on larval traits will reflect the interactions among them.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zakas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rockman, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.10.419838</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Baby makes three: maternal, paternal, and zygotic genetic effects shape larval phenotypic evolution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.11.421693v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Physiological and transcriptomic response of Medicago truncatula to high and low benefit mycorrhizal fungi 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.11.421693v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form a root endosymbiosis with many agronomically important crop species and both enhance the ability of their host to obtain nutrients from the soil and increase host tolerance to biotic and abiotic stressors. However, AM fungal species differ in the benefits they provide to their host plants. Here, we examined the putative molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the physiological response of Medicago truncatula to either Rhizophagus irregularis or Glomus aggregatum, a high or a low benefit AM fungus, respectively. Colonization with R. irregularis led to higher growth and nutrient uptake benefits than the colonization with G. aggregatum. These benefits were linked to an elevated expression in the roots of genes involved in strigolactone biosynthesis (NSP1, NSP2, CCD7, and MAX1a), mycorrhiza-induced phosphate (PT8), ammonium (AMT2;3), and nitrate (NPF4.12) transporters and the putative ammonium transporter NIP1;5. R. irregularis also stimulated the expression of photosynthesis-related genes in the shoot and the upregulation of the sugar transporters SWEET1.2, SWEET3.3 and SWEET 12 and the lipid biosynthesis gene RAM2 in the roots. In contrast, G. aggregatum induced the expression of biotic stress defense response genes in the shoots and several genes associated with abiotic stress in the roots. This suggests that either the host perceives colonization by G. aggregatum as a pathogen attack or that G. aggregatum can prime host defense responses. Our findings reveal novel insights into the molecular mechanisms that control the host plant response to colonization with high- and low-benefit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbionts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cope, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kafle, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yakha, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pfeffer, P. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strahan, G. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Subramanian, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bücking, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.11.421693</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Physiological and transcriptomic response of Medicago truncatula to high and low benefit mycorrhizal fungi]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.14.422739v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Decomposing the sources of SARS-CoV-2 fitness variation in the United States 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.14.422739v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The fitness of a pathogen is a composite phenotype determined by many different factors influencing growth rates both within and between hosts. Determining what factors shape fitness at the host population-level is especially challenging because both intrinsic factors like pathogen genetics and extrinsic factors such as host behaviour influence between-host transmission potential. These challenges have been highlighted by controversy surrounding the population-level fitness effects of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome and their relative importance when compared against non-genetic factors shaping transmission dynamics. Building upon phylodynamic birth-death models, we develop a new framework to learn how hundreds of genetic and non-genetic factors have shaped the fitness of SARS-CoV-2. We estimate the fitness effects of all amino acid variants and several structural variants that have circulated in the United States between February 2020 and March 2021 from viral phylogenies. We also estimate how much fitness variation among pathogen lineages is attributable to genetic versus non-genetic factors such as spatial heterogeneity in transmission rates. Before September 2020, most fitness variation between lineages can be explained by background spatial heterogeneity in transmission rates across geographic regions. Starting in late 2020, genetic variation in fitness increased dramatically with the emergence of several new lineages including B.1.1.7, B.1.427, B.1.429 and B.1.526. Our analysis also indicates that genetic variants in less well-explored genomic regions outside of Spike may be contributing significantly to overall fitness variation in the viral population.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kepler, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamins-Puertolas, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.14.422739</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Decomposing the sources of SARS-CoV-2 fitness variation in the United States]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.16.422696v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic variation for plant growth traits in a common wheat population is dominated by known variants and novel QTL 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.16.422696v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genetic variation in growth over the course of the season is a major source of grain yield variation in wheat, and for this reason variants controlling heading date and plant height are among the best-characterized in wheat genetics. While the major variants for these traits have been cloned, the importance of these variants in contributing to genetic variation for plant growth over time is not fully understood. Here we develop a biparental population segregating for major variants for both plant height and flowering time to characterize the genetic architecture of the traits and identify additional novel QTL. We find that additive genetic variation for both traits is almost entirely associated with major and moderate-effect QTL, including four novel heading date QTL and four novel plant height QTL. FT2 and Vrn-A3 are proposed as candidate genes underlying QTL on chromosomes 3A and 7A, while Rht8 is mapped to chromosome 2D. These mapped QTL also underlie genetic variation in a longitudinal analysis of plant growth over time. The oligogenic architecture of these traits is further demonstrated by the superior trait prediction accuracy of QTL-based prediction models compared to polygenic genomic selection models. In a population constructed from two modern wheat cultivars adapted to the southeast U.S., almost all additive genetic variation in plant growth traits is associated with known major variants or novel moderate-effect QTL. Major transgressive segregation was observed in this population despite the similar plant height and heading date characters of the parental lines. This segregation is being driven primarily by a small number of mapped QTL, instead of by many small-effect, undetected QTL. As most breeding populations in the southeast U.S. segregate for known QTL for these traits, genetic variation in plant height and heading date in these populations likely emerges from similar combinations of major and moderate effect QTL. We can make more accurate and cost-effective prediction models by targeted genotyping of key SNPs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeWitt, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guedira, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lauer, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshall, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mergoum, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.16.422696</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic variation for plant growth traits in a common wheat population is dominated by known variants and novel QTL]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.20.423678v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A distant pathway-cross regulation designed with transcription factors and JAZ repressors downregulates the biosynthesis of tobacco alkaloids and specific nitrosamines 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.20.423678v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
IntroductionTranscription factors (TFs) and cis-regulatory elements (CREs) control gene transcripts involved in various biological processes. We hypothesize that TFs and CREs can be effective molecular tools for De Novo regulation designs to engineer plants.

ObjectivesWe selected two Arabidopsis TF types and two tobacco CRE types to design a De Novo regulation and evaluated its effectiveness in plant engineering.

MethodsG-box and MYB recognition elements (MREs) were identified in four Nicotiana tabacum JAZs (NtJAZs) promoters. MRE-like and G-box like elements were identified in one nicotine pathway gene promoter. TF screening led to select Arabidopsis Production of Anthocyanin Pigment 1 (PAP1/MYB) and Transparent Testa 8 (TT8/bHLH). Two NtJAZ and two nicotine pathway gene promoters were cloned from commercial Narrow Leaf Madole (NL) and KY171 (KY) tobacco cultivars. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), cross-linked chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and dual luciferase assays were performed to test the promoter binding and activation by PAP1 (P), TT8 (T), PAP1/TT8 together, and the PAP1/TT8/Transparent Testa Glabra 1 (TTG1) complex. A DNA cassette was designed and then synthesized for stacking and expressing PAP1 and TT8 together. Three years of field trials were performed by following industrial and GMO protocols. Gene expression and metabolic profiling were completed to characterize plant secondary metabolism.

ResultsPAP1, TT8, PAP1/TT8, and the PAP1/TT8/TTG1 complex bound to and activated NtJAZ promoters but did not bind to nicotine pathway gene promoters. The engineered red P+T plants significantly upregulated four NtJAZs but downregulated the tobacco alkaloid biosynthesis. Field trials showed significant reduction of five tobacco alkaloids and four carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines in most or all cured leaves of engineered P+T and PAP1 genotypes.

ConclusionG-boxes, MREs, and two TF types are appropriate molecular tools for a De Novo regulation design to create a novel distant-pathway cross regulation for altering plant secondary metabolism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>La Hovary, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dong, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xing, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jie, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yuzuak, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.20.423678</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A distant pathway-cross regulation designed with transcription factors and JAZ repressors downregulates the biosynthesis of tobacco alkaloids and specific nitrosamines]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.21.423857v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessment and comparison of two different methods to extract nucleic acids from individual honey bees 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.21.423857v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The honey bee is an excellent model system to study behavior ecology, behavioral genetics, and sociogenomics. Nucleic acid based analyses enable a broad scope of research in functional genomics, disease diagnostics, mutant screening, and genetic breeding. Multiple levels of analysis lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the causes of phenotypic variation by integrating genomic variation, transcriptomic profiles, and epigenomic information. One limitation, however, is the sample preparation procedures to obtain high quality DNA and RNA simultaneously, particularly from small amounts of material, such as tissues of individual bees. We demonstrate that it is feasible to perform dual extractions of DNA and RNA from a single individual bee and compare the quality and quantity of the extracted nucleic acids using two different types of methods (column based versus ethanol precipitation). We obtained a higher yield of both DNA and RNA with one of the extraction methods over the other, although the quality of the DNA and RNA was not significantly different between methods. We describe here the first validated method for dual extraction of DNA and RNA specifically from individual honey bees.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Swami, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ganser, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strand, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li-Byarlay, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.21.423857</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessment and comparison of two different methods to extract nucleic acids from individual honey bees]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.05.425451v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mapping the dynamic transfer functions of epigenome editing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.05.425451v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Biological information can be encoded in the dynamics of signaling components which has been implicated in a broad range of physiological processes including stress response, oncogenesis, and stem cell differentiation. To study the complexity of information transfer across the eukaryotic promoter, we screened 119 dynamic conditions--modulating the frequency, intensity, and pulse width of light--regulating the binding of an epigenome editor to a fluorescent reporter. This system revealed highly tunable gene expression and filtering behaviors and provided the most comprehensive quantification to date of the maximum amount of information that can be reliably transferred across a promoter as [~]1.7 bits. Using a library of over 100 orthogonal epigenome editors, we further determined that chromatin state could be used to tune mutual information and expression levels, as well as completely alter the input-output transfer function of the promoter. This system unlocks the information-rich content of eukaryotic epigenome editing.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lee, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caywood, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lo, J. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levering, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.05.425451</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mapping the dynamic transfer functions of epigenome editing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.11.426199v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sustained IL-15 response signature predicts RhCMV/SIV vaccine efficacy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.11.426199v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) challenge of rhesus macaques (RMs) vaccinated with Rhesus Cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) vectors expressing SIV proteins (RhCMV/SIV) results in a binary outcome: stringent control and subsequent clearance of highly pathogenic SIV in ~55% of vaccinated RMs with no protection in the remaining 45%. Although previous work suggests that unconventionally restricted, SIV-specific, effector-memory (EM)-biased CD8+ T cell responses are necessary for efficacy, the magnitude of these responses does not predict efficacy, and the basis of protection vs. non-protection in RhCMV/SIV vector-vaccinated RMs has not been elucidated. Here, we report that RhCMV/SIV vector administration strikingly alters the whole blood transcriptome of vaccinated RMs, with the sustained induction of specific immune-related pathways, including non-canonical T cell receptor (TCR), toll-lie receptor (TLR), inflammasome/cell death, and interleukin-15 (IL-15) signaling, significantly predicting protection. The IL-15 gene expression signature was further evaluated in an independent RM IL-15 treatment cohort, revealing that in whole blood the response to IL-15 is inclusive of innate and adaptive immune gene expression networks that link with RhCMV/SIV vaccine efficacy. We also show that this IL-15 response signature similarly tracks with vaccine protection in an independent RhCMV/SIV vaccination/SIV challenge RM validation cohort. Thus, the RhCMV/SIV vaccine imparts a coordinated and persistent induction of innate and adaptive immune pathways featuring IL-15, a known regulator of CD8+ T cell function, that enable vaccine-elicited CD8+ T cells to mediate protection against highly pathogenic SIV challenge.

Author SummarySIV insert-expressing vaccine vectors based on strain 68-1 RhCMV elicit robust, highly effector-memory-biased T cell responses that are associated with an unprecedented level of SIV control after challenge (replication arrest leading to clearance) in slightly over half of vaccinated monkeys. Since efficacy is not predicted by standard measures of immunogenicity, we used functional genomics analysis of RhCMV/SIV vaccinated monkeys with known challenge outcomes to identify immune correlates of protection. We found that arrest of viral replication after challenge significantly correlates with a vaccine-induced response to IL-15 that includes modulation of T cell, inflammation, TLR signaling, and cell death programming. These data suggest that RhCMV/SIV efficacy is not based on chance, but rather, results from a coordinated and sustained vaccine-mediated induction of innate and adaptive immune pathways featuring IL-15, a known regulator of CD8+ effector-memory T cell function, that enable vaccine-elicited CD8+ T cells to mediate efficacy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Barrenäs, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Law, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Driscoll, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Green, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Golez, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Urion, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitmore, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newhouse, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hughes, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrow, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Randall, K. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Selseth, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilbride, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Randall, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ainslie, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oswald, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shoemaker, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fast, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bosche, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Axthelm, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fukazawa, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pavlakis, G. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felber, B. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fourati, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sekaly, R.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lifson, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Komorowski, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kosmider, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shao, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edlefsen, P. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Picker, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gale, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.11.426199</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sustained IL-15 response signature predicts RhCMV/SIV vaccine efficacy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.12.425620v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cooperative Communication with Humans Evolved to Emerge Early in Dogs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.12.425620v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
While we know that dogs evolved from wolves through a process of domestication, it remains unclear how this process may have affected dog cognitive development. Here we tested dog (N=44) and wolf (N=37) puppies, 5-18 weeks old, on a battery of temperament and cognition tasks. Dog puppies were more attracted to humans, read human gestures more skillfully and made more eye contact with humans than wolf puppies. The two species were similarly attracted to objects and performed similarly on nonsocial measures of memory and inhibitory control. These results demonstrate the role of domestication in enhancing the cooperative communication skills of dogs through selection on attraction to humans, which altered developmental pathways.

One Sentence Summary

Domestication altered dogs developmental pathways to enhance their cooperative communication with humans.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Salomons, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan-Beckel, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levy, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, B. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bray, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gnanadesikan, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Horschler, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacLean, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hare, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.12.425620</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cooperative Communication with Humans Evolved to Emerge Early in Dogs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.18.427084v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Analysis of phloem trajectory links tissue maturation to cell specialization. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.18.427084v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mechanisms that allow cells in the plant meristem to coordinate tissue-wide maturation gradients with specialized cell networks are critical for indeterminate growth. Here, we reconstructed the protophloem developmental trajectory of 19 cells from cell birth to terminal differentiation at single cell resolution in the Arabidopsis root. We found that cellular specification is mediated near the stem cell niche by PHLOEM EARLY DOF (PEAR) transcription factors. However, the PEAR dependent differentiation program is repressed by a broad gradient of PLETHORA (PLT) transcription factors, which directly inhibit PEARs own direct target ALTERED PHLOEM DEVELOPMENT (APL). The dissipation of PLT gradient around 7 cells from the stem cell activates APL expression, and a subsequent transitional network that results in a "seesaw" pattern of mutual inhibition over developmental time. Together, we provide a mechanistic understanding of how morphogen-like maturation gradients interface with cell-type specific transcriptional regulators to stage cellular differentiation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Roszak, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heo, J.-o.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blob, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toyokura, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lau, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamey, F. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cirrone, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ursache, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tavares, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Verstaen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wendrich, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Melnyk, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shasha, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ahnert, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saeys, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Rybel, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heidstra, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scheres, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mähönen, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gottgens, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Birnbaum, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Helariutta, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.18.427084</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Analysis of phloem trajectory links tissue maturation to cell specialization.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.19.427358v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Characterization of Protein Conformational Dynamics within a Riemannian Framework 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.19.427358v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We have formulated a Riemannian framework for describing the geometry of collective variable spaces of biomolecules within the context of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The formalism provides a theoretical framework to develop enhanced sampling techniques, path-finding algorithms, and transition rate estimators consistent with a Riemannian treatment of the collective variable space, where the quantities of interest such as the potential of mean force (PMF) and minimum free energy path (MFEP) remain invariant under coordinate transformation. Specific algorithms within this framework are discussed such as the Riemannian umbrella sampling, the Riemannian string method, and a Riemannian-Bayesian estimator of free energy and diffusion constant, which can be used to estimate the transition rate along an MFEP.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Goolsby, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fakharzdeh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moradi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.19.427358</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Thermodynamic and Kinetic Characterization of Protein Conformational Dynamics within a Riemannian Framework]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.21.427658v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A brief report of sleep and circadian rhythm quotas in a population of dog owners in North Carolina, USA 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.21.427658v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ObjectivesTo characterize sleep and circadian rhythms of a sample population of healthy, dog-owning adults from North Carolina, USA.

MethodsActigraphy was used to analyze sleep-wake patterns in forty-two dog owners from the Raleigh area in North Carolina. Sleep quotas, including sleep duration, efficiency, and fragmentation were measured alongside a Non-parametric Circadian Rhythms Analysis (NPCRA) to quantify strength, consistency, and fragmentation of rhythms.

ResultsCompared to females, males demonstrated later sleep onset and sleep end (p<0.01), greater wake after sleep onset and sleep fragmentation (P<0.001), and lower sleep efficiency (p<0.001). The NPCRA revealed comparable relative amplitude (strength) and interdaily stability (consistency), yet less intra-daily variability (fragmentation), than previously reported post-industrial samples.

ConclusionsThis study adds to the current data available on sleep and circadian rhythms in discrete human populations and highlights the need for more research characterizing cross-cultural sleep and circadian rhythmicity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Patel, U. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruen, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Samson, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.21.427658</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A brief report of sleep and circadian rhythm quotas in a population of dog owners in North Carolina, USA]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.25.426574v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Teosinte introgression modulates phosphatidylcholine levels and induces early maize flowering time 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.25.426574v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Native Americans domesticated maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) from lowland teosinte parviglumis (Zea mays ssp.parviglumis) in the warm Mexican southwest and brought it to the highlands of Mexico and South America where it was exposed to lower temperatures that imposed strong selection on flowering time. Phospholipids are important metabolites in plant responses to low-temperature and phosphorus availability, and have been suggested to influence flowering time. Here, we combined linkage mapping with genome scans to identify High PhosphatidylCholine 1 (HPC1), a gene that encodes a phospholipase A1 enzyme, as a major driver of phospholipid variation in highland maize. Common garden experiments demonstrated strong genotype-by-environment interactions associated with variation at HPC1, with the highland HPC1 allele leading to higher fitness in highlands, possibly by hastening flowering. The highland maize HPC1 variant resulted in impaired function of the encoded protein due to a polymorphism in a highly conserved sequence. A meta-analysis across HPC1 orthologs indicated a strong association between the identity of the amino acid at this position and optimal growth in prokaryotes. Mutagenesis of HPC1 via genome editing validated its role in regulating phospholipid metabolism. Finally, we showed that the highland HPC1 allele entered cultivated maize by introgression from the wild highland teosinte Zea mays ssp. mexicana and has been maintained in maize breeding lines from the Northern US, Canada and Europe. Thus, HPC1 introgressed from teosinte mexicana underlies a large metabolic QTL that modulates phosphatidylcholine levels and has an adaptive effect at least in part via induction of early flowering time.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Zapata, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barnes, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blocher-Juarez, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gates, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kur, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Estevez-Palmas, J. M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janzen, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crow, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aguilar-Rangel, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Demesa-Arevalo, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Skopelitis, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez-Limon, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stutts, W. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomson, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiu, Y.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fiehn, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.25.426574</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Teosinte introgression modulates phosphatidylcholine levels and induces early maize flowering time]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.27.428531v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bidirectional, unlike unidirectional transport, allows transporting axonal cargos against their concentration gradient 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.27.428531v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Even though most axonal cargos are synthesized in the soma, the concentration of many of these cargos is larger at the presynaptic terminal than in the soma. This requires transport of these cargos from the soma to the presynaptic terminal or other active sites in the axon. Axons utilize both bidirectional (for example, slow axonal transport) and unidirectional (for example, fast anterograde axonal transport) modes of cargo transport. Bidirectional transport seems to be less efficient because it requires more time and takes more energy to deliver cargos. In this paper, we studied a family of models which differ by the modes of axonal cargo transport (such as anterograde and retrograde motor-driven transport and passive diffusion) as well as by the presence or absence of pausing states. The models are studied to investigate their ability to describe axonal transport against the cargo concentration gradient. We argue that bidirectional axonal transport is described by a higher-order mathematical model, which allows imposing cargo concentration not only at the axon hillock but also at the axon terminal. The unidirectional transport model allows only for the imposition of cargo concentration at the axon hillock. Due to the great lengths of the axons, anterograde transport mostly relies on molecular motors, such as kinesins, to deliver cargos synthesized in the soma to the terminal and other active sites in the axon. Retrograde transport can be also motor-driven, in which case cargos are transported by dynein motors. If cargo concentration at the axon tip is higher than at the axon hillock, retrograde transport can also occur by cargo diffusion. However, because many axonal cargos are large or they assemble in multiprotein complexes for axonal transport, the diffusivity of such cargos is very small. We investigated the case of a small cargo diffusivity using a perturbation technique and found that for this case the effect of diffusion is limited to a very thin diffusion boundary layer near the axon tip. If cargo diffusivity is decreased in the model, we show that without motor-driven retrograde transport the model is unable to describe a high cargo concentration at the axon tip. To the best of our knowledge, our paper presents the first explanation for the utilization of seemingly inefficient bidirectional transport in neurons.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.27.428531</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bidirectional, unlike unidirectional transport, allows transporting axonal cargos against their concentration gradient]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.29.428764v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Doxorubicin Induces Senescence in Intestinal Epithelial Cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.29.428764v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Doxorubicin treatment induces DNA damage and apoptosis in rapidly dividing cell types like intestinal epithelial cells. This has been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro. In certain cell types some cells do not undergo DNA damage-induced apoptosis in response to doxorubicin but instead become senescent. Induction of senescence in these cells can lead to dysfunction and chronic inflammation, which can lead to more damage. We questioned whether a single dose of doxorubicin would be able to induce apoptosis and senescence in intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. For these studies, we exposed IEC-6 small intestinal epithelial cells to doxorubicin to evaluate whether senescence is induced in a relatively homogeneous population of intestinal epithelial cells. Although some cells underwent apoptosis, those that did not showed traits of senescence. Our studies showed that doxorubicin treatment increased cell size and increased expression of senescence-associated {beta}-galactosidase. Concomitantly, we observed increased mRNA expression of several genes associated with a senescence-associated secretory phenotype including IL-6, Ptges, Faim2, and Cdkn1a and decreased expression of Sirt1. We also observed release of HMGB1, a cellular alarmin, from treated cells. Together, these data suggest that doxorubicin induces senescence in intestinal epithelial cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that cellular responses to a DNA damaging agent, such as doxorubicin, can differ within a population of cells suggesting differing levels of sensitivity within a relatively homogenous cell population. Further studies are needed to delineate the mechanisms that determine whether a cell moves down an apoptotic or senescent pathway following DNA damage.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Biruad, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cortes, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cray, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kunzmann, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohammed, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dekaney, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.29.428764</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Doxorubicin Induces Senescence in Intestinal Epithelial Cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.30.428904v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Fidelity varies in the symbiosis between a gutless marine worm and its microbial consortium 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.30.428904v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In obligate symbioses, partner fidelity plays a central role in maintaining the association over evolutionary time. Fidelity has been well studied in hosts with only a few symbionts, but little is known about how fidelity is maintained in obligate associations with multiple co-occurring symbionts. Here, we show that partner fidelity varies from strict to absent in a gutless marine annelid and its consortium of co-occurring symbionts that provide it with nutrition. We sequenced the metagenomes of 80 Olavius algarvensis individuals from the Mediterranean, and compared host mitochondrial and symbiont phylogenies based on single nucleotide polymorphisms across genomes, using a low-coverage sequencing approach that has not yet been applied to microbial community analyses. Fidelity was strongest for the two chemoautotrophic, sulphur-oxidizing symbionts that dominated the microbial consortium in all host individuals. In contrast, fidelity was only intermediate to absent in the sulphate-reducing and spirochaetal symbionts, which occurred in lower abundance and were not always present in all host individuals. We propose that variable degrees of fidelity are advantageous for these hosts by allowing the faithful transmission of their nutritionally most important symbionts and flexibility in the acquisition of other symbionts that promote ecological plasticity in the acquisition of environmental resources.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sato, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wippler, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wentrup, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ansorge, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sadowski, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruber-Vodicka, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.30.428904</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Fidelity varies in the symbiosis between a gutless marine worm and its microbial consortium]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.30.428954v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CDSeqR: fast complete deconvolution for gene expression data from bulk tissues 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.30.428954v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundBiological tissues consist of heterogenous populations of cells. Because gene expression patterns from bulk tissue samples reflect the contributions from all cells in the tissue, understanding the contribution of individual cell types to the overall gene expression in the tissue is fundamentally important. We recently developed a computational method, CDSeq, that can simultaneously estimate both sample-specific cell-type proportions and cell-type-specific gene expression profiles using only bulk RNA-Seq counts from multiple samples. Here we present an R implementation of CDSeq (CDSeqR) with significant performance improvement over the original implementation in MATLAB and an added new function to aid cell type annotation. The R package would be of interest for the broader R community.

ResultWe developed a novel strategy to substantially improve computational efficiency in both speed and memory usage. In addition, we designed and implemented a new function for annotating the CDSeq estimated cell types using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. This function allows users to readily interpret and visualize the CDSeq estimated cell types. In addition, this new function further allows the users to annotate CDSeq-estimated cell types using marker genes. We carried out additional validations of the CDSeqR software using synthetic, real cell mixtures, and real bulk RNA-seq data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project.

ConclusionsThe existing bulk RNA-seq repositories, such as TCGA and GTEx, provide enormous resources for better understanding changes in transcriptomics and human diseases. They are also potentially useful for studying cell-cell interactions in the tissue microenvironment. Bulk level analyses neglect tissue heterogeneity, however, and hinder investigation of a cell-type-specific expression. The CDSeqR package may aid in silico dissection of bulk expression data, enabling researchers to recover cell-type-specific information.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kang, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Umbach, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.30.428954</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CDSeqR: fast complete deconvolution for gene expression data from bulk tissues]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.31.428788v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolution of the bread wheat D-subgenome and enriching it with diversity from Aegilops tauschii 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.31.428788v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aegilops tauschii, the diploid wild progenitor of the D-subgenome of bread wheat, constitutes a reservoir of genetic diversity for improving bread wheat performance and environmental resilience. To better define and understand this diversity, we sequenced 242 Ae. tauschii accessions and compared them to the wheat D-subgenome. We characterized a rare, geographically-restricted lineage of Ae. tauschii and discovered that it contributed to the wheat D-subgenome, thereby elucidating the origin of bread wheat from at least two independent hybridizations. We then used k-mer-based association mapping to identify discrete genomic regions with candidate genes for disease and pest resistance and demonstrated their functional transfer into wheat by transgenesis and wide crossing, including the generation of a library of  synthetic hexaploids incorporating diverse Ae. tauschii genomes. This pipeline permits rapid trait discovery in the diploid ancestor through to functional genetic validation in a hexaploid background amenable to breeding.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gaurav, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arora, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silva, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez-Martin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Horsnell, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brar, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Widrig, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raupp, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kale, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chinoy, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicholson, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quiroz-Chavez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simmonds, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hayta, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smedley, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harwood, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearce, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilbert, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kangara, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gardener, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Forner-Martinez, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boden, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pascuccci, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghosh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hafeez, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Hara, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Waites, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheema, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steuernagel, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patpour, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Justesen, A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rudd, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Avni, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharon, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steiner, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kirana, R. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buerstmayr, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mehrabi, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nasyrova, F. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chayut, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.31.428788</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolution of the bread wheat D-subgenome and enriching it with diversity from Aegilops tauschii]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.04.429777v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
13C tracer analysis identifies extensive recycling of endogenous CO2 in vivo 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.04.429777v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
13C tracing analysis is increasingly used to monitor cellular metabolism in vivo and in intact cells, but data interpretation is still the key element to unveil the complexity of metabolic activities. We have performed [U-13C]-glucose and [U-13C]-glutamine tracing in sarcoma-bearing mice (in vivo) and in cancer cell lines (in vitro). 13C enrichment of metabolites in cultured cells and tissues was determined by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometer (LC-HRMS). As expected, citrate M+2 or M+4 is the dominant mass isotopologue in vitro. However, citrate M+1 was unexpectedly the dominant isotopologue in mice receiving [U-13C]-glucose or [U-13C]-glutamine infusion. One plausible explanation is that 13CO2 produced from the oxidation of 13C tracers in vitro is negligible due to the dilution of HCO3 - supplemented to cell culture when sodium bicarbonante is used and diffusible volume of CO2 in the culture incubator, while endogenous 13CO2 in vivo is substantial and is fixed into the TCA cycle, purine, and serine, resulting in M+1 isotopologues. A time course study shows the generation of high abundance citrate M+1 early in plasma, which may serve as a potent non-invasive biomarker of tissue pyruvate carboxylase activity. Altogether, our results show that recycling of endogenous CO2 is substantial in vivo and provides important insights into the experimental design and data interpretation of 13C tracing assays.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Duan, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cooper, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scheidemantle, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Locasale, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kirsch, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.04.429777</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[13C tracer analysis identifies extensive recycling of endogenous CO2 in vivo]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.08.430275v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Next-generation sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis without sequencing the parental genomes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.08.430275v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The genomic region(s) that controls a trait of interest can be rapidly identified using BSA-Seq, a technology in which next-generation se-quencing (NGS) is applied to bulked segregant analysis (BSA). We recently developed the significant structural variant method for BSA-Seq data analysis that exhibits higher detection power than standard BSA-Seq analysis methods. Our original algorithm was developed to analyze BSA-Seq data in which genome sequences of one parent served as the reference sequences in genotype calling, and thus required the availability of high-quality assembled parental genome sequences. Here we modified the original script to allow for the effective detection of the genomic region-trait associations using only bulk genome sequences. We analyzed a public BSA-Seq dataset using our modified method and the standard allele frequency and G-statistic methods with and without the aid of the parental genome sequences. Our results demonstrate that the genomic region(s) associated with the trait of interest could be reliably identified only via the significant structural variant method without using the parental genome sequences.

Significance StatementBSA-Seq can be utilized to rapidly identify structural varianttrait associations, and our modified significant structural variant method allows the detection of such associations without sequencing the parental genomes, leading to further lower the sequencing cost and making BSA-Seq more accessible to the research community and more applicable to the species with a large genome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Panthee, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.08.430275</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Next-generation sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis without sequencing the parental genomes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.10.430661v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Relatively Shorter Muscle Lengths Increase the Metabolic Rate of Cyclic Force Production 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.10.430661v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
During animal locomotion, force-producing leg muscles are almost exclusively responsible for the whole-bodys metabolic energy expenditure. Animals can change the length of these leg muscles by altering body posture (e.g., joint angles), kinetics (e.g., body weight), or the structural properties of their biological tissues (e.g., tendon stiffness). Currently, it is uncertain whether relative muscle fascicle operating length has a measurable effect on the metabolic energy expenditure of cyclic locomotion-like contractions. To address this uncertainty, we measured the metabolic energy expenditure of human participants as they cyclically produce two distinct ankle moments at three separate ankle angles (90{degrees}, 105{degrees}, 120{degrees}) on a fixed-position dynamometer exclusively using their soleus. Overall, increasing participant ankle angle from 90{degrees} to 120{degrees} (more plantar flexion) reduced minimum soleus fascicle length by 17% (both moment levels, p<0.001) and increased metabolic energy expenditure by an average of 208% (both p<0.001). Across both moment levels, the increased metabolic energy expenditure was not driven by greater fascicle positive mechanical work (higher moment level, p=0.591), fascicle force rate (both p[&ge;]0.235), or active muscle volume (both p[&ge;]0.122); but it was correlated with average relative soleus fascicle length (r=-179, p=0.002) and activation (r=0.51, p<0.001). Therefore, the metabolic energy expended during locomotion can likely be reduced by lengthening active muscles that operate on the ascending-limb of their force-length relationship.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Beck, O. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schroeder, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trejo, L. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Franz, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawicki, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.10.430661</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Relatively Shorter Muscle Lengths Increase the Metabolic Rate of Cyclic Force Production]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.13.431100v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomes of gut bacteria from Nasonia wasps shed light on phylosymbiosis and microbe-assisted hybrid breakdown 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.13.431100v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phylosymbiosis is a cross-system trend whereby microbial community relationships recapitulate the host phylogeny. In Nasonia parasitoid wasps, phylosymbiosis occurs throughout development, is distinguishable between sexes, and benefits host development and survival. Moreover, the microbiome shifts in hybrids as a rare Proteus bacteria in the microbiome becomes dominant. The larval hybrids then catastrophically succumb to bacterial-assisted lethality and reproductive isolation between the species. Two important questions for understanding phylosymbiosis and bacterial-assisted lethality in hybrids are: (i) Do the Nasonia bacterial genomes differ from other animal isolates and (ii) Are the hybrid bacterial genomes the same as those in the parental species? Here we report the cultivation, whole genome sequencing, and comparative analyses of the most abundant gut bacteria in Nasonia larvae, Providencia rettgeri and Proteus mirabilis. Characterization of new isolates shows Proteus mirabilis forms a more robust biofilm than Providencia rettgeri and when grown in co-culture, Proteus mirabilis significantly outcompetes Providencia rettgeri. Providencia rettgeri genomes from Nasonia are similar to each other and more divergent to pathogenic, human-associates strains. Proteus mirabilis from N. vitripennis, N. giraulti, and their hybrid offspring are nearly identical and relatively distinct from human isolates. These results indicate that members of the larval gut microbiome within Nasonia are most similar to each other, and the strain of the dominant Proteus mirabilis in hybrids is resident in parental species. Holobiont interactions between shared, resident members of the wasp microbiome and the host underpin phylosymbiosis and hybrid breakdown.

IMPORTANCEAnimal and plant hosts often establish intimate relationships with their microbiomes. In varied environments, closely-related host species share more similar microbiomes, a pattern termed phylosymbiosis. When phylosymbiosis is functionally significant and beneficial, microbial transplants between host species or host hybridization can have detrimental consequences on host biology. In the Nasonia parasitoid wasp genus that contains a phylosymbiotic gut community, both effects occur and provide evidence for selective pressures on the holobiont. Here, we show that bacterial genomes in Nasonia differ from other environments and harbor genes with unique functions that may regulate phylosymbiotic relationships. Furthermore, the bacteria in hybrids are identical to parental species, thus supporting a hologenomic tenet that the same members of the microbiome and the host genome impact phylosymbiosis, hybrid breakdown, and speciation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cross, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leigh, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hatmaker, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mikaelyan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bordenstein, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.13.431100</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomes of gut bacteria from Nasonia wasps shed light on phylosymbiosis and microbe-assisted hybrid breakdown]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.18.431674v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of early geometric confinement on the transcriptomic profile of human cerebral organoids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.18.431674v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundBiophysical factors such as shape and mechanical forces are known to play crucial roles in stem cell differentiation, embryogenesis and neurodevelopment. However, the complexity and experimental challenges capturing such early stages of development, and ethical concerns associated with human embryo and fetal research, limit our understanding of how these factors affect human brain organogenesis. Human cerebral organoids (hCO) are attractive models due to their ability to model important brain regions and transcriptomics of early in vivo brain development. Furthermore, they provide three-dimensional environments that better mimic the in vivo environment. To date, they have been used to understand the effects of genetics and soluble factors on neurodevelopment. Establishing links between spatial factors and hCO development will require the development of new approaches.

ResultsHere, we investigated the effects of early geometric confinements on transcriptomic changes during hCO differentiation. Using a custom and tunable agarose microwell platform we generated embryoid bodies (EB) of diverse shapes and then further differentiated those EBs to whole brain hCOs. Our results showed that the microwells did not have negative gross impacts on the ability of the hCOs to differentiate generally towards neural fates, and there were clear shape dependent effects on neural lineage specification. In particular, we observed that non-spherical shapes showed signs of altered neurodevelopmental kinetics and favored the development of medial ganglionic eminence-associated brain regions and cell types over cortical regions.

ConclusionsThe findings presented here suggest a role for spatial factors in brain region specification during hCO development. Understanding these spatial patterning factors will not only improve understanding of in vivo development and differentiation, but also provide important handles with which to advance and improve control over human model systems for in vitro applications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Voulgaropoulos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.18.431674</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of early geometric confinement on the transcriptomic profile of human cerebral organoids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.18.431885v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Detailed characterization of the UMAMITs provides insight into their evolution, functional properties as amino acid transporters and role in the plant 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.18.431885v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Amino acid transporters play a critical role in distributing amino acids within the cell compartments and between the plant organs. Despite this importance, relatively few amino acid transporter genes have been characterized and their role elucidated with certainty. Two main families of proteins encode amino acid transporters in plants: the Amino Acid-Polyamine-Organocation superfamily, containing mostly importers, and the Usually Multiple Acids Move In and out Transporter family, apparently encoding exporters, totaling about 100 genes in Arabidopsis alone. Knowledge on UMAMITs is scarce, focused on six Arabidopsis genes and a handful of genes from other species. To get insight into the role of the members of this family and provide data to be used for future characterization, we studied the evolution of the UMAMITs in plants, and determined the functional properties, the structure, and the localization of the 44 Arabidopsis UMAMITs. Our analysis showed that the AtUMAMIT are essentially localized at the tonoplast or the plasma membrane, and that most of them are able to export amino acids from the cytosol, confirming a role in intra- and inter-cellular amino acid transport. As an example, this set of data was used to hypothesize the role of a few AtUMAMITs in the plant and the cell.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhao, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pratelli, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shelley, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collakova, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pilot, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.18.431885</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Detailed characterization of the UMAMITs provides insight into their evolution, functional properties as amino acid transporters and role in the plant]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.22.432006v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
improv: A flexible software platform for adaptive neuroscience experiments 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.22.432006v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Current neuroscience research is often limited to testing predetermined hypotheses and post hoc analysis of already collected data. Adaptive experimental designs, in which modeling drives ongoing data collection and selects experimental manipulations, offer a promising alternative. Still, tight integration between models and data collection requires coordinating diverse hardware configurations and complex computations under real-time constraints. Here, we introduce improv, a software platform that allows users to fully integrate custom modeling, analysis, and visualization with data collection and experimental control. We demonstrate both in silico and in vivo how improv enables more efficient experimental designs for discovery and validation across various model organisms and data types. Improv can orchestrate custom real-time behavioral analyses, rapid functional typing of neural responses from large populations via calcium microscopy, and optimal visual stimulus selection. We incorporate real-time machine learning methods for dimension reduction and predictive modeling of latent neural and behavioral features. Finally, we demonstrate how improv can perform model-driven interactive imaging and simultaneous optogenetic photostimulation of visually responsive neurons in the larval zebrafish brain expressing GCaMP6s and the red-shifted opsin rsChRmine. Together, these results demonstrate the power of improv to integrate modeling with data collection and experimental control to achieve next-generation adaptive experiments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Draelos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nikitchenko, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sriworarat, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sprague, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loring, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pnevmatikakis, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giovannucci, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Naumann, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearson, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.22.432006</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[improv: A flexible software platform for adaptive neuroscience experiments]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.22.432240v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic diversity and population history of eight Italian beef cattle breeds using measures of autozygosity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.22.432240v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In the present study, GeneSeek GGP-LDv4 33k single nucleotide polymorphism chip was used to detect runs of homozygosity (ROH) in eight Italian beef cattle breeds; six breeds with distribution limited to Tuscany (Calvana, Mucca Pisana, Pontremolese) or Sardinia (Sarda, Sardo Bruna and Sardo Modicana) and two cosmopolitan breeds (Charolais and Limousine). ROH detection analyses were used to estimate autozygosity and inbreeding and to identify genomic regions with high frequency of ROH, which might reflect selection signatures. Comparative analysis among breeds revealed differences in length and distribution of ROH and inbreeding levels. The Charolais, Limousine, Sarda, and Sardo Bruna breeds were found to have a high frequency of short ROH (30.000); Calvana and Mucca Pisana presented also runs longer than 16 Mbp. The highest level of average genomic inbreeding was observed in Tuscan breeds, around 0.3, while Sardinian and cosmopolitan breeds showed values around 0.2. The population structure and genetic distances were analyzed through principal component analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis, and resulted in a clear separation among the breeds, with clusters related to productive purposes and sample sizes. The frequency of ROH occurrence revealed eight breed-specific genomic regions where genes of potential selective and conservative interest are located (e.g. MYOG, Chitinases (BTA16), TIMELESS, APOF, Olfactory receptors, CACNG2 (BTA5) and Collagens (BTA2)). In all breeds, we found the largest proportion of homozygous by descent segments to be those that represent inbreeding events that occurred around 32 generations ago; with Tuscan breeds also having a significant proportion of segments relating to more recent inbreeding.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fabbri, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dadousis, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiezzi, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lozada-Soto, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Biffani, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bozzi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.22.432240</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic diversity and population history of eight Italian beef cattle breeds using measures of autozygosity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.24.432679v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
REMY: A platform for the rapid interrogation of epigenome modifications on yeast 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.24.432679v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Histone proteins are decorated with a combinatorially and numerically diverse set of biochemical modifications. Here we describe a versatile and scalable platform termed Rapid interrogation of Epigenome Modifications using Yeast surface display (REMY), which enables efficient characterization of histone modifications without the need for recombinant protein production. As proof-of-concept, we first used REMY to rapidly profile the histone H3 and H4 residue writing specificities of the human histone acetyltransferase, p300. Subsequently, we used REMY to screen a large panel of commercially available anti-acetylation antibodies for their specificities, identifying many suitable and unsuitable reagents. Further, use of REMY enabled efficient mapping of the large binary crosstalk space between acetylated residues on histones H3 and H4, and uncovered previously unreported residue interdependencies affecting p300 activity. Our results show that REMY is a useful tool that can advance our understanding of chromatin biology by enabling efficient interrogation of the complexity of epigenome modifications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Waldman, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.24.432679</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[REMY: A platform for the rapid interrogation of epigenome modifications on yeast]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.26.433082v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gene regulatory networks for compatible versus incompatible grafts identify a role for SlWOX4 during junction formation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.26.433082v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Graft incompatibility is a poorly understood phenomenon that presents a serious agricultural challenge. Unlike immediate incompatibility that results in rapid death, delayed incompatibility can take months or even years to manifest, creating a significant economic burden for perennial crop production. To gain insight into the genetic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we developed a model system with Solanum lycopersicum  tomato and Capsicum annuum  pepper heterografting, which expresses signs of anatomical junction failure within the first week of grafting. By generating a detailed timeline for junction formation we were able to pinpoint the cellular basis for this delayed incompatibility. Furthermore, we infer gene regulatory networks for compatible self-grafts versus incompatible heterografts based on these key anatomical events, which predict core regulators for grafting. Finally, we delve into the role of vascular development in graft formation and validate SlWOX4 as a regulator for grafting in tomato. Notably, SlWOX4 is the first gene to be functionally implicated in vegetable crop grafting.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thomas, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van den Broeck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spurney, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frank, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.26.433082</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gene regulatory networks for compatible versus incompatible grafts identify a role for SlWOX4 during junction formation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.01.433403v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic Basis of Variation in Cocaine and Methamphetamine Consumption in Outbred Populations of Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.01.433403v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We used Drosophila melanogaster to map the genetic basis of naturally occurring variation in voluntary consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine. We derived an outbred advanced intercross population (AIP) from 37 sequenced inbred wild-derived lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), which are maximally genetically divergent, have minimal residual heterozygosity, are not segregating for common inversions, and are not infected with Wolbachia pipientis. We assessed consumption of sucrose, methamphetamine-supplemented sucrose and cocaine-supplemented sucrose, and found considerable phenotypic variation for consumption of both drugs, in both sexes. We performed whole genome sequencing and extreme QTL mapping on the top 10% of consumers for each replicate, sex and condition, and an equal number of randomly selected flies. We evaluated changes in allele frequencies among high consumers and control flies and identified 3,033 variants significantly (P < 1.9 x 10-8) associated with increased consumption, located in or near 1,962 genes. Many of these genes are associated with nervous system development and function, and 77 belong to a known gene-gene interaction subnetwork. We assessed the effects of RNA interference (RNAi) on drug consumption for 22 candidate genes; 17 had a significant effect in at least one sex. We constructed allele-specific AIPs which were homozygous for alternative candidate alleles for 10 SNPs and measured average consumption for each population; nine SNPs had significant effects in at least one sex. The genetic basis of voluntary drug consumption in Drosophila is polygenic and implicates genes with human orthologs and associated variants with sex- and drug-specific effects.

Significance StatementThe use of cocaine and methamphetamine presents significant socioeconomic problems. However, identifying the genetic underpinnings that determine susceptibility to substance use is challenging in human populations. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, presents a powerful genetic model since we can control the genetic background and environment, 75% of disease-causing genes in humans have a fly counterpart, and flies - like humans - exhibit adverse effects upon cocaine and methamphetamine exposure. We showed that the genetic architecture underlying variation in voluntary cocaine and methamphetamine consumption differs between sexes and is dominated by variants in genes associated with connectivity and function of the nervous system. Results obtained from the Drosophila gene discovery model can guide studies on substance abuse susceptibility in human populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baker, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anholt, R. R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.01.433403</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic Basis of Variation in Cocaine and Methamphetamine Consumption in Outbred Populations of Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.04.434003v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modulation of fatty acid elongation generates sexually dimorphic hydrocarbons and female attractiveness in Blattella germanica (L.) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.04.434003v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) serve as important intersexual signaling chemicals and generally show variation between the sexes, but little is known about the generation of sexually dimorphic hydrocarbons (SDHCs) in insects. Here, we report the molecular mechanism and biological significance that underling the generation of SDHC in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. Sexually mature females possess more C29 cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), especially the contact sex pheromone precursor 3,11-DimeC29. RNAi screen against fatty acid elongase gene family members and combined with heterologous expression revealed that both BgElo12 and BgElo24 were involved in HC production, but BgElo24 is of wide catalytic activities and is able to provides substrates for BgElo12, and only the female-enriched BgElo12 was responsible for sustaining female-specific HC profile. Repressing BgElo12 masculinized the female CHC profile, decreased contact sex pheromone level and consequently reduced the sexual attractiveness of female cockroaches. Moreover, the asymmetric expression of BgElo12 between the sexes is modulated by sex differentiation cascade. Specifically, male-specific BgDsx represses the transcription of BgElo12 in males, while BgTra is able to remove this effect in females. Our study reveals a novel molecular mechanism responsible for the formation of SDHCs, and also provide evidences on shaping of the SDHCs by sexual selection, as females use them to generate high levels of contact sex pheromone.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pei, X.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fan, Y.-L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, T.-T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Z.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, T.-X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.04.434003</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modulation of fatty acid elongation generates sexually dimorphic hydrocarbons and female attractiveness in Blattella germanica (L.)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.04.434010v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Simulation of a sudden drop-off in distal dense core vesicle concentration in Drosophila type II motoneuron terminals 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.04.434010v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent experimental observations have shown evidence of an unexpected sudden drop-off in the dense core vesicles (DCVs) content at the ends of certain types of axon endings. This paper seeks to determine whether these observations may be explained without modifying the parameters characterizing the ability of distal en passant boutons to capture and accumulate DCVs. We developed a mathematical model that is based on the conservation of captured and transiting DCVs in boutons. The model consists of 77 ordinary differential equations and is solved using a standard Matlab solver. We hypothesize that the drop in DCV content in distal boutons is due to an insufficient supply of anterogradely moving DCVs coming from the soma. As anterogradely moving DCVs are captured (and eventually destroyed) in more proximal boutons on their way to the end of the terminal, the fluxes of anterogradely moving DCVs between the boutons become increasingly smaller, and the most distal boutons are left without DCVs. We tested this hypothesis by modifying the flux of DCVs entering the terminal and found that the number of most distal boutons left unfilled increases if the DCV flux entering the terminal is decreased. The number of anterogradely moving DCVs in the axon can be increased either by the release of a portion of captured DCVs into the anterograde component or by an increase of the anterograde DCV flux into the terminal. This increase could lead to having enough anterogradely moving DCVs such that they could reach the most distal bouton and then turn around by changing molecular motors that propel them. The model suggests that this could result in an increased concentration of resident DCVs in distal boutons beginning with bouton 2 (the most distal is bouton 1). This is because in distal boutons, DCVs have a larger chance to be captured from the transiting state as they pass the boutons moving anterogradely and then again as they pass the same boutons moving retrogradely.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.04.434010</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Simulation of a sudden drop-off in distal dense core vesicle concentration in Drosophila type II motoneuron terminals]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.05.433915v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Critical Assessment of Metaproteome Investigation (CAMPI): a Multi-Lab Comparison of Established Workflows 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.05.433915v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Metaproteomics has matured into a powerful tool to assess functional interactions in microbial communities. While many metaproteomic workflows are available, the impact of method choice on results remains unclear.

Here, we carried out the first community-driven, multi-laboratory comparison in metaproteomics: the critical assessment of metaproteome investigation study (CAMPI). Based on well-established workflows, we evaluated the effect of sample preparation, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatic analysis using two samples: a simplified, laboratory-assembled human intestinal model and a human fecal sample.

We observed that variability at the peptide level was predominantly due to sample processing workflows, with a smaller contribution of bioinformatic pipelines. These peptide-level differences largely disappeared at the protein group level. While differences were observed for predicted community composition, similar functional profiles were obtained across workflows.

CAMPI demonstrates the robustness of present-day metaproteomics research, serves as a template for multi-laboratory studies in metaproteomics, and provides publicly available data sets for benchmarking future developments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Van Den Bossche, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kunath, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schallert, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schäpe, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abraham, P. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Armengaud, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arntzen, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bassignani, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benndorf, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fuchs, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giannone, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffin, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hagen, L. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halder, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Henry, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hettich, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heyer, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagtap, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jehmlich, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Juste, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Langella, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lehmann, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leith, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>May, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mesuere, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miotello, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peters, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pible, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reichl, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Renard, B. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiebenhoefer, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scryba, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tanca, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trappe, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trezzi, J.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Uzzau, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Verschaffelt, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>von Bergen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilmes, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wolf, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martens, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muth, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.05.433915</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Critical Assessment of Metaproteome Investigation (CAMPI): a Multi-Lab Comparison of Established Workflows]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.11.434950v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A New Type of Satellite associated with Cassava Mosaic Begomoviruses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.11.434950v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), which is caused by single-stranded DNA begomoviruses, severely limits cassava production across Africa. A previous study showed that CMD symptom severity and viral DNA accumulation increase in cassava in the presence of a DNA sequence designated as SEGS-2 (sequence enhancing geminivirus symptoms). We report here that when SEGS-2 is co-inoculated with African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) onto Arabidopsis thaliana, viral symptoms increase. Transgenic Arabidopsis with an integrated copy of SEGS-2 inoculated with ACMV also display increased symptom severity and viral DNA levels. Moreover, SEGS-2 enables Cabbage leaf curl virus (CaLCuV) to infect a geminivirus resistant Arabidopsis accession. Although SEGS-2 is related to cassava genomic sequences, an earlier study showed that it occurs as episomes and is packaged into virions in CMD-infected cassava and viruliferous whiteflies. We identified SEGS-2 episomes in SEGS-2 transgenic Arabidopsis. The episomes occur as both double-stranded and single-stranded DNA, with the single-stranded form packaged into virions. In addition, SEGS-2 episomes replicate in tobacco protoplasts in the presence, but not the absence, of ACMV DNA-A. SEGS-2 episomes contain a SEGS-2 derived promoter and an open reading frame with the potential to encode a 75-amino acid protein. An ATG mutation at the beginning of the SEGS-2 coding region does not enhance ACMV infection in Arabidopsis. Together, the results established that SEGS-2 is a new type of begomovirus satellite that enhances viral disease through the action of a SEGS-2 encoded protein that may also be encoded in the cassava genome.

IMPORTANCECassava is an important root crop in the developing world and a food and income crop for more than 300 million African farmers. Cassava is rising in global importance and trade as the demands for biofuels and commercial starch increase. More than half of the worlds cassava is produced in Africa, where it is primarily grown by smallholder farmers, many of whom are from the poorest villages. Although cassava can grow under high temperature, drought and poor soil conditions, its production is severely limited by viral diseases. Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is one of the most important viral diseases of cassava and can cause up to 100% yield losses. We provide evidence that SEGS-2, which was originally isolated from cassava crops displaying severe and atypical CMD symptoms in Tanzanian fields, is a novel begomovirus satellite that can compromise the development of durable CMD resistance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aimone, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Leon, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dallas, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ndunguru, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ascencio-Ibanez, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.11.434950</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A New Type of Satellite associated with Cassava Mosaic Begomoviruses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.11.434999v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Understanding the Evolution of Nutritive Taste in Animals: Insights from Biological Stoichiometry and Nutritional Geometry 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.11.434999v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A major conceptual gap in taste biology is the lack of a general framework for understanding the evolution of different taste modalities among animal species. We turn to two complementary nutritional frameworks, biological stoichiometry theory and nutritional geometry, to develop hypotheses for the evolution of different taste modalities in animals. We describe how the attractive tastes of Na, Ca, P, N and C containing compounds are consistent with principles of both frameworks based on their shared focus on nutritional imbalances and consumer homeostasis. Specifically, we suggest that the evolution of multiple nutritive taste modalities can be predicted by identifying individual elements that are typically more concentrated in the tissues of animals than plants. Additionally, we discuss how consumer homeostasis can inform our understanding of why some taste compounds (i.e., Na, Ca and P salts) can be either attractive or aversive depending on concentration. We also discuss how these complementary frameworks can help to explain the phylogenetic distribution of different taste modalities and improve our understanding of the mechanisms that lead to loss of taste capabilities in some animal lineages. The ideas presented here will stimulate research that bridges the fields of evolutionary biology, sensory biology and ecology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Demi, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, B. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reading, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tordoff, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.11.434999</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Understanding the Evolution of Nutritive Taste in Animals: Insights from Biological Stoichiometry and Nutritional Geometry]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.14.435345v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Population structure of Drosophila suzukii and signals of multiple invasions into the continental United States 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.14.435345v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Drosophila suzukii, or spotted-wing drosophila, is now an established pest in many parts of the world, causing significant damage to numerous fruit crop industries. Native to East Asia, D. suzukii infestations started in the United States a decade ago, occupying a wide range of climates. To better understand invasion ecology of this pest, knowledge of past migration events, population structure, and genetic diversity is needed. To improve on previous studies examining genetic structure of D. suzukii, we sequenced whole genomes of 237 individual flies collected across the continental U.S., as well as several representative sites in Europe, Brazil, and Asia, to identify hundreds of thousands of genetic markers for analysis. We analyzed these markers to detect population structure, to reconstruct migration events, and to estimate genetic diversity and differentiation within and among the continents. We observed strong population structure between West and East Coast populations in the U.S., but no evidence of any population structure North to South, suggesting there is no broad-scale adaptations occurring in response to the large differences in regional weather conditions. We also find evidence of repeated migration events from Asia into North America have provided increased levels of genetic diversity, which does not appear to be the case for Brazil or Europe. This large genomic dataset will spur future research into genomic adaptations underlying D. suzukii pest activity and development of novel control methods for this agricultural pest.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lewald, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abrieux, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conner, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andreazza, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beers, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burrack, H. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daane, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diepenbrock, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drummond, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fanning, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaffney, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hesler, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ioriatti, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isaacs, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Little, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loeb, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nava, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rendo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sial, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>da Silva, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stockton, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Timmeren, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wallingford, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walton, V. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zalom, F. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiu, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.14.435345</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Population structure of Drosophila suzukii and signals of multiple invasions into the continental United States]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.17.435857v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Antagonistic effects of chemical mixtures on the oxidative stress response are silenced by heat stress and reversed under dietary restriction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.17.435857v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chemical agents released into the environment can induce oxidative stress in organisms, which is detrimental for health. Although environmental exposures typically incorporate multiple chemicals, organismal studies on oxidative stress derived from chemical agents commonly study exposures to individual compounds. In this work, we explore how chemical mixtures drive the oxidative stress response under various conditions in the nematode C. elegans, by quantitatively assessing levels of gst-4 expression. Our results indicate that naphthoquinone mixtures drive responses differently than individual components, and that altering environmental conditions, such as increased heat and reduced food availability, result in dramatically different oxidative stress responses mounted by C. elegans. When exposed to heat, the oxidative stress response is diminished. Notably, when exposed to limited food, the oxidative stress response specific to juglone is significantly heightened, while identified antagonistic interactions between some naphthoquinone components in mixtures are abolished. This implies that organismal responses to xenobiotics is confounded by environment and stressor interactions. Given the high number of variables under study, and their potential combinations, a simplex centroid design was used to capture such non-trivial response over the design space. This makes the case for the adoption of Design of Experiments approaches as they can greatly expand the experimental space probed in noisy biological readouts, and in combinatorial experiments. Our results also reveal gaps in our current knowledge of the organismal oxidative stress response, which can be addressed by employing sophisticated design of experiments approaches to identify significant interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Suresh Arulalan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huayta, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stallrich, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San-Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.17.435857</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Antagonistic effects of chemical mixtures on the oxidative stress response are silenced by heat stress and reversed under dietary restriction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.22.435728v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Two-stage Linked Component Analysis for Joint Decomposition of Multiple Biologically Related Data Sets 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.22.435728v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
SO_SCPLOWUMMARYC_SCPLOWIntegrative analysis of multiple data sets has the potential of fully leveraging the vast amount of high throughput biological data being generated. In particular such analysis will be powerful in making inference from publicly available collections of genetic, transcriptomic and epigenetic data sets which are designed to study shared biological processes, but which vary in their target measurements, biological variation, unwanted noise, and batch variation. Thus, methods that enable the joint analysis of multiple data sets are needed to gain insights into shared biological processes that would otherwise be hidden by unwanted intra-data set variation. Here, we propose a method called two-stage linked component analysis (2s-LCA) to jointly decompose multiple biologically related experimental data sets with biological and technological relationships that can be structured into the decomposition. The consistency of the proposed method is established and its empirical performance is evaluated via simulation studies. We apply 2s-LCA to jointly analyze four data sets focused on human brain development and identify meaningful patterns of gene expression in human neurogenesis that have shared structure across these data sets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caffo, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stein-O'Brien, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Langmead, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colantuoni, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.22.435728</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Two-stage Linked Component Analysis for Joint Decomposition of Multiple Biologically Related Data Sets]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.22.436436v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Population diversity of cassava mosaic begomoviruses increases over the course of serial vegetative propagation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.22.436436v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) represents a serious threat to cassava, a major root crop for more than 300 million Africans. CMD is caused by single-stranded DNA begomoviruses that evolve rapidly, making it challenging to develop durable disease resistance. In addition to the evolutionary forces of mutation, recombination, and reassortment, factors such as climate, agriculture practices, and the presence of DNA satellites may impact viral diversity. To gain insight into the factors that alter and shape viral diversity in planta, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the accumulation of nucleotide diversity after inoculation of infectious clones corresponding to African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) and East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCV) in the susceptible cassava landrace Kibandameno. We found that vegetative propagation had a significant effect on viral nucleotide diversity, while temperature and a satellite DNA did not have measurable impacts in our study. EACMCV diversity increased linearly with the number of vegetative propagation passages, while ACMV diversity increased for a time and then decreased in later passages. We observed a substitution bias toward C[-&gt;]T and G[-&gt;]A for mutations in the viral genomes consistent with field isolates. Non-coding regions excluding the promoter regions of genes showed the highest levels of nucleotide diversity for each genome component. Changes in the 5 intergenic region of DNA-A resembled the sequence of the cognate DNA-B sequence. The majority of nucleotide changes in coding regions were non-synonymous, most with predicted deleterious effects on protein structure, indicative of relaxed selection pressure over 6 vegetative passages. Overall, these results underscore the importance of knowing how cropping practices affect viral evolution and disease progression.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aimone, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lavington, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyer, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deppong, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mickelson-Young, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duffy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.22.436436</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Population diversity of cassava mosaic begomoviruses increases over the course of serial vegetative propagation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.24.436805v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels Promote Expression of Paxillin, a Muscle-Tendon Junction Marker 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.24.436805v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Muscle and tendon injuries are prevalent and range from minor sprains and strains to traumatic, debilitating injuries. However, the interactions between these tissues during injury and recovery remain unclear. Three-dimensional tissue models that incorporate both tissues and a physiologically relevant junction between muscle and tendon may help understand how the two tissues interact. Here, we use tissue specific extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from muscle and tendon to determine how cells of each tissue interact with the microenvironment of the opposite tissue resulting in junction specific features. ECM materials were derived from the Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle, decellularized, and processed to form tissue specific pre-hydrogel digests. ECM materials were unique in respect to protein composition and included many types of ECM proteins, not just collagens. After digestion and gelation, ECM hydrogels had similar complex viscosities which were less than type I collagen hydrogels at the same concentration. C2C12 myoblasts and tendon fibroblasts were cultured in tissuespecific ECM conditioned media or encapsulated in tissue-specific ECM hydrogels to determine cell-matrix interactions and the effects on a muscle-tendon junction marker, paxillin. ECM conditioned media had only a minor effect on upregulation of paxillin in cells cultured in monolayer. However, cells cultured within ECM hydrogels had 50-70% higher paxillin expression than cells cultured in type I collagen hydrogels. Contraction of the ECM hydrogels varied by the type of ECM used. Subsequent experiments with varying density of type I collagen (and thus contraction) showed no correlation between paxillin expression and the amount of gel contraction, suggesting that a constituent of the ECM was the driver of paxillin expression in the ECM hydrogels. In addition, the extracellular matrix protein type XXII collagen had similar expression patterns as paxillin, with smaller effect sizes. Using tissue specific ECM allowed for the de-construction of the cell-matrix interactions similar to muscletendon junctions to study the expression of MTJ specific proteins.

Impact StatementThe muscle-tendon junction is an important feature of muscle-tendon units; however, despite crosstalk between the two tissue types, it is overlooked in current research. Deconstructing the cell-matrix interactions will provide the opportunity to study significant junction specific features and markers that should be included in tissue models of the muscletendon unit, while gaining a deeper understanding of the natural junction. This research aims to inform future methods to engineer a more relevant multi-tissue platform to study the muscletendon unit.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gaffney, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freytes, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.24.436805</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels Promote Expression of Paxillin, a Muscle-Tendon Junction Marker]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.437076v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Demonstration of local adaptation of maize landraces by reciprocal transplantation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.437076v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Populations are locally adapted when they exhibit higher fitness than foreign populations in their native habitat. Maize landrace adaptations to highland and lowland conditions are of interest to researchers and breeders. To determine the prevalence and strength of local adaptation in maize landraces, we performed a reciprocal transplant experiment across an elevational gradient in Mexico. We grew 120 landraces, grouped into four populations (Mexican Highland, Mexican Lowland, South American Highland, South American Lowland), in Mexican highland and lowland common gardens and collected phenotypes relevant to fitness, as well as reported highland-adaptive traits such as anthocyanin pigmentation and macrohair density. 67k DArTseq markers were generated from field specimens to allow comparison between phenotypic patterns and population genetic structure.

We found phenotypic patterns consistent with local adaptation, though these patterns differ between the Mexican and South American populations. While population genetic structure largely recapitulates drift during post-domestication dispersal, landrace phenotypes reflect adaptations to native elevation. Quantitative trait QST was greater than neutral FST for many traits, signaling divergent directional selection between pairs of populations. All populations exhibited higher fitness metric values when grown at their native elevation, and Mexican landraces had higher fitness than South American landraces when grown in our Mexican sites. Highland populations expressed generally higher anthocyanin pigmentation than lowland populations, and more so in the highland site than in the lowland site. Macrohair density was largely non-plastic, and Mexican landraces and highland landraces were generally more pilose. Analysis of{delta} 13C indicated that lowland populations may have lower WUE. Each population demonstrated garden-specific correlations between highland trait expression and fitness, with stronger positive correlations in the highland site.

These results give substance to the long-held presumption of local adaptation of New World maize landraces to elevation and other environmental variables across North and South America.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Janzen, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aguilar-Rangel, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cintora-Martinez, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blöcher-Juarez, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez-Segovia, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Studer, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.25.437076</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Demonstration of local adaptation of maize landraces by reciprocal transplantation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.29.437612v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ultra-sensitive Protein-SIP to quantify activity and substrate uptake in microbiomes with stable isotopes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.29.437612v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Stable isotope probing (SIP) approaches are a critical tool in microbiome research to determine associations between species and substrates. The application of these approaches ranges from studying microbial communities important for global biogeochemical cycling to host-microbiota interactions in the intestinal tract. Current SIP approaches, such as DNA-SIP or nanoSIMS, are limited in terms of sensitivity, resolution or throughput. Here we present an ultra-sensitive, high-throughput protein-based stable isotope probing approach (Protein-SIP), which cuts cost for labeled substrates by [~]90% as compared to other SIP and Protein-SIP approaches and thus enables isotope labeling experiments on much larger scales and with higher replication. It allows for the determination of isotope incorporation into microbiome members with species level resolution using standard metaproteomics LC-MS/MS measurements. The analysis has been implemented as an open-source application (https://sourceforge.net/projects/calis-p/). We demonstrate sensitivity, precision and accuracy using bacterial cultures and mock communities with different labeling schemes. Furthermore, we benchmark our approach against two existing Protein-SIP approaches and show that in the low labeling range used our approach is the most sensitive and accurate. Finally, we measure translational activity using 18O heavy water labeling in a 63-species community derived from human fecal samples grown on media simulating two different diets. Activity could be quantified on average for 27 species per sample, with 9 species showing significantly higher activity on a high protein diet, as compared to a high fiber diet. Surprisingly, among the species with increased activity on high protein were several Bacteroides species known as fiber consumers. Apparently, protein supply is a critical consideration when assessing growth of intestinal microbes on fiber, including fiber based prebiotics. In summary, we demonstrate that our Protein-SIP approach allows for the ultra-sensitive (0.01% to 10% label) detection of stable isotopes of elements found in proteins, using standard metaproteomics data.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kouris, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCalder, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strous, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.29.437612</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ultra-sensitive Protein-SIP to quantify activity and substrate uptake in microbiomes with stable isotopes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.02.438212v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolution of Knockdown Resistance Haplotypes in Response to Pyrethroid Selection in Aedes aegypti 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.02.438212v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study describes the evolution of knockdown resistance (kdr) haplotypes in Aedes aegypti in response to pyrethroid insecticide use over the course of 18 years in Iquitos, Peru. Based on the duration and intensiveness of sampling ([~]10,000 samples), this is the most thorough study of kdr population genetics in Ae. aegypti to date within a city. We provide evidence for the direct connection between programmatic citywide pyrethroid spraying and the increase in frequency of specific kdr haplotypes by identifying two evolutionary events in the population. The relatively high selection coefficients, even under infrequent insecticide pressure, emphasizes how quickly populations can evolve. The observed rapid increase in frequency of resistance alleles might have been aided by the incomplete dominance of resistance-conferring alleles over corresponding susceptibility alleles. In addition to dramatic temporal shifts, spatial suppression experiments reveal that genetic heterogeneity existed not only at the citywide scale, but also on a very fine scale within the city.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baltzegar, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vella, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gunning, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasquez, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Astete, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stell, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lenhart, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrison, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>GOULD, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.02.438212</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolution of Knockdown Resistance Haplotypes in Response to Pyrethroid Selection in Aedes aegypti]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.05.438400v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modeling the role of mortality-based response triggers on the effectiveness of African swine fever control strategies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.05.438400v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
African swine fever (ASF) is considered the most impactful transboundary swine disease. In the absence of effective vaccines, control strategies are heavily dependent on mass depopulation and movement restrictions. Here we developed a nested multiscale model for the transmission of ASF, combining spatially explicit network model of animal movements with a deterministic compartmental model for the dynamics of two ASF strains within-pixels of 3 km x 3 km, amongst the pig population in one Brazilian state. The model outcomes are epidemic duration, number of secondary infected farms and pigs, and distance of ASF spread. The model also shows the spatial distribution of ASF epidemics. We analyzed quarantine-based control interventions in the context of mortality trigger thresholds for the deployment of control strategies.

The mean epidemic duration of a moderately virulent strain was 11.2 days assuming the first infection is detected (best-case scenario) and 15.9 days when detection is triggered at 10 % mortality. For a highly virulent strain, the epidemic duration was 6.5 days and 13.1 days, respectively. The distance from the source to infected locations and the spatial distribution was not dependent on strain virulence. Under the best-case scenario, we projected an average number of infected farms of 23.77 farms and 18.8 farms for the moderate and highly virulent strains, respectively. At 10% mortality-trigger, the predicted number of infected farms was on average 46.27 farms and 42.96 farms, respectively. We also demonstrated that the establishment of ring quarantine zones regardless of size (i.e., 5 km, 15 km) was outperformed by backward animal movement tracking. The proposed modeling framework provides an evaluation of ASF epidemic potential, providing a ranking of quarantine-based control strategies that could assist animal health authorities in planning the national preparedness and response plan.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farthing, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andraud, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopes, F. P. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lanzas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.05.438400</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modeling the role of mortality-based response triggers on the effectiveness of African swine fever control strategies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.08.439073v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Predation by protists influences the temperature response of microbial communities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.08.439073v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Temperature strongly influences microbial community structure and function, which in turn contributes to the global carbon cycle that can fuel further warming. Recent studies suggest that biotic interactions amongst microbes may play an important role in determining the temperature responses of these communities. However, how microbial predation regulates these communities under future climates is still poorly understood. Here we assess whether predation by one of the most important bacterial consumers globally - protists - influences the temperature response of a freshwater microbial community structure and function. To do so, we exposed these microbial communities to two cosmopolitan species of protists at two different temperatures, in a month-long microcosm experiment. While microbial biomass and respiration increased with temperature due to shifts in microbial community structure, these responses changed over time and in the presence of protist predators. Protists influenced microbial biomass and function through effects on community structure, and predation actually reduced microbial respiration rate at elevated temperature. Indicator species and threshold indicator taxa analyses showed that these predation effects were mostly determined by phylum-specific bacterial responses to protist density and cell size. Our study supports previous findings that temperature is an important driver of microbial communities, but also demonstrates that predation can mediate these responses to warming, with important consequences for the global carbon cycle and future warming.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rocca, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yammine, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simonin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gibert, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.08.439073</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Predation by protists influences the temperature response of microbial communities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.15.440069v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The genome of the poecilogonous annelid Streblospio benedicti 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.15.440069v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Streblospio benedicti is a common marine annelid that has become an important model for developmental evolution. It is the only known example of poecilogony, where two distinct developmental modes occur within a single species, that is due to a heritable difference in egg size. The dimorphic developmental programs and life-histories exhibited in this species depend on differences within the genome, making it an optimal model for understanding the genomic basis of developmental divergence. Studies using S. benedicti have begun to uncover the genetic and genomic principles that underlie developmental uncoupling, but until now they have been limited by the lack of availability of genomic tools. Here we present an annotated chromosomal-level genome assembly of S. benedicti generated from a combination of Illumina reads, Nanopore long reads, Chicago and Hi-C chromatin interaction sequencing, and a genetic map from experimental crosses. At 701.4 Mb, the S. benedicti genome is the largest annelid genome to date that has been assembled to chromosomal scaffolds, yet it does not show evidence of extensive gene family expansion, but rather longer intergenic regions. The complete genome of S. benedicti is valuable for functional genomic analyses of development and evolution, as well as phylogenetic comparison within the Annelida and the Lophotrochozoa. Despite having two developmental modes, there is no evidence of genome duplication or substantial gene number expansions. Instead, lineage specific repeats account for much of the expansion of this genome compared to other annelids.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zakas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harry, N. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scholl, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rockman, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.15.440069</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The genome of the poecilogonous annelid Streblospio benedicti]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.24.441210v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Urban tree deaths from invasive alien forest insects in the United States, 2020-2050 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.24.441210v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIUrban trees are important nature-based solutions for future wellbeing and livability but are at high risk of mortality from insect pests. In the United States (US), 82% of the population live in urban settings and this number is growing, making urban tree mortality a matter of concern for most of its population. Until now, the magnitudes and spatial distributions of risks were unknown.
C_LIO_LIHere, we combine new models of street tree populations in [~]30,000 US communities, species-specific spread predictions for 57 invasive insect species, and estimates of tree death due to insect exposure for 48 host tree genera.
C_LIO_LIWe estimate that 1.4 million street trees will be killed by invasive insects from 2020 through 2050, costing an annualized average of US$ 30M. However, these estimates hide substantial variation: 23% of urban centers will experience 95% of all insect-induced mortality. Further, 90% of all mortality will be due to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB), which is expected to kill virtually all ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in >6000 communities.
C_LIO_LIWe define an EAB high-impact zone spanning 902,500km2, largely within the southern and central US, within which we predict the death of 98.8% of all ash trees. "Mortality hotspot cities" include Milwaukee, WI; Chicago, IL; and New York, NY.
C_LIO_LIWe identify Asian wood borers of maple and oak trees as the highest risk future invaders, where a new establishment could cost US$ 4.9B over 30 years.
C_LIO_LIPolicy implications: To plan effective mitigation, managers must know which tree species in which communities will be at the greatest risk, as well as the highest-risk insects. We provide the first country-wide, spatial forecast of urban tree mortality due to invasive insect pests. This framework identifies dominant pest insects and spatial impact hotspots, which can provide the basis for spatial prioritization of spread control efforts such as quarantines and biological control release sites. Our results highlight the need for EAB early-detection efforts as far from current infestations as Seattle, WA. Further, these findings produce a list of biotic and spatiotemporal risk factors for future high-impact US urban forest insect pests.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hudgins, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koch, F. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ambrose, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leung, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.24.441210</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Urban tree deaths from invasive alien forest insects in the United States, 2020-2050]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.24.441288v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Honey bee queen health is unaffected by contact exposure to pesticides commonly found in beeswax 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.24.441288v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Honey bee queen health is crucial for colony health and productivity, and pesticides have been previously associated with queen loss and premature supersedure. Prior research has investigated the effects of indirect pesticide exposure on queens via workers, as well as direct effects on queens during development. However, as adults, queens are in constant contact with wax as they walk on comb and lay eggs; therefore, direct pesticide contact with adult queens is a relevant but seldom investigated exposure route. Here, we conducted laboratory and field experiments to investigate the impacts of topical pesticide exposure on adult queens. We tested dose-response relationships of six pesticides commonly found in wax: coumaphos, tau-fluvalinate, atrazine, 2,4-DMPF, chlorpyriphos, chlorothalonil, and a cocktail of all six, each dosed up to 32 times the concentrations typically found in wax. We found no effect of any treatment on queen mass or sperm viability. Furthermore, none of the 1,568 proteins quantified in the queens fat bodies (a major site of detoxification enzyme production) were differentially expressed. In a field trial with N = 30 queens exposed to either a handling control, a solvent control, or a pesticide cocktail, we again found no impact on queen egg-laying pattern, mass, or emergence mass of daughter workers. Further, of the 3,127 proteins identified in fluid from the spermatheca (sperm storage organ), none were differentially expressed. These experiments consistently show that at realistic exposure levels, pesticides commonly found in wax have no direct impact on queen performance, reproduction, or quality metrics. We suggest that previously reported associations between high levels of pesticide residues in wax and queen failure are most likely driven by indirect effects of worker exposure (either through wax or other hive products) on queen care or queen perception.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milone, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McDermott, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Metz, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.24.441288</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Honey bee queen health is unaffected by contact exposure to pesticides commonly found in beeswax]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.26.441330v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rcompadre and Rage - two R packages to facilitate the use of the COMPADRE and COMADRE databases and calculation of life history traits from matrix population models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.26.441330v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIMatrix population models (MPMs) are an important tool for biologists seeking to understand the causes and consequences of variation in vital rates (e.g., survival, reproduction) across life cycles. Empirical MPMs describe the age- or stage-structured demography of organisms and usually represent the life history of a population during a particular time frame at a specific geographic location.
C_LIO_LIThe COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database and COMADRE Animal Matrix Database are the most extensive resources for MPM data, collectively containing >12,000 individual projection matrices for >1,100 species globally. Although these databases represent an unparalleled resource for researchers, land managers, and educators, the current computational tools available to answer questions with MPMs impose significant barriers to potential COM(P)ADRE database users by requiring advanced knowledge to handle diverse data structures and program custom analysis functions.
C_LIO_LITo close this knowledge gap, we present two interrelated R packages designed to (i) facilitate the use of these databases by providing functions to acquire, quality control, and manage both the MPM data contained in COMPADRE and COMADRE, and a users own MPM data (Rcompadre), and (ii) present a range of functions to calculate life history traits from MPMs in support of ecological and evolutionary analyses (Rage). We provide examples to illustrate the use of both.
C_LIO_LIRcompadre and Rage will facilitate demographic analyses using MPM data and contribute to the improved replicability of studies using these data. We hope that this new functionality will allow researchers, land managers, and educators to unlock the potential behind the thousands of MPMs and ancillary metadata stored in the COMPADRE and COMADRE matrix databases, and in their own MPM data.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jones, O. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barks, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stott, I. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>James, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levin, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petry, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Capdevila, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Che-Castaldo, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Römer, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schuette, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Salguero-Gomez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.26.441330</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rcompadre and Rage - two R packages to facilitate the use of the COMPADRE and COMADRE databases and calculation of life history traits from matrix population models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.26.441458v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Changes in Cellular Crosstalk between Skeletal Muscle Myoblasts and Bone Osteoblasts with Aging 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.26.441458v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Musculoskeletal function declines with aging, resulting in an increased incidence of trips and falls. Both bone and muscle experience age-related losses in tissue mass that alter their mechanical interactions in a well characterized manner, but changes in the biochemical interactions between bone and muscle with aging are not well understood. Of note, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a potent growth factor for bone and muscle, can be negatively altered with aging and may help explain losses in these tissues. We recently developed a co-culture system for simultaneous growth of bone mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and muscle satellite cells (SCs) to investigate the biochemical crosstalk between the two cell types. Here, we utilized an aging rat model to study cellular changes between young and old rat MSCs and SCs, in particular whether 1) young MSCs and SCs have increased proliferation and differentiation compared to old MSCs and SCs; 2) young cells have increased IGF-1 and collagen expression as a measure of crosstalk compared to old cells; and 3) young cells can mitigate the aging phenotype of old cells in co-culture. Rat MSCs and SCs were either mono- or co-cultured in Transwell(R) plates, grown to confluence, and allowed to differentiate for 14 days. Across the 14 days, cell proliferation was measured, with differentiation and crosstalk measurements evaluated at 14 days. The results suggest that in both young and old, proliferation is greater in mono-cultures compared to co-cultures, yet age and cell type did not have a significant effect. Differentiation did not differ between young and old cells, yet MSCs and SCs demonstrated the greatest amount of differentiation in co-culture. Finally, age, cell type, and culture type did not have a significant effect on collagen or IGF-1 expression. These results suggest co-culture may have a controlling effect, with the two cell types acting together to promote differentiation more than in mono-cultures, yet this response was not altered by age. In general, results for old cells had higher variability, suggesting a wider variety in the aging phenotypes demonstrated in these animals. This study was the first to use this rat aging model to investigate changes between bone and skeletal muscle cells, however further investigations are required to determine what signaling changes occur in response to age. Determining these signaling changes could lead to new targets for mitigating the progression of aging.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Doering, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Britt, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawicki, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.26.441458</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Changes in Cellular Crosstalk between Skeletal Muscle Myoblasts and Bone Osteoblasts with Aging]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.28.441735v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Highly variable fidelity drives symbiont community composition in an obligate symbiosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.28.441735v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Multipartite symbioses, which involve intimate interactions among three or more species, have evolved independently numerous times in convergent evolution, and enable functional complexity and ecological flexibility. How stability is maintained in such relationships remains, however, poorly understood, and can only be fully understood by integrating processes across both micro- and macroevolutionary scales. In this study, we bridge these scales by examining the symbiotic communities of gutless marine oligochaetes - annelid worms that have become obligately dependent on their bacterial partners for nutrition and waste removal over the past 150 million years. Using metagenomic sequencing of 231 individuals from 63 host species, collected across 17 marine environments worldwide, we reconstructed host and symbiont phylogenies to investigate the composition, specificity, and evolutionary history of their symbiotic communities from the strain to genus level. Our results show that each gutless oligochaete harbors up to 10 symbiont species drawn from a restricted pool of 33 marine bacterial genera. Community composition was strongly shaped by host species at 90% explanatory power, and much less by geography or environment. Symbiont communities were highly stable within host species but shifted rapidly at short macroevolutionary scales as host species diverged. Ancestral state reconstructions revealed that the primary symbiont, Candidatus Thiosymbion, was an early and persistent acquisition, while secondary symbionts were gained multiple times through convergent evolution, enhancing the diversity and metabolic flexibility of the symbiotic communities. By linking fine-scale microevolutionary dynamics with broader macroevolutionary patterns, our study reveals how gutless oligochaetes achieve both stability and flexibility in their symbiotic partnerships - enabling long-term host dependency while driving innovation and adaptation. This evolutionary trajectory may underpin the ecological success and diversification of gutless oligochaetes in marine sediments, and may help explain the repeated emergence and persistence of other multipartite associations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mankowski, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Erseus, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leisch, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sato, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Volland, J.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hüttel, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wentrup, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woyke, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wippler, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruber-Vodicka, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.28.441735</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Highly variable fidelity drives symbiont community composition in an obligate symbiosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.03.442460v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The ALOG family members OsG1L1 and OsG1L2 regulate inflorescence branching in rice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.03.442460v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The architecture of the rice inflorescence is an important determinant of seed yield. The length of the inflorescence and the number of branches are among the key factors determining the amount of spikelets, and thus seeds, that will develop. Especially the timing of the identity transition from indeterminate branch meristem to determinate spikelet meristem regulates the complexity of the inflorescence. In this context, the ALOG gene TAWAWA1 (TAW1) has been shown to delay the transition to determinate spikelet development in rice. Recently, by combining precise laser microdissection of inflorescence meristems with RNA-seq we observed that two ALOG genes, Oryza sativa OsG1-like 1 (OsG1L1) and OsG1L2, have an expression profile similar to TAW1. Here we report that osg1l1 and osg1l2 loss-of-function CRISPR mutants have similar phenotypes as the taw1 mutant, suggesting that these genes might act on related pathways during inflorescence development. Transcriptome analysis of the osg1l2 mutant suggested interactions of OsG1L2 with other known inflorescence architecture regulators and the datasets were also used for the construction of a gene regulatory network (GRN) proposing interactions between genes potentially involved in controlling inflorescence development in rice.

The spatio-temporal expression profiling and phenotypical analysis of CRISPR loss-of-function mutants of the homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor gene OsHOX14 suggest that the proposed GRN indeed serves as a valuable resource for the identification of new players involved in rice inflorescence development.

One-sentence summaryOsG1L1 and OsG1L2 control panicle architecture through delaying the transition from indeterminate branch- to determinate spikelet-meristem identity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Franchini, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beretta, V. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ud Din, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lacchini, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van den Broeck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Orozco-Arroyo, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adam, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jouannic, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gregis, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kater, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.03.442460</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The ALOG family members OsG1L1 and OsG1L2 regulate inflorescence branching in rice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.03.442530v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The maize E3 ligase ZmCER9 specifically targets activated NLRs for degradation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.03.442530v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The authors have withdrawn their manuscript whilst they perform additional experiments to test some of their conclusions further. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Karre, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, S.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Selote, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khangura, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dilkes, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johal, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balint-Kurti, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.03.442530</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The maize E3 ligase ZmCER9 specifically targets activated NLRs for degradation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.442681v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cryptic costs of viral infection in a model social insect 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.442681v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Declining insect populations emphasize the importance of understanding the drivers underlying reductions in insect fitness. Here, we investigated viruses as a threat to social insect reproduction, using honey bees as a model species. We report that in a sample of N = 93 honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens from nine beekeeping operations across a wide geographic range, high levels of natural viral infection are associated with decreased ovary mass. We confirmed this finding in an independent sample of N = 54 queens. Failed (poor quality) queens displayed higher levels of viral infection, reduced sperm viability, smaller ovaries, and altered ovary protein composition compared to healthy queens. We experimentally infected queens with Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and found that the ovary masses of IAPV-injected queens were significantly smaller than control queens, demonstrating a causal relationship between viral infection and ovary size. Queens injected with IAPV also had significantly lower expression of vitellogenin, the main source of nutrition deposited into developing oocytes, and higher levels of heat-shock proteins (HSPs), which are part of the honey bees antiviral response. This work together shows that viral infections occurring naturally in the field are compromising queen reproductive success.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chapman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amiri, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McDermott, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rueppell, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.04.442681</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cryptic costs of viral infection in a model social insect]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.442910v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
From theory to experiment and back again -- Challenges in quantifying a trait-based theory of predator-prey dynamics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.442910v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Food webs map feeding interactions among species, providing a valuable tool for understanding and predicting community dynamics. Trait-based approaches to food webs are increasingly popular, using e.g. species body sizes to parameterize dynamic models. Although partly successful, models based on body size often cannot fully recover observed dynamics, suggesting that size alone is not enough. For example, differences in species use of microhabitat or non-consumptive effects of other predators may affect dynamics in ways not captured by body size.

Here, we report on the results of a pre-registered study (Laubmeier et al., 2018) where we developed a dynamic food-web model incorporating body size, microhabitat use, and non-consumptive predator effects and used simulations to optimize the experimental design. Now, after performing the mesocosm experiment to generate empirical time-series of insect herbivore and predator abundance dynamics, we use the inverse method to determine parameter values of the dynamic model. We compare four alternative models with and without microhabitat use and non-consumptive predator effects. The four models achieve similar fits to observed data on herbivore population dynamics, but build on different estimates for the same parameters. Thus, each model predicts substantially different effects of each predator on hypothetical new prey species. These findings highlight the imperative of understanding the mechanisms behind species interactions, and the relationships mediating the effects of traits on trophic interactions. In particular, we believe that increased understanding of the estimates of optimal predator-prey body-size ratios and maximum feeding rates will improve future predictions. In conclusion, our study demonstrates how iterative cycling between theory, data and experiment may be needed to hone current insights into how traits affect food-web dynamics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wootton, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Curtsdotter, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jonsson, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banks, H. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roslin, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bommarco, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laubmeier, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.06.442910</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[From theory to experiment and back again -- Challenges in quantifying a trait-based theory of predator-prey dynamics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.442986v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sex-Specific Function and Morphology of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament During Skeletal Growth in a Porcine Model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.442986v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Pediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are on the rise, and females experience higher ACL injury risk than males during adolescence. Studies in skeletally immature patients indicate differences in ACL size and joint laxity between males and females after the onset of adolescence. However, functional data regarding the ACL and its anteromedial and posterolateral bundles in the pediatric population remain rare. Therefore, this study uses a porcine model to investigate the sex-specific morphology and function of the ACL and its bundles throughout skeletal growth. Hind limbs from male and female Yorkshire pigs aged early youth to late adolescence were imaged using magnetic resonance imaging to measure the size and orientation of the ACL and its bundles, then biomechanically tested under anterior-posterior drawer using a robotic testing system. Joint laxity decreased (p<0.001) while joint stiffness increased (p<0.001) throughout skeletal growth in both sexes. The ACL was the primary stabilizer against anterior tibial loading in all specimens, while the functional role of the anteromedial bundle increased with age (p<0.001), with an earlier shift in males. ACL and posterolateral bundle cross-sectional area and ACL and anteromedial bundle length were larger in males than females during adolescence (p<0.01 for all), while ACL and bundle sagittal angle remained similar between sexes. Additionally, in situ ACL stiffness correlated with cross-sectional area across skeletal growth (r2=0.75, p<0.001 in males and r2=0.64, p<0.001 in females), but not within age groups. This study has implications for age and sex-specific surgical intervention strategies and suggests the need for human studies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Howe, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cone, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedrahita, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fordham, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffith, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spang, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.10.442986</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sex-Specific Function and Morphology of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament During Skeletal Growth in a Porcine Model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.21.445198v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcriptional and Functional Activity of Canine Hemangiosarcoma to Support Hematopoiesis Demonstrate Bone Marrow Nurse Cell Ontogeny 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.21.445198v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hemangiosarcoma and angiosarcoma are soft-tissue sarcomas of blood vessel-forming cells in dogs and humans, respectively. These vasoformative sarcomas are aggressive and highly metastatic, with disorganized, irregular blood-filled vascular spaces. Our objective was to define molecular programs which support the niche that enables progression of canine hemangiosarcoma and human angiosarcoma. Dog-in-mouse hemangiosarcoma xenografts recapitulated the vasoformative and highly angiogenic morphology and molecular characteristics of primary tumors. Blood vessels in the tumors were complex and disorganized, and they were lined by both donor and host cells, a trait that was not observed in xenografts from canine osteosarcoma and lymphoma. In some cases, the xenografted hemangiosarcoma cells created exuberant myeloid hyperplasia and gave rise to lymphoproliferative tumors of mouse origin. We did not uncover a definitive transmissible etiology, but our functional analyses indicate that hemangiosarcoma cells generate a microenvironment that supports expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor populations. We conclude that canine hemangiosarcomas, and possibly human angiosarcomas, originate from stromal cells that are part of the bone marrow niche and that these cells may also support the growth of hematopoietic tumors.

SignificanceWe demonstrate that molecular programs supporting expansion of immune and inflammatory cells in hemangiosarcoma resemble those of bone marrow niche cells, providing insights into the potential roles of these cells - whether physiological or pathological - in creating a permissive environment for the progression of hematopoietic malignancies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kim, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schulte, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarver, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Angelos, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frantz, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Brien, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cornax, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Sullivan, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewellen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oseth, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bullman, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pedamallu, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goyal, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyerson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lund, T. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alfoldi, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindblad-Toh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dickerson, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaufman, D. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Modiano, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.21.445198</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcriptional and Functional Activity of Canine Hemangiosarcoma to Support Hematopoiesis Demonstrate Bone Marrow Nurse Cell Ontogeny]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.27.446025v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
AURKB/Ipl1 restarts replication forks to recover from replication stress. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.27.446025v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aurora kinase B (AURKB in human, Ipl1 in S. cerevisiae) is a master regulator of mitosis and its dysregulation has been implicated in chromosome instability. AURKB accumulates in the nucleus in S-phase and is regulated by CHK1 but has not been implicated in in the DNA Damage Response (DDR). Here we show that AURKB has a conserved role to recover from replication stress and restart replication forks. Active AURKB is localized to replication forks after a prolonged arrest. CHK1 phosphorylation of AURKB induces activating phosphorylation of PLK1 and both Aurora and Plk1 are required to deactivate the DDR. Clinical trials with AURKB inhibitors are designed to target established roles for AURKB in mitosis. Our data suggest combinations of AURKB inhibitors and DNA damaging agents could be of therapeutic importance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Moran, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pfister, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sathyan, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vignero, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burke, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stukenberg, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.27.446025</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[AURKB/Ipl1 restarts replication forks to recover from replication stress.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.27.446053v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Feasibility of an Inhalable Ultrasound Contrast Agent to Enhance Airway Imaging 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.27.446053v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
IntroductionUltrasound is a relatively inexpensive and non-ionizing imaging modality, but is under-utilized in large airway assessments due to poor image quality. No commercially available contrast agents currently exist for sonographic evaluation of the respiratory system, nor has a respiratory route of microbubble contrast agent (MCA) administration been previously described for the enhancement of airway imaging.

MethodsWe conducted a feasibility study to assess proof-of-concept for an inhalable ultrasound MCA composed of lipid-encapsulated decaflourobutane gas. The MCA was nebulized and administered as an aerosol through the lumen of an ex vivo porcine trachea, with image enhancement evaluated by comparing images pre- and post-exposure. Additionally, primary human bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells from three donors were differentiated at an air-liquid interface and exposed apically to 25 L of undiluted MCA or vehicle control to assess contrast agent-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation. Basolateral medium was collected 24-hours post-exposure and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentrations were measured as biomarkers of cytotoxicity and inflammation, respectively.

ResultsContrast microbubbles remained intact following nebulization and enhanced sonographic delineation of ex vivo porcine tracheal walls, indicating adherence of the nebulized MCA to the lumenal mucosa. No significant cytotoxic or inflammatory effects were observed in cultured hBE cells following exposure to MCA.

ConclusionsWe present proof-of-concept for an inhaled MCA for the enhancement of sonographic evaluations of the large airways. Pending further evaluations for safety and effectiveness, inhaled MCA may be feasible for clinical ultrasound applications, such as enhancing ultrasound-guided tracheal intubation, detecting airway bleeds, or monitoring large airway diseases in pediatric populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clapp, P. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durham, P. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Antinori, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walmer, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chlebowski, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Velasco, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snow, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dayton, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caughey, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.27.446053</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Feasibility of an Inhalable Ultrasound Contrast Agent to Enhance Airway Imaging]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.29.446308v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Experimental demonstration of tethered gene drive systems for confined population modification or suppression 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.29.446308v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Homing gene drives hold great promise for the genetic control of natural populations. However, current homing systems are capable of spreading uncontrollably between populations connected by even marginal levels of migration. This could represent a substantial sociopolitical barrier to the testing or deployment of such drives and may generally be undesirable when the objective is only local population control, such as suppression of an invasive species outside of its native range. Tethered drive systems, in which a locally confined gene drive provides the CRISPR nuclease needed for a homing drive, could provide a solution to this problem, offering the power of a homing drive and confinement of the supporting drive. Here, we demonstrate the engineering of a tethered drive system in Drosophila, using a regionally confined CRISPR Toxin-Antidote Recessive Embryo (TARE) drive to support modification and suppression homing drives. Each drive was able to bias inheritance in its favor, and the TARE drive was shown to spread only when released above a threshold frequency in experimental cage populations. After the TARE drive had established in the population, it facilitated the spread of a subsequently released split homing modification drive (to all individuals in the cage) and of a homing suppression drive (to its equilibrium frequency). Our results show that the tethered drive strategy is a viable and easily engineered option for providing confinement of homing drives to target populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Metzloff, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dhole, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Messer, P. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Champer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.29.446308</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Experimental demonstration of tethered gene drive systems for confined population modification or suppression]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.30.446301v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
High Dimensionality Reduction by Matrix Factorization for Systems Pharmacology 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.30.446301v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The extraction of predictive features from the complex high-dimensional multi-omic data is necessary for decoding and overcoming the therapeutic responses in systems pharmacology. Developing computational methods to reduce high-dimensional space of features in in vitro, in vivo and clinical data is essential to discover the evolution and mechanisms of the drug responses and drug resistance. In this paper, we have utilized the Matrix Factorization (MF) as a modality for high dimensionality reduction in systems pharmacology. In this respect, we have proposed three novel feature selection methods using the mathematical conception of a basis for features. We have applied these techniques as well as three other matrix factorization methods to analyze eight different gene expression datasets to investigate and compare their performance for feature selection. Our results show that these methods are capable of reducing the feature spaces and find predictive features in terms of phenotype determination. The three proposed techniques outperform the other methods used and can extract a 2-gene signature predictive of a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) treatment response in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE).

Key PointsO_LIMatrix Factorization (MF) is a useful framework for high dimensionality reduction in systems pharmacology.
C_LIO_LINovel feature selection methods using the incorporation of the mathematical conception of a basis for features into MF increases the performance of feature selection process.
C_LIO_LIFeature selection based on the basis-concept in MF can provide predictive gene signatures for therapeutic responses in systems pharmacology.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mehrpooya, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saberi-Movahed, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Azizizadeh, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rezaei-Ravari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eftekhari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tavassoly, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.30.446301</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[High Dimensionality Reduction by Matrix Factorization for Systems Pharmacology]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.02.446487v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Raman spectroscopy reveals phenotype switches in breast cancer metastasis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.02.446487v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The accurate analytical characterization of metastatic phenotype at primary tumor diagnosis and its evolution with time are critical for controlling metastatic progression of cancer. Here, we report a label-free optical strategy using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning to identify distinct metastatic phenotypes observed in tumors formed by isogenic murine breast cancer cell lines of progressively increasing metastatic propensities. Our Raman spectra-based random forest analysis provided evidence that machine learning models built on spectral data can allow the accurate identification of metastatic phenotype of independent test tumors. By silencing genes critical for metastasis in highly metastatic cell lines, we showed that the random forest classifiers provided predictions consistent with the observed phenotypic switch of the resultant tumors towards lower metastatic potential. Furthermore, the spectral assessment of lipid and collagen content of these tumors was consistent with the observed phenotypic switch. Overall, our findings indicate that Raman spectroscopy may offer a novel strategy to evaluate metastatic risk during primary tumor biopsies in clinical patients.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Paidi, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Troncoso, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harper, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, K. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ravindranathan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ivers, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zaharoff, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajaram, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barman, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.02.446487</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Raman spectroscopy reveals phenotype switches in breast cancer metastasis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.02.446850v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparative phylogenomic analysis reveals evolutionary genomic changes and novel toxin families in endophytic Liberibacter pathogens 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.02.446850v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Liberibacter pathogens are the causative agents of several severe crop diseases worldwide, including citrus Huanglongbing and potato Zebra Chip. These bacteria are endophytic and non-culturable, which makes experimental approaches challenging and highlights the need for bioinformatic analysis in advancing our understanding about Liberibacter pathogenesis. Here, we performed an in-depth comparative phylogenomic analysis of the Liberibacter pathogens and their free-living, nonpathogenic, ancestral species, aiming to identify the major genomic changes and determinants associated with their evolutionary transitions in living habitats and pathogenicity. We found that prophage loci represent the most variable regions among Liberibacter genomes. Using gene neighborhood analysis and phylogenetic classification, we systematically recovered, annotated, and classified all prophage loci into four types, including one previously unrecognized group. We showed that these prophages originated through independent gene transfers at different evolutionary stages of Liberibacter and only the SC-type prophage was associated with the emergence of the pathogens. Using ortholog clustering, we vigorously identified two additional sets of genomic genes, which were either lost or gained in the ancestor of the pathogens. Consistent with the habitat change, the lost genes were enriched for biosynthesis of cellular building blocks. Importantly, among the gained genes, we uncovered several previously unrecognized toxins, including a novel class of polymorphic toxins, a YdjM phospholipase toxin, and a secreted EEP protein. Our results substantially extend the knowledge on the evolutionary events and potential determinants leading to the emergence of endophytic, pathogenic Liberibacter species and will facilitate the design of functional experiments and the development of new detection and blockage methods of these pathogens.

ImportanceLiberibacter pathogens are associated with several severe crop diseases, including citrus Huanglongbing, the most destructive disease to the citrus industry. Currently, no effective cure or treatments are available, and no resistant citrus variety has been found. The fact that these obligate endophytic pathogens are not culturable has made it extremely challenging to experimentally uncover from the whole genome the genes/proteins important to Liberibacter pathogenesis. Further, earlier bioinformatics studies failed to identify the key genomic determinants, such as toxins and effector proteins, that underlie the pathogenicity of the bacteria. In this study, an in-depth comparative genomic analysis of Liberibacter pathogens together with their ancestral non-pathogenic species identified the prophage loci and several novel toxins that are evolutionarily associated with the emergence of the pathogens. These results shed new lights on the disease mechanism of Liberibacter pathogens and will facilitate the development of new detection and blockage methods targeting the toxins.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tan, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schneider, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Souza, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.02.446850</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparative phylogenomic analysis reveals evolutionary genomic changes and novel toxin families in endophytic Liberibacter pathogens]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.04.446287v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Computer-Assisted Mitotic Count Using a Deep Learning-based Algorithm Improves Inter-Observer Reproducibility and Accuracy in canine cutaneous mast cell tumors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.04.446287v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mitotic count (MC) is an important histological parameter for prognostication of malignant neoplasms. However, it has inter- and intra-observer discrepancies due to difficulties in selecting the region of interest (MC-ROI) and in identifying/classifying mitotic figures (MFs). Recent progress in the field of artificial intelligence has allowed the development of high-performance algorithms that may improve standardization of the MC. As algorithmic predictions are not flawless, the computer-assisted review by pathologists may ensure reliability. In the present study we have compared partial (MC-ROI preselection) and full (additional visualization of MF candidate proposal and display of algorithmic confidence values) computer-assisted MC analysis to the routine (unaided) MC analysis by 23 pathologists for whole slide images of 50 canine cutaneous mast cell tumors (ccMCTs). Algorithmic predictions aimed to assist pathologists in detecting mitotic hotspot locations, reducing omission of MF and improving classification against imposters. The inter-observer consistency for the MC significantly increased with computer assistance (interobserver correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.92) compared to the unaided approach (ICC = 0.70). Classification into prognostic stratifications had a higher accuracy with computer assistance. The algorithmically preselected MC-ROIs had a consistently higher MCs than the manually selected MC-ROIs. Compared to a ground truth (developed with immunohistochemistry for phosphohistone H3), pathologist performance in detecting individual MF was augmented when using computer assistance (F1-score of 0.68 increased to 0.79) with a reduction in false negatives by 38%. The results of this study prove that computer assistance may lead to a more reproducible and accurate MCs in ccMCTs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bertram, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aubreville, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donovan, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilm, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marzahl, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Assenmacher, C.-A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Becker, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bennett, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corner, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cossic, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Denk, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dettwiler, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, B. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gurtner, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haverkamp, A.-K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heier, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lehmbecker, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Merz, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noland, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Plog, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmidt, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sebastian, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sledge, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smedley, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tecilla, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thaiwong, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fuchs-Baumgartinger, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meuten, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breininger, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kiupel, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maier, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klopfleisch, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.04.446287</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Computer-Assisted Mitotic Count Using a Deep Learning-based Algorithm Improves Inter-Observer Reproducibility and Accuracy in canine cutaneous mast cell tumors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.11.448072v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Holosteans contextualize the role of the teleost genome duplication in promoting the rise of evolutionary novelties in the ray-finned fish innate immune system 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.11.448072v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Over 99% of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) are teleosts, a clade that comprises half of all living vertebrates that have diversified across virtually all fresh and saltwater ecosystems. This ecological diversity raises the question of how the immunogenetic diversity required to persist under heterogeneous pathogen pressures evolved. The teleost genome duplication (TGD) has been hypothesized as the evolutionary event that provided the genomic substrate for rapid genomic evolution and innovation. However, studies of putative teleost-specific innate immune receptors have been largely limited to comparisons either among teleosts or between teleosts and distantly related vertebrate clades such as tetrapods. Here we describe and characterize the receptor diversity of two clustered innate immune gene families in the teleost sister lineage: Holostei (bowfin and gars). Using genomic and transcriptomic data, we provide a detailed investigation of the phylogenetic history and conserved synteny of gene clusters encoding diverse immunoglobulin domain-containing proteins (DICPs) and novel immune-type receptors (NITRs). These data demonstrate an ancient linkage of DICPs to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and reveal an evolutionary origin of NITR variable-joining (VJ) exons that predate the TGD by at least 50 million years. Further characterizing the receptor diversity of Holostean DICPs and NITRs illuminates a sequence diversity that rivals the diversity of these innate immune receptor families in many teleosts. Taken together, our findings provide important historical context for the evolution of these gene families that challenge prevailing expectations concerning the consequences of the TGD during actinopterygiian evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dornburg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wcisel, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zapfe, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferraro, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roupe-Abrams, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, A. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Braasch, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ota, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoder, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.11.448072</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Holosteans contextualize the role of the teleost genome duplication in promoting the rise of evolutionary novelties in the ray-finned fish innate immune system]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.13.448257v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid Characterization of Human Serum Albumin Binding for Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.13.448257v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of synthetic chemicals that accumulate in the environment. Many proteins, including the primary human serum transport protein albumin (HSA), bind PFAS. The predictive power of physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling approaches are currently limited by a lack of experimental data defining albumin binding properties for most PFAS. A novel thermal denaturation assay was optimized to evaluate changes in thermal stability of HSA in the presence of increasing concentrations of known ligands and a structurally diverse set of PFAS. Assay performance was initially evaluated for fatty acids and HSA binding drugs ibuprofen and warfarin. Concentration response relationships were determined and dissociation constants (Kd) for each compound were calculated using regression analysis of the dose-dependent changes in HSA melting temperature. Estimated Kd values for HSA binding of octanoic acid, decanoic acid, hexadecenoic acid, ibuprofen and warfarin agreed with established values. The binding affinities for 24 PFAS that included perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (C4-C12), perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (C4-C8), mono- and polyether perfluoroalkyl ether acids, and polyfluoroalkyl fluorotelomer substances were determined. These results demonstrate the utility of this differential scanning fluorimetry assay as a rapid high through-put approach for determining the relative protein binding properties and identification of chemical structures involved in binding for large numbers of structurally diverse PFAS.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jackson, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scheibly, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polera, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.13.448257</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid Characterization of Human Serum Albumin Binding for Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.16.448770v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluation of RNAlater™ as a field-compatible preservation method for metaproteomic analyses of bacteria-animal symbioses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.16.448770v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Field studies are central to environmental microbiology and microbial ecology as they enable studies of natural microbial communities. Metaproteomics, the study of protein abundances in microbial communities, allows to study these communities  in situ which requires protein preservation directly in the field as protein abundance patterns can change rapidly after sampling. Ideally, a protein preservative for field deployment works rapidly and preserves the whole proteome, is stable in long-term storage, is non-hazardous and easy to transport, and is available at low cost. Although these requirements might be met by several protein preservatives, an assessment of their suitability in field conditions when targeted for metaproteomics is currently lacking. Here, we compared the protein preservation performance of flash freezing and the preservation solution RNAlater using the marine gutless oligochaete Olavius algarvensis and its symbiotic microbes as a test case. In addition, we evaluated long-term RNAlater storage after 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks at room temperature (22-23 {degrees}C). We evaluated protein preservation using one dimensional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (1D-LC-MS/MS). We found that RNAlater and flash freezing preserved proteins equally well in terms of total number of identified proteins or relative abundances of individual proteins and none of the test time points were altered compared to t0. Moreover, we did not find biases against specific taxonomic groups or proteins with particular biochemical properties. Based on our metaproteomics data and the logistical requirements for field deployment we recommend RNAlater for protein preservation of field-collected samples when targeted for metaproteomcis.

ImportanceMetaproteomics, the large-scale identification and quantification of proteins from microbial communities, provides direct insights into the phenotypes of microorganisms on the molecular level. To ensure the integrity of the metaproteomic data, samples need to be preserved immediately after sampling to avoid changes in protein abundance patterns. In laboratory set-ups samples for proteomic analyses are most commonly preserved by flash freezing; however, liquid nitrogen or dry ice is often unavailable at remote field locations due to its hazardous nature and transport restrictions. Our study shows that RNAlater can serve as a low hazard, easy to transport alternative to flash freezing for field preservation of samples for metaproteomics. We show that RNAlater preserves the metaproteome equally well as compared to flash freezing and protein abundance patterns remain stable during long-term storage for at least 4 weeks at room temperature.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jensen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wippler, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.16.448770</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluation of RNAlater™ as a field-compatible preservation method for metaproteomic analyses of bacteria-animal symbioses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.27.450077v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gut microbiota of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) vary across natural and captive populations and correlate with environmental microbiota 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.27.450077v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundInter-population variation in host-associated microbiota reflects differences in the hosts environments, but this characterization is typically based on studies comparing few populations. The diversity of natural habitats and captivity conditions occupied by any given host species has not been captured in these comparisons. Moreover, intraspecific variation in gut microbiota, generally attributed to diet, may also stem from differential acquisition of environmental microbes - an understudied mechanism by which host microbiomes are directly shaped by environmental microbes. To more comprehensively characterize gut microbiota in an ecologically flexible host, the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta; n = 209), while also investigating the role of environmental acquisition, we used 16S rRNA sequencing of lemur gut and soil microbiota sampled from up to 13 settings, eight in the wilderness of Madagascar and five in captivity in Madagascar or the U.S. Based on matched fecal and soil samples, we used source-sink ecological theory to examine covariation between the two types of consortia.

ResultsThe diversity of lemur gut microbes varied markedly within and between settings. Microbial diversity was not consistently greater in wild than in captive lemurs, indicating that this metric is not necessarily an indicator of host habitat or condition. Variation in microbial composition was inconsistent with either a single, representative gut community for wild conspecifics or a universal  signal of captivity that homogenizes the gut consortia of captive animals. Despite the similar, commercial diets of captive lemurs on both continents, lemurs within Madagascar were compositionally most similar, suggesting that non-dietary factors govern some of the variability. In particular, soil microbial communities were most distinct between the two continents, and there was significant and context-specific covariation between lemur gut and soil microbiota.

ConclusionsAs one of the broadest, single-species investigations of primate microbiota, our study highlights that gut consortia are sensitive to multiple scales of environmental differences. This finding begs a reevaluation of the simple  captive vs. wild dichotomy. Beyond the important implications for animal care, health, and conservation, our finding that environmental acquisition may mediate aspects of host-associated consortia further expands the framework for how host-associated and environmental microbes interact across different microbial landscapes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bornbusch, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greene, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahobilalaina, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calkins, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rothman, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clarke, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LaFleur, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drea, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.27.450077</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gut microbiota of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) vary across natural and captive populations and correlate with environmental microbiota]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.28.450219v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Systems Genetics of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms at the Drosophila Obp56h Locus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.28.450219v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Variation in quantitative traits arises from naturally segregating alleles with environmentally sensitive effects, but how individual variants in single genes affect the genotype-phenotype map and molecular phenotypes is not understood. We used CRISPR/Cas9 germline gene editing to generate naturally occurring variants with different site classes and allele frequencies in the Drosophila melanogaster Obp56h gene in a common genetic background. Single base pair changes caused large allele-specific and sexually dimorphic effects on the mean and micro-environmental variance for multiple fitness-related traits and in the Obp56h co-regulated transcriptome. However, these alleles were not associated with quantitative traits in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, suggesting that the small allelic effects observed in genome wide association studies may be an artifact of averaging variable context-dependent allelic effects over multiple genetic backgrounds. Thus, the traditional infinitesimal additive model does not reflect the underlying biology of quantitative traits.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mokashi, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shankar, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnstun, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T. F. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anholt, R. R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-06-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.28.450219</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Systems Genetics of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms at the Drosophila Obp56h Locus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-06-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.29.450434v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Promoting long-term forest landscape resilience in the Lake Tahoe basin 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.29.450434v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Rapid environmental changes expected in the 21st century challenge the resilience of wildlands around the world. The western portion of the Lake Tahoe basin (LTW) in California is an important ecological and cultural hotspot that is at risk of degradation from current and future environmental pressures. Historical uses, fire suppression, and a changing climate have created forest landscape conditions at risk of drought stress, destructive fire, and loss of habitat diversity. We prospectively modeled forest landscape conditions for a period of 100 years to evaluate the efficacy of five unique management scenarios in achieving desired landscape conditions across the 23,600 hectares of LTW. Management scenarios ranged from no management other than fire suppression to applying treatments consistent with historical fire frequencies and extent (i.e., regular and broadscale biomass reduction). We developed a decision support tool to evaluate environmental and social outcomes within a single framework to provide a transparent set of costs and benefits; results illuminated underlying mechanisms of forest resilience and provided actionable guidance to decision makers. Sixteen attributes were assessed in the model after assigning weights to each, derived through a survey of stakeholder priorities, so that the contribution of each attribute to evaluations of scenario performance was influenced by the combined priorities of stakeholders. We found that removing forest biomass across the landscape, particularly when accomplished using extensive fire-based removal techniques, led to highly favorable conditions for environmental quality and promoting overall landscape resilience. Environmental conditions resulting from extensive fire-based biomass removal also had nominal variation over time, in contrast with strategies that had less extensive and/or used physical removal techniques, namely thinning. Our analysis provided a transparent approach to data assessment, considering the priorities of stakeholders, to provide insights into the complexities of maintaining optimal conditions and managing landscapes to promote ecosystem resilience in a changing world.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Abelson, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reynolds, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Long, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maxwell, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manley, P. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.06.29.450434</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Promoting long-term forest landscape resilience in the Lake Tahoe basin]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.01.450756v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Flavonols and dihydroflavonols inhibit the main protease activity of SARS-CoV-2 and the replication of human coronavirus 229E 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.01.450756v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Since December 2019, the deadly novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the current COVID-19 pandemic. To date, vaccines are available in the developed countries to prevent the infection of this virus, however, medicines are necessary to help control COVID-19. Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) causes the common cold. The main protease (Mpro) is an essential enzyme required for the multiplication of these two viruses in the host cells, and thus is an appropriate candidate to screen potential medicinal compounds. Flavonols and dihydroflavonols are two groups of plant flavonoids. In this study, we report docking simulation with two Mpro enzymes and five flavonols and three dihydroflavonols, in vitro inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, and in vitro inhibition of the HCoV 229E replication. The docking simulation results predicted that (+)-dihydrokaempferol, (+)-dihydroquercetin, (+)-dihydromyricetin, kaempferol, quercetin, myricentin, isoquercetin, and rutin could bind to at least two subsites (S1, S1, S2, and S4) in the binding pocket and inhibit the activity of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Their affinity scores ranged from -8.8 to -7.4. Likewise, these compounds were predicted to bind and inhibit the HCoV-229E Mpro activity with affinity scores ranging from -7.1 to -7.8. In vitro inhibition assays showed that seven available compounds effectively inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro activity and their IC50 values ranged from 0.125 to 12.9 {micro}M. Five compounds inhibited the replication of HCoV-229E in Huh-7 cells. These findings indicate that these antioxidative flavonols and dihydroflavonols are promising candidates for curbing the two viruses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scholle, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kisthardt, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.01.450756</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Flavonols and dihydroflavonols inhibit the main protease activity of SARS-CoV-2 and the replication of human coronavirus 229E]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.05.451204v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Population-level inference for home-range areas 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.05.451204v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIHome-range estimates are a common product of animal tracking data, as each range informs on the area needed by a given individual. Population-level inference on home-range areas--where multiple individual home-ranges are considered to be sampled from a population--is also important to evaluate changes over time, space, or covariates, such as habitat quality or fragmentation, and for comparative analyses of species averages. Population-level home-range parameters have traditionally been estimated by first assuming that the input tracking data were sampled independently when calculating home ranges via conventional kernel density estimation (KDE) or minimal convex polygon (MCP) methods, and then assuming that those individual home ranges were measured exactly when calculating the population-level estimates. This conventional approach does not account for the temporal autocorrelation that is inherent in modern tracking data, nor for the uncertainties of each individual home-range estimate, which are often large and heterogeneous.
C_LIO_LIHere, we introduce a statistically and computationally efficient framework for the population-level analysis of home-range areas, based on autocorrelated kernel density estimation (AKDE), that can account for variable temporal autocorrelation and estimation uncertainty.
C_LIO_LIWe apply our method to empirical examples on lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), kinkajou (Potos flavus), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus), and spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), and quantify differences between species, environments, and sexes.
C_LIO_LIOur approach allows researchers to more accurately compare different populations with different movement behaviors or sampling schedules, while retaining statistical precision and power when individual home-range uncertainties vary. Finally, we emphasize the estimation of effect sizes when comparing populations, rather than mere significance tests.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deznabi, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alavi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crofoot, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hirsch, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Medici, E. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noonan, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fagan, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheldon, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calabrese, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.05.451204</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Population-level inference for home-range areas]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.08.451723v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Legionella pneumophila targets autophagosomes and promotes host autophagy during late infection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.08.451723v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Autophagy is a fundamental eukaryotic process that mediates clearance of unwanted molecules and facilitates nutrient release. The bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila establishes an intracellular niche within phagocytes by manipulating host cellular processes, such as autophagy. Effector proteins translocated by L. pneumophilas Dot/Icm type IV secretion system have been shown to suppress autophagy. However evidence suggests that overall inhibition of autophagy may be detrimental to the bacterium. As autophagy contributes to cellular homeostasis and nutrient acquisition, L. pneumophila may translocate effectors that promote autophagy for these benefits. Here, we show that effector protein Lpg2411 binds phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate lipids and preferentially binds autophagosomes. Translocated Lpg2411 accumulates late during infection and co-localizes with the autophagy receptor p62 and ubiquitin. Furthermore, autophagy is inhibited to a greater extent in host cells infected with a mutant strain lacking Lpg2411 compared to those infected with wild-type L. pneumophila, indicating that Lpg2411 stimulates autophagy to support the bacteriums intracellular lifestyle.

SummaryLegionella pneumophila translocates several effector proteins that inhibit autophagic processes. In this study, we find that the effector protein Lpg2411 targets autophagosomes during late stages of infection and promotes autophagy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Noll, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pike, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lehman, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williamson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neunuebel, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.08.451723</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Legionella pneumophila targets autophagosomes and promotes host autophagy during late infection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.16.452638v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Beneficial Lactiplantibacillus plantarum promote Drosophila growth by down-regulating the expression of PGRP-SC1 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.16.452638v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Animals and their commensal bacteria are known to reciprocally influence many traits of their physiology. Specifically, microbes contribute to the maintenance of the immune system homeostasis, improve host digestive processes, and sustain host growth and development. Several studies have reported that such effects result from an intricate network of nutritional, metabolic and immune inputs and partly rely on the capacity of microbes to regulate the hosts transcriptional response. However, these evidences mainly come from comparing the transcriptional response caused by commensal bacteria with that of axenic animals, making it difficult to identify the specific animal genes that are regulated by beneficial microbes. Here, we employ a well-established model of nutritional symbiosis, Drosophila melanogaster associated with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, to understand the host genetic pathways regulated by beneficial bacteria and leading to improved host growth and development. Using isogenic L. plantarum strains bearing different growth-promoting effects, we show that the microbial benefit to the host relies on the down-regulation of peptidoglycan- recognition proteins. In particular, we report that the lower expression of PGRP-SC1 exerted by growth-promoting bacteria is responsible for their higher proliferation and the consequent increased production of beneficial metabolites, which ultimately leads to improved host growth and development. Our study helps elucidate the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect exerted by commensal bacteria, defining the role of PGRP-SC1 in the relationship between Drosophila and its gut microbes.

IMPORTANCECommensal bacteria are in constant association with their animal hosts, significantly affecting animal physiology through an intricate network of nutritional, metabolic and immune inputs. Yet, how beneficial bacteria specifically improve animal health is not fully understood. Here, we used a well-established model of nutritional symbiosis to understand how beneficial gut microbes improve host growth via regulation of its transcriptional response. Our study advances the current knowledge in host-microbe interactions by demonstrating that commensal bacteria improve fly growth by actively regulating the expression of immune effectors, which lead to higher immune tolerance. This leads to higher bacterial proliferation and the increased production of beneficial microbial metabolites, which are then consumed by the host. Our results shed light on the complex mechanisms underlying the relationships between a host and its gut microbes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gallo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vento, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joncour, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quagliariello, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maritan, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martino, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.16.452638</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Beneficial Lactiplantibacillus plantarum promote Drosophila growth by down-regulating the expression of PGRP-SC1]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.20.453169v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluation of sample preservation and storage methods for metaproteomics analysis of intestinal microbiomes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.20.453169v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A critical step in studies of the intestinal microbiome using meta-omics approaches is the preservation of samples before analysis. Preservation is essential for approaches that measure gene expression, such as metaproteomics, which is used to identify and quantify proteins in microbiomes. Intestinal microbiome samples are typically stored by flash freezing and storage at -80{degrees}C, but some experimental set-ups do not allow for immediate freezing of samples. In this study, we evaluated methods to preserve fecal microbiome samples for metaproteomics analyses when flash freezing is not possible. We collected fecal samples from C57BL/6 mice and stored them for 1 and 4 weeks using the following methods: flash-freezing in liquid nitrogen, immersion in RNAlater, immersion in 95% ethanol, immersion in a RNAlater-like buffer, and combinations of these methods. After storage we extracted protein and prepared peptides for LC-MS/MS analysis to identify and quantify peptides and proteins. All samples produced highly similar metaproteomes, except for ethanol-preserved samples that were distinct from all other samples in terms of protein identifications and protein abundance profiles. Flash-freezing and RNAlater (or RNAlater-like treatments) produced metaproteomes that differed only slightly, with less than 0.7% of identified proteins differing in abundance. In contrast, ethanol preservation resulted in an average of 9.5% of the identified proteins differing in abundance between ethanol and the other treatments. Our results suggest that preservation at room temperature in RNAlater, or an RNAlater-like solution, performs as well as freezing for the preservation of intestinal microbiome samples before metaproteomics analyses.

ImportanceMetaproteomics is a powerful tool to study the intestinal microbiome. By identifying and quantifying a large number of microbial, dietary, and host proteins in microbiome samples, metaproteomics provides direct evidence of the activities and functions of microbial community members. A critical step for metaproteomic workflows is preserving samples before analysis because protein profiles are susceptible to fast change in response to changes in environmental conditions (air exposure, temperature changes, etc.). This study evaluated the effects of different preservation treatments on the metaproteomes of intestinal microbiome samples.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mordant, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.20.453169</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluation of sample preservation and storage methods for metaproteomics analysis of intestinal microbiomes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.21.452357v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Herbarium specimens reveal herbivory patterns across the genus Cucurbita 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.21.452357v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
PREMISEQuantifying how closely related plant species differ in susceptibility to insect herbivory is important for our understanding of variation in plant-insect ecological interactions and evolutionary pressures on plant functional traits. However, empirically measuring in situ variation in herbivory over the entire geographic range where a plant-insect complex occurs is logistically difficult. Recently, new methods have been developed to use herbarium specimens to investigate patterns in plant-insect interactions across geographic areas, and during periods of accelerating anthropogenic change. Such investigations can provide insights into changes in herbivory intensity and phenology in plants that are of ecological and agricultural importance.

METHODSHere, we analyze 274 pressed herbarium samples from all 14 species in the economically important plant genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae) to investigate variation in herbivory damage. This collection is comprised of specimens of wild, undomesticated Cucurbita that were collected from across their native range in the Neotropics and subtropics, and Cucurbita cultivars that were collected from both within their native range and from locations where they have been introduced for agriculture in temperate Eastern North America.

RESULTSWe find that herbivory is common on individuals of all Cucurbita species collected from throughout their geographic ranges; however, estimates of herbivory varied considerably among individuals, with greater damage observed in specimens collected from unmanaged habitat. We also find evidence that mesophytic species accrue more insect damage than xerophytic species.

CONCLUSIONSOur study demonstrates that herbarium specimens are a useful resource for understanding ecological interactions between domesticated crop plants and co-evolved insect herbivores.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jenny, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shapiro, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davies, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pierce, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meineke, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.21.452357</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Herbarium specimens reveal herbivory patterns across the genus Cucurbita]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.26.453902v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modelling porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus dynamics to quantify the contribution of multiple modes of transmission: between-farm animal and vehicle movements, farm-to-farm proximity, feed ingredients, and re-break 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.26.453902v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Accounting for multiple modes of livestock disease dissemination in epidemiological models remains a challenge. We developed and calibrated a mathematical model for transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), tailored to fit nine modes of between-farm transmission pathways including: farm-to-farm proximity (local transmission), contact network of batches of pigs transferred between farms (pig movements), re-break probabilities for farms with previous PRRSV outbreaks, with the addition of four different contact networks of transportation vehicles (vehicles to transport pigs to farms, pigs to markets, feed and crew) and the amount of animal by-products within feed ingredients (e.g. animal fat or meat and bone meal). The model was calibrated on weekly PRRSV outbreaks data. We assessed the role of each transmission pathway considering the dynamics of specific types of production (i.e., sow, nursery). Although our results estimated that the networks formed by transportation vehicles were more densely connected than the network of pigs transported between-farms, pig movements and farm proximity were the main PRRSV transmission routes regardless of farm types. Among the four vehicle networks, vehicles transporting pigs to farms explained a large proportion of infections, sow = 20.9%; nursery = 15%; and finisher = 20.6%. The animal by-products showed a limited association with PRRSV outbreaks through descriptive analysis, and our model results showed that the contribution of animal fat contributed only 2.5% and meat and bone meal only 0.03% of the infected sow farms. Our work demonstrated the contribution of multiple routes of PRRSV dissemination, which has not been deeply explored before. It also provides strong evidence to support the need for cautious, measured PRRSV control strategies for transportation vehicles and further research for feed by-products modeling. Finally, this study provides valuable information and opportunities for the swine industry to focus effort on the most relevant modes of PRRSV between-farm transmission.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corzo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-07-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.07.26.453902</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modelling porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus dynamics to quantify the contribution of multiple modes of transmission: between-farm animal and vehicle movements, farm-to-farm proximity, feed ingredients, and re-break]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-07-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.04.454914v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mites alight! Sunflower crop area and pollen supplementation enhance honey bee resistance to Varroa destructor 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.04.454914v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anthropogenic landscape changes can affect parasite epidemiology in wild and agricultural animals. Honey bees are agricultural animals whose services are threatened by loss of floral resources and by parasites, most notably the invasive mite Varroa destructor. Existing mite control strategies rely heavily on chemical treatments that can adversely affect bees. Alternative, pesticide-free control methods are urgently needed to maintain effective pollination services. Many flowering plants provide nectar and pollen that enhance resistance to parasites in animals. Enrichment of landscapes with antiparasitic floral resources could therefore provide a sustainable means of parasite control in pollinators.

Floral rewards of Asteraceae plants have been shown to reduce parasitic infection in diverse bee species, including honey and bumble bees. Here, we tested the effects of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cropland and pollen supplementation on honey bee resistance to macro- and microparasites. Our results show that each doubling of sunflower crop area is associated with a 28% reduction in mite infestation intensity. Late-summer supplementation of colonies with sunflower pollen reduced mite infestation by 2.75-fold relative to an artificial pollen. Our findings suggest the potential for sunflower plantings or pollen supplements to counteract a main driver of honey bee losses worldwide.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Palmer-Young, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malfi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joyce, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitehead, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Wyk, J. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baylis, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grubbs, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopez, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Evans, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Irwin, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adler, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.04.454914</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mites alight! Sunflower crop area and pollen supplementation enhance honey bee resistance to Varroa destructor]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.14.456355v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Integration of transcriptomics and network analysis reveals co-expressed genes in Frankliniella occidentalis larval guts that respond to tomato spotted wilt virus infection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.14.456355v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundThe arthropod gut is the first barrier to infection by viruses that are internally borne and transmitted persistently by arthropod vectors to plant and animal hosts. Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), a plant-pathogenic virus, is transmitted exclusively by thrips vectors in a circulative-propagative manner. Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips), the principal thrips vector of TSWV, is transmission-competent only if the virus is acquired by young larvae. To begin to understand the larval gut response to TSWV infection and accumulation, a genome- assisted, transcriptomic analysis of F. occidentalis gut tissues of first (early L1) and second (early L2 and late L2) instar larvae was conducted using RNA-Seq to identify differentially-expressed transcripts (DETs) in response to TSWV compared to non- exposed cohorts.

ResultsThe larval gut responded in a developmental stage-dependent manner, with the majority of DETs (71%) associated with the early L1 stage at a time when virus infection is limited to the midgut epithelium. Provisional annotations of these DETs inferred roles in digestion and absorption, insect innate immunity, and detoxification. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis using all assembled transcripts of the gut transcriptome revealed eight gene modules that distinguish the larval development. Intra-module interaction network analysis of three most DET- enriched modules revealed ten central hub genes. Droplet digital PCR-expression analyses of select network hub and connecting genes revealed temporally-dynamic changes in gut expression during and post exposure to TSWV.

ConclusionThese findings expand our understanding of the developmentally-mediated interaction between thrips vectors and orthotospoviruses, and provide opportunities for probing pathways for biomarkers of thrips vector competence.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Han, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.14.456355</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Integration of transcriptomics and network analysis reveals co-expressed genes in Frankliniella occidentalis larval guts that respond to tomato spotted wilt virus infection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.17.456653v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Novel Power-Amplified Jumping Behavior in Larval Beetles (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.17.456653v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Larval insects use many methods for locomotion. Here we describe a previously unknown jumping behavior in a group of beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). We analyze and describe this behavior in Laemophloeus biguttatus and provide information on similar observations for another laemophloeid species, Placonotus testaceus. Laemophloeus biguttatus larvae prelude jumps by arching their body while gripping the substrate with their legs over a period of 0.22 {+/-} 0.17s. This is followed by a rapid ventral curling of the body after the larvae releases its grip that launches them into the air. Larvae reached takeoff velocities of 0.47 {+/-} 0.15 m s-1 and traveled 11.2 {+/-} 2.8 mm (1.98 {+/-} 0.8 body lengths) horizontally and 7.9 {+/-} 4.3 mm (1.5 {+/-} 0.9 body lengths) vertically during their jumps. Conservative estimates of power output revealed that not all jumps can be explained by direct muscle power alone, suggesting Laemophloeus biguttatus uses a latch-mediated spring actuation mechanism (LaMSA) in which interaction between the larvaes legs and the substrate serves as the latch. MicroCT scans and SEM imaging of larvae did not reveal any notable modifications that would aid in jumping. Although more in-depth experiments could not be performed to test hypotheses on the function of these jumps, we posit that this behavior is used for rapid locomotion which is energetically more efficient than crawling the same distance to disperse from their ephemeral habitat. We also summarize and discuss jumping behaviors among insect larvae for additional context of this behavior in laemophloeid beetles.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bertone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gibson, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seago, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoshida, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.17.456653</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Novel Power-Amplified Jumping Behavior in Larval Beetles (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.17.456682v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single cell based high-throughput Ig and TCR repertoire sequencing analysis in rhesus macaques 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.17.456682v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent advancements in microfluidics and high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled recovery of paired heavy- and light-chains of immunoglobulins (Ig) and VDJ- and VJ-chains of T cell receptors (TCR) from thousands of single cells simultaneously in humans and mice. Despite rhesus macaques being one of the most well-studied model organisms for the human adaptive immune response, high-throughput single cell immune repertoire sequencing assays are not yet available due to the complexity of these polyclonal receptors. Here we employed custom primers that capture all known rhesus macaque Ig and TCR isotypes and chains that are fully compatible with a commercial solution for single cell immune repertoire profiling. Using these rhesus specific assays, we sequenced Ig and TCR repertoires in over 60,000 cells from cryopreserved rhesus PBMC, splenocytes, and FACS-sorted B and T cells. We were able to recover every Ig isotype and TCR chain, measure clonal expansion in proliferating T cells, and pair Ig and TCR repertoires with gene expression profiles of the same single cells. Our results establish the ability to perform high-throughput immune repertoire analysis in rhesus macaques at the single cell level.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Walsh, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollison, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brochu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shaw, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diveley, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chou, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Law, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kirk, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gale, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.17.456682</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single cell based high-throughput Ig and TCR repertoire sequencing analysis in rhesus macaques]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.20.457131v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
brca2-mutant zebrafish exhibit context- and tissue-dependent alterations in cell phenotypes and response to injury 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.20.457131v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cancer cells frequently co-opt molecular programs that are normally activated in specific contexts, such as embryonic development and the response to injury. Determining the impact of cancer-associated mutations on cellular phenotypes within these discrete contexts can provide new insight into how such mutations lead to dysregulated cell behaviors and subsequent cancer onset. Here we assess the impact of heritable BRCA2 mutation on embryonic development and the injury response using a zebrafish model (Danio rerio). Unlike most mouse models for BRCA2 mutation, brca2-mutant zebrafish are fully viable and thus provide a unique tool for assessing both embryonic and adult phenotypes. We find that maternally provided brca2 is critical for normal oocyte development and embryonic survival in zebrafish, suggesting that embryonic lethality associated with BRCA2 mutation is likely to reflect defects in both meiotic and embryonic developmental programs. On the other hand, we find that adult brca2-mutant zebrafish exhibit aberrant proliferation of several cell types under basal conditions and in response to injury in tissues at high risk for cancer development. These divergent effects exemplify the often-paradoxical outcomes that occur in embryos (embryonic lethality) versus adult animals (cancer predisposition) with mutations in cancer susceptibility genes such as BRCA2. The altered cell behaviors identified in brca2-mutant embryonic and adult tissues, particularly in adult tissues at high risk for cancer, indicate that the effects of BRCA2 mutation on cellular phenotypes are both context- and tissue-dependent.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kouprianov, V. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Selmek, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferguson, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mo, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shive, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.20.457131</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[brca2-mutant zebrafish exhibit context- and tissue-dependent alterations in cell phenotypes and response to injury]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.23.457411v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Woodsmoke particulates alter expression of antiviral host response genes in human nasal epithelial cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a sex-dependent manner 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.23.457411v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We have previously shown that exposure to particulate air pollution, both from natural and anthropogenic sources, alters gene expression in the airways and increases susceptibility to respiratory viral infection. Additionally, we have shown that woodsmoke particulates (WSP) affect responses to influenza in a sex-dependent manner. In the present study, we used human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) from both sexes to investigate how particulate exposure could modulate gene expression in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used diesel exhaust particulate (DEP) as well as WSP derived from eucalyptus or red oak wood. HNECs were exposed to particulates at a concentration of 22 g/cm2 for 2 h then immediately infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a MOI (multiplicity of infection) of 0.5. Exposure to particulates had no significant effects on viral load recovered from infected cells. Without particulate exposure, hNECs from both sexes displayed a robust upregulation of antiviral host response genes, though the response was greater in males. However, WSP exposure before infection dampened expression of genes related to the antiviral host response by 72 h post infection. Specifically, red oak WSP downregulated IFIT1, IFITM3, IFNB1, MX1, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL11, CXCL10, and DDX58, among others. After sex stratification of these results, we found that exposure to WSP prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection downregulated anti-viral gene expression in hNECs from females more so than males. These data indicate that WSP, specifically from red oak, alter virus-induced gene expression in a sex-dependent manner and potentially suppress antiviral host defense responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brocke, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Billings, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taft-Benz, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alexis, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heise, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jaspers, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.23.457411</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Woodsmoke particulates alter expression of antiviral host response genes in human nasal epithelial cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a sex-dependent manner]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.457564v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic screening of antimicrobial resistance markers in UK and US Campylobacter isolates highlights stability of resistance over an 18 year period 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.457564v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are important bacterial causes of human foodborne illness. Despite several years of reduced antibiotics usage in livestock production in the UK and US, high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) persists in Campylobacter. Both countries have instigated genome sequencing-based surveillance programs for Campylobacter, and here we have identified AMR genes in 32,256 C. jejuni and 8,776 C. coli publicly available genome sequences to compare the prevalence and trends of AMR in Campylobacter isolated in the UK and US between 2001-2018. AMR markers were detected in 68% of C. coli and 53% of C. jejuni, with 15% of C. coli being multi-drug resistant (MDR) compared to only 2% of C. jejuni. The prevalence of aminoglycoside, macrolide, quinolone and tetracycline resistance remained fairly stable from 2001-2018 in both C. jejuni and C. coli, but statistically significant differences were observed between the UK and US. There was a statistically significant higher prevalence of aminoglycoside and tetracycline resistance for US C. coli and C. jejuni, and macrolide resistance for US C. coli. In contrast, UK C. coli and C. jejuni showed a significantly higher prevalence of quinolone resistance. Specific MLST clonal complexes (e.g. ST-353/464) showed >95% quinolone resistance. This large-scale comparison of AMR prevalence has shown that the prevalence of AMR remains stable for Campylobacter in the UK and the US. This suggests that antimicrobial stewardship and restricted antibiotic usage may help contain further expansion of AMR prevalence in Campylobacter, but are unlikely to reduce it in the short term.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>van Vliet, A. H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thakur, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prada, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mehat, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>La Ragione, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.24.457564</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic screening of antimicrobial resistance markers in UK and US Campylobacter isolates highlights stability of resistance over an 18 year period]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.457570v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Utilizing Pine Needles to Temporally and Spatially Profile Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.457570v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
As concerns continue to mount over exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), novel methods of profiling their presence and modifications are greatly needed as some have known toxic and bioaccumulative characteristics while others have unknown effects. This task however is not simple as over 5000 PFAS of interest have been named by the Environmental Protection Agency and this list continues to grow daily. In this work, we utilized widely available archived and field-sampled pine needles and a novel non-targeted analytical method to evaluate the temporal and spatial presence of numerous PFAS. Over 70 PFAS were detected in the pine needles from this study, providing information from the last six decades related to PFAS exposure, contamination, and reduction.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kirkwood, K. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reif, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.24.457570</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Utilizing Pine Needles to Temporally and Spatially Profile Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.26.457766v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Health assessment of the pink land iguana, Conolophus marthae. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.26.457766v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The pink land iguana, Conolophus marthae, is one of four species of iguanas (three terrestrial and one marine) in the Galapagos Islands, and the only one listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The species can only be found on the north-west slopes of the highest volcano on the island of Isabela and was first described to science in 2009. As part of a population telemetry study, a health assessment was authorized by the Galapagos National Park. Wild adult iguanas were captured on Wolf Volcano in September 2019 and April 2021 to record morphological and physiological parameters including body temperature, heart rate, body measurements, intraocular pressures, tear formation, and infrared iris images. Blood samples were also collected and analyzed. An i-STAT portable blood analyzer was used to obtain values for base excess in the extracellular fluid compartment (BEECF), glucose, hematocrit, hemoglobin, ionized calcium (iCa), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), percent oxygen saturation (sO2%), pH, potassium (K), and sodium (Na). Standard laboratory hematology techniques were employed for packed-cell-volume (PCV) determination. When possible, data were compared to previously published and available data for the other Galapagos iguanas. The results reported here provide baseline values that may be useful in detecting changes in health status among pink land iguanas affected by climate change, invasive species, anthropogenic threats, or natural disturbances.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lewbart, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gentile, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colosimo, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gerber, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vera, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.26.457766</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Health assessment of the pink land iguana, Conolophus marthae.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.28.456261v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Drone honey bees (Apis mellifera) are disproportionately sensitive to abiotic stressors despite expressing high levels of stress response proteins 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.28.456261v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Drone honey bees (haploid males) are the obligate sexual partners of queens, and the availability of healthy, high-quality drones directly affects a queens fecundity and productivity of her subsequent colony. Yet, our understanding of how stressors affect drone fecundity and physiology is presently limited. We investigated sex biases in susceptibility to abiotic stressors (cold stress, topical imidacloprid exposure, and topical exposure to a realistic cocktail of pesticides), and we found that drones were more sensitive to cold and imidacloprid exposure but the cocktail was not toxic at the concentrations tested. We corroborated this lack of apparent toxicity with in-hive cocktail exposures via pollen feeding. We then used quantitative proteomics to investigate protein expression profiles in the hemolymph of topically exposed workers and drones, and we show that drones express surprisingly high levels of putative stress response proteins relative to workers. Drones apparently invest in strong constitutive expression of damage-mitigating proteins for a wide range of stressors, yet they are still sensitive to stress when challenged. The robust expression of stress-response proteins suggests that drone stress tolerance systems are fundamentally rewired relative to workers, and their susceptibility to stress depends on more than simply gene dose or deleterious recessive alleles.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milone, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Metz, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.28.456261</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Drone honey bees (Apis mellifera) are disproportionately sensitive to abiotic stressors despite expressing high levels of stress response proteins]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.29.458132v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The polyglutamine amyloid nucleus in living cells is monomeric and has competing dimensions of order 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.29.458132v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A long-standing goal of the study of amyloids has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of that event has made it inaccessible to classical biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation by measuring the dependence of amyloid formation on concentration and conformational templates in living cells, whose volumes are sufficiently small to resolve the outcomes of independent nucleation events. We characterized numerous rationally designed sequence variants of polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide that precipitates Huntingtons and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. This effort uncovered a pattern of approximately twelve Qs, only for polypeptides exceeding the clinical length threshold, that allow for amyloid nucleation to occur spontaneously within single polypeptides. Nucleation was inhibited by intermolecular phase separation. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we found that the pattern encodes a minimal steric zipper of interdigitated side chains. Lateral growth of the steric zipper competed with axial growth to produce "pre-amyloid" oligomers. By illuminating the structural mechanism of polyQ amyloid formation in cells, our findings reveal a potential molecular etiology for polyQ diseases, and may provide a roadmap for the design of new therapies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kandola, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venkatesan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lerbakken, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blanck, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unruh, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berry, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lange, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Von Schulze, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Box, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cook, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sagui, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halfmann, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-08-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.08.29.458132</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The polyglutamine amyloid nucleus in living cells is monomeric and has competing dimensions of order]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-08-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.01.458502v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Domestication Reshaped the Genetic Basis of Inbreeding Depression in a Maize Landrace Compared to its Wild Relative, Teosinte 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.01.458502v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Inbreeding depression is the reduction in fitness and vigor resulting from mating of close relatives observed in many plant and animal species. The extent to which the genetic load of mutations contributing to inbreeding depression is due to rare large-effect variation versus potentially more common variants with very small individual effects is unknown and may be affected by population history. We compared the effects of outcrossing and self-fertilization on 18 traits in a landrace population of maize, which underwent a population bottleneck during domestication, and a neighboring population of its wild relative teosinte. Inbreeding depression was greater in maize than teosinte for 15 of 18 traits, congruent with the greater segregating genetic load predicted from sequence data in the maize population. For many traits - and more commonly in maize - genetic variation among selffertilized families was less than expected based on additive and dominance variance estimated in outcrossed families, suggesting that a negative covariance between additive and homozygous dominance effects limits the variation available to selection under partial inbreeding. We identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) representing large-effect rare variants carried by only a single parent, which were more important in teosinte than maize. Teosinte also carried more putative juvenile-acting lethal variants identified by segregation distortion. These results suggest a mixture of mostly polygenic, smalleffect recessive variation underlying inbreeding depression, with an additional contribution from rare larger-effect variants that was more important in teosinte but depleted in maize following to the domestication bottleneck. Purging associated with the maize domestication bottleneck may have selected against large effect variants, but polygenic load is harder to purge and segregating mutational burden increased in maize compared to teosinte.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Samayoa, L. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stetter, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>York, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez-Gonzalez, J. d. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Glaubitz, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradbury, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romay, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doebley, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.01.458502</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Domestication Reshaped the Genetic Basis of Inbreeding Depression in a Maize Landrace Compared to its Wild Relative, Teosinte]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.08.459297v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Efficient transgenesis and homology-directed gene targeting in monolayers of primary human small intestinal and colonic epithelial stem cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.08.459297v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background & Aims2D monolayers of primary intestinal and colonic epithelial cells represent next-generation in vitro models of the gut. Efficient transgenesis and gene-editing in human intestinal stem cells (hISCs) would significantly improve utility of these models by enabling generation of reporter and loss/gain-of-function hISCs, but no published methods exist for transfecting 2D hISC monolayers. Electroporation has proven effective in other difficult-to-transfect cells; thus we applied this method to hISCs.

MethodsTwenty-four electroporation parameters were tested, and the optimal condition for efficiency and viability was validated on hISCs from six anatomical regions along the small intestine and colon. PiggyBac transposase and Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes were used for stable genomic integration of reporter genes. High-throughput methods for clone isolation, expansion, and screening were developed. An hISC OLFM4-emGFP reporter was generated and validated by qPCR, organoid assays, and hISC compartmentalization on a planar crypt-microarray (PCM) device.

ResultsMaximum electroporation efficiency was 79.9% with a mean survival of 65%. Transfection of 105 hISCs produced [~]142 (0.14%) stable transposase-mediated clones. Transfection of OLFM4-targetting RNPs yielded [~]35% editing and 99/220 (45%) of antibiotic-resistant colonies analyzed expressed emGFP. OLFM4-emGFP hISCs applied to PCMs remained emGFP+ and proliferative in high-Wnt3a/R-spondin3/Noggin zones yet differentiated to emGFP-/KRT20+ cells outside engineered crypt zones. OLFM4-emGFP levels correlated with endogenous OLFM4. Olfm4-emGFPhigh cells were LGR5high/KRT20low, and demonstrated high organoid-forming potential.

ConclusionsElectroporation of hISCs is highly efficient for stable transgenesis and transgenic lines can be generated in 3-4 weeks. Workflows mirror conventional culture methods, facilitating rapid integration into established tissue-culture operations. OLFM4high is a robust hISC marker with functional properties in culture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Breau, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ok, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez-Martinez, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burclaff, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kohn, N. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.08.459297</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Efficient transgenesis and homology-directed gene targeting in monolayers of primary human small intestinal and colonic epithelial stem cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.09.459637v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Not so local: the population genetics of convergent adaptation in maize and teosinte. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.09.459637v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
What is the genetic architecture of local adaptation and what is the geographic scale over which it operates? We investigated patterns of local and convergent adaptation in five sympatric population pairs of traditionally cultivated maize and its wild relative teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis). We found that signatures of local adaptation based on the inference of adaptive fixations and selective sweeps are frequently exclusive to individual populations, more so in teosinte compared to maize. However, for both maize and teosinte, selective sweeps are also frequently shared by several populations, and often between subspecies. We were further able to infer that selective sweeps were shared among populations most often via migration, though sharing via standing variation was also common. Our analyses suggest that teosinte has been a continued source of beneficial alleles for maize, even after domestication, and that maize populations have facilitated adaptation in teosinte by moving beneficial alleles across the landscape. Taken together, our results suggest local adaptation in maize and teosinte has an intermediate geographic scale, one that is larger than individual populations but smaller than the species range.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tittes, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorant, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGinty, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doebley, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez-Gonzalez, J. d. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seetharam, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tenaillon, M. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.09.459637</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Not so local: the population genetics of convergent adaptation in maize and teosinte.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.12.459928v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Computation of the mitochondria age distribution along the axon length 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.12.459928v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We describe a compartmental model of mitochondrial transport in axons, which we apply to compute mitochondrial age at different distances from the soma. The model predicts that at the tip of an axon that has a length of 1 cm, the average mitochondrial age is approximately 22 hours. The mitochondria are youngest closest to the soma and their age scales approximately linearly with distance from the soma. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first attempt to predict the spatial distribution of mitochondrial age within an axon. A sensitivity study of the mean age of mitochondria to various model parameters is also presented.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.12.459928</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Computation of the mitochondria age distribution along the axon length]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.15.460568v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A B73 x Palomero Toluqueo mapping population reveals local adaptation in Mexican highland maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.15.460568v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Generations of farmer selection have produced a unique collection of traditional maize varieties adapted to the environmental challenges of the central Mexican highlands. In addition to agronomic and cultural value, Mexican highland maize represents a good system for the study of local adaptation and acquisition of adaptive phenotypes under cultivation. In this study, we characterized a recombinant inbred line population derived from the cross of the B73 reference line and the Mexican highland maize variety Palomero Toluqueno. Evaluation over multiple years in lowland and highland field sites in Mexico identified genomic regions linked to yield components and putatively adaptive morphological traits. A region on chromosome 7 associated with ear weight showed antagonistic allelic effects in lowland and highland fields, suggesting a trade-off consistent with local adaptation. We identified several alleles of highland origin associated with characteristic highland traits, including reduced tassel branching, increased stem pigmentation and the presence of stem macrohairs. The oligogenic architecture of characteristic morphological traits supports their role in adaptation, suggesting they have arisen from consistent directional selection acting at distinct points across the genome. We discuss these results in the context of the origin of phenotypic novelty during selection, commenting on the role of de novo mutation and the acquisition of adaptive variation by gene flow from endemic wild relatives.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Perez-Limon, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cintora-Martinez, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aguilar-Rangel, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Salazar-Vidal, M. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez-Segovia, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blöcher-Juarez, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero-Zavala, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrales-Gamez, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carcano-Macias, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Costich, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nieto-Sotelo, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez-De la Vega, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simpson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diaz-Garcia, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.15.460568</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A B73 x Palomero Toluqueo mapping population reveals local adaptation in Mexican highland maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.17.460862v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Demographic changes of a tropical understory bird in naturally patchy montane habitats in southern India 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.17.460862v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The occurrence, density and survival of a species often depend on various aspects of the habitat that it occupies including patch size and disturbance. The demography of most threatened tropical species largely remain unstudied but could provide valuable information about their biology and insights for their conservation. Our study examined the effect of patch size and disturbance on different demographic parameters of an understory, threatened, endemic bird, the white-bellied shortwing in the tropical biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats in India. We sampled eight plots on a sky-island using mist-nets for four years in a  Robust design mark-recapture framework. Based on model selection using AIC values, the model with survival as a function of disturbance fits the data better than models with abundance or with these parameters modeled as functions of forest patch size. Shortwing density and sex ratio were not different across forest patch sizes or differing disturbance regimes. However, the survival rate of the species significantly decreased with increasing disturbance but was not related to forest patch size. Our study is possibly the first to provide critical baseline information on the demography of a tropical understory species from this region.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Robin, V. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hines, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nichols, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Katti, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sinha, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.17.460862</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Demographic changes of a tropical understory bird in naturally patchy montane habitats in southern India]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.28.462158v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A merger between compatible but divergent genomes supports allopolyploidization in the Brassicaceae family 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.28.462158v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hybridization and polyploidization are pivotal to plant evolution. Genetic crosses between distantly related species rarely occur in nature mainly due to reproductive barriers but how such hurdles can be overcome is largely unknown. xBrassicoraphanus is a fertile intergeneric allopolyploid synthesized between Brassica rapa and Raphanus sativus in the Brassicaceae family. Genomes of B. rapa and R. sativus are diverged enough to suppress synapsis formation between non-homologous progenitor chromosomes during meiosis, and we found that both genomes reside in the single nucleus of xBrassicoraphanus without genome loss or rearrangement. Expressions of syntenic orthologs identified in B. rapa and R. sativus were adjusted to a hybrid nuclear environment of xBrassicoraphanus, which necessitates reconfiguration of transcription network by rewiring cis-trans interactions. B. rapa coding sequences have a higher level of gene-body methylation than R. sativus, and such methylation asymmetry is maintained in xBrassicoraphanus. B. rapa-originated transposable elements were transcriptionally silenced in xBrassicoraphanus, rendered by gain of CHG methylation in trans via small RNAs derived from the same sequences of R. sativus subgenome. Our work proposes that not only transcription compatibility but also a certain extent of genome divergence supports hybrid genome stabilization, which may explain great diversification and expansion of angiosperms during evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shin, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, W. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koh, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soh, H. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Waminal, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belandres, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lim, J. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ahn, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, J.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, Y.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koo, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perumal, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kang, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kang, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, Y. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jeong, H.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lim, Y. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, B.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, T.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, H. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, S.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huh, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.28.462158</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A merger between compatible but divergent genomes supports allopolyploidization in the Brassicaceae family]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.29.462401v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The exchange of vitamin B1 and its biosynthesis intermediates in synthetic microbial communities shapes the community composition and reveals complexities of nutrient sharing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.29.462401v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microbial communities occupy diverse niches in nature, and exchanges of metabolites such as carbon sources, amino acids, and vitamins occur routinely among the community members. While large-scale metagenomic and metabolomic studies shed some light on these exchanges, the contribution of individual species and the molecular details of specific interactions are difficult to track. Here, we explore the molecular picture of vitamin B1 (thiamin) metabolism occurring in synthetic communities of Escherichia coli thiamin auxotrophs which engage in the exchange of thiamin and its biosynthesis intermediates. In E. coli, the two parts of thiamin - the 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine and the 4-methyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)thiazole - are synthesized by separate pathways using enzymes ThiC and ThiG, respectively, and are then joined by ThiE to form thiamin. We observed that even though E. coli {Delta}thiC, {Delta}thiE, and{Delta} thiG mutants are thiamin auxotrophs, co-cultures of{Delta} thiC-{Delta}thiE and{Delta} thiC-{Delta}thiG grow in a thiamin-deficient minimal medium, whereas the{Delta} thiE-{Delta}thiG co-culture does not. Analysis of the exchange of thiamin and its intermediates in Vibrio anguillarum co-cultures, and in mixed co-cultures of V. anguillarum and E. coli revealed that the general pattern of thiamin metabolism and exchange among microbes is conserved across species. Specifically, the microorganisms exchange HMP and thiamin easily among themselves but not THZ. Furthermore, we observe that the availability of exogenous thiamin in the media affects whether these strains interact with each other or grow independently. This underscores the importance of the exchange of essential metabolites as a defining factor in building and modulating synthetic or natural microbial communities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sathe, R. R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paerl, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hazra, A. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.29.462401</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The exchange of vitamin B1 and its biosynthesis intermediates in synthetic microbial communities shapes the community composition and reveals complexities of nutrient sharing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.30.462667v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Laminin switches terminal differentiation fate of human trophoblast stem cells under chemically defined culture conditions. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.30.462667v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) have emerged as a powerful tool to model early placental development in vitro. Analogous to the epithelial cytotrophoblast in the placenta, hTSCs can differentiate into cells of the extravillous trophoblast (EVT) lineage or the multinucleate syncytiotrophoblast (STB). Here we present a chemically defined culture system for STB and EVT differentiation of hTSCs. Notably, in contrast to current approaches, we do not utilize transforming growth factor-beta inhibitors or a passage step for EVT differentiation, or forskolin for STB formation. Strikingly, under these conditions, presence of a single additional extracellular cue - lam-inin-1 - switched the terminal differentiation of hTSCs from STB to the EVT lineage. Activation of the sphingosine-1 receptor 3 receptor (S1PR3) using a chemical agonist could drive EVT differentiation of hTSCs in the absence of exogenous laminin, albeit less efficiently. To illustrate the utility of a chemically defined culture system for mechanistic studies, we examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) signaling during hTSC differentiation to the EVT lineage. Inhibition of PKC/{beta} signaling significantly reduced HLA-G expression and the formation of HLA-G+ mesen-chymal EVTs during hTSC differentiation mediated by laminin exposure; however, it did not prevent commitment to the EVT lineage or STB differentiation. The chemically defined culture system for hTSC differentiation established herein facilitates quantitative analysis of heterogeneity that arises during hTSC differentiation, and will enable mechanistic studies in vitro.

SignificanceDespite its importance to a healthy pregnancy, early human placental development remains poorly understood. Mechanistic studies are impeded by restrictions on research with human embryos and fetal tissues, and significant differences in placentation between humans and commonly used animal models. In this context, human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) have emerged as attractive in vitro models for the epithelial cytotrophoblast of the early gestation human placenta. Here we describe chemically defined culture conditions for differentiation of hTSCs to the two major differentiated cell types - extravillous trophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast. These culture conditions enable in vitro studies to reveal molecular mechanisms regulating hTSC differentiation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Karakis, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McDonald, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cordiner, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mischler, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.30.462667</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Laminin switches terminal differentiation fate of human trophoblast stem cells under chemically defined culture conditions.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.02.462884v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic basis of body shape variation along the benthic-pelagic axis in cichlid fishes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.02.462884v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Divergence along the benthic-pelagic axis is one of the most widespread and repeated patterns of morphological variation in fishes, producing body shape diversity associated with ecology and swimming mechanics. This ecological shift is also the first stage of the explosive adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes in the East African Rift Lakes. We use two hybrid crosses of cichlids (Metriaclima sp. x Aulonocara sp. and Labidochromis sp. x Labeotropheus sp., >975 animals total) along the benthic-pelagic ecomorphological axis to determine the genetic basis of body shape diversification. Using a series of both linear and geometric shape measurements, we identify 55 quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie various aspects of body shape variation associated with benthic-pelagic divergence. These QTL are spread throughout the genome, each explain 3.0-7.2% of phenotypic variation, and are largely modular. Further, QTL are distinct both between these two crosses of Lake Malawi cichlids and compared to previously identified QTL for body shape in fishes such as sticklebacks. We find that body shape is controlled by many genes of small effects. In all, we find that convergent benthic and pelagic body phenotypes commonly observed across fish clades are most likely due to distinct genetic and molecular mechanisms.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeLorenzo, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mathews, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brandon, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joglekar, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carmona Baez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ciccotto, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powder, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.02.462884</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic basis of body shape variation along the benthic-pelagic axis in cichlid fishes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.03.462931v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A critical assessment of the detailed Aedes aegypti simulation model Skeeter Buster 2 using field experiments of indoor insecticidal control in Iquitos, Peru 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.03.462931v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The importance of mosquitoes in human pathogen transmission has motivated major research efforts into mosquito biology in pursuit of more effective vector control measures. Aedes aegypti is a particular concern in tropical urban areas, where it is the primary vector of numerous flaviviruses, including the yellow fever, Zika, and dengue viruses. With an anthropophilic habit, Ae. aegypti prefers houses, human blood meals, and ovipositioning in water-filled containers. We hypothesized that this relatively simple ecological niche should allow us to predict the impacts of insecticidal control measures on mosquito populations. To do this, we use Skeeter Buster 2 (SB2), a stochastic, spatially explicit, mechanistic model of Ae. aegypti population biology. SB2 builds on Skeeter Buster, which reproduced equilibrium dynamics of Ae. aegypti in Iquitos, Peru. Our goal was to predict the response of mosquito populations to perturbations by indoor insecticidal spraying and widespread destructive insect surveys.

To evaluate SB2, we conducted two field experiments in Iquitos, Peru: a smaller pilot study in 2013 (S-2013) followed by a larger experiment in 2014 (L-2014). Here, we compare model predictions with (pre-viously reported) empirical results from these experiments. In both simulated and empirical populations, repeated spraying yielded substantial yet temporary reductions in adult densities. The proportional effects of spraying were broadly comparable between simulated and empirical results, but we found noteworthy differences. In particular, SB2 consistently over-estimated the proportion of nulliparous females and the proportion of containers holding immature mosquitoes. We also observed less temporal variation in simulated surveys of adult abundance relative to corresponding empirical observations. Our results indicate the presence of ecological heterogeneities or sampling processes not effectively represented by SB2. Although additional empirical research could further improve the accuracy and precision of SB2, our results under-score the importance of non-linear dynamics in the response of Ae. aegypti populations to perturbations, and suggest general limits to the fine-grained predictability of its population dynamics over space and time.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gunning, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrison, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okamoto, K. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Astete, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasquez, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.03.462931</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A critical assessment of the detailed Aedes aegypti simulation model Skeeter Buster 2 using field experiments of indoor insecticidal control in Iquitos, Peru]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.05.460818v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A proximal-to-distal survey of healthy adult human small intestine and colon epithelium by single-cell transcriptomics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.05.460818v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background and AimsSingle-cell transcriptomics offer unprecedented resolution of tissue function at the cellular level, yet studies analyzing healthy adult human small intestine and colon are sparse. Here, we present single-cell transcriptomics covering the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ascending, transverse, and descending colon from 3 humans.

Methods12,590 single epithelial cells from three independently processed organ donors were evaluated for organ-specific lineage biomarkers, differentially regulated genes, receptors, and drug targets. Analyses focused on intrinsic cell properties and capacity for response to extrinsic signals along the gut axis across different humans.

ResultCells were assigned to 25 epithelial lineage clusters. Human intestinal stem cells (ISCs) are not specifically marked by many murine ISC markers. Lysozyme expression is not unique to human Paneth cells (PCs), and PCs lack expression of expected niche-factors. BEST4+ cells express NPY and show maturational differences between SI and colon. Tuft cells possess a broad ability to interact with the innate and adaptive immune systems through previously unreported receptors. Some classes of mucins, hormones, cell-junction, and nutrient absorption genes show unappreciated regional expression differences across lineages. Differential expression of receptors and drug targets across lineages reveals biological variation and potential for variegated responses.

ConclusionsOur study identifies novel lineage marker genes; covers regional differences; shows important differences between mouse and human gut epithelium; and reveals insight into how the epithelium responds to the environment and drugs. This comprehensive cell atlas of the healthy adult human intestinal epithelium resolves likely functional differences across anatomical regions along the gastrointestinal tract and advances our understanding of human intestinal physiology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Burclaff, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bliton, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breau, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ok, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez-Martinez, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ranek, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhatt, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Purvis, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woosley, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.05.460818</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A proximal-to-distal survey of healthy adult human small intestine and colon epithelium by single-cell transcriptomics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.08.463691v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Convergent evolution of polyploid genomes from across the eukaryotic tree of life 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.08.463691v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
By modeling the homoeologous gene losses that occurred in fifty genomes deriving from ten distinct polyploidy events, we show that the evolutionary forces acting on polyploids are remarkably similar, regardless of whether they occur in flowering plants, ciliates, fishes or yeasts. The models suggest these events were nearly all allopolyploidies, with two distinct progenitors contributing to the modern species. We show that many of the events show a relative rate of duplicate gene loss prior to the first post-polyploidy speciation that is significantly higher than in later phases of their evolution. The relatively low selective constraint seen for the single-copy genes these losses produced lead us to suggest that most of the purely selectively neutral duplicate gene losses occur in the immediate post-polyploid period. We also find ongoing and extensive reciprocal gene losses (RGL; alternative losses of duplicated ancestral genes) between these genomes. With the exception of a handful of closely related taxa, all of these polyploid organisms are separated from each other by tens to thousands of reciprocal gene losses. As a result, it is very unlikely that viable diploid hybrid species could form between these taxa, since matings between such hybrids would tend to produce offspring lacking essential genes. It is therefore possible that the relatively high frequency of recurrent polyploidies in some lineages may be due to the ability of new polyploidies to bypass RGL barriers.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petterson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyons, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edger, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thorne, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conant, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.08.463691</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Convergent evolution of polyploid genomes from across the eukaryotic tree of life]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.09.463756v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Polygenic sex determination produces modular sex polymorphism in an African cichlid fish 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.09.463756v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
For many vertebrates, a single genetic locus initiates a cascade of developmental sex differences in the gonad and throughout the organism, resulting in adults with two, phenotypically distinct sexes. Species with polygenic sex determination (PSD) have multiple interacting sex determination alleles segregating within a single species, allowing for more than two genotypic sexes, and scenarios where sex genotype at a given locus can be decoupled from gonadal sex. Here we investigate the effects of PSD on secondary sexual characteristics in the cichlid fish Metriaclima mbenjii, where one female (W) and one male (Y) sex determination allele interact to produce siblings with four possible sex classes: ZZXX females, ZWXX females, ZWXY females, and ZZXY males. We find that PSD in M. mbenjii produces an interplay of sex-linkage and sex-limitation resulting in modular variation in morphological and behavioral traits. Further, the evolution or introgression of a novel sex determiner creates additional axes of phenotypic variation for varied traits, including genital morphology, craniofacial morphology, gastrointestinal morphology, and home tank behaviors. In contrast to single-locus sex determination, which broadly results in sexual dimorphism, polygenic sex determination can induce higher-order sexual polymorphism. The modularity of secondary sexual characteristics produced by PSD provides novel context for understanding the evolutionary causes and consequences of maintenance, gain, or loss of sex determination alleles in populations.

Significance StatementSex differences in traits can occur when those traits are modified by genetic factors inherited on sex chromosomes. We investigated how sex differences emerge in a species with more than one set of sex chromosomes, measuring a variety of morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits. Rather than exhibiting sexual dimorphism associated with primary sex, the species has higher-order sexual polymorphism in secondary sexual characteristics, or more than two phenotypic sexes. Variation in secondary sexual characteristics is modular, involving the interplay of sex-linked and sex-limited traits. Our findings provide novel implications for how sex determination systems and whole-organism fitness traits co-evolve, including that significant creation or loss of variation in diverse traits can occur during transitions among sex chromosome systems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ciccotto, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peterson, E. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamm, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Albertson, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.09.463756</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Polygenic sex determination produces modular sex polymorphism in an African cichlid fish]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10.463846v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
On the Use of Z-Scores for Fine-Mapping with Related Individuals 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10.463846v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Fine-mapping causal variants from GWAS loci is challenging in populations with substantial relatedness, such as livestock, as standard methods often assume unrelatedness, leading to poor fine-mapping accuracy. Here, we introduce a comprehensive Bayesian framework to address this. Our approach features BFMAP-SSS for individual-level data, which uses a linear mixed model (LMM) and shotgun stochastic search with simulated annealing. For summary statistics, we develop FINEMAP-adj and SuSiE-adj, novel strategies that directly use standard FINEMAP and SuSiE for samples of related individuals by employing LMM-derived inputs (particularly a relatedness-adjusted linkage disequilibrium matrix). Furthermore, gene-level posterior inclusion probability (PIPgene) is proposed to enhance detection power by aggregating variant signals. Extensive simulations based on pig genotypes show our methods substantially outperform existing tools (FINEMAP, SuSiE, FINEMAP-inf, SuSiE-inf, and GCTA-COJO) in samples of related individuals, achieving notable improvements in fine-mapping accuracy (e.g., up to several-fold increases in AUPRC). PIPgene markedly improves candidate gene identification. Application to Duroc pig traits demonstrates practical utility. This work provides robust, validated methods and associated software and scripts for accurate fine-mapping in populations with complex relatedness.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.10.463846</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[On the Use of Z-Scores for Fine-Mapping with Related Individuals]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.12.464085v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phylogenomic analyses in the apple genus Malus s.l. reveal widespread hybridization and allopolyploidy driving the diversifications, with insights into the complex biogeographic history in the Northern Hemisphere 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.12.464085v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phylogenomic evidence from an increasing number of studies has demonstrated that different data sets and analytical approaches often reconstruct strongly supported but conflicting relationships. In this study, hundreds of single-copy nuclear (SCN) genes (785) and complete plastomes (75) were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships and estimate the historical biogeography of the apple genus Malus sensu lato, an economically important lineage disjunctly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere involved in known and suspected hybridization and allopolyploidy events. The nuclear phylogeny recovered the monophyly of Malus s.l. (including Docynia); however, it was supported to be biphyletic in the plastid phylogeny. An ancient chloroplast capture event best explains the cytonuclear discordance that occurred in the Eocene in western North America. Our conflict analysis demonstrated that ILS, hybridization, and allopolyploidy could explain the widespread nuclear gene tree discordance. We detected one deep hybridization event (Malus doumeri) involving the ancestor of pome-bearing species and Docynia delavayi, and one recent hybridization event (Malus coronaria) between M. sieversii and a combined clade of M. ioensis and M. angustifolia. Furthermore, our historical biogeographic analysis combining living and fossil species supported a widespread East Asian-western North American origin of Malus s.l., followed by a series of extinction events in the Eocene in northern East Aisa and western North America. This study provides a valuable evolutionary framework for the breeding and crop improvement of apples and their close relatives.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Liu, B.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ren, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kwak, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodel, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, C.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hong, D.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qian, G.-Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.12.464085</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phylogenomic analyses in the apple genus Malus s.l. reveal widespread hybridization and allopolyploidy driving the diversifications, with insights into the complex biogeographic history in the Northern Hemisphere]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464246v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Development and Application of Multidimensional Lipid Libraries to Investigate Lipidomic Dysregulation Related to Smoke Inhalation Injury Severity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464246v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lipids play many biological roles including membrane formation, protection, insulation, energy storage, and cell division. These functions have brought great interest to lipidomic studies for understanding their dysregulation in toxic exposure, inflammation, and diseases. However, lipids have shown to be analytically challenging due to their highly isomeric nature and vast concentration ranges in biological matrices. Therefore, powerful multidimensional techniques such as those integrating liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, collision induced dissociation, and mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-CID-MS) have recently been implemented to separate lipid isomers as well as provide structural information and increased feature identification confidence. These multidimensional datasets are however extremely large and highly complex, resulting in challenges in data processing and annotation. Here, we have overcome these challenges by developing sample-specific multidimensional libraries using the freely available software Skyline. Specifically, the human plasma library developed for this work contains over 500 unique, experimentally validated lipids, which is combined with adapted Skyline functions for highly confident lipid annotations such as indexed retention time (iRT) for retention time prediction and IMS drift time filtering for increased sensitivity and selectivity. For broad comparison with other lipidomic studies, this human plasma database was initially used to annotate LC-IMS-CID-MS data from a NIST SRM 1950 extract, giving comparable results to previous studies. This workflow was then utilized to assess matched plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from patients with varying degrees of smoke inhalation injury to identify potential lipid-based patient prognostic and diagnostic markers.

O_FIG_DISPLAY_L [Figure 1] M_FIG_DISPLAY C_FIG_DISPLAY
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kirkwood, K. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Christopher, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burgess, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Littau, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pratt, B. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shulman, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tamura, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacCoss, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacLean, B. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.13.464246</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Development and Application of Multidimensional Lipid Libraries to Investigate Lipidomic Dysregulation Related to Smoke Inhalation Injury Severity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464292v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The cyanotoxin 2,4-DAB enhances mortality and causes behavioral and molecular dysfunctions associated with neurodegeneration in larval zebrafish 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464292v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Exposure to cyanotoxins has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimers, and Parkinsons disease. While the cyanotoxin {beta}-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has received much attention, cyanobacteria produce many cyanotoxic compounds, several of which have been detected in nature alongside BMAA including 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (2,4-DAB), and N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (AEG). Thus, the question of whether DAB and AEG also cause neurotoxic effects in vivo is of great interest, as is the question of whether they interact to enhance toxicity. Here, we evaluate the toxic and neurotoxic effects of these cyanotoxins alone or in combination by measuring zebrafish larval viability and behavior after exposure. 2,4-DAB was the most potent cyanotoxin as it decreased larval viability by approximately 50% at 6 days post fertilization, while BMAA and AEG decreased viability by just 16% and 8%, respectively. Although we only observed minor neurotoxic effects on spontaneous locomotion, BMAA and AEG enhanced acoustic startle sensitivity, and they interacted in an additive manner to exert their effects. 2,4-DAB, however, only modulated the startle kinematics, an indication of motor dysfunction. To investigate the mechanisms of 2,4-DABs effects, we analyzed the protein profile of larval zebrafish exposed to 500M 2,4-DAB at two time points and identified molecular signatures consistent with neurodegeneration, including disruption of metabolic pathways and downregulation of the ALS-associated genes SOD1 and UBQLN4. Together, our data demonstrate that BMAA and its isomers AEG and 2,4-DAB cause neurotoxic effects in vivo, with 2,4-DAB as the most potent of the three in the zebrafish model.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Martin, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bereman, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.13.464292</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The cyanotoxin 2,4-DAB enhances mortality and causes behavioral and molecular dysfunctions associated with neurodegeneration in larval zebrafish]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.14.464328v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Super-doses of dietary vitamin D3 intake in aged laying hens illustrates limitation of 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol conversion 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.14.464328v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ABSRACTO_ST_ABSBackgroundC_ST_ABSOlder humans who take high levels of vitamin D supplementation for a prolonged time may be at risk of vitamin D toxicity. It is unclear how dietary super-doses (10,000x greater than requirement) can affect vitamin D status in aged animals. Aged laying hens could be a model to compare vitamin D supplementation effects with women in peri-or postmenopausal stages of life.

ObjectiveWe investigated dietary super-dose impacts of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) on vitamin D status in aged laying hens in production.

MethodsForty-eight 68 wk old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were individually housed in cages with eight hens per dietary treatment for eleven weeks. Hens were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups of dietary vitamin D3 supplementation and fed ad libitum. Supplementation levels were 400, 800, 7,400, 14,000, 20,000, and 36,000 IU D3/kg of feed. At the end of the study, all hens were euthanized and tissue samples and feces were collected. Plasma and egg yolk vitamin D metabolites, calcium and phosphorus composition of multiple sites, and tissue gene expression levels were measured.

ResultsWe observed that increasing dietary vitamin D3 increased plasma vitamin D3 and egg yolk vitamin D3 (p < 0.0001 for both sites). We also observed an increase in plasma 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol as dietary vitamin D3 levels increased (p < 0.0001). The plasma 25-hydroxycholecalciferol:24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol ratio exhibited an asymptotic relationship starting at the 14,000 IU/kg D3 treatment.

ConclusionsDietary super-doses of vitamin D3 led to greater plasma and egg yolk vitamin D levels to show that aged laying hens can deposit excess vitamin D in egg yolk. We suggest future research should explore how 24-hydroxylation mechanisms are affected by vitamin D supplementation. Further understanding of 24-hydroxylation can help ascertain ways to reduce risk of vitamin D toxicity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Warren, M. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pitman, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodgson, D. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Livingston, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.14.464328</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Super-doses of dietary vitamin D3 intake in aged laying hens illustrates limitation of 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol conversion]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.21.465279v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Survey evaluation of dog owners feeding habits in a household setting and comparison of FDA hygiene protocols on dog bowl bacterial contamination as evaluated by total aerobic cell counts. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.21.465279v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In-home pet food handling and food dish hygiene practices can have adverse health impacts for both humans and pets. Safe food and dish handling guidelines are not easily evidenced for pet owners. The study was designed to investigate dog owners feeding habits and evaluate the impact of the Food and Drug Association (FDA) hygiene protocols on dog food dish contamination. Procedures and surveys were approved by NCSU-IACUC and -IRB. Pet feeding and food dish hygiene data were collected from 417 dog owner surveys and 68 food dish swabs. Total aerobic cell counts (TAC) were performed on 68 dishes and randomly assigned into Group A (FDA pet food handling and dish hygiene guidelines), Group B (FDA pet and human food handling and dish hygiene guidelines), or Group C (no guidelines). Hygiene protocols were instituted in-home for 1 week, followed by a second TAC and follow-up survey. Survey from dog owners-households indicated: 4.7% were aware of FDA pet food handling and dish hygiene guidelines; 36% have individuals [&le;] 13 years old and/or immunocompromised; 43% store dog food 0-5 feet from human food; 34% wash their hands after feeding; and 33% prepare their dog food on human food preparation surfaces. The hygiene protocols followed by Groups A and B resulted in significant decreases in food dish TAC (P<0.001; 1.40; p=0.026; 0.604, respectively), as compared to Group C (p=0.373). Hot water (>160F) washing decreased TAC (p=0.005) over cold/lukewarm water. In the follow-up survey, 8% of Group A and B respondents reported likely to adhere to protocols long-term. This study suggests a need for pet food handling and dish hygiene guideline education to minimize bacterial contamination of dishes, especially in high-risk households.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Luisana, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saker, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jaykus, L.-A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Getty, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.21.465279</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Survey evaluation of dog owners feeding habits in a household setting and comparison of FDA hygiene protocols on dog bowl bacterial contamination as evaluated by total aerobic cell counts.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.25.465671v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Uterine-specific SIRT1 deficiency confers premature uterine aging and impairs invasion and spacing of blastocyst and stromal cell decidualization in mice. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.25.465671v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A distinct age-related alteration in the uterine environment has recently been identified as a prevalent cause of the reproductive decline in older female mice. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie age-associated uterine adaptability to pregnancy are not known. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a multifunctional NAD+-dependent deacetylase that regulates cell viability, senescence and inflammation during aging, is reduced in aged decidua. Thus, we hypothesize that SIRT1 plays a critical role in uterine adaptability to pregnancy and that uterine-specific ablation of Sirt1 gene accelerates premature uterine aging. Female mice with uterine ablation of Sirt1 gene using progesterone receptor Cre (PgrCre) exhibit subfertility and signs of premature uterine aging. These Sirt1-deficient mothers showed decreases in litter size from their 1st pregnancy and became sterile (25.1{+/-}2.5 weeks of age) after giving birth to the 3rd litter. We report that uterine-specific Sirt1 deficiency impairs invasion and spacing of blastocysts, and stromal cell decidualization, leading to abnormal placentation. We found that these problems traced back to the very early stages of hormonal priming of the uterus. During the window of receptivity, Sirt1 deficiency compromises uterine epithelial-stromal crosstalk, whereby estrogen (E2), progesterone (P4) and Indian hedgehog (IHH) signaling pathways are dysregulated, hampering stromal cell priming for decidualization. Uterine transcriptomic analyses also link these causes to perturbations of histone proteins and epigenetic modifiers, as well as adrenomedullin signaling, hyaluronic acid metabolism, and cell senescence. Strikingly, our results also identified genes with significant overlaps with the transcriptome of uteri from aged mice and transcriptomes related to master regulators of decidualization (e.g., Foxo1, Wnt4, Sox17, Bmp2, Egfr and Nr2f2). Our results also implicate accelerated deposition of aging-related fibrillar type I and III collagens in Sirt1-deficient uteri. Collectively, SIRT1 is an indispensable age-related regulator of invasion and spacing of blastocysts, as well as decidualization of stromal cells.

Author SummaryAdvanced maternal age (i.e., [&ge;]35 years old) is considered a significant risk factor for birth defects, including fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, preterm birth, and preeclampsia. Lifestyle factors such as tobacco smoke, alcohol usage and other environmental toxins are facilitators of premature reproductive aging. Thus, understanding the precise mechanisms by which female reproductive organs age is a prerequisite for ultimately developing counteracting therapies. Much attention has been focused on ovarian function and oocyte quality, but we provide evidence that severe placentation defects are a major cause of age-related reproductive decline, which results from an impaired decidual response by uterine stromal cells. This problem is due to a blunted progesterone (P4) responsiveness of the aging uterus, via its cognate receptor, PGR. In the present study, the uterine SIRT1 gene was deleted to advance understanding of the genetics of premature uterine aging in a mouse model of blunted PGR actions that is similar to physiological aging. Our results have informed as to molecular changes in response to blunting PGR actions in aging uteri that are unrelated to oocyte quality, and provide new insights into strategies for developing counteracting measures for pregnancy in females at an advanced reproductive age.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cummings, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paudel, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hemberger, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.25.465671</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Uterine-specific SIRT1 deficiency confers premature uterine aging and impairs invasion and spacing of blastocyst and stromal cell decidualization in mice.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.06.467551v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gestational Cd Exposure in the CD-1 Mouse Sex-Specifically Disrupts Essential Metal Ion Homeostasis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.06.467551v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In CD-1 mice, gestational-only exposure to cadmium (Cd) causes female-specific hepatic insulin resistance, metabolic disruption, and obesity. To evaluate whether sex differences in cadmium uptake and changes in essential metal concentrations contribute to metabolic outcomes, placental and liver cadmium and essential metal concentrations were quantified in male and female offspring perinatally exposed to 500 ppb CdCl2. Exposure resulted in increased maternal liver Cd+2 concentrations (364 g/kg) similar to concentrations found in non-occupationally exposed human liver. At gestational day (GD) 18, placental cadmium and manganese concentrations were significantly increased in exposed males and females, and zinc was significantly decreased in females. Placental efficiency was significantly decreased in GD18 exposed males. Increases in hepatic Cd concentrations and a transient prenatal increase in zinc were observed in exposed female liver. Fetal and adult liver iron concentrations were decreased in both sexes, and decreases in hepatic zinc, iron, and manganese were observed in exposed females. Analysis of GD18 placental and liver metallothionein mRNA expression revealed significant Cd-induced upregulation of placental metallothionein in both sexes, and a significant decrease in fetal hepatic metallothionein in exposed females. In placenta, expression of metal ion transporters responsible for metal ion uptake was increased in exposed females. In liver of exposed adult female offspring, expression of the divalent cation importer (Slc39a14/Zip14) decreased, whereas expression of the primary exporter (Slc30a10) increased. These findings demonstrate that Cd can preferentially cross the female placenta, accumulate in the liver, and cause lifelong dysregulation of metal ion concentrations associated with metabolic disruption.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jackson, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baars, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.06.467551</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gestational Cd Exposure in the CD-1 Mouse Sex-Specifically Disrupts Essential Metal Ion Homeostasis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.12.468462v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Stickland fermentation precursor trans-4-hydroxyproline differentially impacts the metabolism of Clostridioides difficile and commensal Clostridia 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.12.468462v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An intact gut microbiota confers colonization resistance against Clostridioides difficile through a variety of mechanisms, likely including competition for nutrients. Recently, proline was identified as an important environmental amino acid that C. difficile uses to support growth and cause significant disease. A post-translationally modified form, trans-4-hydroxyproline, is highly abundant in collagen, which is degraded by host proteases in response to C. difficile toxin activity. The ability to dehydrate trans-4-hydroxyproline via the HypD glycyl radical enzyme is wide-spread amongst gut microbiota, including C. difficile and members of the commensal Clostridia, suggesting that this amino acid is an important nutrient in the host environment. Therefore, we constructed a C. difficile {Delta}hypD mutant and found that it was modestly impaired in fitness in a mouse model of infection, and was associated with an altered microbiota when compared to mice challenged with the wild type strain. Changes in the microbiota between the two groups were largely driven by members of the Lachnospiraceae family and the Clostridium genus. We found that C. difficile and type strains of three commensal Clostridia had significant alterations to their metabolic gene expression in the presence of trans-4-hydroxyproline in vitro. The proline reductase (prd) genes were elevated in C. difficile, consistent with the hypothesis that trans-4-hydroxyproline is used by C. difficile to supply proline for fermentation. Similar transcripts were also elevated in some commensal Clostridia tested, although each strain responded differently. This suggests that the uptake and utilization of other nutrients by the commensal Clostridia may be affected by trans-4-hydroxyproline metabolism, highlighting how a common nutrient may be a signal to each organism to adapt to a unique niche. Further elucidation of the differences between them in the presence of hydroxyproline and other key nutrients will be important to determining their role in nutrient competition against C. difficile.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reed, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fletcher, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thanissery, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivera, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parsons, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kountz, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balskus, E. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.12.468462</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Stickland fermentation precursor trans-4-hydroxyproline differentially impacts the metabolism of Clostridioides difficile and commensal Clostridia]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.18.469178v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Polygalacturonase production enhancement by Piriformospora indica from sugar beet pulp under submerged fermentation using surface methodology 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.18.469178v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study proposed a novel and cost-effective approach to enhance and optimize the polygalacturonase from P. indica. In current investigation, the impact of ammonium sulfate, sugar beet pulp (SBP) and glucose as variables on induction of polygalacturonase from P. indica was optimized using the central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) under SmF. Additionally, partial polygalacturonase purification and in situ analysis were performed. The optimal reaction conditions, which resulted in the highest enzyme activity were observed as the following conditions: ammonium sulfate (4 g/L), SBP (20 g/L), glucose (60 g/L). Under the optimized condition, the maximum enzyme activity reached to 19.4 U/ml (127 U/mg) which increased by 5.84 times compared to non-optimized conditions. The partial purified polygalacturonase molecular weight was estimated 60 KDa. In line with the bioinformatic analysis, exo-polygalacturonase sequence of P. indica showed similarity with Rhizoctonia solanis and Thanateporus cucumeris. These results indicated that SBP act as a cheap and suitable inducer of polygalacturonase production by P. indica in a submerged cultivation. The outcome of this study will be useful for industries to decrease environmental pollution with cost-effective approaches.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kiani, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fathi Rezaei, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jamalzadegan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.18.469178</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Polygalacturonase production enhancement by Piriformospora indica from sugar beet pulp under submerged fermentation using surface methodology]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.21.469441v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A deep learning framework for inference of single-trial neural population activity from calcium imaging with sub-frame temporal resolution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.21.469441v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In many brain areas, neural populations act as a coordinated network whose state is tied to behavior on a moment-by-moment basis and millisecond timescale. Two-photon (2p) calcium imaging is a powerful tool to probe network-scale computation, as it can measure the activity of many individual neurons, monitor multiple cortical layers simultaneously, and sample from identified cell types. However, estimating network state and dynamics from 2p measurements has proven challenging because of noise, inherent nonlinearities, and limitations on temporal resolution. Here we describe RADICaL, a deep learning method to overcome these limitations at the population level. RADICaL extends methods that exploit dynamics in spiking activity for application to deconvolved calcium signals, whose statistics and temporal dynamics are quite distinct from electrophysiologically-recorded spikes. It incorporates a novel network training strategy that capitalizes on the timing of 2p sampling to recover network dynamics with high temporal precision. In synthetic tests, RADICaL infers network state more accurately than previous methods, particularly for high-frequency components. In real 2p recordings from sensorimotor areas in mice performing a "water grab" task, RADICaL infers network state with close correspondence to single-trial variations in behavior, and maintains high-quality inference even when neuronal populations are substantially reduced.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhu, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grier, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tandon, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giovannucci, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaufman, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pandarinath, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.21.469441</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A deep learning framework for inference of single-trial neural population activity from calcium imaging with sub-frame temporal resolution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.21.469449v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Uncovering Xenobiotics in the Dark Metabolome using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Mass Defect Analysis and Machine Learning 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.21.469449v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The identification of xenobiotics in nontargeted metabolomic analyses is a vital step in understanding human exposure. Xenobiotic metabolism, excretion, and co-existence with other endogenous molecules however greatly complicate nontargeted studies. While mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms are commonly used in metabolomic measurements, deconvoluting endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics is often challenged by the lack of xenobiotic parent and metabolite standards as well as the numerous isomers possible for each small molecule m/z feature. Here, we evaluate the use of ion mobility spectrometry coupled with MS (IMS-MS) and mass defect filtering in a xenobiotic structural annotation workflow to reduce large metabolomic feature lists and uncover potential xenobiotic classes and species detected in the metabolomic studies. To evaluate the workflow, xenobiotics having known high toxicities including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were examined. Initially, to address the lack of available IMS collision cross section (CCS) values for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 88 PFAS standards were evaluated with IMS-MS to both develop a targeted PFAS CCS library and for use in machine learning predictions. The CCS values for biomolecules and xenobiotics were then plotted versus m/z, clearly distinguishing the biomolecules and halogenated xenobiotics. The xenobiotic structural annotation workflow was then used to annotate potential PFAS features in NIST human serum. The workflow reduced the 2,423 detected LC-IMS-MS features to 80 possible PFAS with 17 confidently identified through targeted analyses and 48 additional features correlating with possible CompTox entries.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Foster, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rainey, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dodds, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.21.469449</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Uncovering Xenobiotics in the Dark Metabolome using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Mass Defect Analysis and Machine Learning]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.23.469671v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inferring kinetic rate constants from single-molecule FRET trajectories - a blind benchmark of kinetic analysis tools 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.23.469671v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Single-molecule FRET (smFRET) is a versatile technique to study the dynamics and function of biomolecules since it makes nanoscale movements detectable as fluorescence signals. The powerful ability to infer quantitative kinetic information from smFRET data is, however, complicated by experimental limitations. Diverse analysis tools have been developed to overcome these hurdles but a systematic comparison is lacking. Here, we report the results of a blind benchmark study assessing eleven analysis tools used to infer kinetic rate constants from smFRET trajectories. We tested them against simulated and experimental data containing the most prominent difficulties encountered in analyzing smFRET experiments: different noise levels, varied model complexity, non-equilibrium dynamics, and kinetic heterogeneity. Our results highlight the current strengths and limitations in inferring kinetic information from smFRET trajectories. In addition, we formulate concrete recommendations and identify key targets for future developments, aimed to advance our understanding of biomolecular dynamics through quantitative experiment-derived models.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Götz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barth, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bohr, S. S.- R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Börner, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cordes, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Erie, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gebhardt, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hadzic, M. C. A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hatzakis, N. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hugel, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kisley, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamb, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Lannoy, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahn, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunukara, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Ridder, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanabria, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schimpf, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seidel, C. A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sigel, R. K. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sletfjerding, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomsen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vollmar, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wanninger, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weninger, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmid, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.23.469671</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inferring kinetic rate constants from single-molecule FRET trajectories - a blind benchmark of kinetic analysis tools]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.23.469693v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A target expression threshold dictates invader defense and autoimmunity by CRISPR-Cas13 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.23.469693v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Immune systems must recognize and clear foreign invaders without eliciting autoimmunity. CRISPR-Cas immune systems in prokaryotes manage this task by following two criteria: extensive guide:target complementarity and a defined target-flanking motif. Here we report an additional requirement for RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 systems: expression of the target transcript exceeding a threshold. This finding is based on targeting endogenous non-essential transcripts, which rarely elicited dormancy through collateral RNA degradation. Instead, eliciting dormancy required over-expressing targeted transcripts above a threshold. A genome-wide screen confirmed target expression levels as the principal determinant of cytotoxic autoimmunity and revealed that the threshold shifts with the guide:target pair. This expression threshold ensured defense against a lytic bacteriophage yet allowed tolerance of a targeted beneficial gene expressed from an invading plasmid. These findings establish target expression levels as a third criterion for immune activation by RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas systems, buffering against autoimmunity and distinguishing pathogenic and benign invaders.

HIGHLIGHTSO_LICas13-induced dormancy requires RNA target levels to exceed an expression threshold
C_LIO_LIThe expression threshold can prevent cytotoxic self-targeting for endogenous transcripts
C_LIO_LIThe threshold shifts depending on the CRISPR RNA guide:target pair
C_LIO_LIThe threshold allows cells to distinguish pathogenic and benign infections
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vialetto, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wandera, K. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barquist, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.23.469693</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A target expression threshold dictates invader defense and autoimmunity by CRISPR-Cas13]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.29.468282v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid multilocus adaptation of clonal cabbage leaf curl virus populations to Arabidopsis thaliana 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.29.468282v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cabbage leaf curl virus (CabLCV) has a bipartite single-stranded DNA genome and infects the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. CabLCV serves as a model for the genus Begomovirus, members of which cause tremendous crop losses worldwide. We have used CabLCV as a model for within-plant virus evolution by inoculating individual plants with infectious clones of either a wild-type or mutagenized version of the CabLCV genome. Consistent with previous reports, detrimental substitutions in the Replication-associated gene (Rep) were readily compensated for by direct reversion and/or alternative mutations. A surprising number of common mutations were detected elsewhere in both viral segments (DNA-A and DNA-B) indicating convergent evolution and suggesting that CabLCV may not be as well adapted to A. thaliana as commonly presumed. Consistent with this idea, a spontaneous coat protein variant consistently rose to high allele frequency in susceptible accession Col-0, at a higher rate than in hypersusceptible accession Sei-0. Numerous high-frequency mutations were also detected in a candidate Rep binding site in DNA-B. Our results reinforce the fact that spontaneous mutation of this type of virus occurs rapidly and can change the majority consensus sequence of a within-plant virus population in weeks.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hoyer, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilkins, O. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munshi, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiese, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubey, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Renard, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mortensen, K. R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dye, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duffy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ascencio-Ibanez, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.29.468282</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid multilocus adaptation of clonal cabbage leaf curl virus populations to Arabidopsis thaliana]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.29.469875v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Donor Age and Time in Culture Affect Dermal Fibroblast Contraction in a Hydrogel Skin Graft Model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.29.469875v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Regenerating functional skin without the formation of scar tissue remains an important goal for Tissue Engineering. Current hydrogel-based grafts minimize contraction of full-thickness skin wounds and support skin regeneration using adult or neonatal foreskin dermal fibroblasts, which are often expanded in vitro and used after multiple passages. Based on the known effects of 2D tissue culture expansion on cellular proliferation and gene expression, we hypothesized that differences in donor age and time in culture may also influence the functionality of 3D skin constructs by affecting fibroblast-mediated graft contraction. To validate these predicted differences in fibroblast phenotype and resulting 3D graft model contraction, we isolated porcine dermal fibroblasts of varying donor age for use in a 2D proliferation assay and a 3D cell-populated collagen matrix contractility assay. In 2D cell culture, doubling time remained relatively consistent between all age groups from passage 1 to 6. In the contractility assays, fetal and neonatal groups contracted faster and generated more contractile force than the adult group at passage 1. However, after 5 passages in culture, there was no difference in contractility between groups. These results show how cellular responses differ based on donor age and time in culture, which could account for important differences in biomanufacturing of 3D hydrogel-based skin grafts. Future research and therapies using bioengineered skin grafts should consider how results may vary based on donor age and time in culture before seeding.

IMPACT STATEMENTLittle is known about the impact of donor age and time in culture on the contraction of the 3D hydrogel-based graft. These results show how cellular phenotypes differ based on donor age and time in culture, which could account for important inconsistencies in biomanufacturing of skin grafts and in vitro models. These findings are relevant to research and therapies using bioengineered skin graft models and the results can be used to increase reproducibility and consistency during the production of bioengineered skin constructs. Future in vivo studies could help determine the best donor age and time in culture for improved wound healing outcomes or more reproducible in vitro testing constructs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Detwiler, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polkoff, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaffney, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freytes, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedrahita, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.29.469875</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Donor Age and Time in Culture Affect Dermal Fibroblast Contraction in a Hydrogel Skin Graft Model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.30.468863v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Simulation of pedigree vs. fully-informative marker based relationships matrices in a loblolly pine breeding population 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.30.468863v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Computer simulations of breeding strategies are an essential resource for tree breeders because they allow exploratory analyses into potential long-term impacts on genetic gain and inbreeding consequences without bearing the cost, time, or resource requirements of field experiments. Previous work has modeled the potential long-term implications on inbreeding and genetic gain using random mating and phenotypic selection. Reduction in sequencing costs has enabled the use of DNA marker-based relationship matrices in addition to or in place of pedigree-based allele sharing estimates; this has been shown to provide a significant increase in the accuracy of progeny breeding value prediction. A potential pitfall of genomic selection using genetic relationship matrices is increased coancestry among selections, leading to the accumulation of deleterious alleles and inbreeding depression. We used simulation to compare the relative genetic gain and risk of inbreeding depression within a breeding program similar to loblolly pine, utilizing pedigree-based or marker-based relationships over ten generations. We saw a faster rate of purging deleterious alleles when using a genomic relationship matrix based on markers that track identity-by-descent of segments of the genome. Additionally, we observed an increase in the rate of genetic gain when using a genomic relationship matrix instead of a pedigree-based relationship matrix. While the genetic variance of populations decreased more rapidly when using genomic-based relationship matrices as opposed to pedigree-based, there appeared to be no long-term consequences on the accumulation of deleterious alleles within the simulated breeding strategy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Festa, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whetten, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.30.468863</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Simulation of pedigree vs. fully-informative marker based relationships matrices in a loblolly pine breeding population]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.30.470675v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Heterogeneous Tissue Modulus Improved Prediction of Mechanical Behavior in Osteoporotic Vertebral Cancellous Bone 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.30.470675v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The structural integrity of cancellous bone, which is essential to its skeletal load-bearing capacity, is governed chiefly by apparent density, trabecular architecture, and tissue material properties. Metabolic bone disorders such as osteoporosis can affect each of these factors, resulting in compromised load-bearing function and fracture. While the impact of apparent density and architecture on bone structural behavior is well-documented, much less is known about the influence of tissue material properties, particularly in osteoporotic bone. In this work, we isolated the influence of tissue modulus on normal and osteoporotic cancellous bone structural integrity, indicated by the apparent elastic modulus under uniaxial compression and patterns of internal tissue strain. Finite element (FE) models derived from 3D micro-computed tomography images were compared to physical testing data of the same samples. Three sets of FE models with increasing material detail were studied: 1) universal tissue elastic modulus (20 GPa), 2) specimen-specific average tissue modulus, and 3) heterogeneous tissue modulus. Applying a universal modulus resulted in overestimation of osteoporotic bone apparent modulus; applying specimen-specific material properties, either as a single average tissue modulus or heterogeneous distribution of tissue moduli, prevented significant apparent modulus overestimation. The greatest improvement in apparent modulus prediction resulted from incorporating a specimen-specific average tissue modulus, though using a specimen-specific heterogeneous tissue modulus provided the most reliable prediction of apparent modulus overall. In addition, median element strain in heterogeneous models also trended lower than in homogeneous models. This finding suggests that heterogeneous material properties may play a role in protective strain-concentrating mechanisms observed in cancellous bone. We conclude that future work exploring trabecular bone mechanics through finite element analysis should incorporate specimen-specific average tissue modulus at a minimum, but heterogeneous tissue modulus is recommended to maximize the functional similarity of bone in silico with bone in vivo.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cox, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van der Meulen, M. C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.30.470675</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Heterogeneous Tissue Modulus Improved Prediction of Mechanical Behavior in Osteoporotic Vertebral Cancellous Bone]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.14.472506v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identifying C. elegans Lifespan Mutants by Screening for Early-Onset Protein Aggregation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.14.472506v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genetic screens have been widely used to identify genetic pathways that control specific biological functions. In C. elegans, forward genetic screens rely on the isolation of reproductively active mutants that can self-propagate clonal populations. Since aged individuals are unable to generate clonal populations, screens that target post-reproductive phenotypes, such as longevity, are challenging. In this work, we developed an approach that combines microfluidic technologies and image processing to perform a high-throughput, automated screen for mutants with shortened lifespan using protein aggregation as a marker for aging. We take advantage of microfluidics for maintaining a reproductively-active adult mutagenized population and for performing serial high-throughput analysis and sorting of animals with increased protein aggregation, using fluorescently labeled PAB-1 as a readout. We identified five mutants with increased aggregation levels, of which two exhibited a reduced lifespan. We demonstrate that lifespan mutants can be identified by screening for accelerated protein aggregation through quantitative analysis of fluorescently-labeled aggregates in populations that do not require conditional sterilization or manual separation of parental and progeny populations. We further analyzed the morphology of protein aggregates and reveal that patterns of aggregation in naturally-aging animals differ from mutants with increased aggregation, suggesting aggregate growth is time-dependent. This screening approach can be customized to other non-developmental phenotypes that appear during adulthood, as well as to other aging markers to identify additional longevity-regulating genetic pathways.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Midkiff, D. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.14.472506</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identifying C. elegans Lifespan Mutants by Screening for Early-Onset Protein Aggregation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.16.472155v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Vandetanib Reduces Inflammatory Cytokines and Ameliorates COVID-19 in Infected Mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.16.472155v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 small molecule drugs is currently limited to a handful that are either approved (remdesivir), emergency approved (dexamethasone, baricitinib) or in advanced clinical trials. We have tested 45 FDA-approved kinase inhibitors in vitro against murine hepatitis virus (MHV) as a model of SARS-CoV-2 replication and identified 12 showing inhibition in the delayed brain tumor (DBT) cell line. Vandetanib, which targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and the RET-tyrosine kinase showed the most promising results on inhibition versus toxic effect on SARS-CoV-2-infected Caco-2 and A549-hACE2 cells (IC50 0.79 M) while also showing a reduction of > 3 log TCID50/mL for HCoV-229E. The in vivo efficacy of vandetanib was assessed in a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection and statistically significantly reduced the levels of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-, and mitigated inflammatory cell infiltrates in the lungs of infected animals but did not reduce viral load.

Vandetanib rescued the decreased IFN-1{beta} caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice to levels similar to that in uninfected animals. Our results indicate that the FDA-approved vandetanib is a potential therapeutic candidate for COVID-19 positioned for follow up in clinical trials either alone or in combination with other drugs to address the cytokine storm associated with this viral infection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Puhl, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomes, G. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Damasceno, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fritch, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levi, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scholle, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Premkumar, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hurst, B. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LeeMontiel, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Veras, F. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Batah, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fabro, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moorman, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yount, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dickmander, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baric, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearce, K. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cunha, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alves-Filho, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cunha, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ekins, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.16.472155</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Vandetanib Reduces Inflammatory Cytokines and Ameliorates COVID-19 in Infected Mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.16.472983v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Low Frequency Oscillations drive EEG's complexity changes during wakefulness and sleep 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.16.472983v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recently, the sleep-wake states have been analysed using novel complexity measures, complementing the classical analysis of EEGs by frequency bands. This new approach consistently shows a decrease in EEGs complexity during slow-wave sleep, yet it is unclear how cortical oscillations shape these complexity variations. In this work, we analyse how the frequency content of brain signals affects the complexity estimates in freely moving rats. We find that the low-frequency spectrum - including the Delta, Theta, and Sigma frequency bands - drives the complexity changes during the sleep-wake states. This happens because low-frequency oscillations emerge from neuronal population patterns, as we show by recovering the complexity variations during the sleep-wake cycle from micro, meso, and macroscopic recordings. Moreover, we find that the lower frequencies reveal synchronisation patterns across the neocortex, such as a sensory-motor decoupling that happens during REM sleep. Overall, our works shows that EEGs low frequencies are critical in shaping the sleep-wake states complexity across cortical scales.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mateos, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cavelli, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mondino, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pascovich, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torterolo, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rubido, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.16.472983</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Low Frequency Oscillations drive EEG's complexity changes during wakefulness and sleep]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.20.473535v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Leveraging TOPMed Imputation Server and Constructing a Cohort-Specific Imputation Reference Panel to Enhance Genotype Imputation among Cystic Fibrosis Patients 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.20.473535v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a severe genetic disorder that can cause multiple comorbidities affecting the lungs, the pancreas, the luminal digestive system and beyond. In our previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we genotyped [~]8,000 CF samples using a mixture of different genotyping platforms. More recently, the Cystic Fibrosis Genome Project (CFGP) performed deep ([~]30x) whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 5,095 samples to better understand the genetic mechanisms underlying clinical heterogeneity among CF patients. For mixtures of GWAS array and WGS data, genotype imputation has proven effective in increasing effective sample size. Therefore, we first performed imputation for the [~]8,000 CF samples with GWAS array genotype using the TOPMed freeze 8 reference panel. Our results demonstrate that TOPMed can provide high-quality imputation for CF patients, boosting genomic coverage from [~]0.3 - 4.2 million genotyped markers to [~]11 - 43 million well-imputed markers, and significantly improving Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) prediction accuracy. Furthermore, we built a CF-specific CFGP reference panel based on WGS data of CF patients. We demonstrate that despite having [~]3% the sample size of TOPMed, our CFGP reference panel can still outperform TOPMed when imputing some CF disease-causing variants, likely due to allele and haplotype differences between CF patients and general populations. We anticipate our imputed data for 4,656 samples without WGS data will benefit our subsequent genetic association studies, and the CFGP reference panel built from CF WGS samples will benefit other investigators studying CF.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sun, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosen, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pace, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gallins, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blue, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ling, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corvol, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strug, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bamshad, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gibson, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pugh, E. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blackman, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cutting, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Neal, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knowles, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>The Cystic Fibrosis Genome Project (CFGP) Consortium,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.20.473535</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Leveraging TOPMed Imputation Server and Constructing a Cohort-Specific Imputation Reference Panel to Enhance Genotype Imputation among Cystic Fibrosis Patients]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.20.473576v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Endogenous DAF-16 Spatiotemporal Activity Quantitatively Predicts Lifespan Extension Induced by Dietary Restriction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.20.473576v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In many organisms, dietary restriction (DR) leads to lifespan extension through the activation of cell protection and pro-longevity gene expression programs. In the nematode C. elegans, the DAF-16 transcription factor is a key aging regulator that governs the Insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway and undergoes translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of cells when animals are exposed to food limitation. In this work, we assess the endogenous activity of DAF-16 under various DR regimes by coupling CRISPR/Cas9-enabled fluorescent tagging of DAF-16 with quantitative image analysis and machine learning. Our results indicate that lifelong DAF-16 endogenous activity is a robust predictor of mean lifespan in C. elegans, and it accounts for 78% of the lifespan variability induced by DR. We found that this lifespan-extending mechanism occurs mainly in the intestine and neurons, and that DR drives DAF-16 activity in unexpected locations such as the germline and intestinal nucleoli.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Huayta, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San-Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.20.473576</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Endogenous DAF-16 Spatiotemporal Activity Quantitatively Predicts Lifespan Extension Induced by Dietary Restriction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.22.473938v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An analytical solution simulating growth of Lewy bodies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.22.473938v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This paper reports a minimal model simulating the growth of a Lewy body (LB). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first model simulating Lewy body growth. The LB is assumed to consist of a central spherical core, which is composed of membrane fragments and various dysfunctional intracellular organelles, and a halo, which is composed of alpha-synuclein fibrils. Membrane fragments and alpha-synuclein monomers are assumed to be produced in the soma at constant rates. The growth of the core and the halo are simulated by the Finke-Watzky model. Analytical (closed-form) solutions describing the growth of the core and the halo are obtained. A sensitivity analysis in terms of model parameters is performed.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.22.473938</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An analytical solution simulating growth of Lewy bodies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.23.473296v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
ROOT PENETRATION INDEX 3, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with root system penetrability in Arabidopsis. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.23.473296v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Soil mechanical impedance precludes root penetration, confining root system development to shallow soil horizons where mobile nutrients are scarce. Using a two-phase-agar system, we characterized Arabidopsis thaliana responses to low and high mechanical impedance at three root penetration stages. We found that seedlings whose roots fail to penetrate agar barriers show drastic changes in shoot and root morphology, while those capable of penetrating have only minor morphological effects. The assessment of 21 Arabidopsis accessions revealed that primary root penetrability (PRP) varies widely among accessions. To search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated to root system penetrability, we evaluated a recombinant inbred population (RIL) derived from Landsberg erecta (Ler-0, with a high PRP) and Shahdara (Sha, with a low PRP) accessions. QTL analysis revealed a major-effect QTL localized in chromosome 3 (q-RPI3), which accounted for 29.98% (LOD = 8.82) of the total phenotypic variation. Employing an introgression line (IL-321), with a homozygous q-RPI3 region from Sha in the Ler-0 genetic background, we demonstrated that q-RPI3 plays a crucial role in root penetrability. This multiscale study revels new insights into root plasticity during the penetration process in hard agar layers, natural variation and genetic architecture behind primary root penetrability in Arabidopsis.

HighlightWe found a wide natural variation in the capacity of Arabidopsis accessions to penetrate hard agar layers. Using a Ler-0 x Sha recombinant inbred population, a major-effect QTL (q-RPI3) strongly associated with root penetrability of compact agar layers was identified.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bello Bello, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rico Cambron, T. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herrera-Estrella, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.23.473296</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[ROOT PENETRATION INDEX 3, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with root system penetrability in Arabidopsis.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.24.474126v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Strain dependent structural effects and in vivo efficacy of enterovirus-D68 inhibitors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.24.474126v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) leads to loss of limb control in young children and is likely due to Enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68), for which there is no current treatment. We have developed a lead isoxazole-3-carboxamide analog of pleconaril (11526092) which displayed potent inhibition of the pleconaril-resistant CVB3-Woodruff (IC50 6-20 nM), EV-D68 (IC50 58 nM), and other enteroviruses. A mouse respiratory model of EV-D68 infection, in which pleconaril is inactive, showed decreased viremia of 3 log units as well as statistically significant 1 log reduction in lung titer reduction at day 5 after treatment with 11526092. A cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of EV-D68 in complex with 11526092 suggests that the increased potency may be due to additional hydrophobic interactions. Cryo-EM structures of 11526092 and pleconaril demonstrate destabilization of EV-D68 (MO strain) compared to the previously described stabilization of EV-D68 (Fermon strain) with pleconaril, illustrating clear strain dependent mechanisms of this molecule. 11526092 represents a more potent inhibitor in vitro with in vivo efficacy providing a potential future treatment for EV-D68 and AFM, suggesting an improvement over pleconaril for further optimization.

One-Sentence Summary11526092 demonstrates protein destabilization, improved in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy when compared with pleconaril against EV-D68.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lane, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sherry, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarbet, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hurst, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riabova, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kazakova, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Egorova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clarke, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leser, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frost, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rudy, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyler, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klose, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuhn, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Makarov, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ekins, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.24.474126</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Strain dependent structural effects and in vivo efficacy of enterovirus-D68 inhibitors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.28.474372v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identifying challenges and opportunities for histone peptides in protein engineering platforms 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.28.474372v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Histone post-translational modifications are small chemical changes to histone protein structure that have cascading effects on diverse cellular functions. Detecting histone modifications and characterizing their binding partners are critical steps in understanding chromatin biochemistry and have been accessed using common reagents such as antibodies, recombinant assays, and FRET based systems. High throughput platforms could accelerate work in this field, and also could be used to engineer de novo histone affinity reagents; yet published studies on their use with histones have been noticeably sparse. Here we describe specific experimental conditions that affect binding specificities of post-translationally modified histones in classic protein engineering platforms and likely explain the relative difficulty with histone targets in these platforms. We also show that manipulating avidity of binding interactions may improve specificity of binding.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Meanor, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-12-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.12.28.474372</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identifying challenges and opportunities for histone peptides in protein engineering platforms]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-12-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.07.475427v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Interspecies transfer of syntenic RAMOSA1 orthologs and promoter cis sequences impacts maize inflorescence architecture 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.07.475427v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Grass inflorescences support floral structures that each bear a single grain, where variation in branch architecture directly impacts yield. The maize RAMOSA1 (ZmRA1) transcription factor acts as a key regulator of inflorescence development by imposing branch meristem determinacy. Here, we show RA1 transcripts accumulate in boundary domains adjacent to spikelet meristems in Sorghum bicolor (Sb) and Setaria viridis (Sv) inflorescences similar as in the developing maize tassel and ear. To evaluate functional conservation of syntenic RA1 orthologs and promoter cis sequences in maize, sorghum and setaria, we utilized interspecies gene transfer and assayed genetic complementation in a common inbred background by quantifying recovery of normal branching in highly ramified ra1-R mutants. A ZmRA1 transgene that includes endogenous upstream and downstream flanking sequences recovered normal tassel and ear branching in ra1-R. Interspecies expression of two transgene variants of the SbRA1 locus, modeled as the entire endogenous tandem duplication or just the non-frameshifted downstream copy, complemented ra1-R branching defects and induced novel fasciation and branch patterns. The SvRA1 locus lacks conserved, upstream noncoding cis sequences found in maize and sorghum; interspecies expression of an SvRA1 transgene did not or only partially recovered normal inflorescence forms. Driving expression of the SvRA1 coding region by the ZmRA1 upstream region, however, recovered normal inflorescence morphology in ra1-R. These data leveraging interspecies gene transfer suggest that cis-encoded temporal regulation of RA1 expression is a key factor in modulating branch meristem determinacy that ultimately impacts grass inflorescence architecture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Strable, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unger-Wallace, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aragon-Raygoza, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Briggs, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vollbrecht, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-01-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.07.475427</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Interspecies transfer of syntenic RAMOSA1 orthologs and promoter cis sequences impacts maize inflorescence architecture]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-01-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.11.475777v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Engineered cell differentiation and sexual reproduction in probiotic and mating yeasts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.11.475777v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) enable cells to sense environmental cues and are indispensable for coordinating vital processes including quorum sensing, proliferation, and sexual reproduction. GPCRs comprise the largest class of cell surface receptors in eukaryotes, and for more than three decades the pheromone-induced mating pathway in bakers yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has served as a model for studying heterologous GPCRs (hGPCRs). Here we report transcriptome profiles following mating pathway activation in native and hGPCR-signaling yeast, and use a model-guided approach to correlate gene expression to morphological changes. From this we demonstrate mating between haploid cells armed with hGPCRs and endogenous biosynthesis of their cognate ligands. Furthermore, we devise a ligand-free screening strategy for hGPCR compatibility with the yeast mating pathway and enable hGPCR-signaling in the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. Combined, our findings enable new means to study mating, hGPCR-signaling, and cell-cell communication in a model eukaryote and yeast probiotics.

One-sentence summaryEnabling sensing in probiotic yeast and synthetic yeast mating with human and fungal G protein-coupled receptors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jensen, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deichmann, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vilandt, R. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiesaro, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojek, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lengger, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eliasson, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vento, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durmusoglu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hovmand, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al'Abri, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-01-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.11.475777</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Engineered cell differentiation and sexual reproduction in probiotic and mating yeasts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-01-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.17.476639v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Espalier: Efficient tree reconciliation and ARG reconstruction using maximum agreement forests 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.17.476639v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In the presence of recombination individuals may inherit different regions of their genome from different ancestors, resulting in a mosaic of phylogenetic histories across their genome. Ancestral recombination graphs (ARGs) can capture how phylogenetic relationships vary across the genome due to recombination, but reconstructing ARGs from genomic sequence data is notoriously difficult. Here we present a method for reconciling discordant phylogenetic trees and reconstructing ARGs using maximum agreement forests (MAFs). Given two discordant trees, a MAF identifies a set of topologically concordant subtrees present in both trees. We show how discordant trees can be reconciled through their MAF in a way that retains discordances strongly supported by sequence data while eliminating conflicts likely attributable to phylogenetic noise. We further show how MAFs and our reconciliation approach can be combined to select a path of local trees across the genome that maximizes the likelihood of the genomic sequence data, minimizes discordance between neighboring local trees, and identifies the recombination events necessary to explain remaining discordances to obtain a fully connected ARG. While heuristic, our ARG reconstruction approach is often as accurate as more exact methods while being much more computationally efficient. Moreover, important demographic parameters such as recombination rates can be accurately estimated from reconstructed ARGs. Finally, we apply our approach to plant infecting RNA viruses in the genus Potyvirus to demonstrate how true recombination events can be disentangled from phylogenetic noise using our ARG reconstruction methods.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guo, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-01-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.17.476639</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Espalier: Efficient tree reconciliation and ARG reconstruction using maximum agreement forests]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-01-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.19.474912v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Controlled adhesion, membrane pinning and vesicle transport by Janus particles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.19.474912v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The interactions between biomembranes and particles are key to many applications, but the lack of controllable model systems to study them limits the progress in their research. Here, we describe how Janus polystyrene microparticles, half coated with iron, can be partially engulfed by artificial cells, namely giant vesicles, with the goals to control and investigate their adhesion and degree of encapsulation. The interaction between the Janus particles and these model cell membrane systems is mediated by electrostatic charge, offering a further mode of modulation in addition to the iron patches. The ferromagnetic particle coatings also enable the ability to manipulate and transport the vesicles by magnetic fields.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ewins, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bharti, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robinson, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Velev, O. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dimova, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-01-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.19.474912</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Controlled adhesion, membrane pinning and vesicle transport by Janus particles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-01-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.24.477515v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcriptomics informs design of a planar human enterocyte culture system that reveals metformin enhances fatty acid export 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.24.477515v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background & AimsAbsorption, metabolism, and export of dietary lipids occurs in the small intestinal epithelium. Caco-2 and organoids have been used to study these processes but are limited in physiological relevance or preclude simultaneous apical and basal access. Here, we develop a high-throughput planar human absorptive enterocyte (AE) monolayer system for investigating lipid-handling, then evaluate the role of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in fatty acid (FA) export, using etomoxir, C75, and anti-diabetic drug, metformin.

MethodsSingle-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq), transcriptomics, and lineage trajectory was performed on primary human jejunum. In vivo AE maturational states informed conditions used to differentiate human intestinal stem cells (ISCs) that mimic in vivo AE maturation. The system was scaled for high-throughput drug screening. Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) was pharmacologically modulated and BODIPY (B)-labelled FAs were used to evaluate FA-handling via fluorescence and thin layer chromatography (TLC).

ResultsscRNAseq shows increasing expression of lipid-handling genes as AEs mature. Culture conditions promote ISC differentiation into confluent AE monolayers. FA-handling gene expression mimics in vivo maturational states. FAO inhibitor, etomoxir, decreased apical-to-basolateral export of medium-chain B-C12 and long-chain B-C16 FAs whereas CPT1 agonist, C75, and antidiabetic drug, metformin, increased apical-to-basolateral export. Short-chain B-C5 was unaffected by FAO inhibition and diffused through AEs.

ConclusionsPrimary human ISCs in culture undergo programmed maturation. AE monolayers demonstrate in vivo maturational states and lipid-handling gene expression profiles. AEs create strong epithelial barriers in 96-Transwell format. FA export is proportional to FAO. Metformin enhances FAO and increases basolateral FA export, supporting an intestine-specific role.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gomez-Martinez, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bliton, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breau, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Czerwinski, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williamson, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rawls, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-01-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.24.477515</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcriptomics informs design of a planar human enterocyte culture system that reveals metformin enhances fatty acid export]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-01-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.28.478033v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Electroencephalographic Signatures of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.28.478033v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a highly prevalent neurodegenerative disease considered the canine analog of Alzheimers disease (AD). Unfortunately, CCD cannot be cured. However, early therapeutic interventions can slow the progression of cognitive decline and improve quality of life of the patients; therefore, early diagnosis is ideal. In humans, electroencephalogram (EEG) findings specific to AD have been described, and some of them have successfully detect early stages of the disease. In this study we characterized the EEG correlates of CCD, and we compared them with the EEGs of healthy aging dogs and dogs at risk of developing CCD. EEG recordings were performed in 25 senior dogs during wakefulness. Dogs were categorized in normal, at risk of CCD or with CCD according to their score in the Rofina questionnaire. We demonstrated that, quantitative EEG can detect differences between normal dogs and dogs with CCD. Dogs with CCD experience a reduction in beta and gamma interhemispheric coherence, and higher Joint Lempel Ziv complexity. Dogs at risk of developing CCD, had higher alpha power and interhemispheric coherence, making these features potential markers of early stages of the disease. These results demonstrate that EEG could be an additional biomarker that can contribute to the diagnosis of CCD, and reinforce the CCD as a translational model of AD.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mondino, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gutierrez, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mateos, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torterolo, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olby, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Delucchi, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.28.478033</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Electroencephalographic Signatures of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.01.478665v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identification of interacting proteins of maize mosaic virus glycoprotein in its vector, Peregrinus maidis. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.01.478665v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Rhabdovirus glycoproteins (G) serve multifunctional roles in virus entry, assembly, and exit from animal cells. We hypothesize that maize mosaic virus (MMV) G is required for invasion, infection, and spread in Peregrinus maidis, the planthopper vector. Using a membrane-based yeast two-hybrid assay, we identified 125 P. maidis proteins that physically interacted with MMV G, of which 68% matched proteins with known functions in endocytosis, vesicle-mediated transport, protein synthesis and turnover, nuclear import/export, metabolism and host defense. Physical interaction networks among conserved proteins indicated a possible cellular coordination of processes associated with MMV G translation, protein folding and trafficking. Non-annotated proteins contained predicted functional sites, including a diverse array of ligand binding sites. Cyclophilin A and apolipophorin III co-immunoprecipitated with MMV G, and each showed different patterns of co-localization with G in insect cells. This study describes the first protein interactome for a rhabdovirus spike protein and insect vector.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Alviar, K. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.01.478665</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identification of interacting proteins of maize mosaic virus glycoprotein in its vector, Peregrinus maidis.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.02.478912v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
In silico structure-based analysis of the predicted protein-protein interaction of Syntaxin-18, a putative receptor of  Peregrinus maidis  Ashmead (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) with Maize mosaic virus glycoprotein 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.02.478912v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, is a widely distributed insect pest which serves as a vector of two phytopathogenic viruses, Maize mosaic virus (MMV) and Maize stripe virus (MStV). It transmits the viruses in a persistent and propagative manner. MMV is an alphanucleorhabdovirus with a negative-sense, single-stranded (ss) RNA unsegmented genome. One identified insect vector protein that may serve as receptor to MMV is Syntaxin-18 (PmStx18) which belongs to the SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors). SNAREs play major roles in the final stage of docking and subsequent fusion of diverse vesicle-mediated transport events. In this work, in silico analysis of the interaction of MMV glycoprotein (MMV G) and PmStx18 was performed. Various freely available protein-protein docking web servers were used to predict the 3D complex of MMV G and PmStx18. Analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) count showed that the complex predicted by the ZDOCK server has the highest number of interaction and highest affinity, as suggested by the calculated solvation free energy gain upon formation of the interface ({Delta}iG = -31 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics simulation of the complex revealed important interactions at the interface over the course of 50 ns. This is the first in silico analysis performed for the interaction on a putative receptor of P. maidis and MMV G. The results of the protein-protein interaction prediction provide novel information for studying the role of STX18 in the transport, docking and fusion events involved in virus particle transport in the insect vector cells and its release.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Castrosanto, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clemente, A. J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alviar, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.02.478912</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[In silico structure-based analysis of the predicted protein-protein interaction of Syntaxin-18, a putative receptor of  Peregrinus maidis  Ashmead (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) with Maize mosaic virus glycoprotein]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.04.479159v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
IgD+ Age-Associated B cells are the progenitors of the main T-independent B cell response to infection that generates protective Ab and can be induced by an inactivated vaccine in the aged 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.04.479159v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Age-associated B cells (ABC) accumulate with age and are associated with autoimmunity and chronic infection. However, their contributions to acute infection in the aged and their developmental pathways are unclear. We find that the response against influenza A virus infection in aged mice is dominated by a Fas+GL7- effector B cell population we call infection-induced-ABC (iABC). Most iABC express IgM and include antibody-secreting cells in the spleen, lung and bone marrow. We find that in response to influenza, IgD+CD21-CD23-ABC are the precursors of iABC. These IgD+ABC develop in germ free mice, so are independent of foreign antigen recognition, suggesting they arise from an intrinsic age-associated developmental program. The response of ABC to influenza infection, resulting in iABC, is T cell independent and requires both extrinsic TLR7 and TLR9 signals. In response to influenza infection, IgD+ABC can induce a faster recovery of weight and higher total anti-influenza IgG and IgM titers that can neutralize virus. Immunization with whole inactivated virus also generates iABC in aged mice. Thus, in unimmunized aged mice, whose other B and T cell responses have waned, IgD+ABC are likely the naive B cells with the potential to become Ab-secreting cells and to provide protection from infection in the aged.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kugler-Umana, O. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castonguay, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tonkonogy, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshak-Rothstein, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Devarajan, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swain, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.04.479159</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[IgD+ Age-Associated B cells are the progenitors of the main T-independent B cell response to infection that generates protective Ab and can be induced by an inactivated vaccine in the aged]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.08.479572v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Finding mutations in all the wrong places: Prevalence of knock-down resistance F1534S 1 mutations among Aedes albopictus (family: Culicidae, order: Diptera) in North Carolina 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.08.479572v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundKnock-down resistance (kdr) mutations in the voltage gated sodium channel gene of Aedes species mosquitoes are biomarkers for resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. In the United States, few studies have reported kdr mutations among Aedes albopictus (family: Culicidae, order: Diptera, Skuse, 1895) populations. In this study we sought to explore the potential for permethrin-impregnated uniforms worn by military servicemembers to drive kdr emergence.

Methods and ResultsWe collected 538 Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, including 156 from 4 sites at Fort Bragg (exposed), North Carolina and 382 from 15 sites in Wake County (control), North Carolina to compare the prevalence of kdr mutations. Of those successfully sequenced, we identified 12 (3.0%) mosquitoes with kdr mutations, all of which were attributed to variants at position 1534 within domain 3. All mutations were found in mosquitoes collected at Wake County sites; no mutations were identified at Fort Bragg. There was a focus of mutations observed at the Wake County sites with approximately 92% (11 of 12) of the mosquitoes with the mutation coming from one site, where kdr mutations represented 24.4% (11 of 45) of all mosquitoes collected.

ConclusionsOur study did not show any evidence that universal implementation of permethrin-impregnated uniforms drives the development of resistance. In contrast, we observed highly focal resistance in a suburban area of Raleigh, which may be attributable to peri-domestic mosquito control activities that involve area dispersal of pyrethroid insecticides. More robust surveillance is needed to monitor the emergence and spread of resistance.

AUTHOR SUMMARYResistance to commonly employed insecticides among Aedes albopictus (family: Culicidae, order: Diptera, Skuse, 1895) mosquitoes poses as a substantial public health threat. In this study we sought to explore the potential for permethrin-impregnated uniforms worn by military servicemembers to drive emergence of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides by collecting and testing mosquitoes from both military and civilian sites. Overall, we did not identify mosquitoes harboring resistance at Ft. Bragg, but did find a focus of resistance in sub-urban Raleigh, which may be driven by commercial, peri-domestic mosquito control activities. These results suggest that resistance to pyrethroid insecticides may be more prevalent in the United States than previously known, but highly heterogenous. More robust surveillance is needed to monitor the emergence and spread of resistance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Abernathy, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hollingsworth, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giandomenico, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moser, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Juliano, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bowman, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>George, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiskind, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boyce, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.08.479572</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Finding mutations in all the wrong places: Prevalence of knock-down resistance F1534S 1 mutations among Aedes albopictus (family: Culicidae, order: Diptera) in North Carolina]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.08.479599v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Recombination-aware Phylogeographic Inference Using the Structured Coalescent with Ancestral Recombination 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.08.479599v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Movement of individuals between populations or demes is often restricted, especially between geographically isolated populations. The structured coalescent provides an elegant theoretical framework for describing how movement between populations shapes the genealogical history of sampled individuals and thereby structures genetic variation within and between populations. However, in the presence of recombination an individual may inherit different regions of their genome from different parents, resulting in a mosaic of genealogical histories across the genome, which can be represented by an Ancestral Recombination Graph (ARG). In this case, different genomic regions may have different ancestral histories and so different histories of movement between populations. Recombination therefore poses an additional challenge to phylogeographic methods that aim to reconstruct the movement of individuals from genealogies, although also a potential benefit in that different loci may contain additional information about movement. Here, we introduce the Structured Coalescent with Ancestral Recombination (SCAR) model, which builds on recent approximations to the structured coalescent by incorporating recombination into the ancestry of sampled individuals. The SCAR model allows us to infer how the migration history of sampled individuals varies across the genome from ARGs, and improves estimation of key population genetic parameters such as population sizes, recombination rates and migration rates. Using the SCAR model, we explore the potential and limitations of phylogeographic inference using full ARGs. We then apply the SCAR to lineages of the recombining fungus Aspergillus flavus sampled across the United States to explore patterns of recombination and migration across the genome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Guo, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.08.479599</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Recombination-aware Phylogeographic Inference Using the Structured Coalescent with Ancestral Recombination]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.11.480163v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Population genetic structure of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, in southern Mexico 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.11.480163v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is a ubiquitous pest of maize and other cereal crops worldwide and remains a threat to food security in subsistence communities. Few population genetic studies have been conducted on the maize weevil, but those that exist have shown that there is very little genetic differentiation between geographically dispersed populations and that it is likely the species has experienced a recent range expansion within the last few hundred years. While the previous studies found little genetic structure, they relied primarily on mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite markers for their analyses. It is possible that more fine-scaled population genetic structure exists due to local population dynamics, the biological limits of natural species dispersal, and the isolated nature of subsistence farming communities. In contrast to previous studies, here, we utilized genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data to evaluate the genetic population structure of the maize weevil from the southern and coastal Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Our study is the first to find significant genetic population structure in the maize weevil. Here, we show that although there continues to be gene flow between populations of maize weevil, that fine-scale genetic structure exists. It is possible that this structure is shaped by the movement and trade of maize by humans in the region, by geographic barriers to gene flow, or a combination of factors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baltzegar, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willcox, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramsey, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.11.480163</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Population genetic structure of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, in southern Mexico]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.13.480265v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Experimental and analytical framework for ''mix-and-read'' assays based on split luciferase 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.13.480265v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The use of immunodetection assays including the widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in applications such as point-of-care detection is often limited by the need for protein immobilization and multiple binding and washing steps. Here, we describe an experimental and analytical framework for the development of simple and modular "mix-and-read" enzymatic complementation assays based on split luciferase that enable sensitive detection and quantification of analytes in solution. In this assay, two engineered protein binders targeting non-overlapping epitopes on the target analyte were each fused to non-active fragments of luciferase to create biosensor probes. Binding proteins to two model targets, lysozyme and Sso6904, were isolated from a combinatorial library of Sso7d mutants using yeast surface display. In the presence of the analyte, probes were brought into close proximity, reconstituting enzymatic activity of luciferase and enabling detection of low picomolar concentrations of the analyte by chemiluminescence. Subsequently, we constructed an equilibrium binding model that relates binding affinities of the binding proteins for the target, assay parameters such as the concentrations of probes used, and assay performance (limit of detection and concentration range over which the target can be quantified). Overall, our experimental and analytical framework provide the foundation for the development of split luciferase assays for detection and quantification of various targets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McArthur, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cruz-Teran, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thatavarty, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.13.480265</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Experimental and analytical framework for ''mix-and-read'' assays based on split luciferase]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.15.480575v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Blood Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are Associated with Lupus-like Autoimmunity in the American Alligator 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.15.480575v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Surface and ground water of the Cape Fear River basin in central and coastal North Carolina is contaminated with high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Elevated levels of PFAS have also been found in blood of fish and wildlife living in and around the Cape Fear River, and in the blood of human populations reliant on contaminated well or surface water from the Cape Fear River basin as a sources of drinking water. While the public and environmental health impacts of long-term PFAS exposures are poorly understood, elevated blood concentrations of some PFAS are linked with immunotoxicity and increased incidence of some chronic autoimmune diseases in human populations. The goal of this study was to evaluate PFAS exposure and biomarkers related to immune health in populations of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), a protected and predictive sentinel species of adverse effects caused by persistent toxic pollutants. We found that serum PFAS concentrations in a representative population of alligators from the Cape Fear River were increased compared to a reference population of alligators from the adjoining Lumber River basin. The elevated serum PFAS concentrations in the Cape Fear River alligators were associated with increased innate immune activities, and autoimmune-like phenotypes were observed in this population. In addition to evidence of significantly higher double stranded-DNA binding autoantibodies in adult Cape Fear River alligators, our qRT-PCR analysis found remarkably high induction of Interferon- signature genes implicated in the pathology of human autoimmune disease. We interpret the association of increased PFAS exposure with disrupted immune functions to indicate that PFAS broadly alters immune activities resulting in autoimmune-like pathology in American alligators. This work substantiates and extends evidence from experimental models and human epidemiology studies showing that some PFAS are immune toxicants.

HighlightsO_LISerum PFAS concentration were elevated in alligator populations from the Cape Fear River
C_LIO_LIHigher PFAS concentrations were associated with disrupted innate immune functions
C_LIO_LIInfa-responsive autoimmunity signature genes were induced in Cape Fear River alligators
C_LIO_LIElevated PFAS levels were associated with autoimmune-like activity in alligators 26
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Guillete, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guillette, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MCCord, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.15.480575</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Blood Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are Associated with Lupus-like Autoimmunity in the American Alligator]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.04.483018v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Introduction of a condensed, reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle for additional CO2 fixation in plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.04.483018v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plants employ the Calvin-Benson cycle (CBC) to fix atmospheric CO2 for the production of biomass. The flux of carbon through the CBC is limited by the activity and selectivity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO). Alternative pathways that do not use RuBisCO to fix CO2 exist but occur only in anaerobic microorganisms. Rather than modifying existing routes of carbon metabolism in plants, we have developed a synthetic carbon fixation cycle that does not exist in nature, but is inspired by metabolisms of bacterial autotrophs. This synthetic cycle uses endogenous plant metabolites to fix CO2 and yield glyoxylate as a product. In this work, we build and characterize a condensed, reverse tricarboxylic acid (crTCA) cycle in vitro and in planta. We demonstrate that a simple, synthetic cycle can be used to fix carbon in vitro under aerobic and mesophilic conditions and that these enzymes retain activity when expressed transiently in planta. We then evaluate stable transgenic lines of Camelina sativa that have both phenotypic and physiologic changes. Transgenic C. sativa are shorter than controls with increased rates of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and changes in photorespiratory metabolism. This first iteration of a build-test-learn phase of the crTCA cycle provides promising evidence that this pathway can be used to increase photosynthetic capacity in plants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wilson, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith-Moore, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>La Hovary, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barampuram, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aslett, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ji, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shachar-Hill, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grunden, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.04.483018</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Introduction of a condensed, reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle for additional CO2 fixation in plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.10.482833v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Beyond energy balance in agrivoltaic food production: Emergent crop traits from color selective solar cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.10.482833v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The integration of semi-transparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs) in greenhouses offers new agrivoltaic opportunities to meet the growing demands for sustainable food production. The tailored absorption/transmission spectra of ST-OSCs impacts the power generated as well as crop growth, development and responses to the biotic and abiotic environments. We grew lettuce and tomato, traditional greenhouse crops, under three ST-OSC filters that create different light spectra. Lettuce yield and early tomato development are not negatively affected by the modified light environment. Our genomic analysis reveals that lettuce production exhibits beneficial traits involving nutrient content and nitrogen utilization while select ST-OSCs impact regulation of flowering initiation in tomato. ST-OSCs integrated into greenhouses are not only a promising technology for energy-neutral, sustainable and climate-change protected crop production, but can deliver benefits beyond energy considerations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Charles, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ravishankar, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calero, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Henry, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rech, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saravitz, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>You, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ade, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Connor, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.10.482833</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Beyond energy balance in agrivoltaic food production: Emergent crop traits from color selective solar cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.12.484001v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Asymmetrical lineage introgression and recombination in populations of Aspergillus flavus: implications for biological control 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.12.484001v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aspergillus flavus is an agriculturally important fungus that causes ear rot of maize and produces aflatoxins (AFs), of which B1 is the most potent carcinogen known. In the US, the management of AFs includes the deployment of biological control agents that comprise two nonaflatoxigenic A. flavus strains, either Afla-Guard(R) (member of lineage IB) or AF36 (lineage IC). We used genotyping-by-sequencing to examine the influence of both biocontrol agents on native populations of A. flavus in cornfields in Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Indiana. This study examined up to 27,529 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a total of 815 A. flavus isolates, and 353 genome-wide haplotypes sampled before biocontrol application, three months after biocontrol application, and up to three years after initial application. Here, we report that the two distinct A. flavus evolutionary lineages IB and IC differ significantly in their frequency distributions across states. We provide evidence of increased unidirectional gene flow from lineage IB into IC, inferred to be due to the applied Afla-Guard biocontrol strain. Genetic exchange and recombination of biocontrol strains with native strains was detected in as little as three months after biocontrol application and up to one and three years later. There was limited inter-lineage migration in the untreated fields. These findings suggest that biocontrol products that include strains from lineage IB offer the greatest potential for sustained reductions in aflatoxin levels over several years. This knowledge has important implications for developing new biocontrol strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Molo, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cornish, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gell, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baars, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isakeit, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wise, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woloshuk, C. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bluhm, B. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Horn, B. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heiniger, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.12.484001</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Asymmetrical lineage introgression and recombination in populations of Aspergillus flavus: implications for biological control]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.21.485207v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gene expression noise accelerates the evolution of a biological oscillator 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.21.485207v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Gene expression is a biochemical process, where stochastic binding and unbinding events naturally generate fluctuations and cell-to-cell variability in gene dynamics. These fluctuations typically have destructive consequences for proper biological dynamics and function (e.g., loss of timing and synchrony in biological oscillators). Here, we show that gene expression noise counter-intuitively accelerates the evolution of a biological oscillator and, thus, can impart a benefit to living organisms. We used computer simulations to evolve two mechanistic models of a biological oscillator at different levels of gene expression noise. We first show that gene expression noise induces oscillatory-like dynamics in regions of parameter space that cannot oscillate in the absence of noise. We then demonstrate that these noise-induced oscillations generate a fitness landscape whose gradient robustly and quickly guides evolution by mutation towards robust and self-sustaining oscillation. These results suggest that noise can help dynamical systems evolve or learn new behavior by revealing cryptic dynamic phenotypes outside the bifurcation point.

Graphical Abstract

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=181 SRC="FIGDIR/small/485207v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
View larger version (44K):
org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@fdbc9forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6a8b08org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@cdbc7borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1116812_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP  M_FIG C_FIG
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lin, Y. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchler, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.21.485207</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gene expression noise accelerates the evolution of a biological oscillator]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.23.485512v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Rapid, High Throughput, Viral Infectivity Assay using Automated Brightfield Microscopy with Machine Learning 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.23.485512v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Infectivity assays are essential for the development of viral vaccines, antiviral therapies and the manufacture of biologicals. Traditionally, these assays take 2-7 days and require several manual processing steps after infection. We describe an automated assay (AVIA), using machine learning (ML) and high-throughput brightfield microscopy on 96 well plates that can quantify infection phenotypes within hours, before they are manually visible, and without sample preparation. ML models were trained on HIV, influenza A virus, coronavirus 229E, vaccinia viruses, poliovirus, and adenoviruses, which together span the four major categories of virus (DNA, RNA, enveloped, and non-enveloped). A sigmoidal function, fit to virus dilution curves, yielded an R2 higher than 0.98 and a linear dynamic range comparable to or better than conventional plaque or TCID50 assays. Because this technology is based on sensitizing AIs to specific phenotypes of infection, it may have potential as a rapid, broad-spectrum tool for virus identification.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dodkins, R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Delaney, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Overton, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scholle, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frias, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crisci, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huq, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jordan, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kimata, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goldberg, I. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.23.485512</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Rapid, High Throughput, Viral Infectivity Assay using Automated Brightfield Microscopy with Machine Learning]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.24.485529v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Distinct bile salt hydrolase substrate preferences dictate C. difficile pathogenesis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.24.485529v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Summary paragraphBile acids (BAs) mediate the crosstalk between human and microbial cells and influence intestinal diseases including Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). While bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) shape the BA pool by deconjugating conjugated BAs, the basis for their substrate preferences and impact on C. difficile remain elusive. Here, we survey the diversity of Lactobacillus BSHs and unravel the structural basis of their substrate preference. We show that leveraging BSH activity and specificity is an effective strategy to prevent C. difficile growth in clinically relevant CDI models. A range of non-canonical conjugated BAs is also identified, comprising unique BSH substrates that also inhibit C. difficile spore germination. These findings establish BSHs as intestinal enzymes essential to BA homeostasis and colonization resistance against C. difficile.

One sentence summaryBile salt hydrolase activity inhibits C. difficile by shaping the conventional and non-canonical conjugated bile acid pools
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Foley, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walker, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Flaherty, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gentry, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patel, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beaty, V. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vanhoy, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dougherty, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGill, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gulati, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorrestein, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Redinbo, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrangou, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.24.485529</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Distinct bile salt hydrolase substrate preferences dictate C. difficile pathogenesis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.485782v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Large-bodied ornithomimosaurs inhabited Appalachia during the Late Cretaceous of North America 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.485782v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Reconstructing the evolution, diversity, and paleobiogeography of North Americas Late Cretaceous dinosaur assemblages requires spatiotemporally contiguous data; however, there remains a spatial and temporal disparity in dinosaur data on the continent. The rarity of vertebrate-bearing sedimentary deposits representing Turonian-Santonian ecosystems, and the relatively sparse record of dinosaurs from the eastern portion of the continent, present persistent challenges for studies of North American dinosaur evolution. Here we describe an assemblage of ornithomimosaurian materials from the Santonian Eutaw Formation of Mississippi. Morphological data coupled with osteohistological growth markers suggest the presence of two taxa of different body sizes, including one of the largest ornithomimosaurians known worldwide. The regression predicts a femoral circumference and a body mass of the Eutaw individuals similar to or greater than that of large-bodied ornithomimosaurs, Beishanlong grandis and Gallimimus bullatus. The paleohistology of MMNS VP-6332 demonstrates that the individual was at least 11 years of age (similar to B. grandis [[~]375 kg, 13-14 years old at death]). Additional pedal elements share some intriguing features with ornithomimosaurs yet suggest a larger-body size closer to Deinocheirus mirificus. The presence of a large-bodied ornithomimosaur in this region during this time is consistent with the relatively recent discoveries of early-diverging, large-bodied ornithomimosaurs from mid-Cretaceous strata of Laurasia (Arkansaurus fridayi and B. grandis). The smaller Eutaw taxon is represented by a tibia preserving seven growth cycles, with osteohistological indicators of decreasing growth, yet belongs to an individual with near reaching somatic maturity of the larger taxon, suggesting the co-existence of medium- and large-bodied ornithomimosaur taxa during the Late Cretaceous Santonian of North America. The Eutaw ornithomimosaur materials provide key information on the diversity and distribution of North American ornithomimosaurs and Appalachian dinosaurs and fit with broader evidence of multiple cohabiting species of ornithomimosaurian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous ecosystems of Laurasia.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tsogtbaatar, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cullen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phillips, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rolke, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zanno, L. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.25.485782</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Large-bodied ornithomimosaurs inhabited Appalachia during the Late Cretaceous of North America]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.485804v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Establishing a reproducible approach for the controllable deposition and maintenance of plants cells with 3D bioprinting 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.485804v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Capturing cell-to-cell and cell-to-environment signals in a defined 3 dimensional (3D) microenvironment is key to study cellular functions, including cellular reprogramming towards tissue regeneration. A major challenge in current culturing methods is that these methods cannot accurately capture this multicellular 3D microenvironment. In this study, we established the framework of 3D bioprinting with plant cells to study cell viability, cell division, and cell identity. We established long-term cell viability for bioprinted Arabidopsis root cells and soybean meristematic cells. To analyze the large image datasets generated during these long-term viability studies, we developed an open source high-throughput image analysis pipeline. Furthermore, we showed the cell cycle re-entry of the isolated Arabidopsis and soybean cells leading to the formation of microcalli. Finally, we showed that the identity of isolated cells of Arabidopsis roots expressing endodermal markers maintained longer periods of time. The framework established in this study paves the way for a general use of 3D bioprinting for studying cellular reprogramming and cell cycle re-entry towards tissue regeneration.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Van den Broeck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwartz, M. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Krishnamoorthy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spurney, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abderamane Tahir, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Melvin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gobble, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peters, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muhammad, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stuiver, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Horn, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.25.485804</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Establishing a reproducible approach for the controllable deposition and maintenance of plants cells with 3D bioprinting]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.485874v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 Provides Broad-spectrum Phage Immunity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.485874v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
CRISPR-Cas13 proteins are RNA-guided RNA nucleases that defend against invasive phages through general, non-specific RNA degradation upon complementary target transcript binding. Despite being RNA nucleases, Cas13 effectors are capable of inhibiting the infection of dsDNA phages but have only been investigated across a relatively small sampling of phage diversity. Here, we employ a systematic, phage-centric approach to determine the anti-phage capacity of Cas13 and find LbuCas13a to be a remarkably potent phage inhibitor. LbuCas13a confers robust, consistent antiviral activity regardless of gene essentiality, gene expression timing or target sequence location. Furthermore, after challenging LbuCas13a with eight diverse E. coli phages distributed across E. coli phage phylogenetic groups, we find no apparent phage-encoded limits to its potent antiviral activity. In contrast to other Class 2 CRISPR-Cas proteins, these results suggest that DNA phages are generally vulnerable to Cas13a targeting. Leveraging this effective anti-phage activity, LbuCas13a can be used seamlessly as a counter-selection agent for broad-spectrum phage editing. Using a two-step phage editing and enrichment approach, we show that LbuCas13a enables markerless genome edits in phages with exceptionally high efficiency and precision, including edits as small as a single codon. By taking advantage of the broad vulnerability of RNA during viral infection, Cas13a enables a generalizable strategy for editing the most abundant and diverse biological entities on Earth.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adler, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hessler, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cress, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mutalik, V. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrangou, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banfield, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doudna, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.25.485874</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 Provides Broad-spectrum Phage Immunity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.01.486597v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microgravity enhances the phenotype of Arabidopsis zigzag-1 and reduces the Wortmannin-induced vacuole fusion in root cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.01.486597v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The spaceflight environment of the International Space Station poses a multitude of stresses on plant growth including reduced gravity. Plants exposed to microgravity and other conditions on the ISS display root skewing, changes in gene expression and protein abundance that may result in changes in cell wall composition, antioxidant accumulation and modification of growth anisotropy. Systematic studies that address the effects of microgravity on cellular organelles are lacking but altered numbers and sizes of vacuoles have been detected in previous flights. The prominent size of plant vacuoles makes them ideal models to study organelle dynamics in space. Here, we used Arabidopsis zigzag1 (zig-1) as a sensitized genotype to study the effect of microgravity on plant vacuole fusion. Wortmannin was used to induce vacuole fusion in seedlings and a formaldehyde-based fixation protocol was developed to visualize plant vacuole morphology after sample return, using confocal microscopy. Our results indicate that microgravity enhances the zig-1 phenotype by reducing hypocotyl growth and vacuole fusion in some cells. This study demonstrates the feasibility of chemical inhibitor treatments for plant cell biology experiments in space.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Danz, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ly, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas-Pierce, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.01.486597</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microgravity enhances the phenotype of Arabidopsis zigzag-1 and reduces the Wortmannin-induced vacuole fusion in root cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.04.486926v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Toward an optimal contraception dosing strategy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.04.486926v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anovulation refers to a menstrual cycle characterized by the absence of ovulation. Exogenous hormones such as synthetic progesterone and estrogen have been used to attain this state to achieve contraception. However, large doses are associated with adverse effects such as increased risk for thrombosis and myocardial infarction. This study utilizes optimal control theory on a modified menstrual cycle model to determine the minimum total exogenous estrogen/progesterone dose, and timing of administration to induce anovulation. The mathematical model correctly predicts the mean daily levels of pituitary hormones LH and FSH, and ovarian hormones E2, P4, and Inh throughout a normal menstrual cycle and reflects the reduction in these hormone levels caused by exogenous estrogen and/or progesterone. Results show that it is possible to reduce the total dose by 92% in estrogen monotherapy, 43% in progesterone monotherapy, and that it is most effective to deliver the estrogen contraceptive in the mid follicular phase. Finally, we show that by combining estrogen and progesterone the dose can be lowered even more. These results may give clinicians insights into optimal formulations and schedule of therapy that can suppress ovulation.

AUTHOR SUMMARYHormonal contraceptives composed of exogenous estrogen and/or progesterone are commonly administered artificial means of birth control. Despite many benefits, adverse side effects associated with high doses such as thrombosis and myocardial infarction, cause hesitation to usage. Our study presents an improved mathematical model for hormonal control of the menstrual cycle and applies optimal control theory to minimize total exogenous estrogen and/or progesterone dose, and determine timing of administration that lead to contraception. We observe a reduction in dosage of about 92% in estrogen monotherapy and 43% in progesterone monotherapy. Our simulations show that it is most effective to deliver the estrogen contraceptive in the mid follicular phase. In addition, we illustrate that combination therapy significantly lower doses further. Our findings may give clinicians insights into optimal dosing scheme for contraception.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gavina, B. L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de los Reyes, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olufsen, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lenhart, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ottesen, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.04.486926</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Toward an optimal contraception dosing strategy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.08.487703v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TwinEQTL: Ultra Fast and Powerful Association Analysis for eQTL and GWAS in Twin Studies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.08.487703v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We develop a computationally efficient alternative, TwinEQTL, to a linear mixed-effects model (LMM) for twin genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. Instead of analyzing all twin samples together with LMM, TwinEQTL first splits twin samples into two independent groups on which multiple linear regression analysis can be validly performed separately, followed by an appropriate meta-analysis-like approach to combine the two non-independent test results. Through mathematical derivations, we prove the validity of TwinEQTL algorithm and show that the correlation between two dependent test statistics at each single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) are independent of its minor allele frequency (MAF). Thus the correlation is constant across all SNPs. Through simulations, we show empirically that TwinEQTL has well controlled type I error with negligible power loss compared to the gold-standard linear mixed effects models. To accommodate eQTL analysis with twin subjects, we further implement TwinEQTL into a R package with much improved computational efficiency. Our approaches provide a significant leap in terms of computing speed for GWAS and eQTL analysis with twin samples.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xia, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zou, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shabalin, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knickmeyer, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilmore, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chung, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Styner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sullivan, P. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yin, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.08.487703</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TwinEQTL: Ultra Fast and Powerful Association Analysis for eQTL and GWAS in Twin Studies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.13.488266v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Tauroursodeoxycholic acid inhibits Clostridioides difficile toxin induced apoptosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.13.488266v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
C. difficile infection (CDI) is a highly inflammatory disease mediated by the production of two large toxins that weaken the intestinal epithelium and cause extensive colonic tissue damage. Antibiotic alternative therapies for CDI are urgently needed as current antibiotic regimens prolong the perturbation of the microbiota and lead to high disease recurrence rates. Inflammation is more closely correlated with CDI severity than bacterial burden, thus therapies that target the host response represent a promising yet unexplored strategy for treating CDI. Intestinal bile acids are key regulators of gut physiology that exert cytoprotective roles in cellular stress, inflammation and barrier integrity, yet the dynamics between bile acids and host cellular processes during CDI have not been investigated. Here we show that several bile acids are protective against apoptosis caused by C. difficile toxins in Caco-2 cells and that protection is dependent on conjugation. Out of 20 tested bile acids, taurine conjugated ursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) was the most potent inhibitor yet unconjugated UDCA did not alter toxin-induced apoptosis. TUDCA treatment decreased expression of genes in lysosome associated and cytokine signaling pathways. TUDCA did not affect C. difficile growth or toxin activity in vitro whereas UDCA significantly reduced toxin activity in a Vero cell assay and decreased tcdA gene expression. These results demonstrate that bile acid conjugation can have profound effects on C. difficile as well as the host and that conjugated and unconjugated bile acids may exert different therapeutic mechanisms against CDI.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pike, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tam, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Melnyk, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.13.488266</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Tauroursodeoxycholic acid inhibits Clostridioides difficile toxin induced apoptosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.21.489059v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mitigating pseudoreplication and bias in resource selection functions with autocorrelation-informed weighting 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.21.489059v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIResource selection functions are among the most commonly used statistical tools in both basic and applied animal ecology. They are typically parameterized using animal tracking data, and advances in animal tracking technology have led to increasing levels of autocorrelation between locations in such data sets. Because resource selection functions assume that data are independent and identically distributed, such autocorrelation can cause misleadingly narrow confidence intervals and biased parameter estimates.
C_LIO_LIData thinning, generalized estimating equations, and step selection functions have been suggested as techniques for mitigating the statistical problems posed by autocorrelation, but these approaches have notable limitations that include statistical inefficiency, unclear or arbitrary targets for adequate levels of statistical independence, constraints in input data, and (in the case of step selection functions) scale-dependent inference. To remedy these problems, we introduce a method for likelihood weighting of animal locations to mitigate the negative consequences of autocorrelation on resource selection functions.
C_LIO_LIIn this study, we demonstrate that this method weights each observed location in an animals movement track according to its level of non-independence, expanding confidence intervals and reducing bias that can arise when there are missing data in the movement track.
C_LIO_LIEcologists and conservation biologists can use this method to improve the quality of inferences derived from resource selection functions. We also provide a complete, annotated analytical workflow to help new users apply our method to their own animal tracking data using the ctmm R package.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Alston, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Streicher, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Downs, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramesh, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calabrese, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.21.489059</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mitigating pseudoreplication and bias in resource selection functions with autocorrelation-informed weighting]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.21.489081v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A highly diverse set of novel immunoglobulin-like transcript (NILT) genes in zebrafish indicates a wide range of functions with complex relationships to mammalian receptors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.21.489081v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Multiple novel immunoglobulin-like transcripts (NILTs) have been identified from salmon, trout and carp. NILTs typically encode activating or inhibitory transmembrane receptors with extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) domains. Although predicted to provide immune recognition in ray-finned fish, we currently lack a definitive framework of NILT diversity, thereby limiting our predictions for their evolutionary origin and function. In order to better understand the diversity of NILTs and their possible roles in immune function, we identified five NILT loci in the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) genome, defined 86 NILT Ig domains within a 3 Mbp region of zebrafish (Danio rerio) chromosome 1, and described 41 NILT Ig domains as part of an alternative haplotype for this same genomic region. We then identified transcripts encoded by 43 different NILT genes which reflect an unprecedented diversity of Ig domain sequences and combinations for a family of non-recombining receptors within a single species. Zebrafish NILTs include a sole putative activating receptor but extensive inhibitory and secreted forms as well as membrane-bound forms with no known signaling motifs. These results reveal a higher level of genetic complexity, interindividual variation and sequence diversity for NILTs than previously described, suggesting that this gene family likely plays multiple roles in host immunity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wcisel, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dornburg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McConnell, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hernandez, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andrade, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Jong, J. L. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Litman, G. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoder, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.21.489081</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A highly diverse set of novel immunoglobulin-like transcript (NILT) genes in zebrafish indicates a wide range of functions with complex relationships to mammalian receptors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.22.489198v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
De novo phytosterol synthesis in animals 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.22.489198v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sterols are lipids that regulate multiple processes in eukaryotic cells, and are essential components of cellular membranes. Sterols are currently assumed to be kingdom specific, with phytosterol synthesis restricted to plants while animals are only able to synthesize cholesterol. Here, we challenge this assumption by demonstrating that the marine annelids Olavius and Inanidrilus synthesize the phytosterol sitosterol de novo. Using multi-omics, high-resolution metabolite imaging, heterologous gene expression and enzyme assays, we show that sitosterol is the most abundant (60%) sterol in these animals and characterize its biosynthetic pathway. We show that phytosterol synthesis partially overlaps with cholesterol synthesis and involves a non-canonical C-24 sterol methyltransferase (C24-SMT). C24-SMT is an essential enzyme for sitosterol synthesis in plants, but not known from animals with bilateral symmetry (bilaterians). Our comparative phylogenetic analyses of C24-SMT homologs revealed that these are widely distributed across annelids and other animal phyla, including sponges and rotifers. Our findings show that phytosterol synthesis and use is not restricted to the plant kingdom, and indicate that the evolution of sterols in animals is more complex than previously assumed.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Michellod, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bien, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Birgel, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fearn, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeidler, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruber-Vodicka, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liebeke, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.22.489198</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[De novo phytosterol synthesis in animals]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.25.489429v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of axon branching and asymmetry between the branches on transport, mean age, and age density distributions of mitochondria in neurons 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.25.489429v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We report a computational study of mitochondria transport in a branched axon with two branches of different sizes. For comparison, we also investigate mitochondria transport in an axon with symmetric branches and in a straight (unbranched) axon. The interest in understanding mitochondria transport in branched axons is motivated by the large size of arbors of dopaminergic neurons, which die in Parkinsons disease. Since the failure of energy supply of multiple demand sites located in various axonal branches may be a possible reason for the death of these neurons, we were interested in investigating how branching affects mitochondria transport. Besides investigating mitochondria fluxes between the demand sites and mitochondria concentrations, we also studied how the mean age of mitochondria and mitochondria age densities depend on the distance from the soma. We established that if the axon splits into two branches of unequal length, the mean ages of mitochondria and age density distributions in the demand sites are affected by how the mitochondria flux splits at the branching junction (what portion of mitochondria enter the shorter branch and what portion enter the longer branch). However, if the axon splits into two branches of equal length, the mean ages and age densities of mitochondria are independent of how the mitochondria flux splits at the branching junction. This even holds for the case when all mitochondria enter one branch, which is equivalent to a straight axon. Because the mitochondrial membrane potential (which many researchers view as a proxy for mitochondrial health) decreases with mitochondria age, the independence of mitochondria age on whether the axon is symmetrically branched or straight (providing the two axons are of the same length), and on how the mitochondria flux splits at the branching junction, may explain how dopaminergic neurons can sustain very large arbors and still maintain mitochondrial health across branch extremities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.25.489429</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of axon branching and asymmetry between the branches on transport, mean age, and age density distributions of mitochondria in neurons]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.27.489728v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Receptor-like kinases FER and SRK mediate Lotus japonicus freezing tolerance and climate adaptation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.27.489728v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Many plant species have succeeded in colonizing a wide range of diverse climates through local adaptation, but the underlying molecular genetics remain obscure. We previously found that winter survival was a direct target of selection during colonization of Japan by the perennial legume Lotus japonicus and identified associated candidate genes. Here, we show that two of these, the FERONIA-receptor like kinase (LjFER) and a novel S-receptor-like kinase (LjSRK) are required for non-acclimated freezing tolerance and show haplotype-dependent cold-responsive expression. Our work demonstrates that recruiting a conserved growth regulator, FER, and a novel receptor-like kinase, SRK, into the set of cold-responsive genes has contributed to freezing tolerance and local climate adaptation in L. japonicus, offering new functional genetic insight into perennial herb evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mustamin, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akyol, T. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gordon, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manggabarani, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isomura, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kawamura, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bamba, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andersen, S. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sato, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.27.489728</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Receptor-like kinases FER and SRK mediate Lotus japonicus freezing tolerance and climate adaptation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.27.489764v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cocoa Extract Exerts Sex-Specific Effects in an Aggressive Hyperglycemia Model: A Pilot Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.27.489764v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Cocoa may slow T2D development and progression. This study employed male and female BTBR.Cg-Lepob/ob/WiscJ (ob/ob) and wild type (WT) controls to assess the potential for cocoa to ameliorate progressive T2D and compare responses between sexes. Mice received diet without (WT, ob/ob) or with cocoa extract (ob/ob + c) for 10 weeks. Acute cocoa reduced fasting hyperglycemia in females, but not males, after 2 weeks. Chronic cocoa supplementation (6-10 weeks) ameliorated hyperinsulinemia in males and worsened hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia in females, yet also preserved and enhanced beta cell survival in females. The underlying mechanisms of these differences warrant further study. If sex differences are apparent in subsequent preclinical studies, clinical studies will be warranted to establish whether these differences are relevant in humans. Sex differences may need to be considered when designing human dietary interventions for T2D.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Racine, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iglesias-carres, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herring, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferruzzi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kay, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tessem, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neilson, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.27.489764</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cocoa Extract Exerts Sex-Specific Effects in an Aggressive Hyperglycemia Model: A Pilot Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.28.489789v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A chromosome-length genome assembly and annotation of blackberry (Rubus argutus, cv. Hillquist) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.28.489789v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundBlackberries (Rubus spp.) are the fourth most economically important berry crop worldwide. Genome assemblies and annotations have been developed for Rubus species in subgenus Idaeobatus, including black raspberry (R. occidentalis), red raspberry (R. idaeus), and R. chingii, but very few genomic resources exist for blackberries and their relatives in subgenus Rubus.

FindingsHere we present a chromosome-length assembly and annotation of the diploid blackberry germplasm accession  Hillquist (R. argutus).  Hillquist is the only known source of primocane-fruiting (annual-fruiting) in tetraploid fresh-market blackberry breeding programs and is represented in the pedigree of many important cultivars worldwide. The  Hillquist assembly, generated using PacBio long reads scaffolded with Hi-C sequencing, consisted of 298 Mb, of which 270 Mb (90%) was placed on seven chromosome-length scaffolds with an average length of 38.6 Mb. Approximately 52.8% of the genome was composed of repetitive elements. The genome sequence was highly collinear with a novel maternal haplotype-resolved linkage map of the tetraploid blackberry selection A-2551TN and genome assemblies of R. chingii and red raspberry. A total of 38,503 protein-coding genes were predicted using the assembly and Iso-Seq and RNA-seq data, of which 72% were functionally annotated.

ConclusionsThe utility of the  Hillquist genome has been demonstrated here by the development of the first genotyping-by-sequencing based linkage map of tetraploid blackberry and the identification of several possible candidate genes for primocane-fruiting within the previously mapped locus. This chromosome-length assembly will facilitate future studies in Rubus biology, genetics, and genomics and strengthen applied breeding programs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bruna, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aryal, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dudchenko, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sargent, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mead, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buti, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cavallini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hytönen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andres, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pham, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weisz, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mascagni, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Usai, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Natali, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bassil, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lomsadze, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Armour, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poorten, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Britton, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davik, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ashrafi, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aiden, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Borodovsky, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Worthington, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-04-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.04.28.489789</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A chromosome-length genome assembly and annotation of blackberry (Rubus argutus, cv. Hillquist)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-04-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.05.490756v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity in coincident human and mosquito hosts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.05.490756v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Population genetic diversity of P. falciparum antigenic loci is high despite large bottlenecks in population size during the parasite life cycle. The extent of this diversity in human blood-stage infections, following expansion from a small number of liver-stage schizonts, has been well described. However, little is known about parasite genetic diversity in the vector, where a similar bottleneck and expansion occurs following parasite mating and where parasite genotypes from several different human infections may accumulate. We assessed parasite genetic diversity within human and mosquito P. falciparum infections collected from the same households during a 14-month longitudinal cohort study using amplicon deep sequencing of two antigenic gene fragments (ama1 and csp). To a prior set of infected humans (n=1175/2813; 86.2% sequencing success) and mosquito abdomens (n=199/1448; 95.5% sequencing success), we added sequences from infected mosquito heads (n=134/1448; 98.5% sequencing success). Across all sample types we observed 456 ama1 and 289 csp unique haplotypes. While both hosts contained many rare haplotypes, population genetic metrics indicated that the overall and sample-level parasite populations were more diverse in mosquitoes than in humans, and infections were more likely to harbor a dominant haplotype in humans than in mosquitoes (based on relative read abundance). Finally, within a given mosquito there was little overlap in genetic composition of abdomen and head infections, suggesting that infections may be cleared from the abdomen during a mosquitos lifespan. Taken together, our observations provide evidence for the role of the mosquito vector in maintaining sequence diversity of malaria parasite populations.

Significance statementConcurrent infections with multiple strains of Plasmodium falciparum, the leading causative agent of death due to malaria, are common in highly endemic regions. During transitions within and between the parasites mosquito and human hosts, population bottlenecks occur, and distinct parasite strains may have differential fitness in the various environments encountered. These bottlenecks and fitness differences may lead to differences in strain prevalence and diversity between hosts. We investigated differences in genetic diversity between P. falciparum parasites in human and mosquito hosts and found that, compared to human parasite populations and infections, mosquito populations and infections were more diverse. This suggests that the mosquito vector may play a role in in maintaining sequence diversity in malaria parasite populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lapp, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Obala, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abel, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sumner, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freedman, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prudhomme-O'Meara, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.05.490756</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity in coincident human and mosquito hosts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.06.490963v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Spontaneously produced lysogenic phages are an important component of the soybean Bradyrhizobium mobilome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.06.490963v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The ability to nodulate and fix atmospheric nitrogen in soybean root nodules makes soybean Bradyrhizobium spp. (SB) critical in supplying humanitys nutritional needs. The intricacies of SB-plant interactions have been studied extensively; however, bradyrhizobial ecology as influenced by phages has received somewhat less attention even though these interactions may significantly impact soybean yield. In batch culture four SB strains, S06B (B. japonicum, S06B-Bj), S10J (B. japonicum, S10J-Bj), USDA 122 (B. diazoefficiens, USDA 122-Bd), and USDA 76T (B. elkanii, USDA 76-Be), spontaneously (without apparent exogenous chemical or physical induction) produced phages throughout the growth cycle; for three strains, phage concentrations exceeded cell numbers by ca. 3-fold after 48 h incubation. Observed spontaneously produced phages (SPP) were tailed. Phage terminase large-subunit protein phylogeny revealed possible differences in phage packaging and replication mechanisms. Bioinformatic analyses predicted multiple prophage regions within each SB genome preventing accurate identification of SPP genomes. A DNA sequencing approach was developed that accurately delineated the boundaries of four SPP genomes within three of the SB chromosomes. Read mapping suggested that the SPP are capable of transduction. In addition to the phages, bacterial strains S06B-Bj and USDA 76-Be were rich in mobile elements consisting of insertion sequences (IS) and large, conjugable, broad host range plasmids. The prevalence of SPP along with IS and plasmids indicate that horizontal gene transfer likely plays an outsized role in SB ecology and may subsequently impact soybean productivity.

ImportancePrevious studies have shown that IS and plasmids mediate horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of symbiotic nodulation (nod) genes in SB; however, these events require close cell to cell contact which could be limited in soil environments. Bacteriophage assisted gene transduction through spontaneously produced prophages could provide stable means of HGT not limited by the constraints of proximal cell to cell contact. Phage mediated HGT events could be important in SB population ecology with concomitant impacts on soybean agriculture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Joglekar, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferrell, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jarvis, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haramoto, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Place, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dums, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polson, S. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wommack, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fuhrmann, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.06.490963</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Spontaneously produced lysogenic phages are an important component of the soybean Bradyrhizobium mobilome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.12.491735v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Arabidopsis cell suspension culture that lacks circadian rhythms can be recovered by constitutive ELF3 expression 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.12.491735v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Callus and cell suspension culture techniques are valuable tools in plant biotechnology and are widely used in fundamental and applied research. For studies in callus and cell suspension cultures to be relevant, it is essential to know if the underlying biochemistry is similar to intact plants. This study examined the expression of core circadian genes in Arabidopsis callus from the cell suspension named AT2 and found that the circadian rhythms were impaired. The circadian waveforms are similar to intact plants in the light/dark cycles, but the circadian expression in the AT2 callus stopped in the free-running, constant light conditions. Temperature cycles could drive the rhythmic expression in constant conditions, but there were novel peaks at the point of temperature transitions unique to each clock gene. We found that callus freshly induced from seedlings had normal oscillations, like intact plants, suggesting that the loss of the circadian oscillation in the AT2 callus was specific to this callus. We determined that neither the media composition nor the source of the AT2 callus caused this disruption. We observed that ELF3 expression was not differentially expressed between dawn and dusk in both entrained, light-dark cycles and constant light conditions. Overexpression of ELF3 in the AT2 callus partially recovers the circadian oscillation in the AT2 callus. This work shows that while callus and cell suspension cultures can be valuable tools for investigating plant responses, careful evaluation of their phenotype is important. Moreover, the altered circadian rhythms under constant light and temperature cycles in the AT2 callus could be useful backgrounds to understand the connections driving circadian oscillators and light and temperature sensing at the cellular level.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Laosuntisuk, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Desai, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.12.491735</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Arabidopsis cell suspension culture that lacks circadian rhythms can be recovered by constitutive ELF3 expression]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.17.492369v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Skewness in bee and flower phenological distributions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.17.492369v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phenological distributions are characterized by their central tendency, breadth, and shape, and all three determine the extent to which interacting species overlap in time. Pollination mutualisms rely on temporal co-occurrence of pollinators and their floral resources, and while much work has been done to characterize the shapes of flower phenological distributions, similar studies including pollinators are lacking. Here, we provide the first broad assessment of skewness, a component of distribution shape, for a bee community. We compare skewness in bees to that in flowers, related bee and flower skewness to other properties of their phenology, and quantify the potential consequences of differences in skewness between bees and flowers. Both bee and flower phenologies tend to be right-skewed, with a more exaggerated asymmetry in bees. Early-season species tend to be the most skewed, and this relationship is also stronger in bees than in flowers. Based on a simulation experiment, differences in bee and flower skewness could account for up to 14% of pair-wise overlap differences. Given the potential for interaction loss, we argue that difference in skewness of interacting species is an under-appreciated property of phenological change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Stemkovski, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dickson, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffin, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Inouye, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Inouye, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pardee, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Underwood, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Irwin, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.17.492369</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Skewness in bee and flower phenological distributions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.22.492961v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing epidemiological parameters and dissemination characteristics of the 2000 and 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.22.492961v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Since 1998 the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, has been free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) with yearly mandatory vaccination, until the 2000 and 2001 reintroductions. This study gathers data from both outbreaks including official veterinary state service archives and field investigation reports to quantify epidemiological parameters such as epidemic duration, number of secondary infected farms and animals, and estimate the epidemic rate of growth. We apply a Bayesian latent variable approach to estimate the time-varying reproduction number and calculate new confirmed cases by infection date. Additionally, we utilized between-farm animal movements to reconstruct possible FMD transmission and characteristics of spread over the current at-risk population, by incorporating bovine movement data from 2018 to 2020 as standard to benchmark infected network parameters. The results were consistent with the reports generated by the official investigation of the outbreaks and the models and results presented in this study may be useful for assessing the transmission dynamics and support control measures in the future.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>da Costa, J. M. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cobellini, L. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cardenas, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Groff, F. H. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.22.492961</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing epidemiological parameters and dissemination characteristics of the 2000 and 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.22.492980v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Social Regulation of Egg Size Plasticity in the Honey Bee is Mediated by Cytoskeleton Organizer Rho1 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.22.492980v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Egg size plasticity represents an adaptive reproductive strategy in numerous organisms, including the honey bee, Apis mellifera. However, the proximate causation of this plasticity and egg size in general is unknown. We show that honey bee queens predictably and reversibly adjust egg size in response to their colony size and that this plasticity is an active response to the queens perception of colony size instead of a consequence of egg laying rate. The egg size increase involves changes of 290 ovarian proteins, mostly related to increased energy metabolism, protein transport, and cytoskeleton functions. Spatio-temporal expression analysis of the small GTPase Rho1 indicates its central role in egg size regulation, which we confirm by RNAi-mediated gene knock-down and expression analyses. The molecular adjustments that promote maternal investment of honey bee queens in response to their social environment thus reveal a novel mechanism of egg size regulation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Han, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amiri, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lifeng, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strand, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>li, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rueppell, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.22.492980</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Social Regulation of Egg Size Plasticity in the Honey Bee is Mediated by Cytoskeleton Organizer Rho1]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.27.493755v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A multi-functional small molecule alleviates fracture pain and promotes bone healing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.27.493755v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Skeletal injuries are a major cause of morbidities worldwide with bone fractures accounting for a substantial portion. Patients suffering from bone fractures and undergoing surgery experience different levels of pain throughout the healing process requiring pain-mitigating interventions. Furthermore, a considerable number of bone fractures suffer from delayed healing, and unresolved acute pain may transition to chronic and maladaptive pain. Current management of pain involves treatment with NSAIDs and opioids, however, these analgesics have substantial drawbacks including delaying healing, systemic side effects, and potential for addiction. Hence, a therapeutic approach that concomitantly attenuates pain locally and actively promotes healing would address a significant clinical problem and improve the overall functional outcome for patients. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that the purine molecule, adenosine, could simultaneously alleviate fracture pain and promote healing by targeting different adenosine receptor subtypes in different cell populations. Our results demonstrate that local delivery of adenosine inhibited nociceptive activity of peripheral neurons through activation of adenosine A1 receptor (ADORA1) and mitigates pain. Concurrently, localization of adenosine at the fracture site also promoted osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells through adenosine A2B receptor (ADORA2B) and improved bone healing. Although further work is needed to extend the findings to human patients, this study provides evidence that the unique functional properties of adenosine along with its local delivery could provide an innovative, safe, and translatable therapeutic strategy to treat bone trauma and associated pain.

One Sentence SummaryAdenosine as a therapeutic for fracture pain and healing
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shih, Y.-R. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newman, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoque, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lacelles, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Varghese, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.27.493755</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A multi-functional small molecule alleviates fracture pain and promotes bone healing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.28.493294v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rescue of the first Alphanucleorhabdovirus entirely from cloned complementary DNA: an efficient vector for systemic expression of foreign genes in maize and insect vectors. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.28.493294v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent reverse genetics technologies have enabled genetic manipulation of plant negative-strand RNA virus (NSR) genomes. Here, we report construction of an infectious clone for the maize-infecting Alphanucleorhabdovirus maydis, the first efficient NSR vector for maize. The full-length infectious clone was established using agrobacterium-mediated delivery of full-length maize mosaic virus (MMV) antigenomic RNA and the viral core proteins (nucleoprotein N, phosphoprotein P, and RNA-directed RNA polymerase L) required for viral transcription and replication into Nicotiana benthamiana. Insertion of intron 2 ST-LS1 into the viral L gene increased stability of the infectious clone in Escherichia coli and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. To monitor virus infection in vivo, a GFP gene was inserted in between the N and P gene junctions to generate recombinant MMV-GFP. cDNA clones of MMV-WT and MMV-GFP replicated in single cells of agroinfiltrated N. benthamiana. Uniform systemic infection and high GFP expression were observed in maize inoculated with extracts of the infiltrated N. benthamiana leaves. Insect vectors supported virus infection when inoculated via feeding on infected maize or microinjection. Both MMV-WT and MMV-GFP were efficiently transmitted to maize by planthopper vectors. The GFP reporter gene was stable in the virus genome and expression remained high over three cycles of transmission in plants and insects. The MMV infectious clone will be a versatile tool for expression of proteins of interest in maize and cross-kingdom studies of virus replication in plant and insect hosts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kanakala, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xavier, C. A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tran, H. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Redinbaugh, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.28.493294</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rescue of the first Alphanucleorhabdovirus entirely from cloned complementary DNA: an efficient vector for systemic expression of foreign genes in maize and insect vectors.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.31.494104v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Leveraging a natural murine meiotic drive to suppress invasive populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.31.494104v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Invasive rodents, including house mice, are a major cause of environmental damage and biodiversity loss, particularly in island ecosystems. Eradication can be achieved through the distribution of rodenticide, but this approach is expensive to apply at scale, can have negative impacts (e.g. on non-target species, or through contamination), has animal ethics concerns, and has restrictions on where it can be used. Gene drives, which exhibit biased inheritance, have been proposed as a next generation strategy to control invasive alien pests and disease vectors. However, synthetic gene drives including CRISPR homing drives have proven to be technically challenging to develop in mice. The t haplotype is a naturally-occurring segregation distortion locus with highly biased transmission from heterozygous males. Here we propose a novel gene drive strategy for population suppression, tCRISPR, that leverages t haplotype bias and an embedded SpCas9/gRNA transgene to spread inactivating mutations in a haplosufficient female fertility gene. Using spatially explicit individual-based in silico modelling, we show that polyandry, sperm competition, dispersal, and transmission bias are critical factors for tCRISPR-mediated population suppression. Modelling of realistic parameter values indicates that tCRISPR can eradicate an island population of 200,000 mice while the unmodified t haplotype fails under the same conditions. We also demonstrate feasibility of this approach by engineering tCRISPR mice in a safe split drive format. tCRISPR mice exhibit high transmission of the modified t haplotype, and efficient generation and transmission of inactivating mutations in a recessive female fertility gene, crucially, at levels for which the modelling predicts that population eradication can occur. This is the first example of a feasible gene drive system for invasive alien rodent population control.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gierus, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Birand, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bunting, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godahewa, G. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piltz, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oh, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piaggio, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Threadgill, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godwin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cassey, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross, J. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prowse, T. A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, P. Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-05-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.05.31.494104</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Leveraging a natural murine meiotic drive to suppress invasive populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-05-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.02.494595v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Understanding spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions using community-based science 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.02.494595v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LISupplemental feeding can increase the overall health of animals but also can have variable effects on how animals defend themselves against parasites. However, the spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions remain poorly understood, likely because large-scale, coordinated efforts are difficult.
C_LIO_LIHere, we introduce the Nest Parasite Community Science Project, which is a community-based science project that coordinates studies with bird nest box "stewards" from the public and scientific community. This project was established to understand broad ecological patterns between hosts and their parasites.
C_LIO_LIThe goal of this study was to determine the effect of food supplementation on eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and their nest parasite community across the geographic range of the bluebirds from 2018-2021. We received 646 nests from 68 stewards in 26 states in the eastern United States. Nest box stewards reported whether or not they fed their bluebirds mealworms or suet, then followed the nesting success of the birds (number of eggs laid and hatched, percent hatched, number and percent fledged). We then identified and quantified parasites in the nests.
C_LIO_LIWe found that food supplementation increased fledgling numbers and proportional fledging success. The main nest parasite taxa were parasitic blow flies (Protocalliphora sialia), but a few nests contained fleas (Ceratophyllus idius, C. gallinae, Orchopeas leucopus) and mites (Dermanyssus spp. and Ornithonyssus spp.). Blow flies were primarily found at northern latitudes, where food supplementation affected blow fly abundance. However, the direction of this effect varied substantially in direction and magnitude across years. More stewards fed bluebirds at southern latitudes than at northern latitudes, which contradicted the findings of other community-based science projects.
C_LIO_LIOverall, food supplementation of birds was associated with increased host fitness but did not appear to play a consistent role in defense against these parasites across all years. Our study demonstrates the importance of coordinated studies across years and locations to understand the effects of environmental heterogeneity, including human-based food supplementation, on host-parasite dynamics. Studies during a single year or considering only a single population might not provide the necessary data to develop management strategies for species.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Knutie, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bertone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bahouth, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Webb, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mehta, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nahom, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barta, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghai, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balenger, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Butler, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schultz, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taff, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Albery, G. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.02.494595</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Understanding spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions using community-based science]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.03.494688v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic architecture of trophic adaptations in cichlid fishes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.03.494688v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Since Darwin, biologists have sought to understand the evolution and origins of phenotypic adaptations. The skull is particularly diverse due to intense natural selection such as feeding biomechanics. We investigate the genetic and molecular origins of trophic adaptation using Lake Malawi cichlids, which have undergone an exemplary evolutionary radiation. We analyze morphological differences in the lateral and ventral head among an insectivore that eats by suction feeding, an obligate biting herbivore, and their F2 hybrids. We identify variation in a series of morphologies including mandible width, mandible length, and buccal length that directly affect feeding kinematics and function. Using quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, we find that many genes of small effects influence these craniofacial adaptations. Intervals for some traits are enriched in genes related to potassium transport and sensory systems, the latter suggesting correlation between feeding structures and sensory adaptations for foraging. Craniofacial phenotypes largely map to distinct genetic intervals, and morphologies in the head do not correlate. Together, these suggest that craniofacial traits are mostly inherited as separate modules, which confers a high potential for the evolution of morphological diversity. Though these traits are not restricted by genetic pleiotropy, functional demands of feeding and sensory structures likely introduce constraints on variation. In all, we provide insights into the quantitative genetic basis of trophic adaptation, identify mechanisms that influence the direction of morphological evolution, and provide molecular inroads to craniofacial variation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeLorenzo, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeBrock, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carmona Baez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ciccotto, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peterson, E. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stull, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powder, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.03.494688</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic architecture of trophic adaptations in cichlid fishes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.03.494708v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A discrete-time survival model for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.03.494708v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Since the arrival of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in the United States in 2013, elimination and control programs have had partial success. The dynamics of its spread are hard to quantify, though previous work has shown that local transmission and the transfer of pigs within production systems are most associated with the spread of PEDV.

Our work relies on the history of PEDV infections in a region of the southeastern United States. This infection data is complemented by farm-level features and extensive industry data on the movement of both pigs and vehicles. We implement a discrete-time survival model and evaluate different approaches to modeling the local-transmission and network effects.

We find strong evidence in that the local-transmission and pig-movement effects are associated with the spread of PEDV, even while controlling for seasonality, farm-level features, and the possible spread of disease by vehicles. Our fully Bayesian model permits full uncertainty quantification of these effects. Our farm-level out-of-sample predictions have a receiver-operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) of 0.779 and a precision-recall AUC of 0.097. The quantification of these effects in a comprehensive model allows stakeholders to make more informed decisions about disease prevention efforts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Trostle, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corzo, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reich, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.03.494708</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A discrete-time survival model for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.07.495131v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantifying the Human Cost of Global Warming 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.07.495131v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The costs of climate change are often estimated in monetary terms1,2 but this raises ethical issues3. Here we express them in terms of numbers of people left outside the  human climate niche4 - defined as the historically highly-conserved distribution of relative human population density with respect to mean annual temperature (MAT). We show that climate change has already put [~]8% of people (>500 million) outside this niche. By end-of-century (2080-2100), current policies leading to around 2.7 {degrees}C global warming5-9 could leave one third (21-42% or 2-4 billion) of a future 9.5 billion population outside the niche. Limiting global warming to 1.5 {degrees}C could halve this exposure, reducing it by [~]1.5 billion people. For the two countries with the most people affected - India and Nigeria - reducing global warming from 2.7 to 1.5 {degrees}C results in a >6-fold decrease in the population exposed to unprecedented temperatures, MAT [&ge;]29 {degrees}C. The lifetime emissions of [~]3.5 global average citizens today (or [~]1.2 average US citizens) expose 1 future person to MAT [&ge;]29 {degrees}C by end-of-century. That person comes from a place where emissions today are around half of the global average. These results highlight the need for more decisive policy action to limit the human costs and inequities of climate change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lenton, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abrams, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghadiali, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loriani, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakschewski, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zimm, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ebi, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Svenning, J.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scheffer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.07.495131</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantifying the Human Cost of Global Warming]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.07.495209v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic analyses provide new insights into the evolutionary history and reproduction of the Paleogene relictual Kingdonia (Circaeasteraceae, Ranunculales) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.07.495209v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Asexual lineages are perceived to be short-lived on evolutionary timescales due to accumulation of deleterious mutations. Hence reports for exceptional cases of putative  ancient asexual species usually raise doubts about whether such species are recently derived or engage in some undocumented sexual reproduction. However, there have been few studies to solve the mystery. The monotypic Kingdonia dating to the early Eocene, contains only K. uniflora that has no known definitive evidence for sexual reproduction nor records for having closely related congeneric sexual species, seeming to have persisted under strict asexuality for long periods of time. In this study, we use population genomic analyses to test for reproduction mode and infer the evolutionary process and mechanisms facilitating the survival of the species. Our results indicate the presence of three differentiating genetic lineages within the species and support that asexual reproduction in K. uniflora indicated by high allelic heterozygosity had occurred prior to the lineage differentiation ([~]0.5 mya). We also detected DNA recombination events in some populations, in line with occurrence of unseen and unevenly distributed sexual reproduction among populations. However the observation of high linkage disequilibrium, relatively high ratio of{pi} N/{pi}S (nonsynonymous versus synonymous nucleotide diversity), together with high allelic heterozygosity suggest the sexual reproduction is infrequent. Furthermore, we found that genes containing SNPs with elevated Fst values are significantly enriched in functions associated with seed development, suggesting differentiation in genes regulating seed development is likely to be the key reason of the uneven distribution of sexual reproduction in K. uniflora. Evidence from our study supports predominate asexual reproduction in K. uniflora, but unseen sexual reproduction must have played a key role to ensure the long-term survival of the lineage in general. Uneven distribution of sexual reproduction in the species may be a key factor underlying the observed genetic differentiation between populations. This study provides novel insights into the reproduction and evolution of Kingdonia, a relict lineage evolved in the Paleogene and known for asexual reproduction, and demonstrate the power of data from population genome sequencing in resolving long-standing evolutionary questions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sun, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Landis, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.07.495209</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic analyses provide new insights into the evolutionary history and reproduction of the Paleogene relictual Kingdonia (Circaeasteraceae, Ranunculales)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.14.496159v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modeling foot-and-mouth disease dissemination in Brazil and evaluating the effectiveness of control measures 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.14.496159v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is known to infect multiple food-animal species and to spread among ungulate populations. We introduce a multiscale compartmental stochastic model that incorporates population dynamics, births, deaths, and species-specific transmission dynamics. The model integrates disease dynamics at both the between-farm and the within-farm levels. We developed four scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures, including movement standstill, vaccination, and depopulation. The base scenario involved vaccinating the animals on 20 farms and depopulating four infected farms. The three alternative control scenarios included increasing vaccination and depopulation capacities and no vaccination. Our findings indicate that bovines were the most frequently infected species, followed by swine and small ruminants. After ten days of initial spread, the number of infected farms ranged from 1 to 123, with most simulations (90.12%) predicting fewer than 50 infected farms. Most of the secondary spread occurred within a range of 25 km. Early response to initiating the control action reduces the number of days spent working on control actions while intensifying daily depopulation and vaccination capacity; this may be worth considering in decision-making processes for future control of FMD. Emergency vaccination proved to be efficient in reducing the magnitude and duration of outbreaks, whereas increasing depopulation without the use of vaccination also proved to be effective in eliminating the outbreaks.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cardenas, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopes, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.14.496159</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modeling foot-and-mouth disease dissemination in Brazil and evaluating the effectiveness of control measures]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.19.496644v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dynein dysfunction prevents maintenance of high concentrations of slow axonal transport cargos at the axon terminal 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.19.496644v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Here we report computational studies of bidirectional transport in an axon, specifically focusing on predictions when the retrograde motor becomes dysfunctional. We are motivated by reports that mutations in dynein-encoding genes can cause diseases associated with peripheral motor and sensory neurons, such as type 2O Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. We use two different models to simulate bidirectional transport in an axon: an anterograde-retrograde model, which neglects passive transport by diffusion in the cytosol, and a full slow transport model, which includes passive transport by diffusion in the cytosol. As dynein is a retrograde motor, dysfunction should not directly influence anterograde transport. However, our modeling results unexpectedly predict that slow axonal transport fails to transport cargos against their concentration gradient without dynein. The reason is the lack of a physical mechanism for the reverse information flow from the axon terminal, which is required so that the cargo concentration at the terminal could influence the cargo concentration distribution in the axon. Mathematically speaking, to achieve a prescribed concentration at the terminal, equations governing cargo transport must allow for the imposition of a boundary condition postulating the cargo concentration at the terminal. Perturbation analysis for the case when the retrograde motor velocity becomes close to zero predicts uniform cargo distributions along the axon. The obtained results explain why slow axonal transport must be bidirectional to allow for the maintenance of concentration gradients along the axon length. Our result is limited to small cargo diffusivity, which is a reasonable assumption for many slow axonal transport cargos (such as cytosolic and cytoskeletal proteins, neurofilaments, actin, and microtubules) which are transported as large multiprotein complexes or polymers.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.19.496644</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dynein dysfunction prevents maintenance of high concentrations of slow axonal transport cargos at the axon terminal]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.28.497986v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enteric glial cells of the two plexi of the enteric nervous system exhibit phenotypic and functional inter-and intra-heterogeneity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.28.497986v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Enteric glial cells (EGC) are a prominent cell type of all layers of the gut wall, virtually controlling all gastrointestinal functions. While the development of transgenic mice has led to major advances in understanding EGC biology, in vitro models are still fairly limited and do not allow for the robust and reproducible establishment of primary cultures discriminating EGC from the inner versus outer layers of the gut wall. Here we report a novel method to separately grow EGC from the inner and outer layers of the intestinal wall from the same mouse with a high degree of purity and cell heterogeneity. Our results indicate that EGC from the inner layers of the gut wall exhibit higher calcium response to ATP when compared to EGC from the outer layers. We also show that inner EGC cultures express lower levels of the transcription factor Sox 10 as compared to outer EGC cultures, which mirrors in situ differential expression of Sox10 in submucosal (inner) versus myenteric (outer) plexus assessed using wholemounts. Confocal microscopy analyses of wholemounts further demonstrate that a majority of calretinin-expressing ganglionic cells of the submucosal plexus express the EGC marker S-100{beta}, while this population is marginally represented in ganglia of the myenteric plexus. Altogether this study describes a novel method of EGC primary cultures permitting for the first time to compare inner versus outer EGC and provides in vitro and ex vivo evidence that inner EGC and outer EGC are phenotypically and functionally distinct.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Touvron, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wieland, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mariant, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hattenhauer, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Landeghem, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.28.497986</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enteric glial cells of the two plexi of the enteric nervous system exhibit phenotypic and functional inter-and intra-heterogeneity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.14.499040v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dehydration and infection elicit increased feeding in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, likely triggered by glycogen depletion 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.14.499040v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We examined water balance characteristics and influence of desiccating conditions on adult western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) physiology and behavior. Western flower thrips are globally invasive and likely to contend with shifts in water availability across their expansive geographic range. Basic water balance characteristics, including water mass and dry mass, were established for adult males and females, revealing a distinct sexual dimorphism wherein females are larger, but males retain a larger percentage of their mass as body water. Males lose relative water mass more quickly and their survival times are shorter when compared to females. RNA-seq analysis identified significant enrichment of factors associated with carbohydrate transport and metabolism in dehydrated males and females. A reduction of glycogen reserves was confirmed during dehydration. The probability of thrips feeding significantly increased when desiccation was a factor. Lastly, infection with Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV), a principal plant-pathogenic virus transmitted by F. occidentalis, did not have a consistent and apparent influence on desiccation tolerance; however, a reduction in glycogen reserves, and an increase in feeding activity in infected thrips, very similar to that observed in dehydrated thrips, was observed. Our results establish the fundamental water balance characteristics of adult thrips, and indicate that dehydration significantly influences the survivorship and feeding behavior of thrips; crucial factors that contribute to their capacity to spread disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bailey, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kondragunta, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ullmann, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benoit, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.14.499040</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dehydration and infection elicit increased feeding in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, likely triggered by glycogen depletion]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.14.499979v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Morphological and sensorimotor phenotypes in a zebrafish CHARGE syndrome model are domain-dependent 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.14.499979v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
CHARGE syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by a spectrum of defects affecting multiple tissues and behavioral difficulties such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and sensory deficits. Most CHARGE cases arise from de novo, loss-of-function mutations in a master transcriptional regulator, chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding-protein-7 (CHD7). CHD7 regulates key neurodevelopmental factors and is required for neural processes including neuronal differentiation and neural crest cell migration, but how CHD7 affects neural circuit function to regulate behavior is unclear. To investigate the pathophysiology of behavioral symptoms in CHARGE, we established a mutant chd7 zebrafish line using CRISPR/Cas9 that recapitulates multiple CHARGE phenotypes. Using a panel of behavioral assays, we find that chd7 mutants have specific auditory and visually driven behavioral deficits that are independent of defects in sensory structures, implicating chd7 in the regulation of underlying brain circuits. Furthermore, by analyzing multiple chd7 alleles we show that the penetrance of morphological and behavioral phenotypes depends on the mutation location. These results provide novel insight into the heterogeneity of CHARGE syndrome and will inform future work to define mechanisms of CHD7-dependent neurobehavioral symptoms.

Summary statementMutation location within chd7 affects the expression of CHARGE Syndrome-related morphological and behavioral phenotypes in a larval zebrafish CHARGE model.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hodorovich, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindsley, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berry, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burton, D. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.14.499979</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Morphological and sensorimotor phenotypes in a zebrafish CHARGE syndrome model are domain-dependent]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.15.500250v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Allele-specific expression reveals multiple paths to highland adaptation in maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.15.500250v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Maize is a staple food of smallholder farmers living in highland regions up to 4,000 meters above sea level worldwide. Mexican and South American highlands are two major highland maize growing regions, and population genetic data suggests the maizes adaptation to these regions occurred largely independently, providing a case study for parallel evolution. To better understand the mechanistic basis of highland adaptation, we crossed maize landraces from 108 highland and lowland sites of Mexico and South America with the inbred line B73 to produce F1 hybrids and grew them in both highland and lowland sites in Mexico. We identified thousands of genes with divergent expression between highland and lowland populations. Hundreds of these genes show patterns of convergent evolution between Mexico and South America. To dissect the genetic architecture of the divergent gene expression, we developed a novel allele-specific expression analysis pipeline to detect genes with divergent functional cis-regulatory variation between highland and lowland populations. We identified hundreds of genes with divergent cis-regulation between highland and lowland landrace alleles, with 20 in common between regions, further suggesting convergence in the genes underlying highland adaptation. Further analyses suggest multiple mechanisms contribute to this convergence. Our findings reveal a complex genetic architecture of cis-regulatory alleles underlying adaptation to highlands in maize. Although the vast majority of evolutionary changes associated with highland adaptation were region-specific, our findings highlight an important role for convergence at the gene expression and gene regulation levels as well.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crow, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nojoomi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schulz, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Estevez-Palmas, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.15.500250</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Allele-specific expression reveals multiple paths to highland adaptation in maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.18.500439v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sex-biased proteomic response to tomato spotted wilt virus infection of the salivary glands of Frankliniella occidentalis, the western flower thrips 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.18.500439v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Successful transmission of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) by Frankliniella occidentalis requires robust infection of the salivary glands (SGs) and virus delivery to plants during salivation. Feeding behavior and transmission efficiency are sexually-dimorphic traits of this thrips vector species. Proteins secreted from male and female SG tissues, and the effect of TSWV infection on the thrips SG proteome are unknown. To begin to discern thrips factors that facilitate virus infection of SGs and transmission by F. occidentalis, we used gel- and label-free quantitative and qualitative proteomics to address two hypotheses: (i) TSWV infection modifies the composition and/or abundance of SG-expressed proteins in adults; and (ii) TSWV has a differential effect on the male and female SG proteome and secreted saliva. Our study revealed a sex-biased SG proteome for F. occidentalis, and TSWV infection modulated the SG proteome in a sex-dependent manner as evident by the number, differential abundance, identities and generalized roles of the proteins. Male SGs exhibited a larger proteomic response to the virus than female SGs. Intracellular processes modulated by TSWV in males indicated perturbation of SG cytoskeletal networks and cell-cell interactions (basement membrane, BM and extracellular matrix proteins, ECM), and subcellular processes consistent with a metabolic slow-down under infection. Several differentially-abundant proteins in infected male SGs play critical roles in viral life cycles of other host-virus pathosystems. In females, TSWV modulated processes consistent with tissue integrity and active translational and transcriptional regulation. A core set of proteins known for their roles in plant cell-wall degradation and protein metabolism were identified in saliva of both sexes, regardless of virus infection status. Saliva proteins secreted by TSWV- infected adults indicated energy generation, consumption and protein turnover, with an enrichment of cytoskeletal/BM/ECM proteins and tricarboxylic acid cycle proteins in male and female saliva, respectively. The nonstructural TSWV protein NSs - a multifunctional viral effector protein reported to target plant defenses against TSWV and thrips - was identified in female saliva. This study represents the first description of the SG proteome and secretome of a thysanopteran and provides many candidate proteins to further unravel the complex interplay between the virus, insect vector, and plant host.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rajarapu, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ben-Mahmoud, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benoit, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ullman, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.18.500439</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sex-biased proteomic response to tomato spotted wilt virus infection of the salivary glands of Frankliniella occidentalis, the western flower thrips]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.18.500513v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Optimal mating of Pinus taeda L. under different scenarios using differential evolution algorithm 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.18.500513v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A newly developed software, AgMate, was used to perform optimized mating for monoecious Pinus taeda L. breeding. Using a computational optimization procedure called differential evolution (DE), AgMate was applied under different breeding population sizes scenarios (50, 100, 150, 200, 250) and candidate contribution scenarios (max use of each candidate was set to 1 or 8), to assess its efficiency in maximizing the genetic gain while controlling inbreeding. Real pedigree data set from North Carolina State University Tree Improvement Co-op with 962 Pinus taeda were used to optimize objective functions accounting for coancestry of parents and expected genetic gain and inbreeding of the future progeny. AgMate results were compared with those from another widely used mating software called MateSel (Kinghorn, 1999). For the proposed mating list for 200 progenies, AgMate resulted in an 83.7% increase in genetic gain compared with the candidate population. There was evidence that AgMate performed similarly to MateSel in managing coancestry and expected genetic gain, but MateSel was superior in avoiding inbreeding in proposed mate pairs. The developed algorithm was computationally efficient in maximizing the objective functions and flexible for practical application in monoecious diploid conifer breeding.

Study implicationsA dataset from a breeding population of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) was analyzed using an optimal mating software, AgMate (developed by the authors), to optimize the selection, contribution, and mating of candidates simultaneously. The software helps breeders make decisions on which tree to cross with which tree and how many times, such that the trees are not related to each other and would result in the best performing progenies. AgMate is effective in meeting the breeding objectives for monoecious species. The open-source, easy-to-use, and flexible AgMate software, also available as a website, is invaluable in helping breeders to create optimal matings for future generations, which balance the pursuit of maximizing genetic gain while maintaining genetic diversity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Goda, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isik, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.18.500513</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Optimal mating of Pinus taeda L. under different scenarios using differential evolution algorithm]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.25.501354v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Fusing an agent-based model of mosquito population dynamics with a statistical reconstruction of spatio-temporal abundance patterns 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.25.501354v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the vector of a number of medically-important viruses, including dengue virus, yellow virus, chikungunya virus, and Zika virus, and as such vector control is a key approach to managing the diseases they cause. Understanding the impact of vector control on these diseases is aided by first understanding its impact on Ae. aegypti population dynamics. A number of detail-rich models have been developed to couple the dynamics of the immature and adult stages of Ae. aegypti. The numerous assumptions of these models enable them to realistically characterize impacts of mosquito control, but they also constrain the ability of such models to reproduce empirical patterns that do not conform to the models behavior. In contrast, statistical models afford sufficient flexibility to extract nuanced signals from noisy data, yet they have limited ability to make predictions about impacts of mosquito control on disease caused by pathogens that the mosquitoes transmit without extensive data on mosquitoes and disease.

Here, we demonstrate how the differing strengths of mechanistic realism and statistical flexibility can be fused into a single model. Our analysis utilizes data from 176,352 household-level Ae. aegypti aspirator collections conducted during 1999-2011 in Iquitos, Peru. The key step in our approach is to calibrate a single parameter of the model to spatio-temporal abundance patterns predicted by a generalized additive model (GAM). In effect, this calibrated parameter absorbs residual variation in the abundance time-series not captured by other features of the mechanistic model. We then used this calibrated parameter and the literature-derived parameters in the agent-based model to explore Ae. aegypti population dynamics and the impact of insecticide spraying to kill adult mosquitoes.

The baseline abundance predicted by the agent-based model closely matched that predicted by the GAM. Following spraying, the agent-based model predicted that mosquito abundance rebounds within about two months, commensurate with recent experimental data from Iquitos. Our approach was able to accurately reproduce abundance patterns in Iquitos and produce a realistic response to adulticide spraying, while retaining sufficient flexibility to be applied across a range of settings.

Author SummaryThe mosquito Aedes aegypti is the vector for a number of the most medically important viruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Understanding the population dynamics of this mosquito, and how those dynamics might respond to vector control interventions, is critical to inform the deployment of such interventions. One of the best ways to gain this understanding is through modeling of population dynamics. Such models are often categorizes as either statistical or dynamical, and each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages - for instance, statistical models may more closely match patterns observed in empirical data, while dynamical models are better able to predict the impact of counterfactual situations such as vector control strategies. In this paper, we present an approach which fuses these two approaches in order to gain the advantages of both: it fits empirical data on Aedes aegypti population dynamics well, while producing realistic responses to vector control interventions. Our approach has the potential to inform and improve the deployment of vector control interventions, and, when used in concert with and epidemiological model, to help reduce the burden of the diseases spread by such vectors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cavany, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Espana, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vazquez-Prokopec, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Astete, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Waller, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kitron, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrison, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiner, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkins, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.25.501354</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Fusing an agent-based model of mosquito population dynamics with a statistical reconstruction of spatio-temporal abundance patterns]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.31.502201v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Why slow axonal transport is bidirectional - can axonal transport of tau protein rely only on motor-driven anterograde transport? 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.31.502201v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Slow axonal transport (SAT) moves multiple proteins from the soma, where they are synthesized, to the axon terminal. Due to the great lengths of axons, SAT almost exclusively relies on active transport, which is driven by molecular motors. The puzzling feature of slow axonal transport is its bidirectionality. Although the net direction of SAT is anterograde, from the soma to the terminal, experiments show that it also contains the retrograde component. One of the proteins transported by SAT is microtubule-associated protein tau. To better understand why the retrograde component in tau transport is needed, we used the perturbation technique. We analyzed the simplification of the full tau SAT model for the case when retrograde motor-driven transport and diffusion-driven transport of tau are negligible, and tau is driven only by anterograde (kinesin) motors. The solution of the simplified equations shows that the tau concentration along the axon length stays almost uniform (decreases very slightly), which is inconsistent with the tau concentration at the outlet boundary (at the axon tip). Thus kinesin-driven transport alone is not enough to explain the experimentally observed distribution of tau, and the retrograde motor-driven component in SAT is needed.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.31.502201</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Why slow axonal transport is bidirectional - can axonal transport of tau protein rely only on motor-driven anterograde transport?]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.06.503053v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An open-access T-BAS phylogeny for Emerging Phytophthora species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.06.503053v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phytophthora species cause severe diseases on food, forest, and ornamental crops. Since the genus was described in 1875, it has expanded to comprise over 190 formally described species. There is a need for an open access bioinformatic tool that centralizes diverse streams of sequence data and metadata to facilitate research and identification of Phytophthora species. We used the Tree-Based Alignment Selector Toolkit (T-BAS) to develop a phylogeny of 192 formally described species and 33 informal taxa in the genus Phytophthora using sequences of eight nuclear genes. The phylogenetic tree was inferred using the RAxML maximum likelihood method. A search engine was also developed to identify genotypes of P. infestans based on genetic distance to known lineages. The T-BAS tool provides a visualization framework allowing users to place unknown isolates on a curated phylogeny of all Phytophthora species. Critically, this resource can be updated in real-time to keep pace with new species descriptions. The tool contains metadata such as clade, host species, substrate, sexual characteristics, distribution, and reference literature, which can be visualized on the tree and downloaded for other uses. This phylogenetic resource will allow data sharing among research groups and the database will enable the global Phytophthora community to upload sequences and determine the phylogenetic placement of an isolate within the larger phylogeny and to download sequence data and metadata. The database will be curated by a community of Phytophthora researchers and housed on the T-BAS web portal in the Center for Integrated Fungal Research at NC State. The T-BAS web tool can be leveraged to create similar metadata enhanced phylogenies for diverse populations of pathogens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Coomber, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saville, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ristaino, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.06.503053</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An open-access T-BAS phylogeny for Emerging Phytophthora species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.09.503345v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CCS Predictor 2.0: An Open-Source Jupyter Notebook Tool for Filtering Out False Positives in Metabolomics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.09.503345v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Metabolite annotation continues to be the widely accepted bottleneck in non-targeted metabolomics workflows. Annotation of metabolites typically relies on a combination of high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) with parent and tandem measurements, isotope cluster evaluations, and Kendrick mass defect (KMD) analysis. Chromatographic retention time matching with standards is often used at the later stages of the process, which can also be followed by metabolite isolation and structure confirmation utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The measurement of gas phase collision cross section (CCS) values by ion mobility (IM) spectrometry also adds an important dimension to this workflow by generating an additional molecular parameter that can be used for filtering unlikely structures. The millisecond timescale of IM spectrometry allows the rapid measurement of CCS values and allows easy pairing with existing MS workflows. Here, we report on a highly accurate machine learning algorithm (CCSP 2.0) in an open-source Jupyter Notebook format to predict CCS values based on linear support vector regression models. This tool allows customization of the training set to the needs of the user, enabling the production of models for new adducts or previously unexplored molecular classes. CCSP produces predictions with accuracy equal to or greater than existing machine learning approaches such as CCSbase, DeepCCS and AllCCS, while being better aligned with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) data principles. Another unique aspect of CCSP 2.0 its inclusion of a large library of 1613 molecular descriptors via the Mordred Python package, further encoding the fine aspects of isomeric molecular structures. CCS prediction accuracy was tested using CCS values in the McLean CCS Compendium with median relative errors of 1.25, 1.73 and 1.87% for the 170 [M-H]-, 155 [M+H]+ and 138 [M+Na]+ adducts tested. For class-matched data sets, CCS predictions via CCSP allowed filtering of 36.1% of incorrect structures while retaining a total of 100% of the correct annotations using a {Delta}CCS threshold of 2.8% and a mass error of 10 ppm.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rainey, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watson, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Asef, C. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez, F. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.09.503345</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CCS Predictor 2.0: An Open-Source Jupyter Notebook Tool for Filtering Out False Positives in Metabolomics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.11.503323v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structural and Dynamic Basis of DNA Capture and Translocation by Mitochondrial Twinkle Helicase 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.11.503323v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Twinkle is the sole helicase responsible for mitochondrial DNA replication. Twinkle can selfload onto and unwind mitochondrial DNA. Nearly 60 mutations on Twinkle have been linked to human mitochondrial diseases. Using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and High-speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM), we obtained the atomic-resolution structure of a vertebrate Twinkle homolog with DNA and captured in real-time how Twinkle is self-loaded onto DNA. Our data highlight the essential role of the non-catalytic N-terminal domain of Twinkle. The N-terminal domain interacts with the helicase domain to stabilize Twinkle hexamers during translocation and the new domain-domain interface is a hotspot for disease-related mutations. The N-terminal domains can protrude approximately 5 nm to capture nearby DNA and initialize Twinkle loading onto DNA. Moreover, structural analysis and subunit doping experiments suggest that Twinkle hydrolyzes ATP stochastically, which explains the low efficiency of Twinkle DNA unwinding and implicates additional regulations of Twinkle during mitochondrial DNA replication.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaur, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lo, C.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chopra, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.11.503323</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structural and Dynamic Basis of DNA Capture and Translocation by Mitochondrial Twinkle Helicase]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.11.503650v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A rapid alkalinization factor-like peptide EaF82 impairs tapetum degeneration during pollen development 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.11.503650v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In plants, timely degeneration of tapetal cells is essential for providing nutrients and other substances to support pollen development. Rapid alkalinization factors (RALFs) are small, cysteine-rich peptides known to be involved in various aspects of plant development and growth, and defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the functions of most of them remain unknown, while no RALF has been reported to involve in tapetum degeneration. In this study, we demonstrated that a novel cysteine-rich peptide EaF82 isolated from shy-flowering  Golden Pothos plants is a RALF-like peptide and displays alkalinizing activity. Its heterologous expression in Arabidopsis delayed tapetum degeneration and reduced pollen production and seed yields. RNAseq, RT-qPCR and biochemical analyses showed that overexpressing EaF82 down-regulated a group of genes involved in pH changes, cell wall modifications, tapetum degeneration and pollen maturation as well as seven endogenous Arabidopsis RALF genes, and decreased proteasome activity and ATP levels. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified AKIN10, a subunit of energy-sensing SnRK1 kinase, to be its interacting partner. Our study reveals a possible regulatory role for RALF peptide in tapetum degeneration and suggests that EaF82 action may be mediated through AKIN10 leading to the alteration of transcriptome and energy metabolism, thereby causing ATP deficiency and impairing pollen development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hung, C.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kittur, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wharton, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Umstead, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burwell, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qi, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oldham, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burkey, K. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.11.503650</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A rapid alkalinization factor-like peptide EaF82 impairs tapetum degeneration during pollen development]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.12.503788v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic architecture and evolution of color variation in American black bears 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.12.503788v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Color variation is a frequent evolutionary substrate for camouflage in small mammals but the underlying genetics and evolutionary forces that drive color variation in natural populations of large mammals are mostly unexplained. The American black bear, Ursus americanus, exhibits a range of colors including the cinnamon morph which has a similar color to the brown bear, U. arctos, and is found at high frequency in the American southwest. Reflectance and chemical melanin measurements showed little distinction between U. arctos and cinnamon U. americanus individuals. We used a genome-wide association for hair color as a quantitative trait in 151 U. americanus individuals and identified a single major locus (P < 10-13). Additional genomic and functional studies identified a missense alteration (R153C) in Tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) that impaired protein localization and decreased pigment production. Population genetic analyses and demographic modeling indicated that the R153C variant arose 9.36kya in a southwestern population where it likely provided a selective advantage, spreading both northwards and eastwards by gene flow. A different TYRP1 allele, R114C, contributes to the characteristic brown color of U. arctos, but is not fixed across the range.

HIGHLIGHTSO_LIThe cinnamon morph of American black bears and brown bears have different missense mutations in TYRP1 that account for their similar coloration
C_LIO_LITYRP1 variants in American black bears and brown bears are loss-of-function alleles associated with impaired protein localization to melanosomes
C_LIO_LIIn American black bears, the variant causing the cinnamon morph arose 9,360 years ago in the western lineage where it provides an adaptive advantage, and has spread northwards and eastwards by migration
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Puckett, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, I. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harper, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wakamatsu, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Battu, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belant, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beyer, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carpenter, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crupi, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davidson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DePerno, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Forman, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fowler, N. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garshelis, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gunther, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haroldson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ito, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kocka, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lackey, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leahy, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee-Roney, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewis, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lutto, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGowan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olfenbuttel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Orlando, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Platt, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pollard, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramaker, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reich, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sajecki, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sell, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strules, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Manen, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitman, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williamson, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Winslow, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaelin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marks, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barsh, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.12.503788</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic architecture and evolution of color variation in American black bears]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.15.503989v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Disease decreases variation in host community structure in an old-field grassland 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.15.503989v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Disease may modulate variation in host community structure by modifying the interplay of deterministic and stochastic processes. For instance, deterministic processes like ecological selection can benefit species less impacted by disease. When disease consistently selects for certain host species, this can reduce variation in host community composition. On the other hand, when host communities are less impacted by disease and selection is weaker, stochastic processes (e.g., drift, dispersal) may play a bigger role in host community structure, which can increase variation in structure among communities. While effects of disease on host community structure have been quantified in field experiments, few have addressed the role of disease in modulating variation in structure among host communities. To address this, we conducted a field experiment spanning three years, using a tractable system: foliar fungal pathogens in an old-field grassland community dominated by the grass Lolium arundinaceum, tall fescue. We reduced foliar fungal disease burden in replicate host communities (experimental plots in intact vegetation) in three fungicide regimens that varied in the duration of fungicide exposure and included a fungicide-free control. We measured host diversity, biomass, and variation in community structure among replicate communities. Disease reduction generally decreased plant richness and increased aboveground biomass relative to communities experiencing ambient levels of disease. Despite changes in structure of the plant communities over the experiments three years, the effects of disease reduction on plant richness and biomass were consistent across years. However, disease reduction did not reduce variation in host community structure, providing little evidence for ecological selection by competition or other deterministic processes. Instead, disease reduction tended to amplify variation in host community structure among replicate communities (i.e., within fungicide treatment groups), suggesting that disease diminished the degree to which host communities were structured by stochastic processes. These results of experimental disease reduction both highlight the potential importance of stochastic processes in plant communities and reveal the potential for disease to regulate variation in host community structure.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grunberg, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halliday, F. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heckman, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joyner, B. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Keeffe, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitchell, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.15.503989</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Disease decreases variation in host community structure in an old-field grassland]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.18.504320v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
DNA capture and loop extrusion dynamics by cohesin-NIPBL 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.18.504320v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
3D chromatin organization plays a critical role in regulating gene expression, DNA replication, recombination, and repair. While initially discovered for its role in sister chromatid cohesion, emerging evidence suggests that the cohesin complex (SMC1, SMC3, RAD21, and SA1/SA2), facilitated by NIPBL, mediates topologically associating domains (TADs) and chromatin loops through DNA loop extrusion. However, information on how conformational changes of cohesin-NIPBL drive its loading onto DNA, initiation, and growth of DNA loops is still lacking. Using high-speed AFM (HS-AFM) imaging, we show that cohesin-NIPBL captures DNA through arm extension, followed by transfer of DNA to its globular domain and DNA loop initiation independent of ATPase hydrolysis. Additional shorter protrusions (feet) from cohesin-NIPBL transiently bind to DNA, facilitating its loading onto DNA. Furthermore, HS-AFM imaging reveals distinct forward and reverse DNA loop extrusion steps by cohesin-NIPBL. These results provide critical missing links in our understanding of DNA binding and loop extrusion by cohesin-NIPBL.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kaur, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shi, z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Finkelstein, I. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tao, Y. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.18.504320</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[DNA capture and loop extrusion dynamics by cohesin-NIPBL]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.19.504330v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Implications of taxonomic bias for microbial differential-abundance analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.19.504330v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Differential-abundance (DA) analyses enable microbiome researchers to assess how microbial species vary in relative or absolute abundance with specific host or environmental conditions, such as health status or pH. These analyses typically use sequencing-based community measurements that are taxonomically biased to measure some species more efficiently than others. Understanding the effects that taxonomic bias has on the results of a DA analysis is essential for achieving reliable and translatable findings; yet currently, these effects are unknown. Here, we characterized these effects for DA analyses of both relative and absolute abundances, using a combination of mathematical theory and data analysis of real and simulated case studies. We found that, for analyses based on species proportions, taxonomic bias can cause significant errors in DA results if the average measurement efficiency of the community is associated with the condition of interest. These errors can be avoided by using more robust DA methods (based on species ratios) or quantified and corrected using appropriate controls. Wide adoption of our recommendations can improve the reproducibility, interpretability, and translatability of microbiome DA studies.

This manuscript was rendered from commit 7412a36 of https://github.com/mikemc/differential-abundance-theory. Supporting data analyses can be found in the accompanying computational research notebook. Please post comments or questions on GitHub. The manuscript is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. See the GitHub Releases or Zenodo record for earlier versions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McLaren, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nearing, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willis, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, K. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.19.504330</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Implications of taxonomic bias for microbial differential-abundance analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.23.504890v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The ecology of cancer prevalence across species: Cancer prevalence is highest in desert species and high trophic levels 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.23.504890v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The ecology in which species live and evolve likely affects their health and vulnerability to diseases including cancer. Using 14,267 necropsy records across 244 vertebrate species, we tested if animals in low productivity habitats, with large habitat range, high body temperature and weight-inferred estimates of metabolic rates, and in high trophic levels (from lowest to highest: herbivores, invertivores, primary carnivores, and secondary carnivores) are linked with having increased prevalence of neoplasia. This study found that: (1) habitat productivity negatively correlated with the prevalence of malignancy and neoplasia across tissues, and malignancy and neoplasia in gastrointestinal tissues; (2) inferred metabolic rates negatively correlated with the prevalence of neoplasia; and (3) trophic levels positively correlated with malignancy and neoplasia prevalence in both mammals and non-mammals. However, only the correlations with trophic levels remained significant after Bonferroni corrections for multiple testing. There are several mechanisms that might explain these findings, including the biomagnification of carcinogens in higher trophic levels, as well as tradeoffs between cancer suppression versus reproduction and survival in low productivity environments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kapsetaki, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Compton, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rupp, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garner, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duke, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aktipis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.23.504890</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The ecology of cancer prevalence across species: Cancer prevalence is highest in desert species and high trophic levels]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.24.505185v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Screening cell-cell communication in spatial transcriptomics via collective optimal transport 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.24.505185v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Spatial transcriptomic technologies and spatially annotated single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets provide unprecedented opportunities to dissect cell-cell communication (CCC). How to incorporate the spatial information and complex biochemical processes in reconstructing CCC remains a major challenge. Here we present COMMOT to infer CCC in spatial transcriptomics, which accounts for the competition among different ligand and receptor species as well as spatial distances between cells. A novel collective optimal transport method is developed to handle complex molecular interactions and spatial constraints. We introduce downstream analysis tools on spatial directionality of signalings and genes regulated by such signalings using machine learning models. We apply COMMOT to simulation data and eight spatial datasets acquired with five different technologies, showing its effectiveness and robustness in identifying spatial CCC in data with varying spatial resolutions and gene coverages. Finally, COMMOT reveals new CCCs during skin morphogenesis in a case study of human epidermal development. Both the method and the computational package have broad applications in inferring cell-cell interactions within spatial genomics datasets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Almet, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stabell, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramos, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Plikus, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Atwood, S. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nie, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.24.505185</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Screening cell-cell communication in spatial transcriptomics via collective optimal transport]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.27.505557v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Vector acquisition and co-inoculation of two plant viruses influences transmission, infection, and replication in new hosts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.27.505557v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study investigated the role of vector acquisition and transmission on the propagation of single and co-infections of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV,) and tomato mottle virus (ToMoV) (Family: Geminiviridae, Genus: Begomovirus) by the whitefly vector Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 (Gennadius) in tomato. The aim of this research was to determine if how viruses are co-acquired and co-transmitted changes the probability of acquisition, transmission and new host infections. Whiteflies acquired virus by feeding on singly infected plants, co-infected plants, or by sequential feeding on singly infected plants. Viral titers were also quantified by qPCR in vector cohorts, in artificial diet, and plants after exposure to viruliferous vectors. Differences in transmission, infection status of plants, and titers of TYLCV and ToMoV were observed among treatments. All vector cohorts acquired both viruses, but co-acquisition/co-inoculation generally reduced transmission of both viruses as single and mixed infections. Co-inoculation of viruses by the vector also altered virus accumulation in plants regardless of whether one or both viruses were propagated in new hosts. These findings highlight the complex nature of vector-virus-plant interactions that influence the spread and replication of viruses as single and co-infections.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McLaughlin, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.27.505557</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Vector acquisition and co-inoculation of two plant viruses influences transmission, infection, and replication in new hosts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.29.505687v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cardiomyocyte alpha-1A adrenergic receptors mitigate post-infarct remodeling and mortality by constraining necroptosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.29.505687v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Activation of alpha-1-adrenergic receptors (1-ARs), particularly the 1A subtype, protects the murine heart against injury, whereas human studies show that 1-AR antagonists (-blockers) may increase the risk of heart failure. We created a cardiomyocyte-specific 1A-AR knockout mouse (cmAKO) to define the mechanisms underlying these effects and to elucidate whether they arise from cardiomyocyte 1A-ARs or systemic factors. Myocardial infarction (MI) resulted in 70% 7-day mortality in cmAKO compared to 10% in wild type (WT) mice. cmAKO mice exhibited exaggerated ventricular remodeling and increased cell death compared to WT mice 3 days post-MI, coupled to upregulation of canonical mediators of necroptosis: receptor-interacting protein (RIP) kinases RIP1 and RIP3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein. An 1A-AR agonist mitigated ischemia-induced cardiomyocyte death and necroptotic signaling in vitro. A RIP1 antagonist abrogated the protective effects of 1A activation in vivo and in vitro. We found that patients at our center who were taking -blockers at the time of MI experienced a higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.53, p=0.029) during 5-year follow-up, providing clinical correlation for our experimental data. Collectively our findings indicate that cardiomyocyte 1A-ARs constrain ischemia-induced necroptosis and suggest caution in the use of -blockers in patients at risk for MI.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sandroni, P. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oswalt, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ash, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, S.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shih, Y.-Y. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, H.-Y. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Myagmar, B.-E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schisler, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.29.505687</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cardiomyocyte alpha-1A adrenergic receptors mitigate post-infarct remodeling and mortality by constraining necroptosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.30.505948v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Combining phenotypic and genomic data to improve prediction of binary traits 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.30.505948v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant breeders want to develop cultivars that outperform existing genotypes. Some characteristics (here  main traits) of these cultivars are categorical and difficult to measure directly. It is important to predict the main trait of newly developed genotypes accurately. In addition to marker data, breeding programs often have information on secondary traits (or  phenotypes) that are easy to measure. Our goal is to improve prediction of main traits with interpretable relations by combining the two data types using variable selection techniques. However, the genomic characteristics can overwhelm the set of secondary traits, so a standard technique may fail to select any phenotypic variables. We develop a new statistical technique that ensures appropriate representation from both the secondary traits and the phenotypic variables for optimal prediction. When two data types (markers and secondary traits) are available, we achieve improved prediction of a binary trait by two steps that are designed to ensure that a significant intrinsic effect of a phenotype is incorporated in the relation before accounting for extra effects of genotypes. First, we sparsely regress the secondary traits on the markers and replace the secondary traits by their residuals to obtain the effects of phenotypic variables as adjusted by the genotypic variables. Then, we develop a sparse logistic classifier using the markers and residuals so that the adjusted phenotypes may be selected first to avoid being overwhelmed by the genotypes due to their numerical advantage. This classifier uses forward selection aided by a penalty term and can be computed effectively by a technique called the one-pass method. It compares favorably with other classifiers on simulated and real data.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jarquin, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roy, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clarke, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghosal, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.30.505948</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Combining phenotypic and genomic data to improve prediction of binary traits]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.31.502951v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Chitosan diet alters the microbiome of adult house flies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.31.502951v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
House flies are disease vectors, carrying human pathogens which include Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholera. To explore the use of chitosan as a bioinsecticide, we evaluated the effects of a chitosan-amended diet on Musca domestica (house fly). We first conducted longevity experiments to understand the impact of chitosan on house fly longevity. We confirmed that chitosan diet amendment is associated with reduced longevity and that this is not due to starvation. We then extracted fly microbiome DNA and used 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR to assess the composition and load of the microbiome for flies fed chitosan-amended diets compared to controls. Diversity of the chitosan-fed fly microbiomes was lower than the control, with significant dissimilarities in community composition. Chitosan-fed flies showed lower Ralstonia relative abundance but increased relative abundance of Serratia. Both control and chitosan-fed flies had highly uneven communities, but the control flies were dominated by genera Ralstonia and Providencia, while the chitosan-fed flies were dominated by genera Serratia, Kosakonia, and Providencia. Contrary to our expected results, chitosan-fed flies also contained 56% more bacteria compared to controls. Gut microbiome changes appear to result from chitinolytic bacteria becoming more relatively abundant, and our results suggest that chitosan-amended diet alters the house fly microbiome resulting in higher fly mortality.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schaal, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choudoir, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diwanji, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stoffolano, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeAngelis, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.31.502951</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Chitosan diet alters the microbiome of adult house flies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.31.505262v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Diversity, Phylogenetic Relationships, And Expression Profiles Of Invertase Inhibitor Genes In Sweetpotato 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.31.505262v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Invertases and their inhibitor proteins are key regulators of carbon allocation in plants. Manipulation of invertase inhibitor (ITI) activity can potentially increase crop yield. The aim of this study was to determine the sequence diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and expression profiles of ITI genes in sweetpotato(Ipomoea batatas).. The coding sequences of two ITI paralogs (SPITI1 and SPITI2) were cloned from two sweetpotato varieties (Beauregard and Jewel) and sequenced. The DNA sequences were used to deduce amino acids sequences and predicted protein properties. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was carried out to study the expression profiles of the genes at different developmental stages. The results show that introns are absent in both SPITI paralogs. SNPs, Indels, and variable simple sequence repeats (SSR) were present in the SPITI1 paralog, however, only SNPs were identified in the SPITI2 paralog. The predicted SPITI1 protein had 168, 172, or 174 amino acid residues, and molecular weights ranging from 17.88 to 18.38 kDa. In contrast, SPITI2 coded for a protein with 192 amino acid residues, with molecular weight ranging from 20.59 to 20.65 kDa. All conserved domains of ITI proteins were present in both protein isoforms.

Phylogenetic analysis indicated that SPITI genes were more closely related to I.trifida and I.triloba than I.nil, thus, suggesting their evolutionary relationship and conservation. A qPCR study indicated that both SPITI genes were expressed in all the sample tissues, though relative expression values differed across tissues at different developmental stages. This is the first study reporting diversity of SPITI genes and of an ~18 kDA isoform in sweetpotato. The findings may enable design of genetic engineering strategies for SPITI genes, including CRISPR/Cas gene editing in sweetpotato.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Acheampong, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Asare, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.31.505262</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Diversity, Phylogenetic Relationships, And Expression Profiles Of Invertase Inhibitor Genes In Sweetpotato]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.04.506538v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estimating the effectiveness of control and eradication actions on African swine fever transmission in commercial swine populations in the United States 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.04.506538v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Given the proximity of African swine fever (ASF) to the U.S., there is an urgent need to better understand the possible dissemination pathways of the virus within the U.S. swine industry and to evaluate mitigation strategies. Here, we extended PigSpread, a farm-level spatially-explicit stochastic compartmental transmission model incorporating six transmission routes including between-farm swine movements, vehicle movements, and local spread, to model the dissemination of ASF. We then examined the effectiveness of control actions similar to the ASF national response plan. The average number of secondary infections during the first 60 days of the outbreak was 49 finisher farms, 17 nursery farms, 5 sow farms, and less than one farm in other production types. The between-farm movements of swine were the predominant route of ASF transmission with an average contribution of 71.1%, while local spread and movement of vehicles were less critical with average contributions of 14.6% and 14.4%. We demonstrated that the combination of quarantine, depopulation, movement restrictions, contact tracing, and enhanced surveillance, was the most effective mitigation strategy, resulting in an average reduction of 79.0% of secondary cases by day 140 of the outbreak. Implementing these control actions led to a median of 495,619 depopulated animals, 357,789 diagnostic tests, and 54,522 movement permits. Our results suggest that the successful elimination of an ASF outbreak is likely to require the deployment of all control actions listed in the ASF national response plan for more than 140 days, as well as estimating the resources needed for depopulation, testing, and movement permits under these controls.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sykes, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Hara, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corzo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.09.04.506538</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estimating the effectiveness of control and eradication actions on African swine fever transmission in commercial swine populations in the United States]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.06.506722v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
1 Natural Genetic Variation in a Dopamine Receptor is Associated With Variation in Female Fertility in Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.06.506722v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Fertility is a major component of fitness but its genetic architecture remains poorly understood. Using a full diallel cross of 50 Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel inbred lines with full genome sequences, we found substantial genetic variation in fertility largely attributable to females. We mapped genes associated with variation in female fertility by genome-wide association analysis of common variants in the fly genome. Validation of candidate genes by RNAi knockdown confirmed the role of the dopamine 2-like receptor (Dop2R) in promoting egg laying. We replicated the Dop2R effect in an independently collected productivity dataset and showed that the effect of the Dop2R variant was mediated in part by regulatory gene expression variation. This study demonstrates the strong potential of genome-wide association analysis in this diverse panel of inbred strains and subsequent functional analyses for understanding the genetic architecture of fitness traits.

Author SummaryIn evolutionary genetics, fitness is defined as the number of offspring an individual contributes to the next generation. This is determined by an individuals viability (its ability to survive past the reproductive age) and its fertility. Although understanding the genetic basis for natural variation in fitness is a major goal of evolutionary and population genetics, the genetic factors that contribute to variation in fertility in natural populations have remained largely unresolved. To address this issue, we took advantage of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, a population of inbred, sequenced fly lines derived from a natural population. In this panel, there is minimal genetic variation among individuals within each line, whereas variation among the lines reflects the variation observed in the original population from which they were derived. We generated all possible pairwise crosses among 50 of these lines (2,500 distinct genotypes) and measured the productivity (number of offspring produced) for each genotype. We found considerable natural variation in productivity that was primarily determined by the female genotype. We performed a genome wide association as analysis and identified and functionally validated a dopamine receptor that plays a major role in determining variation in female fertility through an effect on egg-laying.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lyman, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyman, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yamamoto, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harbison, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anholt, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T. F. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.09.06.506722</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[1 Natural Genetic Variation in a Dopamine Receptor is Associated With Variation in Female Fertility in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.07.507051v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A multiplexed plant-animal SNP array for selective breeding and species conservation applications 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.07.507051v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Reliable and high-throughput genotyping platforms are of immense importance for identifying and dissecting genomic regions controlling important phenotypes, supporting selection processes in breeding programmes, and managing wild populations and germplasm collections. Amongst available genotyping tools, SNP arrays have been shown to be comparatively easy to use and generate highly accurate genotypic data. Single species arrays are the most commonly used type so far; however, some multi-species arrays have been developed for closely related species that share SNP markers, exploiting inter-species cross-amplification. In this study, the suitability of a multiplexed plant-animal SNP array, including both closely and distantly related species, was explored. The performance of the SNP array across species for diverse applications, ranging from intra-species diversity assessments to parentage analysis, was assessed. Moreover, the value of genotyping pooled DNA of distantly related species on the SNP array as a technique to further reduce costs was evaluated. SNP performance was generally high, and species-specific SNPs proved suitable for diverse applications. The multi-species SNP-array approach reported here could be transferred to other species to achieve cost savings resulting from the increased throughput when several projects use the same array, and the pooling technique adds another highly promising advancement to additionally decrease genotyping costs by half.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Montanari, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deng, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koot, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bassil, N. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zurn, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrison-Whittle, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Worthington, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aryal, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ashrafi, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pradelles, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wellenreuther, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chagne, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.09.07.507051</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A multiplexed plant-animal SNP array for selective breeding and species conservation applications]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.13.507803v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Extensions of mean-field approximations for environmentally-transmitted pathogen networks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.13.507803v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Many pathogens spread via environmental transmission, without requiring host- to-host direct contact. While models for environmental transmission exist, many are simply constructed intuitively with structures analogous to standard models for direct transmission. As model insights are generally sensitive to the underlying model assumptions, it is important that we are able understand the details and consequences of these assumptions. We construct a simple network model for an environmentally-transmitted pathogen and rigorously derive systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) based on different assumptions. We explore two key assumptions, namely homogeneity and independence, and demonstrate that relaxing these assumptions can lead to more accurate ODE approximations. We compare these ODE models to a stochastic implementation of the network model over a variety of parameters and network structures, demonstrating that with fewer restrictive assumptions we are able to achieve higher accuracy in our approximations and highlighting more precisely the errors produced by each assumption. We show that less restrictive assumptions lead to more complicated systems of ODEs and the potential for unstable solutions. Due to the rigour of our derivation, we are able to identify the reason behind these errors and propose potential resolutions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Davies, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lenhart, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Day, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lanzas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.09.13.507803</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Extensions of mean-field approximations for environmentally-transmitted pathogen networks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.16.508320v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Development of the First High-Density Linkage Map in the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus zeamais 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.16.508320v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is a worldwide pest that disproportionately affects subsistence farmers in developing countries. Damage from this pest threatens food security in these communities as widely available and effective control methods are lacking. With advances over the last decade in the development of advanced genetic pest management techniques, addressing pest issues at the ecosystem level as opposed to the farm level may be a possibility. However, pest species selected for genetic management techniques require a well-characterized genome and few genomic tools have been developed for maize weevil. Here, we have measured the genome size and developed the first genetic linkage map for this species. The genome size was determined using flow cytometry as 682 Mb and 674 Mb for females and males, respectively. The linkage map contains 11 linkage groups, which correspond to the 10 autosomes and 1 X-chromosome found in the species and it contains 1,121 SNPs. This linkage map will be useful for assembling a complete genome for maize weevil.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baltzegar, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.09.16.508320</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Development of the First High-Density Linkage Map in the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus zeamais]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.21.508613v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Experimental Parameters-Based Monte-Carlo Simulation of Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy of Nuclear Pore Complex to Evaluate Clustering Algorithms 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.21.508613v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) enables the detailed visualization of nuclear pore complexes (NPC) in vitro with sub-20 nm resolution. However, it is challenging to translate the localized coordinates in SMLM images to NPC functions because different algorithms to cluster localizations as individual NPCs can be biased without ground truth for validation. We developed a Monte-Carlo simulation to generate synthetic SMLM images of NPC and used the simulated NPC images as the ground truth to evaluate the performance of six clustering algorithms. We identified HDBSCAN as the optimal clustering algorithm for NPC counting and sizing. Furthermore, we compared the clustering results between the experimental and synthetic data for NUP133, a subunit in the NPC, and found them to be in good agreement.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yeo, W.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neely, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bao, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-09-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.09.21.508613</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Experimental Parameters-Based Monte-Carlo Simulation of Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy of Nuclear Pore Complex to Evaluate Clustering Algorithms]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-09-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.03.510711v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionary and biomedical implications of sex differences in the primate brain transcriptome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.03.510711v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Humans exhibit sex differences in the prevalence of many neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions. To better understand the translatability of a critical nonhuman primate model, the rhesus macaque, we generated one of the largest multibrain region bulk transcriptional datasets for this species and characterized sex-biased gene expression patterns. We demonstrate that these patterns are similar to those in humans and are associated with overlapping regulatory mechanisms, biological processes, and genes implicated in sex-biased human disorders, including autism. We also show that sex-biased genes exhibit greater genetic variance for expression and more tissue-specific expression patterns, which may facilitate the rapid evolution of sex-biased genes. Our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms underlying sex-biased disease and validate the rhesus macaque model for the study of these conditions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeCasien, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiou, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Testard, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mercer, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Negron-Del Valle, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Surratt, S. E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stock, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruiz-Lambides, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez, M. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cayo Biobank Research Unit,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anton, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walker, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sallet, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brent, L. J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montague, M. J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sherwood, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Platt, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Higham, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snyder-Mackler, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.03.510711</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionary and biomedical implications of sex differences in the primate brain transcriptome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.10.511534v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Maternal patterns of inheritance alter transcript expression in eggs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.10.511534v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Modifications to early development can lead to evolutionary diversification. The early stages of development are under maternal control, as mothers produce eggs loaded with nutrients, proteins and mRNAs that direct early embryogenesis. Maternally provided mRNAs are the only expressed genes in initial stages of development and are known to be tightly regulated. Differences in maternal mRNA provisioning could lead to phenotypic changes in embryogenesis and ultimately evolutionary changes in development. However, the extent to which variation in maternal mRNA provisioning impacts ontogeny or life-history is unknown. Here, we use a species with dimorphic development-- where females make eggs and larvae of different sizes and life-history modes--to investigate the extent of variation in maternal mRNA provisioning to the egg. We examine the effect of gene expression differences on subsequent generations of egg provisioning and determine the regulatory architecture underlying mRNA provisioning differences. We find that there is significant variation in gene expression across eggs of different development modes, and that both parent-of-origin and allele-specific effects contribute to mRNA expression differences. We also find that offspring of intraspecific crosses differentially provision their eggs based on their parents cross direction. This effect of allelic expression based on parent-of-origin has not been previously demonstrated in reproductive traits like oogenesis.

AUTHOR SUMMARYVariation in early developmental programs can provide the basis for evolutionary diversification. In the early embryo, cellular functions are carried out by proteins and transcripts contributed by the mother to the egg until the embryos own genome can take over. Since these maternal factors are responsible for setting up all of the subsequent development of the offspring, they tend to be tightly regulated. However, variation exists in the amount and types of transcripts mothers provide. Here we examine how the variation in maternal transcripts that occurs in eggs of the species Streblospio benedicti, leads to developmental differences. S. benedicti offspring follow one of two distinct developmental programs that originate with egg size differences. We find significant variation in maternally provided transcripts correlated with the two life-histories, and that some of this variation in egg transcripts is directly related to the developmental type of the mothers own parents. This parental effect on how mothers provide transcripts to their eggs has not previously been described and indicates the possibility for an offsprings grandparents to affect their early developmental program by modulating the transcripts their mother provides.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zakas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harry, N. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.10.511534</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Maternal patterns of inheritance alter transcript expression in eggs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.10.511652v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Uterine histotroph and conceptus development. III. Adrenomedullin stimulates proliferation, migration and adhesion of porcine trophectoderm cells via AKT-TSC2-MTOR cell signaling pathway. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.10.511652v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adrenomedullin (ADM) as a highly conserved peptide hormone has been reported to increase significantly in the uterine lumen during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy in pigs, but its functional roles in growth and development of porcine conceptus (embryonic/fetus and its extra-embryonic membranes) as well as underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Therefore, we conducted in vitro experiments using our established porcine trophectoderm cell line (pTr1) isolated from Day-12 porcine conceptuses to test the hypothesis that porcine ADM stimulates cell proliferation, migration and adhesion via AKT-TSC2-MTOR cell signaling pathway in pTr1 cells. Porcine ADM at 10-7 M stimulated (P<0.05) pTr1 cell proliferation, migration and adhesion by 1.4-, 1.5- and 1.2-folds, respectively. These ADM-induced effects were abrogated (P<0.05) by siRNA-mediated knockdown of ADM (siADM) and its shared receptor component calcitonin-receptor-like receptor (CALCRL; siCALCRL), as well as by rapamycin, the inhibitor of mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR). Using siRNA mediated knockdown of CALCRL coupled with Western blot analyses, ADM signaling transduction was determined in which ADM binds to CALCRL to increase phosphorylation of MTOR, its downstream effectors (4EBP1, P70S6K, and S6), and upstream regulators (AKT and TSC2). Collectively, these results suggest that porcine ADM in histotroph act on its receptor component CALCRL to activate AKT-TSC2-MTOR, particularly MTORC1 signaling cascade, leading to elongation,migration and attachment of conceptuses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Liu, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paudel, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flowers, W. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedrahita, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.10.511652</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Uterine histotroph and conceptus development. III. Adrenomedullin stimulates proliferation, migration and adhesion of porcine trophectoderm cells via AKT-TSC2-MTOR cell signaling pathway.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.14.512302v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Computational investigation of the effect of reduced dynein velocity and reduced cargo diffusivity on slow axonal transport 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.14.512302v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Contributions of three components of slow axonal transport (SAT) were studied using a computational model: the anterograde motor (kinesin)-driven component, the retrograde motor (dynein)-driven component, and the diffusion-driven component. The contribution of these three components of SAT was investigated in three different segments of the axon: the proximal portion, the central portion, and the distal portion of the axon. MAP1B protein was used as a model system to study SAT because there are published experimental data reporting MAP1B distribution along the axon length and average velocity of MAP1B transport in the axon. This allows the optimization approach to be used to find values of model kinetic constants that give the best fit with published experimental data. The effects of decreasing the value of cargo diffusivity on the diffusion-driven component of SAT and decreasing the value of dynein velocity on the retrograde motor-driven component of SAT were investigated. We found that for the case when protein diffusivity and dynein velocity are very small, it is possible to obtain an analytical solution to model equations. We found that, in this case, the protein concentration in the axon is uniform. This shows that anterograde motor-driven transport alone cannot simulate a variation of cargo concentration in the axon. Most proteins are non-uniformly distributed in axons. They may exhibit, for example, an increased concentration closer to the synapse. The need to reproduce a non-uniform distribution of protein concentration may explain why SAT is bidirectional (in addition to an anterograde component, it also contains a retrograde component).
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.14.512302</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Computational investigation of the effect of reduced dynein velocity and reduced cargo diffusivity on slow axonal transport]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.14.512304v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A unified model for the dynamics of ATP-independent ultrafast contraction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.14.512304v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In nature, several ciliated protists possess the remarkable ability to execute ultrafast motions using protein assemblies called myonemes, which contract in response to Ca2+ ions. Existing theories, such as actomyosin contractility and macroscopic biomechanical latches, do not adequately describe these systems, necessitating new models to understand their mechanisms. In this study, we image and quantitatively analyze the contractile kinematics observed in two ciliated protists (Vorticella sp and Spirostomum sp), and, based on the mechanochemistry of these organisms, we propose a minimal mathematical model that reproduces our observations as well as those published previously. Analyzing the model reveals three distinct dynamic regimes, differentiated by the rate of chemical driving and the importance of inertia. We characterize their unique scaling behaviors and kinematic signatures. Besides providing insights into Ca2+-powered myoneme contraction in protists, our work may also inform the rational design of ultrafast bioengineered systems such as active synthetic cells.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Floyd, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Molines, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lei, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Honts, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaikuntanathan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinner, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhamla, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.14.512304</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A unified model for the dynamics of ATP-independent ultrafast contraction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.17.512625v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Loss of Linker Histone H1 in the Maternal Genome Influences DEMETER-Mediated Demethylation and Affects the Endosperm DNA Methylation Landscape 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.17.512625v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Arabidopsis DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase demethylates the central cell genome prior to fertilization. This epigenetic reconfiguration of the female gamete companion cell establishes gene imprinting in the endosperm and is essential for seed viability. DME demethylates small and genic-flanking transposons as well as intergenic and heterochromatin sequences, but how DME is recruited to these target loci remains unknown. H1.2 was identified as a DME-interacting protein in a yeast two-hybrid screen, and maternal genome H1 loss affects DNA methylation and expression of selected imprinted genes in the endosperm. Yet, the extent to which how H1 influences DME demethylation and gene imprinting in the Arabidopsis endosperm has not been investigated. Here, we showed that unlike in the vegetative cell, both canonical histone H1 variants are present in the central cell. Our endosperm methylome analysis revealed that without the maternal linker histones, DME-mediated demethylation is facilitated, particularly in the heterochromatin regions, indicating that H1-containing nucleosomes are barriers for DME demethylation. Loss of H1 in the maternal genome has a very limited effect on gene transcription or gene imprinting regulation in the endosperm; however, it variably influences euchromatin TE methylation and causes a slight hypermethylation and a reduced expression in selected imprinted genes. We conclude that loss of maternal H1 indirectly influences DME-mediated demethylation and endosperm DNA methylation landscape but does not appear to affect endosperm gene transcription and overall imprinting regulation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hung, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartels, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rea, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, X.-Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fsicher, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.17.512625</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Loss of Linker Histone H1 in the Maternal Genome Influences DEMETER-Mediated Demethylation and Affects the Endosperm DNA Methylation Landscape]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.20.513072v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dynamics of BMP signaling in the early Drosophila embryo 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.20.513072v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In developing tissues, morphogen gradients are thought to initialize gene expression patterns. However, the relationship between the dynamics of morphogen-encoded signals and gene expression decisions are largely unknown. Here we examine the dynamics of the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway in Drosophila blastoderm-stage embryos. In this tissue, the BMP pathway is highly dynamic: it begins as a broad and weak signal on the dorsal half of the embryo, then 20-30 min later refines into a narrow, intense peak centered on the dorsal midline. This dynamical progression of the BMP signal raises questions of how it stably activates target genes. Therefore, we performed live imaging of the BMP signal and found that dorsal-lateral cells experience only a short transient in BMP signaling, after which the signal is lost completely. Moreover, we measured the transcriptional response of the BMP target gene pannier in live embryos and found it to remain activated in dorsal-lateral cells, even after the BMP signal is lost. Our findings may suggest that the BMP pathway activates a memory, or "ratchet" mechanism that may sustain gene expression.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Al Asafen, H. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beseli, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hiremath, S. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.20.513072</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dynamics of BMP signaling in the early Drosophila embryo]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.24.513597v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sign-epistatic centromere drive in panmictic populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.24.513597v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Comparative work has revealed a highly non-random elevation of karyotypic homogeneity within mammalian species for either telocentric chromosomes or centric fusions, and a karyotypic bimodality among species for these binary chromosome morphologies. A verbal theory developed by Pardo-Manuel de Villena and Sapienza argues that morphology-biased segregation in female meiosis explains the corresponding directional evolution in favor of one or the other chromosome form within species, and moreover, periodic reversals of meiotic spindle asymmetry explain the pattern of bimodality observed among species. Here I investigate a population genetic model in which I assume that the direction of the spindle asymmetry is under the control of a modifier gene, either linked or unlinked to a focal karyotypic mutant (linkage being to a centric fusion, say), and I derive the corresponding invasion conditions for the modifier-centric-fusion gene complex. I demonstrate that the scenario put forth in the verbal theory can be explained by a two-step process in which (1) a centric-fusion invades to fixation while the linked modifier winds up at an intermediate frequency by hitchhiking, and then (2) subsequent fixations of unlinked centric fusions occur. Via numerical iteration of the model, I demonstrate that the typical post-hitchhiking frequency of the linked modifier (from step 1) is broadly sufficient for subsequent unlinked invasions (step 2). Sign-reversing modifier evolution is therefore concluded to be a plausible mechanism instantiating the principles of a female drive theory of karyotype evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brud, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.24.513597</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sign-epistatic centromere drive in panmictic populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.514936v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Model of High-Speed Endovascular Sonothrombolysis with Vortex Ultrasound-Induced Shear Stress to Treat Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.514936v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This research aims to demonstrate a novel vortex ultrasound enabled endovascular thrombolysis method designed for treating cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). This is a topic of significant importance since current treatment modalities for CVST still fail in as many as 20-40% of the cases and the incidence of CVST has increased since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with conventional anticoagulant or thrombolytic drugs, sonothrombolysis has the potential to remarkably shorten the required treatment time owing to the direct clot targeting with acoustic waves. However, previously reported strategies for sonothrombolysis have not demonstrated clinically meaningful outcomes (e.g., recanalization within 30 minutes) in treating large, completely occluded veins or arteries. In this paper, we demonstrated a new vortex ultrasound technique for endovascular sonothrombolysis utilizing wave-matter interaction-induced shear stress to enhance the lytic rate substantially. Our in vitro experiment showed that the lytic rate was increased by at least 64.3 % compared with the nonvortex endovascular ultrasound treatment. A 3.1 g, 7.5 cm long, completely occluded in vitro 3D model of acute CVST was fully recanalized within 8 minutes with a record-high lytic rate of 237.5 mg/min for acute bovine clot in vitro. Furthermore, we confirmed that the vortex ultrasound causes no vessel wall damage over ex vivo bovine veins. This vortex ultrasound thrombolysis technique potentially presents a new life-saving tool for severe CVST cases that cannot be efficaciously treated using existing therapies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Welch, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cornett, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stocker, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nogueira, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Owens, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dayton, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shi, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.02.514936</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Model of High-Speed Endovascular Sonothrombolysis with Vortex Ultrasound-Induced Shear Stress to Treat Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.04.514575v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enteric Glial Cell Network Function is Required for Epithelial Barrier Restitution following Intestinal Ischemic Injury in the Early Postnatal Period 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.04.514575v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ischemic damage to the intestinal epithelial barrier, such as in necrotizing enterocolitis or small intestinal volvulus, is associated with higher mortality rates in younger patients. We have recently reported a powerful pig model to investigate these age-dependent outcomes in which mucosal barrier restitution is strikingly absent in neonates but can be rescued by direct application of homogenized mucosa from older, juvenile pigs by a yet-undefined mechanism. Within the mucosa, a postnatally developing network of enteric glial cells (EGC) is gaining recognition as a key regulator of the mucosal barrier. Therefore, we hypothesized that the developing EGC network may play an important role in coordinating intestinal barrier repair in neonates. Neonatal and juvenile jejunal mucosa recovering from surgically induced intestinal ischemia was visualized by scanning electron microscopy and the transcriptomic phenotypes were assessed by bulk RNA sequencing. EGC network density and gliosis were examined by gene set enrichment analysis, three-dimensional volume imaging and western blot and its function in regulating epithelial restitution assessed ex vivo in Ussing chamber using the glia-specific inhibitor fluoroacetate, and in vivo by co-culture assay. Here we refine and elaborate our translational model, confirming a neonatal phenotype characterized by a complete lack of coordinated reparative signaling in the mucosal microenvironment. Further, we report important evidence that the subepithelial EGC network changes significantly over the early postnatal period and demonstrate that EGC function in close proximity to wounded intestinal epithelium is critical to intestinal barrier restitution following ischemic injury.

NEW & NOTEWORTHYThis study refines a powerful translational pig model, defining an age-dependent relationship between enteric glia and the intestinal epithelium during intestinal ischemic injury and confirming an important role of the enteric glial cell activity in driving mucosal barrier restitution. This study suggests that targeting the enteric glial network could lead to novel interventions to improve recovery from intestinal injury in neonatal patients.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ziegler, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Erwin, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caldwell, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Touvron, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pridgen, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Odle, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Landeghem, L. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blikslager, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.04.514575</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enteric Glial Cell Network Function is Required for Epithelial Barrier Restitution following Intestinal Ischemic Injury in the Early Postnatal Period]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.07.515489v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structured Joint Decomposition (SJD) identifies conserved molecular dynamics across collections of biologically related multi-omics data matrices 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.07.515489v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
It is necessary to develop exploratory tools to learn from the unprecedented volume of high-dimensional multi-omic data currently being produced across the field of biomedicine. We have developed an R package, Structured Joint Decomposition (SJD), which identifies components of variation that are shared across multiple matrices. The approach focuses specifically on variation across the samples/cells within each dataset while incorporating biologist-defined hierarchical structure among input experiments that can span in vivo and in vitro systems, multi-omic data modalities, and species.

SJD enables the definition of molecular variation that is conserved across systems, those that are shared within subsets of studies, and elements unique to individual matrices. We have included functions to simplify the construction and visualization of highly complex in silico experiments involving many diverse multi-omic matrices from multiple species. Here we apply SJD to decompose four RNA-seq experiments focused on neurogenesis in the neocortex. The public datasets used in this analysis are at NeMO Analytics and can be explored at the individual gene level or using the conserved transcriptomic dynamics in mammalian neurogenesis that we define here.

The SJD R package and tutorial can be found at https://chuansite.github.io/SJD.

Contact: hzchenhuan@gmail.com; ccolant1@jhmi.edu [carlocolantuoni.org]
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sonthalia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stein-OBrien, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caffo, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colantuoni, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.07.515489</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structured Joint Decomposition (SJD) identifies conserved molecular dynamics across collections of biologically related multi-omics data matrices]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.11.516073v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A compendium of genetic regulatory effects across pig tissues 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.11.516073v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Farm animal Genotype-Tissue Expression (FarmGTEx, https://www.farmgtex.org/) project has been established to develop a comprehensive public resource of genetic regulatory variants in domestic animal species, which is essential for linking genetic polymorphisms to variation in phenotypes, helping fundamental biology discovery and exploitation in animal breeding and human biomedicine. Here we present results from the pilot phase of PigGTEx (http://piggtex.farmgtex.org/), where we processed 9,530 RNA-sequencing and 1,602 whole-genome sequencing samples from pigs. We build a pig genotype imputation panel, characterize the transcriptional landscape across over 100 tissues, and associate millions of genetic variants with five types of transcriptomic phenotypes in 34 tissues. We study interactions between genotype and breed/cell type, evaluate tissue specificity of regulatory effects, and elucidate the molecular mechanisms of their action using multi-omics data. Leveraging this resource, we decipher regulatory mechanisms underlying about 80% of the genetic associations for 207 pig complex phenotypes, and demonstrate the similarity of pigs to humans in gene expression and the genetic regulation behind complex phenotypes, corroborating the importance of pigs as a human biomedical model.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jinyan, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yin, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guan, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hou, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keel, B. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rohrer, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindholm-Perry, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oliver, W. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ballester, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crespo-Piazuelo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quintanilla, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Canela-Xandri, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rawlik, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xia, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karlskov-Mortensen, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fredholm, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amills, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clop, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giuffra, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diao, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Su, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sahana, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lund, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dekkers, J. C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kramer,</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.11.516073</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A compendium of genetic regulatory effects across pig tissues]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.12.516262v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Degenerative changes are associated with severity of anterior cruciate ligament injury within the skeletally immature joint 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.12.516262v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a major problem in the pediatric and adolescent populations. Some of these injuries extend only partially through the tissue cross-section; yet, there is limited data to inform clinical treatment of such partial tears. In particular, it is unknown how injury severity impacts long-term degenerative changes in the joint. Here, we leverage a skeletally immature preclinical porcine model to evaluate joint biomechanics and degeneration after partial (isolated anteromedial (AM) or posterolateral (PL) bundle) or complete ACL injury. Six months after injury, joint laxity increases were minimal after PL bundle injury, minor after AM bundle injury, and major after ACL injury. Joint degeneration (evaluated in the cartilage and meniscus) was minimal after PL bundle injury, moderate after AM bundle injury, and substantial after ACL injury. With subjects grouped by clinical Lachman grade (indicating the extent of joint destabilization), degeneration was associated with increasing grade, irrespective of injury type. These findings point to the importance of considering joint laxity as a factor when treating young patients, particularly those with partial ACL injuries.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Howe, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teeter, S. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barlow, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffith, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schnabel, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spang, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.12.516262</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Degenerative changes are associated with severity of anterior cruciate ligament injury within the skeletally immature joint]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.24.517847v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Developing best practices for genotyping-by-sequencing analysis using linkage maps as benchmarks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.24.517847v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundGenotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) provides affordable methods for genotyping hundreds of individuals using millions of markers. However, this challenges bioinformatic procedures that must overcome possible artifacts such as the bias generated by PCR duplicates and sequencing errors. Genotyping errors lead to data that deviate from what is expected from regular meiosis. This, in turn, leads to difficulties in grouping and ordering markers resulting in inflated and incorrect linkage maps. Therefore, genotyping errors can be easily detected by linkage map quality evaluations.

ResultsWe developed and used the Reads2Map workflow to build linkage maps with simulated and empirical GBS data of diploid outcrossing populations. The workflows run GATK, Stacks, TASSEL, and Freebayes for SNP calling and updog, polyRAD, and SuperMASSA for genotype calling, and OneMap and GUSMap to build linkage maps. Using simulated data, we observed which genotype call software fails in identifying common errors in GBS sequencing data and proposed specific filters to better handle them. We tested whether it is possible to overcome errors in a linkage map using genotype probabilities from each software or global error rates to estimate genetic distances with an updated version of OneMap. We also evaluated the impact of segregation distortion, contaminant samples, and haplotype-based multiallelic markers in the final linkage maps. Through our evaluations, we observed that some of the approaches produce different results depending on the dataset (dataset-dependent) and others produce consistent advantageous results among them (dataset-independent).

ConclusionsWe set as default in the Reads2Map workflows the approaches that showed to be dataset-independent for GBS datasets according to our results. This reduces the number required of tests to identify optimal pipelines and parameters for other empirical datasets. Using Reads2Map, users can select the pipeline and parameters that best fit their data context. The Reads2MapApp shiny app provides a graphical representation of the results to facilitate their interpretation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Taniguti, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taniguti, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amadeu, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereira, G. d. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riera-Lizarazu, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lau, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Byrne, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gesteira, G. d. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oliveira, T. d. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferreira, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, A. A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.24.517847</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Developing best practices for genotyping-by-sequencing analysis using linkage maps as benchmarks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.27.518082v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assortative mating and mate-choice contributes to a developmental dimorphism in Streblospio benedicti 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.27.518082v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Assortative mating, where individuals non-randomly mate with respect to phenotype or genotype, can occur when preferences between potential mates have evolved. When such mate preferences occur in a population it can drive evolutionary and phenotypic divergence. But the extent to which assortative mating, mate preference, and development are evolutionarily linked remains unclear. Here we use Streblospio benedicti, a marine annelid with a rare developmental dimorphism, to investigate if mate-choice could contribute to developmental evolution. For S. benedicti two types of ecologically and phenotypically similar adults persist in natural populations, but they give rise to distinctly different offspring with alternative lifehistories. This dimorphism persists despite the absence of post-zygotic reproductive barriers, where crosses between the developmental types can produce phenotypically intermediate offspring. How this life-history strategy evolved remains unknown, but assortative mating is a typical first step in evolutionary divergence. Here we investigate if female mate-choice is occurring in this species. We find that mate preferences could be contributing to the maintenance of alternative developmental and life-history strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ruskie, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zakas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.27.518082</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assortative mating and mate-choice contributes to a developmental dimorphism in Streblospio benedicti]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.28.518233v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Long-term fertilization modifies the composition of slow-growing oligotrophs more than fast-growing copiotrophs in a nutrient poor coastal plain wetland 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.28.518233v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Wetland ecosystems are known for their carbon storage potential due to slow decomposition rates and high carbon fixation rates. However, nutrient addition from human activities affects this carbon storage capacity as the balance of fixed and respired carbon shifts due to plant and microbial communities. Ongoing atmospheric deposition of nutrients could be changing wetland plant-microbe interactions in ways that tip the balance from carbon storage to loss. Therefore, examining microbial community patterns in response to nutrient enrichment is important to understanding nutrient effects on carbon storage potential. In this study, we hypothesized that fertilization of a low nutrient ecosystem leads to increased organic carbon input from plant biomass into the soil and results in increased soil bacterial diversity and modifications to soil bacterial community composition. As such, increased soil nutrients and carbon resources provide more energy to support increased microbial growth rates, which can result in wetland carbon losses. To test this hypothesis, we used bacterial community-level and soil chemical data from the long-term wetland ecology experiment at East Carolina Universitys West Research Campus (established in 2003). Specifically, we examined the extent that long-term effects of nutrient enrichment affect wetland microbial communities and plant biomass, which are factors that can affect carbon storage. We collected soil cores from fertilized and unfertilized test plots. We extracted genomic DNA from soil samples and conducted 16S rRNA targeted amplicon sequencing to characterize the bacterial community composition. In addition, we measured plant above and belowground biomass and soil carbon content. Results revealed an increase in aboveground plant biomass, soil carbon, and bacterial diversity. In contrast, belowground plant biomass and microbial biomass were similar in fertilized and unfertilized plots. To further examine bacterial community changes to nutrient enrichment, we compared the relative abundance of fast growing copiotrophic and slow growing oligotrophic bacteria of a subset of taxa putatively identified as belonging to either life history strategy. These taxa-level results revealed a decrease in oligotroph relative abundance and little to no change in copiotroph relative abundance of a subset of bacterial taxa. If there is a community-wide shift in the proportion of oligotroph to copiotroph life history strategies, this would have a negative impact on organic carbon storage since oligotrophic bacteria respire less carbon than copiotrophic bacteria over the same amount of time. Taken together, this study provided evidence that long-term nutrient enrichment influences wetland soils in ways that decrease their carbon storage potential of important carbon sinks.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Walker, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephens, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peralta, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.28.518233</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Long-term fertilization modifies the composition of slow-growing oligotrophs more than fast-growing copiotrophs in a nutrient poor coastal plain wetland]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.29.517730v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Non-redundant dimethyl sulfoxide reductases influence Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium anaerobic growth and virulence 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.29.517730v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Facultative anaerobic enteric pathogens can utilize a diverse array of alternate electron acceptors to support anaerobic metabolism and thrive in the hypoxic conditions within the mammalian gut. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is produced by methionine catabolism and can act as an alternate electron acceptor to support anaerobic respiration. The DMSO reductase complex consists of three subunits, DmsA, DmsB, and DmsC, and allows bacteria to grow anaerobically with DMSO as an electron acceptor. The genomes of non-typhoidal S. enterica encode three putative dmsABC operons, but the impact of the apparent genetic redundancy in DMSO reduction on fitness of non-typhoidal S. enterica during infection remains unknown. We hypothesized that DMSO reduction would be needed for S. enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) to colonize the mammalian gut. We demonstrate a S. Typhimurium mutant with loss of function in all three putative DMSO reductases ({Delta}dmsA3) poorly colonizes the mammalian intestine when the microbiota are intact and when inflammation is absent. DMSO reduction enhances anaerobic growth through non-redundant contributions of two of the DMSO reductases. Furthermore, DMSO reduction influences the expression of the type-3 secretion systems needed for virulence. Collectively, our data demonstrate that the DMSO reductases of S. Typhimurium are functionally non-redundant and suggest DMSO is a physiologically relevant electron acceptor that supports S. enterica fitness in the gut.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cruz, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haeberle, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Westerman, T. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durham, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suyemoto, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knodler, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elfenbein, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-11-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.11.29.517730</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Non-redundant dimethyl sulfoxide reductases influence Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium anaerobic growth and virulence]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-11-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.518235v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing the Nucleotide-Level Impact of Spaceflight Stress using RNA-Sequencing Data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.518235v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding the effects of space radiation and microgravity on DNA integrity is critical to assess the impact of long-term spaceflight. However, studying spaceflights effect on terrestrial life is difficult. NASA created GeneLab, a public Omics database for spaceflight-related data, to help combat these limitations. While GeneLab has very few DNA-based data sets, transcriptome information is abundant. This study used RNA-Seq data from GeneLab to examine DNA sequence variants linked to spaceflight stress exposure. More mutations were observed in spaceflight samples than in the ground control samples. This increase in variants was not reduced in samples grown under artificial gravity in space, suggesting that microgravity did not significantly affect the amount of DNA damage in this experiment. There was also an increase in transversion mutations, consistent with known forms of radiation-induced damage. This work demonstrates that RNA-Seq data is a useful resource for evaluating DNA damage from spaceflight and provides a baseline for the types of mutations that could be detected.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Knight, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nielsen, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.01.518235</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing the Nucleotide-Level Impact of Spaceflight Stress using RNA-Sequencing Data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.518783v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effect of mitochondrial circulation on mitochondrial age density distribution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.518783v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent publications report that although the mitochondria population in an axon can be quickly replaced by a combination of retrograde and anterograde axonal transport (often within less than 24 hours), the axon contains much older mitochondria. This suggests that not all mitochondria that reach the soma are degraded and that some are recirculating back into the axon. To explain this, we developed a model that simulates mitochondria distribution when a portion of mitochondria that return to the soma are redirected back to the axon rather than being destroyed in somatic lysosomes. Utilizing the developed model, we studied how the percentage of returning mitochondria affects the mean age and age density distributions of mitochondria at different distances from the soma. We also investigated whether turning off the mitochondrial anchoring switch can reduce the mean age of mitochondria. For this purpose, we studied the effect of reducing the value of a parameter that characterizes the probability of mitochondria transition to the stationary (anchored) state. The reduction in mitochondria mean age observed when the anchoring probability is reduced suggests that some injured neurons may be saved if the percentage of stationary mitochondria is decreased. The replacement of possibly damaged stationary mitochondria with newly synthesized ones may restore the energy supply in an injured axon. We also performed a sensitivity study of the mean age of stationary mitochondria to the parameter that determines what portion of mitochondria re-enter the axon and the parameter that determines the probability of mitochondria transition to the stationary state.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.01.518783</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effect of mitochondrial circulation on mitochondrial age density distribution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.05.519088v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Parameter estimation and identifiability analysis for a bivalent analyte model of monoclonal antibody-antigen binding 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.05.519088v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
1Discovery research for therapeutic antibodies and vaccine development requires an in-depth understanding of antibody-antigen interactions. Label-free techniques such as Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) enable the characterization of biomolecular interactions through kinetics measurements, typically by binding antigens in solution to monoclonal antibodies immobilized on a SPR chip. 1:1 Langmuir binding model is commonly used to fit the kinetics data and derive rate constants. However, in certain contexts it is necessary to immobilize the antigen to the chip and flow the antibodies in solution. One such scenario is the screening of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for breadth against a range of antigens, where a bivalent analyte binding model is required to adequately describe the kinetics data unless antigen immobilizaion density is optimized to eliminate avidity effects. A bivalent analyte model is offered in several existing software packages intended for standard throughput SPR instruments, but lacking for high throughput SPR instruments. Existing methods also do not explore multiple local minima and parameter identifiability, issues common in non-linear optimization. Here, we have developed a method for analyzing bivalent analyte binding kinetics directly applicable to high throughput SPR data collected in a non-regenerative fashion, and have included a grid search on initial parameter values and a profile likelihood method to determine parameter identifiability. We fit the data of a broadly neutralizing HIV-1 mAb binding to HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 to a system of ordinary differential equations modeling bivalent binding. Our identifiability analysis discovered a non-identifiable parameter when data is collected under the standard experimental design for monitoring the association and dissociation phases. We used simulations to determine an improved experimental design, which when executed, resulted in the reliable estimation of all rate constants. These methods will be valuable tools in analyzing the binding of mAbs to an array of antigens to expedite therapeutic antibody discovery research.

2 Author summaryWhile commercial software programs for the analysis of bivalent analyte binding kinetics are available for low-throughput instruments, they cannot be easily applied to data generated by high-throughput instruments, particularly when the chip surface is not regenerated between titration cycles. Further, existing software does not address common issues in fitting non-linear systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) such as optimizations getting trapped in local minima or parameters that are not identifiable. In this work, we introduce a pipeline for analysis of bivalent analyte binding kinetics that 1) allows for the use of high-throughput, non-regenerative experimental designs, 2) optimizes using several sets of initial parameter values to ensure that the algorithm is able to reach the lowest minimum error and 3) applies a profile likelihood method to explore parameter identifiability. In our experimental application of the method, we found that one of the kinetics parameters (kd2) cannot be reliably estimated with the standard length of the dissociation phase. Using simulation and identifiability analysis we determined the optimal length of dissociation so that the parameter can be reliably estimated, saving time and reagents. These methodologies offer robust determination of the kinetics parameters for high-throughput bivalent analyte SPR experiments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flores, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tomaras, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dennison, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCarthy, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.05.519088</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Parameter estimation and identifiability analysis for a bivalent analyte model of monoclonal antibody-antigen binding]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.06.519165v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Integrated Single-Dose Kinome Profiling Data is Predictive of Cancer Cell Line Sensitivity to Kinase Inhibitors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.06.519165v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Protein kinase activity forms the backbone of cellular information transfer, acting both individually and as part of a broader network, the kinome. Correspondingly, their central role in signaling implicates kinome dysfunction as a common driver of cancer, where numerous kinases have been identified as having a causal or modulating role in cancer development and progression. Driven by their importance, the development of therapies targeting kinases has rapidly grown, with over 70 kinase inhibitors approved for use in the clinic and over double this number currently in clinical trials. Given the growing importance of kinase-targeted therapies, linking the relationship between kinase inhibitor treatment and their effects on downstream cellular phenotype is of clear importance for understanding treatment mechanisms and streamlining compound screening in therapy development. In this work, we combine two large-scale kinome profiling data sets and use them to link inhibitor-kinome interactions with cell line treatment responses (AUC/IC50). We then built computational models on this data set that achieve a high degree of prediction accuracy (R2 of 0.7 and RMSE of 0.9), and were able to identify a set of well-characterized and understudied kinases that significantly affect cell responses. Further, we validated these models experimentally by testing predicted effects in breast cancer cell lines, and extended the model scope by performing additional validation in patient-derived pancreatic cancer cell lines. Overall, these results demonstrate that broad quantification of kinome inhibition state is highly predictive of downstream cellular phenotypes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Joisa, C. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berginski, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Golitz, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jenner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loeza, S. G. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeh, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.06.519165</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Integrated Single-Dose Kinome Profiling Data is Predictive of Cancer Cell Line Sensitivity to Kinase Inhibitors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.06.519291v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
COMBINe: Automated Detection and Classification of Neurons and Astrocytes in Tissue Cleared Mouse Brains 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.06.519291v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tissue clearing renders entire organs transparent to enable combination with light sheet fluorescence microscopy and accelerate whole tissue imaging. Yet, challenges remain in analyzing the large resulting 3D datasets that consist of terabytes of images and information on millions of labeled cells. Previous work has established pipelines for automated analysis of tissue cleared mouse brains. However, they have focused on single color channels and/or detection of nuclear localized signals, in relatively low-resolution images. To address this gap, we present an automated workflow to map labeled neurons and astrocytes in the genetically distinct Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) mouse forebrains. We named the workflow COMBINe (Cell detectiOn in Mouse BraIN) as it combines modules from multiple pipelines. With RetinaNet in its core, we quantitatively analyzed the regional and subregional effects of MADM-based deletion of the Epidermal growth factor receptor on neuronal and astrocyte populations in the mouse forebrain.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cai, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghashghaei, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenbaum, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.06.519291</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[COMBINe: Automated Detection and Classification of Neurons and Astrocytes in Tissue Cleared Mouse Brains]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.09.516617v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transgenic porcine model reveals two roles for LGR5 during lung development and homeostasis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.09.516617v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cells expressing LGR5 play a pivotal role in homeostasis, repair, and regeneration in multiple organs including skin and gastrointestinal tract, yet little is known about their role in the lung. Findings from mice, a widely used animal model, suggest that lung LGR5 expression differs from that of humans. In this work, using a new transgenic pig model, we identify two main populations of LGR5+ cells in the lung that are conserved in human, but not mouse lungs. Using RNA sequencing, 3D imaging and organoid models, we determine that in the fetal lung, epithelial LGR5 expression is transient in a subpopulation of SOX9+/ETV+/SFTPC+ progenitor lung tip cells. In contrast, epithelial LGR5 expression is absent from postnatal lung, but is reactivated in bronchioalveolar organoids derived from basal airway cells. We also describe a separate population of mesenchymal LGR5+ cells that surrounds developing and mature airways, lies adjacent to airway basal cells, and is closely associated with nerve fibers. Transcriptionally, mesenchymal LGR5+ cells include a subset of peribronchial fibroblasts (PBF) that express unique patterns of SHH, FGF, WNT and TGF-{beta} signaling pathway genes. These results support distinct roles for LGR5+ cells in the lung and describe a physiologically relevant animal model for further studies on the function of these cells in repair and regeneration.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Polkoff, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gupta, N. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lampe, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carter, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simon, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moatti, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kadur Lakshminarasimha Murthy, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gleason, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenbaum, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tata, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tata, P. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedrahita, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.09.516617</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transgenic porcine model reveals two roles for LGR5 during lung development and homeostasis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.09.519840v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transport of ATP by diffusion is sufficient to provide high ATP concentration in presynaptic boutons lacking mitochondria 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.09.519840v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Previous work on mitochondrial distribution in axons has shown that approximately half of the presynaptic release sites do not contain mitochondria, raising the question of how the boutons that do not contain mitochondria are supplied with ATP. Here, we develop and apply a mathematical model to study this question. Specifically, we investigate whether diffusive transport of ATP is sufficient to support the exocytic functionality in synaptic boutons which lack mitochondria. Our results demonstrate that the difference in ATP concentration between a bouton containing a mitochondrion and a neighboring bouton lacking a mitochondrion is only approximately 0.4%, which is still 3.75 times larger than the ATP concentration minimally required to support synaptic vesicle release. This work therefore suggests that passive diffusion of ATP is sufficient to maintain the functionality of boutons which do not contain mitochondria.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.09.519840</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transport of ATP by diffusion is sufficient to provide high ATP concentration in presynaptic boutons lacking mitochondria]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.10.519926v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bulk and Mosaic Deletions of Egfr Reveal Regionally Defined Gliogenesis in the Developing Mouse Forebrain 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.10.519926v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a role in cell proliferation and differentiation during healthy development and tumor growth, however its requirement for brain development remains unclear. Here we used a conditional mouse allele for Egfr to examine its contributions to perinatal forebrain development at the tissue level. Subtractive bulk ventral and dorsal forebrain deletions of Egfr uncovered significant and permanent decreases in oligodendrogenesis and myelination in the cortex and corpus callosum. Additionally, an increase in astrogenesis or reactive astrocytes in effected regions was evident in response to cortical scarring. Sparse deletion using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) surprisingly revealed a regional requirement for EGFR in rostrodorsal, but not ventrocaudal glial lineages including both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The EGFR-independent ventral glial progenitors may compensate for the missing EGFR-dependent dorsal glia in the bulk Egfr-deleted forebrain, potentially exposing a regenerative population of gliogenic progenitors in the mouse forebrain.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Horowitz, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mennicke, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coffey, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haider, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Threadgill, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eliscu, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oldham, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenbaum, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghashghaei, H. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.10.519926</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bulk and Mosaic Deletions of Egfr Reveal Regionally Defined Gliogenesis in the Developing Mouse Forebrain]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.14.520443v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) Applications for Sustainable Agriculture 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.14.520443v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is one of the most farmed insects worldwide and the foundation of an emerging industry for the use of insects as a sustainable food source. Edible insects present a promising alternative for protein production amid a plethora of recent reports on climate change and biodiversity loss largely driven by agriculture. As with other agricultural crops, genetic resources are needed to improve crickets for food and other applications. We present the first high quality annotated genome assembly of A. domesticus which was assembled from long read data and scaffolded to chromosome level from long range data, providing information on promoters and genes needed for genetic manipulation. Gene groups that may be useful for improving the value of these insects to farmers were manually annotated, mainly genes related to immunity. Metagenome scaffolds in the A. domesticus assembly, including those from bacteria, other microbes and viruses such as Invertebrate Iridescent Virus 6 (IIV6), were submitted in a separate accession as host-associated sequences. We demonstrate both CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in and knock-out of selected genes and discuss implications for the food, pharmaceutical and other industries. RNAi was demonstrated to disrupt the function of the vermilion eye-color gene to produce a useful white-eye biomarker phenotype. We are utilizing these data to develop base technologies and methodologies for downstream commercial applications, including the generation of more nutritious and disease resistant crickets as well as lines producing valuable bioproducts such as vaccines and antibiotics. We also discuss how this foundational research can play a critical role in utilizing the largest, most diverse yet almost entirely untapped biological resource on Earth: Class Insecta.

Significance StatementSequencing and assembly of the genome of the house cricket has led to improvements in farmed insects for food, pharmaceutical and other applications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dossey, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oppert, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chu, F.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenzen, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scheffler, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simpson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koren, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnston, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kataoka, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ide, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.14.520443</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome and Genetic Engineering of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) Applications for Sustainable Agriculture]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.21.521478v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A chromosome level genome assembly of longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.21.521478v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Holosteans (gars and bowfins) represent the sister lineage to teleost fishes, the latter being a clade that comprises over half of all living vertebrates and includes important models for comparative genomics and human health. A major distinction between the evolutionary history of teleosts and holosteans is that all teleosts experienced a genome duplication event in their early evolutionary history. As holostean genomes did not undergo a round of genome duplication, they have been heralded as a means to bridge teleost models to other vertebrate genomes. However, only three species of holosteans have been genome sequenced to date and sequencing of more species is needed to fill sequence sampling gaps and provide a broader comparative basis for understanding holostean genome evolution. Here we report the first high quality reference genome assembly and annotation of the longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus). Our final assembly consists of 22,709 scaffolds with a total length of 945 bp with contig N50 of 116.6 kb. Using BRAKER2, we annotated a total of 30,068 genes. Analysis of the repetitive regions of the genome reveals the genome to contain 29.1% transposable elements, and the longnose gar to be the only other known vertebrate outside of the spotted gar to contain CR1, L2, Rex1, and Babar. These results highlight the potential utility of holostean genomes for understanding the evolution of vertebrate repetitive elements and provide a critical reference for comparative genomic studies utilizing ray-finned fish models.

SignificanceOver half of all living vertebrates are teleost fishes, including numerous experimental models such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes). However, translating research in teleost models to other organisms such as humans is often challenged by the fact that teleosts experienced a genome duplication event in their early evolutionary history. Recent genome sequencing of three holosteans, the sister lineage to teleosts that did not experience a genome duplication event, has revealed these taxa to be critical for linking homologs between teleosts and other vertebrates. Sequencing of holostean genomes remains limited, thereby impeding further comparative genomic studies. Here we fill this sampling gap through the genomic sequencing of the longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus). This annotated reference genome will provide a useful resource for a range of comparative genomic applications that span fields as diverse as immunogenetics, developmental biology, and the understanding of regulatory sequence evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mallik, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carlson, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wcisel, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisk, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoder, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dornburg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.21.521478</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A chromosome level genome assembly of longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.22.521647v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Uncovering Changes in Microbiome Profiles Across Commercial and Backyard Poultry Farming Systems 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.22.521647v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Environmental health and microbiome can affect poultry production in a variety of ways. Poor environmental conditions can lead to increased stress, disease, and mortality in poultry, resulting in reduced production. Poor environmental conditions can also reduce the diversity of microbial populations in the poultry microbiome, which can lead to an increased risk of disease and reduced production. Finally, microorganisms in the environment can be introduced to the poultry microbiome, which can increase the risk of disease and reduce production. Additionally, poultry production can have significant impacts on the environmental microbiome. Poultry farming can alter soil and water microbiomes through pollution from manure and other agricultural runoff. These changes can lead to increased concentrations of certain microbes as well as an altered balance between beneficial microorganisms. In this study, we investigated the changes in the microbiome profiles of commercial and backyard broiler farming systems at different time points. To explore the microbiome profiles, fecal, soil, litter samples, and swabs from feeders and waterers were collected three times over the production period from a single flock. Each backyard farm was sampled at three time points: 10, 31, and 52 days of production and days 10, 24, and 38 of production in commercial farms. Statistical and network analyses were performed using DADA2 and MicrobiomeAnalyst platforms. Our results show marked differences in alpha diversity, beta diversity, and relative abundance of taxa between commercial and backyard farms over time. The observed species index significantly differed between the backyard and commercial farms for the soil, litter, and waterer samples. In addition, the fecal samples from backyard farms were found to have more Firmicutes, Bacteriodota, Desulfobacteria, Synergitota, Fusobacteriota, and Campilobacterota. Moreover, clustering showed different patterns in commercial and backyard farms with distinct marker taxa for each production system. Furthermore, the microbiome profiles of commercial and backyard farms evolved differently over time.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Muyyarikkandy, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parzygnat, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thakur, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.22.521647</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Uncovering Changes in Microbiome Profiles Across Commercial and Backyard Poultry Farming Systems]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.28.522145v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pushing the envelope: force balance in fission yeast closed mitosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.28.522145v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The fission yeast S. pombe divides via closed mitosis, meaning that spindle elongation and chromosome segregation transpire entirely within the complete nuclear envelope. Both the spindle and nuclear envelope must undergo significant conformation changes and exert varying forces on each other during this process. Previous work has demonstrated that nuclear envelope expansion1,2 and spindle pole body (SPB) embedding in the nuclear envelope3 are required for normal S. pombe mitosis, and mechanical modeling has described potential contributions of the spindle to nuclear morphology4,5. However, it is not yet fully clear how and to what extent the nuclear envelope and mitotic spindle each directly shape each other during closed mitosis. Here, we investigate this relationship by observing the behaviors of spindles and nuclei in live mitotic fission yeast following laser ablation. First, we characterize these dynamics in molecularly typical S. pombe spindles, finding them to be stabilized by dense crosslinking, before demonstrating that the compressive force acting on the spindle poles is higher in mitotic cells with greater nuclear envelope tension and that spindle compression can be relieved by lessening nuclear envelope tension via laser ablation. Finally, we use a quantitative model to interpret how these data directly demonstrate that fission yeast spindles and nuclear envelopes are a mechanical pair that can each shape the others morphology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Begley, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pagan Medina, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zareiesfandabadi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rapp, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.28.522145</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pushing the envelope: force balance in fission yeast closed mitosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.30.522352v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Improving Therapeutic Protein Secretion in the Probiotic Yeast Saccharomyces boulardii using a Multifactorial Engineering Approach 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.30.522352v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is a promising chassis to deliver therapeutic proteins to the gut due to Sbs innate therapeutic properties, resistance to phage and antibiotics, and high protein secretion capacity. To maintain therapeutic efficacy in the context of challenges such as washout, low rates of diffusion, weak target binding, and/or high rates of proteolysis, it is desirable to engineer Sb strains with enhanced levels of protein secretion. In this work, we explored genetic modifications in both cis- (i.e., to the expression cassette of the secreted protein) and trans- (i.e., to the Sb genome) that enhance Sbs ability to secrete proteins, taking a Clostridioides difficile Toxin A neutralizing peptide (NPA) as our model therapeutic. First, by modulating the copy number of the NPA expression cassette, we found NPA concentrations in the supernatant could be varied by 6-fold (76-458 mg/L) in microbioreactor fermentations. In the context of high NPA copy number, we found a previously-developed collection of native and synthetic secretion signals could further tune NPA secretion between 121 - 463 mg/L. Then, guided by prior knowledge of S. cerevisiaes secretion mechanisms, we generated a library of homozygous single gene deletion strains, the most productive of which achieved 2297 mg/L secretory production of NPA. We then expanded on this library by performing combinatorial gene deletions, supplemented by proteomics experiments. We ultimately constructed a quadruple protease-deficient Sb strain that produces 5045 mg/L secretory NPA, an improvement of >10-fold over wild-type Sb. Overall, this work systematically explores a broad collection of engineering strategies to improve protein secretion in Sb and highlights the ability of proteomics to highlight under-explored mediators of this process. In doing so, we created a set of probiotic strains that are capable of delivering a wide range of protein titers and therefore furthers the ability of Sb to deliver therapeutics to the gut and other settings to which it is adapted.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Durmusoglu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al'Abri, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.30.522352</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Improving Therapeutic Protein Secretion in the Probiotic Yeast Saccharomyces boulardii using a Multifactorial Engineering Approach]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.31.521874v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The search behavior of terrestrial mammals 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.31.521874v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Animals moving through landscapes need to strike a balance between finding sufficient resources to grow and reproduce while minimizing encounters with predators 1,2. Because encounter rates are determined by the average distance over which directed motion persists 1,3-5, this trade-off should be apparent in individuals movement. Using GPS data from 1,396 individuals across 62 species of terrestrial mammals, we show how predators maintained directed motion ~7 times longer than for similarly-sized prey, revealing how prey species must trade off search efficiency against predator encounter rates. Individual search strategies were also modulated by resource abundance, with prey species forced to risk higher predator encounter rates when resources were scarce. These findings highlight the interplay between encounter rates and resource availability in shaping broad patterns mammalian movement strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Noonan, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez-Garcia, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia De Figueiredo, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ali, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Attias, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belant, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beyer, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berteaux, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bidner, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boone, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boutin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brito, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carter, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castellanos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castellanos, F. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chitwood, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Darlington, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de la Torre, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dekker, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DePerno, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Droghini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farhadinia, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fennessy, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fichtel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gill, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goheen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gustavo R. Oliveira-Santos, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hebblewhite, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodges, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isbell, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janssen, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kappeler, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaczensky, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kauffman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LaPoint, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lashley, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.31.521874</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The search behavior of terrestrial mammals]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.02.522532v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transfer Learning with False Negative Control Improves Polygenic Risk Prediction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.02.522532v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Polygenic risk score (PRS) is a quantity that aggregates the effects of variants across the genome and estimates an individuals genetic predisposition for a given trait. PRS analysis typically contains two input data sets: base data for effect size estimation and target data for individual-level prediction. Given the availability of large-scale base data, it becomes more common that the ancestral background of base and target data do not perfectly match. In this paper, we treat the GWAS summary information obtained in the base data as knowledge learned from a pre-trained model, and adopt a transfer learning framework to effectively leverage the knowledge learned from the base data that may or may not have similar ancestral background as the target samples to build prediction models for target individuals. Our proposed transfer learning framework consists of two main steps: (1) conducting false negative control (FNC) marginal screening to extract useful knowledge from the base data; and (2) performing joint model training to integrate the knowledge extracted from base data with the target training data for accurate trans-data prediction. This new approach can significantly enhance the computational and statistical efficiency of joint-model training, alleviate over-fitting, and facilitate more accurate trans-data prediction when heterogeneity level between target and base data sets is small or high.

Author summaryPolygenic risk score (PRS) can quantify the genetic predisposition for a trait. PRS construction typically contains two input datasets: base data for variant-effect estimation and target data for individual-level prediction. Given the availability of large-scale base data, it becomes common that the ancestral background of base and target data do not perfectly match. In this paper, we introduce a PRS method under a transfer learning framework to effectively leverage the knowledge learned from the base data that may or may not have similar background as the target samples to build prediction models for target individuals. Our method first utilizes a unique false-negative control strategy to extract useful information from base data while ensuring to retain a high proportion of true signals; it then applies the extracted information to re-train PRS models in a statistically and computationally efficient fashion. We use numerical studies based on simulated and real data to show that the proposed method can increase the accuracy and robustness of polygenic prediction across different ranges of heterogeneities between base and target data and sample sizes, reduce computational cost in model re-training, and result in more parsimonious models that can facilitate PRS interpretation and/or exploration of complex, non-additive PRS models.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jeng, X. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tzeng, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.02.522532</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transfer Learning with False Negative Control Improves Polygenic Risk Prediction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522882v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metabolic engineering of anthocyanin pathway in Artemisia annua cells does not exclude the expression of artemisinin pathway 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522882v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Artemisia annua is the only medicinal crop to produce artemisinin for the treatment of malignant malaria. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of people still lose their life every year due to the lack of sufficient artemisinin. Artemisinin is considered to result from the spontaneous autoxidation of dihydroartemisinic acid in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in an oxidative condition of glandular trichomes (GTs),; however, whether increasing antioxidative compounds can inhibit artemisinin biosynthesis in plant cells is unknown. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that can remove ROS in plant cells. To date, no anthocyanins have been structurally elucidated from A. annua. In this study, our goals were to engineer anthocyanins in A. annua cells and to understand the artemisinin biosynthesis in anthocyanin-producing cells. Arabidopsis PAP1 (AtPAP1) was used to engineer four types of transgenic anthocyanin-producing A. annua (TAPA1 to 4) cells. Three wild type cell types were developed as controls. TAPA1 cells produced the highest contents of total anthocyanins. LC-MS analysis detected 17 anthocyanin or anthocyanidin compounds. Crystallization, LC/MS/MS and NMR analyses identified cyanidin, pelargonidin, one cyanin, and one pelargonin. An integrative analysis characterized that four types of TAPA cells expressed the artemisinin pathway and TAPA1 cells produced the highest artemisinin and artemisinic acid. The contents of arteannuin B were similar in seven cell types. These data showed that the engineering of anthocyanins does not eliminate the biosynthesis of artemisinin in cells. These data allow us to propose a new hypothesis that enzymes catalyze the formation of artemisinin from DHAA in non-GT cells. These findings show a new platform to increase artemisinin production via non-GT cells of A. annua.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Judd, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dong, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.05.522882</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metabolic engineering of anthocyanin pathway in Artemisia annua cells does not exclude the expression of artemisinin pathway]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522939v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The probability of edge existence due to node degree: a baseline for network-based predictions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522939v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Important tasks in biomedical discovery such as predicting gene functions, gene-disease associations, and drug repurposing opportunities are often framed as network edge prediction. The number of edges connecting to a node, termed degree, can vary greatly across nodes in real biomedical networks, and the distribution of degrees varies between networks. If degree strongly influences edge prediction, then imbalance or bias in the distribution of degrees could lead to nonspecific or misleading predictions. We introduce a network permutation framework to quantify the effects of node degree on edge prediction. Our framework decomposes performance into the proportions attributable to degree and the networks specific connections. We discover that performance attributable to factors other than degree is often only a small portion of overall performance. Degrees predictive performance diminishes when the networks used for training and testing--despite measuring the same biological relationships--were generated using distinct techniques and hence have large differences in degree distribution. We introduce the permutation-derived edge prior as the probability that an edge exists based only on degree. The edge prior shows excellent discrimination and calibration for 20 biomedical networks (16 bipartite, 3 undirected, 1 directed), with AUROCs frequently exceeding 0.85. Researchers seeking to predict new or missing edges in biological networks should use the edge prior as a baseline to identify the fraction of performance that is nonspecific because of degree. We released our methods as an open-source Python package (https://github.com/hetio/xswap/).
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zietz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Himmelstein, D. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kloster, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nagle, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greene, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.05.522939</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The probability of edge existence due to node degree: a baseline for network-based predictions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522941v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Hetnet connectivity search provides rapid insights into how two biomedical entities are related 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522941v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hetnets, short for "heterogeneous networks", contain multiple node and relationship types and offer a way to encode biomedical knowledge. One such example, Hetionet connects 11 types of nodes -- including genes, diseases, drugs, pathways, and anatomical structures -- with over 2 million edges of 24 types. Previous work has demonstrated that supervised machine learning methods applied to such networks can identify drug repurposing opportunities. However, a training set of known relationships does not exist for many types of node pairs, even when it would be useful to examine how nodes of those types are meaningfully connected. For example, users may be curious not only how metformin is related to breast cancer, but also how the GJA1 gene might be involved in insomnia. We developed a new procedure, termed hetnet connectivity search, that proposes important paths between any two nodes without requiring a supervised gold standard. The algorithm behind connectivity search identifies types of paths that occur more frequently than would be expected by chance (based on node degree alone). We find that predictions are broadly similar to those from previously described supervised approaches for certain node type pairs. Scoring of individual paths is based on the most specific paths of a given type. Several optimizations were required to precompute significant instances of node connectivity at the scale of large knowledge graphs. We implemented the method on Hetionet and provide an online interface at https://het.io/search. We provide an open source implementation of these methods in our new Python package named hetmatpy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Himmelstein, D. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zietz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rubinetti, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kloster, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heil, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alquaddoomi, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicholson, D. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sullivan, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nagle, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greene, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.05.522941</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Hetnet connectivity search provides rapid insights into how two biomedical entities are related]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.08.523178v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
H2A.X mutants exhibit enhanced DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis thaliana 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.08.523178v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
H2A.X is an H2A variant histone in eukaryotes, unique for its ability to respond to DNA damage, initiating the DNA repair pathway. H2A.X replacement within the histone octamer is mediated by the FAcilitates Chromatin Transactions (FACT) complex, a key chromatin remodeler. FACT is required for DEMETER (DME)-mediated DNA demethylation at certain loci in Arabidopsis thaliana female gametophytes during reproduction, though it is not known how FACT targets DME sites. Here, we investigated whether H2AX is involved in DME- and FACT-mediated DNA demethylation during Arabidopsis reproduction. We show that h2a.x mutants are more sensitive to genotoxic stress, consistent with previous reports. H2A.X fused to the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene under the H2A.X promoter was highly expressed in newly developing Arabidopsis tissues, including in male and female gametophytes. We examined DNA methylation in h2a.x developing seeds using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, and found that CG DNA methylation in the developing endosperm, but not the embryo, is decreased genome-wide in h2a.x mutants, predominately in transposons and intergenic DNA. Hypomethylated sites overlapped 62 % with canonical DME loci. These data indicate that H2A.X is not required for DME function, but is important for DNA methylation homeostasis in the unique chromatin environment of Arabidopsis endosperm.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Frost, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, P.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Min, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bauer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runkel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cho, H.-T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fischer, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.08.523178</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[H2A.X mutants exhibit enhanced DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis thaliana]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.10.523493v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Design of 8-mer Peptides that Block Clostridioides difficile Toxin A in Intestinal Cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.10.523493v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff.) is a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. The pathogenicity of C. diff. infection is derived from two major toxins, toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB). Peptide inhibitors that can be delivered to the gut to inactivate these toxins are an attractive therapeutic strategy. In this work, we present a new approach that combines a peptide binding design algorithm (PepBD), molecular-level simulations, rapid screening of candidate peptides for toxin binding, a primary human cell-based assay, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements to develop peptide inhibitors that block the glucosyltransferase activity of TcdA by targeting its glucosyltransferase domain (GTD). Using PepBD and explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations, we identified seven candidate peptides, SA1-SA7. These peptides were selected for specific TcdA GTD binding through a custom solid-phase peptide screening system, which eliminated the weaker inhibitors SA5-SA7. The efficacies of SA1-SA4 were then tested using a trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assay on monolayers of the human gut epithelial culture model. One peptide, SA1, was found to block TcdA toxicity in primary-derived human jejunum (small intestinal) and colon (large intestinal) epithelial cells. SA1 bound TcdA with a KD of 56.1 {+/-} 29.8 nM as measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

Significance StatementInfections by Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium that targets the large intestine (colon), impact a significant number of people worldwide. Bacterial colonization is mediated by two exotoxins: toxins A and B. Short peptides that can inhibit the biocatalytic activity of these toxins represent a promising strategy to prevent and treat C. diff. infection. We describe an approach that combines a Peptide Binding Design (PepBD) algorithm, molecular-level simulations, a rapid screening assay to evaluate peptide:toxin binding, a primary human cell-based assay, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements to develop peptide inhibitors that block Toxin A in small intestinal and colon epithelial cells. Importantly, our designed peptide, SA1, bound toxin A with nanomolar affinity and blocked toxicity in colon cells.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sarma, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Catella, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pedro, E. T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durmusoglu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.10.523493</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Design of 8-mer Peptides that Block Clostridioides difficile Toxin A in Intestinal Cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.21.525007v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionarily diverse origins of honey bee deformed wing viruses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.21.525007v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Novel transmission routes can allow infectious diseases to spread, often with devastating consequences. Ectoparasitic varroa mites vector a diversity of RNA viruses and, having switched hosts from the eastern to western honey bees (Apis cerana to Apis mellifera). They provide an opportunity to explore how novel transmission routes shape disease epidemiology. As the principal driver of the spread of Deformed Wing Viruses (mainly DWV-A and DWV-B), varroa infestation has also driven global honey bee health declines. The more virulent DWV-B strain has been replacing the original DWV-A strain in many regions over the past two decades. Yet, how these viruses originated and spread remains poorly understood. Here we use a phylogeographic analysis based on whole genome data to reconstruct the origins and demography of DWV spread. We found that, rather than reemerging in western honey bees after varroa switched hosts, as suggested by previous work, DWV-A most likely originated in Asia and spread in the mid-20th century. It also showed a massive population size expansion following the varroa host switch. By contrast, DWV-B was most likely acquired more recently from a source outside Asia, and appears absent from eastern honey bees, the original varroa host. These results highlight the dynamic nature of viral adaptation, whereby a vectors host switch can give rise to competing and increasingly virulent disease pandemics. The evolutionary novelty and rapid global spread of these host-virus interactions, together with observed spillover into other species, illustrate how increasing globalisation poses urgent threats to biodiversity and food security.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hasegawa, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Techer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>al-Hissnawi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adjlane, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Antunez, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beaurepaire, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Christmon, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Delatte, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dukku, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eliash, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>El-Niweir, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Esnault, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Evans, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haddad, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Locke, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munoz, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noel, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Panziera, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De la Rua, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shebl, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stanimirovic, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mikheyev, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.21.525007</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionarily diverse origins of honey bee deformed wing viruses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.21.525043v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A cathepsin C-like protease post-translationally modifies Toxoplasma gondii secretory proteins for optimal invasion and egress. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.21.525043v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microbial pathogens use proteases for their infections, such as digestion of proteins for nutrients and activation of their virulence factors. As an obligate intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii must invade host cells to establish its intracellular propagation. To facilitate invasion, the parasites secrete invasion effectors from microneme and rhoptry, two unique organelles in apicomplexans. Previous work has shown that some micronemal invasion effectors experience a series of proteolytic cleavages within the parasites secretion pathway for maturation, such as the aspartyl protease (TgASP3) and the cathepsin L-like protease (TgCPL), localized within the post-Golgi compartment (1) and the endolysosomal system (2), respectively. Furthermore, it has been shown that the precise maturation of micronemal effectors is critical for Toxoplasma invasion and egress (1). Here, we show that an endosome-like compartment (ELC)-residing cathepsin C-like protease (TgCPC1) mediates the final trimming of some micronemal effectors, and its loss further results in defects in the steps of invasion, egress, and migration throughout the parasites lytic cycle. Notably, the deletion of TgCPC1 completely blocks the activation of subtilisin-like protease 1 (TgSUB1) in the parasites, which globally impairs the surface-trimming of many key micronemal invasion and egress effectors. Additionally, we found that TgCPC1 was not efficiently inhibited by the chemical inhibitor targeting its malarial ortholog, suggesting that these cathepsin C-like orthologs are structurally different within the apicomplexan phylum. Taken together, our findings identify a novel function of TgCPC1 in the processing of micronemal proteins within the secretory pathway of Toxoplasma parasites and expand the understanding of the roles of cathepsin C protease.

IMPORTANCEToxoplasma gondii is a microbial pathogen that is well adapted for disseminating infections. It can infect virtually all warm-blooded animals. Approximately one-third of the human population carries toxoplasmosis. During infection, the parasites sequentially secrete protein effectors from the microneme, rhoptry, and dense granule, three organelles exclusively found in apicomplexan parasites, to help establish their lytic cycle. Proteolytic cleavage of these secretory proteins is required for the parasites optimal function. Previous work has revealed that two proteases residing within the parasites secretory pathway cleave micronemal and rhoptry proteins, which mediate parasite invasion and egress. Here, we demonstrate that a cathepsin C-like protease (TgCPC1) is involved in processing several invasion and egress effectors. The genetic deletion of TgCPC1 prevented the complete maturation of some effectors in the parasites. Strikingly, the deletion led to a full inactivation of one surface-anchored protease, which globally impaired the trimming of some key micronemal proteins before secretion. Therefore, this finding represents a novel post-translational mechanism for the processing of virulence factors within microbial pathogens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thornton, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Key, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Micchelli, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stasic, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kwain, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Floyd, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moreno, S. N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dominy, B. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitehead, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dou, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.21.525043</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A cathepsin C-like protease post-translationally modifies Toxoplasma gondii secretory proteins for optimal invasion and egress.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.23.525251v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Conformationally Adaptive Dyes Enable Protein-Adaptive Differential Scanning Fluorometry 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.23.525251v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Flexible in vitro methods alter the course of biological discoveries. Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF) is a particularly versatile technique which reports protein thermal unfolding via fluorogenic dye. However, applications of DSF are limited by widespread protein incompatibilities with the available DSF dyes. Here, we enable DSF applications for 66 of 70 tested proteins (94%) including 10 from the SARS-CoV2 virus using a chemically diverse dye library, Aurora, to identify compatible dye-protein pairs in high throughput. We find that this protein-adaptive DSF platform (paDSF) not only triples the previous protein compatibility, but also fundamentally extends the processes observable by DSF, including interdomain allostery in O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT). paDSF enables routine measurement of protein stability, dynamics, and ligand binding.

One-Sentence SummaryNext generation protein-adaptive DSF (paDSF) enables rapid and general measurements of protein stability and dynamics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suresh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gale-Day, Z. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alteen, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woo, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Millbern, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, O. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carroll, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Partch, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fourches, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vilnueza, N. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vocadlo, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gestwicki, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.23.525251</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Conformationally Adaptive Dyes Enable Protein-Adaptive Differential Scanning Fluorometry]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.24.524954v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Neo-natal castration leads to subtle differences in porcine anterior cruciate ligament morphology and function in adolescence 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.24.524954v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Female adolescent athletes are at a higher risk of tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than male counterparts. While most work related to hormones has focused on the effects of estrogen to understand the increased risk of ACL injury, there are other understudied factors, including testosterone. The purpose of this study was to determine how surgical castration in the male porcine model influences ACL size and function across skeletal growth. Thirty-six male Yorkshire crossbreed pigs were raised to 3 (juvenile), 4.5 (early adolescent), and 6 months (adolescent) of age. Animals were either castrated (barrows) within 1-2 weeks after birth or were left intact (boars). Post-euthanasia, joint and ACL size were assessed via MRI, and biomechanics were assessed via a robotic testing system. Joint size increased throughout age, yet barrows had smaller joints than boars (p<0.001 for all measures). ACL cross-sectional area (CSA), length, volume, and stiffness increased with age (p<0.0001), as did ACL anteromedial (AM) bundle percent contribution to resisting loads (p=0.012). Boar ACL, AM bundle, and PL bundle volumes were 19% (p=0.002), 25% (p=0.003), and 15% (p=0.04) larger than barrows across ages. However, CSA, stiffness, and bundle contribution were similar between boars and barrows (p>0.05). The barrows had smaller temporal increases in AM bundle percent function than boars, but these data were highly variable. Thus, early and sustained loss in testosterone leads to subtle differences in ACL morphology, but may not influence measures associated with increased injury risk, such as CSA or bundle forces in response to applied loads.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thompson, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howe, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffith, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schnabel, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-01-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.24.524954</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Neo-natal castration leads to subtle differences in porcine anterior cruciate ligament morphology and function in adolescence]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-01-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.30.526196v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TGF-β downregulates antigen processing and presentation genes and MHC I surface expression through a Smad3-dependent mechanism. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.30.526196v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Regulation of MHC I surface expression by TGF-{beta} is important for controlling cell-mediated immune responses, but how TGF-{beta} downregulates MHC I is unknown. We investigated this mechanism using flow cytometry and RNA-sequencing to identify the major TGF-{beta} signaling pathway and target genes involved. All three isoforms of TGF-{beta} were found to have similar abilities to downregulate constitutive MHC I surface expression. Inhibiting the type I TGF-{beta} receptor, ALK5, as well the canonical TGF-{beta} signaling molecule Smad3, prevented TGF-{beta} from downregulating MHC I surface expression. RNA-sequencing from horse and human mesenchymal stem cells revealed that multiple genes associated with antigen processing and presentation were downregulated in TGF-{beta}-treated cells with B2M and ERAP1 being downregulated in both species. While downregulation of MHC I surface expression a slow process that continued past 24 hours after TGF-{beta} treatment, downregulation of gene expression of ERAP1 occurred within 12 hours after treatment. B2M expression was not consistently downregulated until after 24 hours and TAP2 expression was inconsistent over a 72-hour period, although it was significantly downregulated at 12 hours after TGF-{beta} treatment. This data supports that TGF-{beta} downregulates antigen processing and presentation genes resulting in decreased surface expression of MHC I through a Smad3-dependent mechanism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Berglund, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinson, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schnabel, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.30.526196</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TGF-β downregulates antigen processing and presentation genes and MHC I surface expression through a Smad3-dependent mechanism.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.31.526443v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microtubule competition and cell growth recenter the nucleus after anaphase in fission yeast. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.31.526443v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cells actively position their nucleus based on their activity. In fission yeast, microtubule-dependent nuclear centering is critical for symmetrical cell division. After spindle disassembly at the end of anaphase, the nucleus recenters over a ~90 min period, approximately half of the duration of the cell cycle. Live cell and simulation experiments support the cooperation of two distinct mechanisms in the slow recentering of the nucleus. First, a push-push mechanism acts from spindle disassembly to septation and involves the opposing actions of the mitotic Spindle Pole Body microtubules that push the nucleus away from the ends of the cell while post-anaphase array of microtubules basket the nucleus and limit its migration toward the division plane. Second, a slow-and-grow mechanism finalizes nuclear centering in the newborn cell. In this mechanism, microtubule competition stalls the nucleus while asymmetric cell growth slowly centers it. Our work underlines how intrinsic properties of microtubules differently impact nuclear positioning according to microtubule network organization and cell size.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bellingham-Johnstun, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thorn, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laplante, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.31.526443</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microtubule competition and cell growth recenter the nucleus after anaphase in fission yeast.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.02.526781v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An unbiased, automated platform for scoring dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.02.526781v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has served as a simple model organism to study dopaminergic neurodegeneration, as it enables quantitative analysis of cellular and sub-cellular morphologies in live animals. These isogenic nematodes have a rapid life cycle and transparent body, making high-throughput imaging and evaluation of fluorescently tagged neurons possible. However, the current state-of-the-art method for quantifying dopaminergic degeneration requires researchers to manually examine images and score dendrites into groups of varying levels of neurodegeneration severity, which is time consuming, subject to bias, and limited in data sensitivity. We aim to overcome the pitfalls of manual neuron scoring by developing an automated, unbiased image processing algorithm to quantify dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans. The algorithm can be used on images acquired with different microscopy setups and only requires two inputs: a maximum projection image of the four cephalic neurons in the C. elegans head and the pixel size of the users camera. We validate the platform by detecting and quantifying neurodegeneration in nematodes exposed to rotenone, cold shock, and 6-hydroxydopamine using 63x epifluorescence, 63x confocal, and 40x epifluorescence microscopy, respectively. Analysis of tubby mutant worms with altered fat storage showed that, contrary to our hypothesis, increased adiposity did not sensitize to stressor-induced neurodegeneration. We further verify the accuracy of the algorithm by comparing code-generated, categorical degeneration results with manually scored dendrites of the same experiments. The platform, which detects 19 different metrics of neurodegeneration, can provide comparative insight into how each exposure affects dopaminergic neurodegeneration patterns.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clark, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kalmanson, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morton, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hartman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San-Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.02.526781</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An unbiased, automated platform for scoring dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.03.527032v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gardnerella Diversity and Ecology in Pregnancy and Preterm Birth 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.03.527032v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The vaginal microbiome has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes including preterm birth. Specific taxa, including Gardnerella spp., have been identified as risk factors for these conditions. Historically, microbiome analysis methods have treated all Gardnerella spp. as one species, but the broad diversity of Gardnerella has recently become more apparent. In the present study, we explore the diversity of Gardnerella clades and genomic species in the vaginal microbiome of pregnant women and their impacts on microbiome composition and associations with preterm birth.

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing data collected longitudinally from three distinct cohorts of pregnant women were assessed. Relative abundance of Gardnerella clades and genomic species and other taxa was quantified, and associations between Gardnerella clades and signatures of the vaginal microbiome were measured. We also assessed the diversity and abundance of Gardnerella variants in 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data from seven previously conducted studies in differing populations on the vaginal microbiome and preterm birth.

Individual microbiomes often contained multiple Gardnerella variants, and the number of clades was associated with increased microbial load. The genus Gardnerella was also associated with increased microbial load, or the ratio of non-human reads to human reads. Taxon co-occurrence patterns matched previously described community structures, and were largely consistent across Gardnerella clades and among cohorts. Some variants previously described as rare were prevalent in other cohorts, highlighting the importance of surveying a diverse set of populations to fully capture the diversity of Gardnerella.

The diversity of Gardnerella both across populations and within individual vaginal microbiomes has long been unappreciated, as has been the intra-species diversity of many other members of the vaginal microbiome.1 The broad genomic diversity of Gardnerella has led to its reclassification as multiple species; here we demonstrate the diversity of Gardnerella found within and between vaginal microbiomes. Further studies should investigate the phenotypes of Gardnerella variants that may underlie the mechanisms by which Gardnerella species may differentially shape the vaginal microbiome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Berman, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goltsman, D. S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Relman, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.03.527032</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gardnerella Diversity and Ecology in Pregnancy and Preterm Birth]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.07.527505v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Insights into substrate coordination and glycosyl transfer of poplar cellulose synthase-8 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.07.527505v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cellulose is an abundant cell wall component of land plants. It is synthesized from UDP-activated glucose molecules by cellulose synthase, a membrane-integrated processive glycosyltransferase. Cellulose synthase couples the elongation of the cellulose polymer with its translocation across the plasma membrane. Here, we present substrate and product-bound cryogenic electron microscopy structures of the homotrimeric cellulose synthase isoform-8 (CesA8) from hybrid aspen (poplar). UDP-glucose binds to a conserved catalytic pocket adjacent to the entrance to a transmembrane channel. The substrates glucosyl unit is coordinated by conserved residues of the glycosyltransferase domain and amphipathic interface helices. Site-directed mutagenesis of a conserved gating loop capping the active site reveals its critical function for catalytic activity. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal prolonged interactions of the gating loop with the substrate molecule, particularly across its central conserved region. These transient interactions likely facilitate the proper positioning of the substrate molecule for glycosyl transfer and cellulose translocation.

HighlightsO_LICryo-EM structures of substrate and product bound poplar cellulose synthase provide insights into substrate selectivity
C_LIO_LISite directed mutagenesis signifies a critical function of the gating loop for catalysis
C_LIO_LIMolecular dynamics simulations support persistent gating loop - substrate interactions
C_LIO_LIGating loop helps in positioning the substrate molecule to facilitate cellulose elongation
C_LIO_LIConserved cellulose synthesis substrate binding mechanism across the kingdoms
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Verma, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kwansa, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ho, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yingling, Y. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zimmer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.07.527505</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Insights into substrate coordination and glycosyl transfer of poplar cellulose synthase-8]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.07.527551v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing changes in global fire regimes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.07.527551v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human activity has fundamentally altered wildfire on Earth, creating serious consequences for human health, global biodiversity, and climate change. However, it remains difficult to predict fire interactions with land use, management, and climate change, representing a serious knowledge gap and vulnerability. We used expert assessment to combine opinions about past and future fire regimes from 98 wildfire researchers. We asked for quantitative and qualitative assessments of the frequency, type, and implications of fire regime change from the beginning of the Holocene through the year 2300. Respondents indicated that direct human activity was already influencing wildfires locally since at least ~12,000 years BP, though natural climate variability remained the dominant driver of fire regime until around 5000 years BP. Responses showed a ten-fold increase in the rate of wildfire regime change during the last 250 years compared with the rest of the Holocene, corresponding first with the intensification and extensification of land use and later with anthropogenic climate change. Looking to the future, fire regimes were predicted to intensify, with increases in fire frequency, severity, and/or size in all biomes except grassland ecosystems. Fire regime showed quite different climate sensitivities across biomes, but the likelihood of fire regime change increased with higher greenhouse gas emission scenarios for all biomes. Biodiversity, carbon storage, and other ecosystem services were predicted to decrease for most biomes under higher emission scenarios. We present recommendations for adaptation and mitigation under emerging fire regimes, concluding that management options are seriously constrained under higher emission scenarios.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sayedi, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Global group of fire experts,</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.07.527551</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing changes in global fire regimes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.527947v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metabolic handoffs between multiple symbionts may benefit the deep-sea bathymodioline mussels 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.527947v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bathymodioline mussels rely on thiotrophic and methanotrophic chemosynthetic symbionts for nutrition, yet, secondary heterotrophic symbionts are often present and play an unknown role in the fitness of the organism. The bathymodioline Idas mussels that thrive in gas seeps and on sunken wood in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, host at least six symbiont lineages that often co-occur, including the primary, chemosynthetic methane- and sulfur-oxidizing gammaproteobacteria, and the secondary Methylophagaceae, Nitrincolaceae and Flavobacteraceae symbionts, whose physiology and metabolism are obscure. Little is known about whether and how these symbionts interact or exchange metabolites. Here we curated metagenome-assembled genomes of Idas modiolaeformis symbionts and used genomecentered metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics to assess key symbiont functions. The Methylophagaceae symbiont is a methylotrophic autotroph, as it encoded and expressed the ribulose monophosphate and Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle enzymes, particularly RuBisCO. The Nitrincolaceae ASP10-02a symbiont likely fuels its metabolism with nitrogen-rich macromolecules and may provide the holobiont with vitamin B12. The Flavobacteriaceae Urechidicola symbionts likely degrade glycans and may remove NO. Our findings indicate that these flexible associations allow for expanding the range of substrates and environmental niches, via new metabolic functions and handoffs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zvi-Kedem, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tchernov, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rubin-Blum, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.09.527947</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metabolic handoffs between multiple symbionts may benefit the deep-sea bathymodioline mussels]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.11.528100v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Life history and cancer in birds: clutch size predicts cancer 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.11.528100v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cancer is a disease that affects nearly all multicellular life, including birds. However, little is known about what factors explain the variance in cancer prevalence among species. Litter size is positively correlated with cancer prevalence in managed species of mammals, and larger body size, but not incubation or nestling period, is linked to tumor prevalence in wild birds. Also, birds that produce more elaborate sexual traits are expected to have fewer resources for cancer defenses and thus higher cancer prevalence. In this study, we examined whether cancer prevalence is associated with a wide variety of life history traits (clutch size, incubation length, body mass, lifespan, and the extent of sexual dimorphism) across 108 species of managed birds in 25 different zoological facilities, sanctuaries, and veterinary clinics. We found that clutch size was positively correlated with cancer and neoplasia (both benign and malignant) prevalence, even after controlling for body mass. Cancer prevalence was not associated with incubation length, body mass, lifespan, or sexual dimorphism. The positive correlations of clutch size with cancer prevalence and neoplasia prevalence suggest that there may be life-history trade-offs between reproductive investment and somatic maintenance (in the form of cancer prevention mechanisms) in managed birds.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kapsetaki, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Compton, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dolan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, V. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rupp, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duke, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aksoy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giraudeau, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vincze, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGraw, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aktipis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollis, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.11.528100</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Life history and cancer in birds: clutch size predicts cancer]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.15.527881v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cancer Prevalence Across Vertebrates 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.15.527881v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cancer is pervasive across multicellular species, but what explains differences in cancer prevalence across species? Using 16,049 necropsy records for 292 species spanning three clades (amphibians, sauropsids and mammals) we found that neoplasia and malignancy prevalence increases with adult weight (contrary to Petos Paradox) and somatic mutation rate, but decreases with gestation time. Evolution of cancer susceptibility appears to have undergone sudden shifts followed by stabilizing selection. Outliers for neoplasia prevalence include the common porpoise (<1.3%), the Rodrigues fruit bat (<1.6%) the black-footed penguin (<0.4%), ferrets (63%) and opossums (35%). Discovering why some species have particularly high or low levels of cancer may lead to a better understanding of cancer syndromes and novel strategies for the management and prevention of cancer.

Statement of SignificanceEvolution has discovered mechanisms for suppressing cancer in a wide variety of species. By analyzing veterinary necropsy records we can identify species with exceptionally high or low cancer prevalence. Discovering the mechanisms of cancer susceptibility and resistance may help improve cancer prevention and explain cancer syndromes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Compton, Z. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mellon, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rupp, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mallo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kapsetaki, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilmot, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennington, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noble, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baciu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramirez, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peraza, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martins, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sudhakar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aksoy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Furukawa, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vincze, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giraudeau, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duke, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spiro, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flach, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davidson, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zehnder, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graham, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Troan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollis, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiffman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aktipis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abegglen, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.15.527881</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cancer Prevalence Across Vertebrates]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.15.528729v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
UTILIZATION OF A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DIVERSITY PANEL IN GENOMIC PREDICTION OF FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT RESISTANCE TRAITS IN WHEAT 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.15.528729v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically and environmentally concerning disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L). A two-pronged approach of marker assisted selection (MAS) coupled with genomic selection (GS) has been suggested when breeding for FHB resistance. An historical dataset comprised of entries in the Southern Uniform Winter Wheat Scab Nursery (SUWWSN) from 2011-2021 was partitioned and used in genomic prediction. Two traits were curated from 2011-2021 in the SUWWSN: percent Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and Deoxynivalenol (DON) content. Heritability was estimated for each trait-by-environment combination. A consistent set of check lines was drawn from each year in the SUWWSN, and K-means clustering was performed across environments to assign environments into clusters. Two clusters were identified for FDK and three for DON. Cross-validation on SUWWSN data from 2011-2019 indicated no outperforming training population in comparison to the combined dataset. Forward validation for FDK on the SUWWSN 2020 and 2021 data indicated a predictive accuracy r {approx} 0.58 and r {approx} 0.53, respectively. Forward validation for DON indicated a predictive accuracy of r {approx} 0.57 and r {approx} 0.45, respectively. Forward validation using environments in cluster one for FDK indicated a predictive accuracy of r {approx} 0.65 and r {approx} 0.60, respectively. Forward validation using environments in cluster one for DON indicated a predictive accuracy of r {approx} 0.67 and r {approx} 0.60, respectively. These results indicated that selecting environments based on check performance may produce higher forward prediction accuracies. This work may be used as a model to create a public resource for genomic prediction of FHB resistance traits across public wheat breeding programs.

CORE IDEASO_LIThe data from the Southern Uniform Winter Wheat Nursery may be used for genomic prediction.
C_LIO_LICreating training populations based on like-check performance improves forward genomic predictive accuracies.
C_LIO_LIFiltering out locations with low genomic, per-plot, narrow-sense heritability may improve predictive accuracies.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Winn, Z. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyerly, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mason, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.15.528729</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[UTILIZATION OF A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DIVERSITY PANEL IN GENOMIC PREDICTION OF FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT RESISTANCE TRAITS IN WHEAT]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.22.529604v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mitochondrial Transport in Axons with Multiple Branching Junctions: A Computational Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.22.529604v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We explore the impact of multiple branching junctions in axons on the mean age of mitochondria and their age density distributions in demand sites. The study looked at mitochondrial concentration, mean age, and age density distribution in relation to the distance from the soma. We developed models for a symmetric axon containing 14 demand sites and an asymmetric axon containing 10 demand sites. We examined how the concentration of mitochondria changes when an axon splits into two branches at the branching junction. We also studied whether mitochondria concentrations in the branches are affected by what proportion of mitochondrial flux enters the upper branch and what proportion of flux enters the lower branch. Additionally, we explored whether the distributions of mitochondria mean age and age density in branching axons are affected by how the mitochondrial flux splits at the branching junction. When the mitochondrial flux is split unevenly at the branching junction of an asymmetric axon, with a greater proportion of the flux entering the longer branch, the average age of mitochondria (system age) in the axon increases. Our findings elucidate the effects of axonal branching on mitochondria age. Mitochondria aging is the focus of this study as recent research suggests it may be involved in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinsons disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.22.529604</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mitochondrial Transport in Axons with Multiple Branching Junctions: A Computational Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.27.530138v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bearded or Smooth? Awns Improve Yield when Wheat Experiences Heat Stress During Grain Fill 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.27.530138v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The presence or absence of awns - whether wheat heads are "bearded" or "smooth"- is the most visible phenotype distinguishing wheat cultivars. Previous studies suggest that awns may improve yields in heat or water-stressed environments, but the exact contribution of awns to yield differences remains unclear. Here we leverage historical phenotypic, genotypic, and climate data to estimate the yield effects of awns under different environmental conditions over a 12-year period in the Southeast US. Lines were classified as awned or awnless based on sequence data, and observed heading dates were used to associate grain fill periods of each line in each environment with climatic data and grain yield. In most environments, awn suppression was associated with higher yields, but awns were associated with better performance in heat-stressed environments more common at southern locations. Wheat breeders in environments where awns are only beneficial in some years may consider selection for awned lines to reduce year-to-year yield variability, and with an eye towards future climates.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeWitt, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyerly, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guedira, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ward, B. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boyles, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mergoum, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Babar, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shakiba, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sutton, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ibrahim, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiwari, V. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Santantonio, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Sanford, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howell, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.27.530138</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bearded or Smooth? Awns Improve Yield when Wheat Experiences Heat Stress During Grain Fill]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.01.530648v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Biosynthesis of plant papanridins -A group of novel oligomeric flavonoids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.01.530648v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Discovery of novel flavonoids and their biosynthesis are fundamental to understand their roles in plants and benefits to human and animal health. Herein, we report a new polymerization pathway of a group of novel oligomeric flavonoids in plants. We have engineered red cells for discovering genes of interest involved in the flavonoid pathway and identified a gene that encodes a novel flavanol polymerase (FP) localized in the central vacuole. FP catalyzes the polymerization of flavanols, such as epicatechin and catechin, to produce yellowish dimers or oligomers. Structural elucidation show that these compounds are featured with a novel oligomeric flaven-flavan (FF) skeleton linked by interflavan-flaven and interflaven bonds, which are different from proanthocyanidins and dehydrodicatechins. Detailed chemical and physical characterizations further demonstrate that FFs are novel flavonoids. Mechanistic investigations show that FP polymerizes flavan-3-ols and flav-2-en-3-ol carbocation to form dimeric or oligomeric flaven-4[-&gt;]8-flavans, termed as papanridins. Data from transgenic, mutation, metabolic profiling, and phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that the biosynthesis of papanridins is prevalent in cacao, grape, blue berry, corn, rice, Arabidopsis and others in the plant kingdom. Given that these findings are the first report, many questions remain for answers. For instance, what are roles of papanridins in plants and what benefits do they have for human and animal health? We anticipate that these findings will promote investigations across plant, nutritional, and animal sciences to understand papanridins in plants and food products.

TeaserPlant flavanol polymerase catalyzes the biosynthesis of novel oligomeric flavonoids in the plant kingdom.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yuzuak, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.01.530648</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Biosynthesis of plant papanridins -A group of novel oligomeric flavonoids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.02.530888v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Human Vascularized Bile Duct-on-a Chip: A multi-cellular micro-physiological system for studying Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.02.530888v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease in which the bile ducts of the liver become inflamed and scarred. Scarred bile ducts eventually narrow and obstruct and can cause additional liver pathology including liver failure, repeated infections, and tumors. The pathogenesis of PSC remains largely unknown, partly due to difficulty in obtaining cholangiocytes and partly due to a paucity of in vitro models that capture the various factors contributing to disease progression. Here we report the development of a human vascularized bile duct-on-a-chip that models blood vessels and bile ducts structurally and functionally in three dimensions and includes cholangiocytes derived from control and PSC patient tissue and bile. The flow of blood and bile was modeled by perfusion of cell-lined channels, and cholangiocytes and endothelial cells displayed differential responses to perfusion. Normal and PSC cholangiocytes polarized normally, formed mature tight junctions and displayed similar permeability, comparable to ex vivo measurements. The model with PSC cholangiocytes, however, became more inflammatory than the normal under the stimulation of IL-17A, which induced PBMC and differentiated Th17 cells in the vascular channel to transmigrate more through the endothelial layer of the vascular compartment. In sum, this human vascularized bile duct-on-a-chip recapitulated the vascular-biliary interface structurally and functionally and represents a novel multicellular platform to study inflammatory and fibrotic cholangiopathies such as PSC.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Du, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gupta, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Waisbourd-Zinman, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Har-Zahav, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soroka, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boyer, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Llewellyn, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Naji, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polacheck, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wells, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.02.530888</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Human Vascularized Bile Duct-on-a Chip: A multi-cellular micro-physiological system for studying Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.03.530931v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Simulations suggest walking with reduced propulsive force would not mitigate the energetic consequences of lower tendon stiffness 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.03.530931v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aging elicits numerous effects that impact both musculoskeletal structure and walking function. Tendon stiffness (kT) and push-off propulsive force (FP) both impact the metabolic cost of walking and are diminished by age, yet their interaction has not been studied. We combined experimental and computational approaches to investigate whether age-related changes in function (adopting smaller FP) may be adopted to mitigate the metabolic consequences arising from changes in structure (reduced kT). We recruited 12 young adults and asked them to walk on a force-sensing treadmill while prompting them to change FP ({+/-}20% & {+/-}40% of typical) using targeted biofeedback. In models driven by experimental data from each of those conditions, we altered the kT of personalized musculoskeletal models across a physiological range (2-8% strain) and simulated individual-muscle metabolic costs for each kT and FP combination. We found that kT and FP independently affect walking metabolic cost, increasing with higher kT or as participants deviated from their typical FP. Our results show no evidence for an interaction between kT and FP in younger adults walking at fixed speeds. Individual lower body muscles showed unique effects across the kT and FP landscape. Our simulations suggest that reducing FP during walking would not mitigate the metabolic consequences of lower kT. Wearable devices and rehabilitative strategies can focus on either kT or FP to reduce age-related increases in walking metabolic cost.

Author SummaryOur muscles and tendons are affected by aging. Tendon stiffness and push-off forces both impact the energy cost of walking, which in turn increases with age. We investigated whether age-related changes in function (less push-off force) may be adopted to mitigate the metabolic consequences arising from structural changes (lower tendon stiffness). Reducing push-off force during walking would not mitigate the metabolic consequences of lower tendon stiffness. Wearable devices and rehabilitative strategies can focus on either tendon stiffness or push off intensity to reduce age-related increases in walking metabolic cost.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pimentel, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawicki, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Franz, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.03.530931</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Simulations suggest walking with reduced propulsive force would not mitigate the energetic consequences of lower tendon stiffness]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.06.531368v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Re-engineering a lost trait: IPD3, a master regulator of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, affects genes for immunity and metabolism of non-host Arabidopsis when restored long after its evolutionary loss 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.06.531368v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AM) is a beneficial trait originating with the first land plants, which has subsequently been lost by species scattered throughout the radiation of plant diversity to the present day, including the model Arabidopsis thaliana. To explore why an apparently beneficial trait would be repeatedly lost, we generated Arabidopsis plants expressing a constitutively active form of Interacting Protein of DMI3, a key transcription factor that enables AM within the Common Symbiosis Pathway, which was lost from Arabidopsis along with the AM host trait. We characterize the transcriptomic effect of expressing IPD3 in Arabidopsis with and without exposure to the AM fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus irregularis, and compare these results to the AM model Lotus japonicus and its ipd3 knockout mutant cyclops-4. Despite its long history as a non-AM species, restoring IPD3 in the form of its constitutively active DNA-binding domain to Arabidopsis altered expression of specific gene networks. Surprisingly, the effect of expressing IPD3 in Arabidopsis and knocking it out in Lotus was strongest in plants not exposed to AMF, which is revealed to be due to changes in IPD3 genotype causing a transcriptional state which partially mimics AMF exposure in non-inoculated plants. Our results indicate that despite the long interval since loss of AM and IPD3 in Arabidopsis, molecular connections to symbiosis machinery remain in place in this nonAM species, with implications for both basic science and the prospect of engineering this trait for agriculture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hornstein, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charles, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Franklin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.06.531368</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Re-engineering a lost trait: IPD3, a master regulator of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, affects genes for immunity and metabolism of non-host Arabidopsis when restored long after its evolutionary loss]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.07.531517v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Smart Lattice Light Sheet Microscopy for imaging rare and complex cellular events 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.07.531517v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Light sheet microscopes enable rapid, high-resolution imaging of biological specimens; however, biological processes span a variety of spatiotemporal scales. Moreover, long-term phenotypes are often instigated by rare or fleeting biological events that are difficult to capture with a single imaging modality and constant imaging parameters. To overcome this limitation, we present smartLLSM, a microscope that incorporates AI-based instrument control to autonomously switch between epifluorescent inverted imaging and lattice light sheet microscopy. We apply this technology to two major scenarios. First, we demonstrate that the instrument provides population-level statistics of cell cycle states across thousands of cells on a coverslip. Second, we show that by using real-time image feedback to switch between imaging modes, the instrument autonomously captures multicolor 3D datasets or 4D time-lapse movies of dividing cells at rates that dramatically exceed human capabilities. Quantitative image analysis on high-content + high-throughput datasets reveal kinetochore and chromosome dynamics in dividing cells and determine the effects of drug perturbation on cells in specific mitotic stages. This new methodology enables efficient detection of rare events within a heterogeneous cell population and records these processes with high spatiotemporal 4D imaging over statistically significant replicates.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tabet, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milkie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daugird, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, C. Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giovannucci, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Legant, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.07.531517</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Smart Lattice Light Sheet Microscopy for imaging rare and complex cellular events]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.12.532308v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Improvements in the detection power of algorithms for analyzing next-generation sequencing based bulked segregant analysis data via estimating thresholds at the genomic region level 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.12.532308v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Next-generation sequencing based bulked segregant analysis (BSA-Seq) has been widely used in identifying genomic regions associated with a trait of interest. However, the most popular algorithms for BSA-Seq data analysis have relatively low detection power, and high sequencing depths are required for the detection of genomic regions linked to the trait. Here we estimated the confidence intervals/thresholds of the popular algorithms at the genomic region level and increased the detection power of these algorithms by at least 5 folds, which should drastically reduce the sequencing cost of BSA-Seq studies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Panthee, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.12.532308</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Improvements in the detection power of algorithms for analyzing next-generation sequencing based bulked segregant analysis data via estimating thresholds at the genomic region level]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.13.532061v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
B12-dependent virioplankton demonstrate interseasonal dynamics and associate with a diversity of pelagic bacterioplankton 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.13.532061v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Through infection and lysis of their coexisting bacterial hosts, viruses impact the biogeochemical cycles sustaining globally significant pelagic oceanic ecosystems. Currently, little is known of the ecological interactions between lytic viruses and their bacterial hosts underlying these biogeochemical impacts at ecosystem scales. This study focused on populations of lytic viruses carrying the B12- dependent Class II monomeric ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) gene, ribonucleotide triphosphate reductase (RTPR), documenting seasonal changes in pelagic virioplankton and bacterioplankton using amplicon sequences of RTPR and the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Amplicon sequence libraries were analyzed using compositional data analysis tools that account for the compositional nature of these data. Both virio- and bacterioplankton communities responded to environmental changes typically seen across seasonal cycles as well as shorter term upwelling-downwelling events. Defining RTPR-carrying viral populations according to major phylogenetic clades proved a more robust means of exploring virioplankton ecology than operational taxonomic units defined by percent sequence homology. Virioplankton RTPR populations showed positive associations with a broad phylogenetic diversity of bacterioplankton including dominant taxa within pelagic oceanic ecosystems such as Prochlorococcus and SAR11. Temporal changes in RTPR-virioplankton, occurring as both free viruses and within infected cells, indicated possible viral-host pairs undergoing sustained infection and lysis cycles throughout the seasonal study. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from RTPR sequences mirrored ecological patterns in virio- and bacterioplankton populations demonstrating possible genome to phenome associations for an essential viral replication gene.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, L.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedade, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, A. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martins, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bidle, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polson, S. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakowski, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nissimov, J. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dums, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferrell, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wommack, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.13.532061</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[B12-dependent virioplankton demonstrate interseasonal dynamics and associate with a diversity of pelagic bacterioplankton]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.13.532449v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metabolomics of bacterial-fungal pairwise interactions reveal conserved molecular mechanisms 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.13.532449v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) can shape the structure of microbial communities, but the small molecules mediating these BFIs are often understudied. We explored various optimization steps for our microbial culture and chemical extraction protocols for bacterial-fungal co-cultures, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed that metabolomic profiles are mainly comprised of fungi derived features, indicating that fungi are the key contributors to small molecule mediated BFIs. LC-inductively coupled plasma MS (LC-ICP-MS) and MS/MS based dereplication using database searching revealed the presence of several known fungal specialized metabolites and structurally related analogues in these extracts, including siderophores such as desferrichrome, desferricoprogen, and palmitoylcoprogen. Among these analogues, a novel putative coprogen analogue possessing a terminal carboxylic acid motif was identified from Scopulariopsis spp. JB370, a common cheese rind fungus, and its structure was elucidated via MS/MS fragmentation. Based on these findings, filamentous fungal species appear to be capable of producing multiple siderophores with potentially different biological roles (i.e. various affinities for different forms of iron). These findings highlight that fungal species are important contributors to microbiomes via their production of abundant specialized metabolites and their role in complex communities should continue to be a priority.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Luu, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Little, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pierce, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ertekin, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wolfe, B. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baars, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dutton, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.13.532449</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metabolomics of bacterial-fungal pairwise interactions reveal conserved molecular mechanisms]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.14.532448v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Glycome profiling and immunohistochemistry uncover spaceflight-induced changes in non-cellulosic cell wall components in Arabidopsis thaliana seedling roots 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.14.532448v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A large and diverse library of glycan-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was used to determine if plant cell walls are modified by low-gravity conditions encountered during spaceflight. This method called glycome profiling (glycomics) revealed global differences in non-cellulosic cell wall epitopes in Arabidopsis thaliana root extracts recovered from RNA purification columns between seedlings grown on the International Space Station-based Vegetable Production System and paired ground (1-g) controls. Immunohistochemistry on 11-day-old seedling primary root sections showed that ten of twenty-two mAbs that exhibited spaceflight-induced increases in binding through glycomics, labeled space-grown roots more intensely than those from the ground. The ten mAbs recognized xyloglucan, xylan, and arabinogalactan epitopes. Notably, three xylem-enriched unsubstituted xylan backbone epitopes were more intensely labeled in space-grown roots than in ground-grown roots, suggesting that the spaceflight environment accelerated root secondary cell wall formation. This study highlights the feasibility of glycomics for high-throughput evaluation of cell wall glycans using only root high alkaline extracts from RNA purification columns, and subsequent validation of these results by immunohistochemistry. This approach will benefit plant space biological studies because it extends the analyses possible from the limited amounts of samples returned from spaceflight and help uncover microgravity-induced tissue-specific changes in plant cell walls.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nakashima, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pattathil, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Avci, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sparks, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hahn, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilroy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blancaflor, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.14.532448</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Glycome profiling and immunohistochemistry uncover spaceflight-induced changes in non-cellulosic cell wall components in Arabidopsis thaliana seedling roots]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.16.532972v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pangenomes reveal genomic signatures of microbial adaptation to chronic soil warming 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.16.532972v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Below-ground carbon transformations represent a natural climate change mitigation solution, but newly-acquired traits adaptive to climate stress may alter microbial climate feedback mechanisms. To better define microbial evolutionary responses to long-term climate warming, we study microorganisms from an ongoing in situ soil warming experiment at the Harvard Forest Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) site where, for over three decades, soils are continuously heated 5 {degrees}C above ambient temperatures. We hypothesize that across generations of chronic warming, genomic signatures within diverse bacterial lineages reflect trait-based adaptations related to growth and carbon utilization. From our bacterial culture collection isolated from experimental heated and control plots, we sequenced genomes representing taxa dominant in soil communities and sensitive to warming, including lineages of Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria. We investigated differences in genomic attributes and patterns of functional gene content to identify genomic signatures of adaptation. Comparative pangenomics revealed accessory gene clusters related to central metabolism, competition, and carbon substrate degradation. Overall, genomes from control plots were relatively enriched in carbon and fatty acid metabolism pathways, while genomes from heated plots were relatively enriched in nitrogen metabolism pathways. We also observed differences in global codon usage bias between heated and control genomes, suggesting potential adaptive traits related to growth or growth efficiency. This effect was more varied for organisms with fewer 16S rrn operons, suggesting that these organisms experience different selective pressures on growth efficiency. Together, these data illustrate the emergence of lineage-specific traits as well as common ecological-evolutionary microbial responses to climate change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Choudoir, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Narayanan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Ramos, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simoes, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Efroni, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sondrini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeAngelis, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.16.532972</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pangenomes reveal genomic signatures of microbial adaptation to chronic soil warming]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.17.533196v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Molecular understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis activated by PAP1 in engineered red Artemisia annua cells and regulation of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.17.533196v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Artemisia annua is an effective antimalarial medicinal crop. We have established anthocyanin-producing red cell cultures from this plant with the overexpression of Production of Anthocyanin Pigment 1 (PAP1) encoding a R2R3MYB transcription factor. To understand the molecular mechanism by which PAP1 activated the entire anthocyanin pathway, we mined the genomic sequences of A. annua and obtained eight promoters of the anthocyanin pathway genes. Sequence analysis identified four types of AC cis-elements from six promoters, the MYB response elements (MRE) bound by PAP1. In addition, six promoters were determined to have at least one G-Box cis-element. Eight promoters were cloned for activity analysis. Duel luciferase assays showed that PAP1 significantly enhanced the promoting activity of seven promoters, indicating that PAP1 turned on the biosynthesis of anthocyanins via the activation of these pathway gene expression. To understand how 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), an auxin, regulates the PAP1-activated anthocyanin biosynthesis, five different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.5, 2.5, and 5 M) were tested to characterize anthocyanin production and profiles. The resulting data showed that the concentrations tested decreased the fresh weight of callus growth, anthocyanin levels, and the production of anthocyanins per petri dish. HPLC-qTOF-MS/MS based profiling showed that these concentrations did not alter anthocyanin profiles. Real time RT-PCR was completed to characterize the expression PAP1 and four representative pathway genes. The results showed that the five concentrations reduced the expression levels of the constitutive PAP1 transgene and three pathway genes significantly and eliminated chalcone synthase gene in expression either significantly or slightly. These data indicate that the constitutive PAP1 expression depends on gradients added in the medium. Based on these findings, the regulation of 2,4-D is discussed for anthocyanin engineering in red cells of A. annua.

ConclusionPromoters of eight anthocyanin pathway genes were cloned. Four types of AC cis-elements were identified from six promoters and G-Box elements were also determined from six promoters. PAP1 enhanced the activity of eight promoters. 2,4-D downregulated the expression of the constitutive PAP1 transgene leading to the decrease the biosynthesis of anthocyanins.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dong, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cruz, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ye, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.17.533196</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Molecular understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis activated by PAP1 in engineered red Artemisia annua cells and regulation of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.17.533234v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phyllosphere fungal diversity generates pervasive non-additive effects on plant performance 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.17.533234v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIAll plants naturally harbor diverse microbiomes that can dramatically impact their health and productivity. However, it remains unclear how microbiome diversity, especially in the phyllosphere, impacts intermicrobial interactions and consequent non-additive effects on plant productivity.
C_LIO_LICombining manipulative experiments, field collections, culturing, microbiome sequencing, and synthetic consortia, we experimentally tested for the first time how foliar fungal community diversity impacts plant productivity. We inoculated morning glories with 32 synthetic phyllosphere communities of either low or high diversity or with single fungal taxa, and measured effects on plant productivity and allocation.
C_LIO_LIWe found 1) non-additive effects were pervasive with 56% of microbial communities interacting synergistically or antagonistically to impact plant productivity, including some consortia capable of generating acute synergism (e.g., >1000% increase in productivity above the additive expectation), 2) interactions among  commensal fungi were responsible for this non-additivity in diverse communities, 3) synergistic interactions were ~4 times stronger than antagonistic effects, 4) fungal diversity affected the magnitude but not frequency or direction of non-additivity, and 5) diversity affected plant performance nonlinearly with highest performance in low microbial diversity treatments.
C_LIO_LIThese findings highlight the importance of interpreting plant-microbial interactions under a framework that incorporates intermicrobial interactions and non-additive outcomes to understand natural complexity.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Almeida, B. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tran, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Afkhami, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.17.533234</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phyllosphere fungal diversity generates pervasive non-additive effects on plant performance]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.20.533418v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.20.533418v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntingtons and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kandola, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venkatesan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lerbakken, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Von Schulze, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blanck, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unruh, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berry, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lange, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Box, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cook, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sagui, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halfmann, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.20.533418</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.21.533546v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcriptomic Prediction of Breeding Values in Loblolly Pine 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.21.533546v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phenotypic variation in forest trees can be partitioned into subsets controlled by genetic variation and by environmental factors, and heritability expressed as the proportion of total phenotypic variation attributed to genetic variation. Applied tree breeding programs can use matrices of relationships, based either on recorded pedigrees in structured breeding populations or on genotypes of molecular genetic markers, to model genetic covariation among related individuals and predict genetic values for individuals for whom no phenotypic measurements are available. This study tests the hypothesis that genetic covariation among individuals of similar genetic value will be reflected in shared patterns of gene expression. We collected gene expression data by high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated from pooled seedlings from parents of known genetic value, and compared alternative approaches to data analysis to test this hypothesis. Selection of specific sets of transcripts increased the predictive power of models over that observed using all transcripts. Using information on presence of putative mutations in protein-coding sequences increased predictive accuracy for some traits but not for others. Known pedigree relationships are not required for this approach to modeling genetic variation, so it has potential to allow broader application of genetic covariance modeling to natural populations of forest trees.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Festa, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whetten, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.21.533546</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcriptomic Prediction of Breeding Values in Loblolly Pine]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.05.535752v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ancient Fish Lineages Illuminate Toll-Like Receptor Diversification in Early Vertebrate Evolution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.05.535752v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Since its initial discovery over 50 years ago, understanding the evolution of the vertebrate adaptive immune response has been a major area of research focus for comparative geneticists. However, how the evolutionary novelty of an adaptive immune response impacted the diversity of receptors associated with the innate immune response has received considerably less attention until recently. Here we investigate the diversification of vertebrate Toll-like receptors (TLRs), one of the most ancient and well conserved innate immune receptor families found across the Tree of Life, integrating genomic data that represent all major vertebrate lineages with new transcriptomic data from Polypteriformes, the earliest diverging ray-finned fish lineage. Our analyses reveal TLR sequences that reflect the 6 major TLR subfamilies, TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR7, and TLR11, and also currently unnamed, yet phylogenetically distinct TLR clades. We additionally recover evidence for a pulse of gene gain coincident with the rise of the adaptive immune response in jawed vertebrates, followed by a period of rapid gene loss during the Cretaceous. These gene losses are primarily concentrated in marine teleost fish and synchronous with the mid Cretaceous anoxic event, a period of rapid extinction for marine species. Finally, we reveal a mismatch between phylogenetic placement and gene nomenclature for up to 50% of TLRs found in clades such as ray-finned fishes, cyclostomes, amphibians, and elasmobranchs. Collectively these results provide an unparalleled perspective of TLR diversity, and offer a ready framework for testing gene annotations in non-model species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Carlson, K. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wcisel, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoder, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dornburg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.05.535752</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ancient Fish Lineages Illuminate Toll-Like Receptor Diversification in Early Vertebrate Evolution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.06.535361v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Embryo-specific epigenetic mechanisms reconstitute the CHH methylation landscape during Arabidopsis embryogenesis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.06.535361v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The modification of flowering plant DNA by CHH methylation acts primarily to silence transposable elements, of which many active copies are present in Arabidopsis thaliana. During embryogenesis, the CHH methylation landscape is dramatically reprogrammed, resulting in exceedingly high levels of this modification upon mature embryo formation. The mechanisms constituting the remodeling process, and its function in embryos, are unclear. Here, we isolate embryos from Arabidopsis plants harboring mutations for key components of the pathways that confer CHH methylation, namely RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) and the Chromomethylase 2 (CMT2) pathways. We reveal that embryos are more methylated than leaves at shared CMT2 and RdDM targeting loci, accounting for most embryonic CHH hypermethylation. While the majority of embryo CHH methylated loci overlap with those in somatic tissues, a subset of conventional pericentric CMT2-methylated loci are instead targeted by RdDM in embryos. These loci, termed  embRdDM exhibit intermediate H3K9me2 levels, associated with increased chromatin accessibility. Strikingly, more than 50% of the embRdDM loci in pollen vegetative (nurse) cells and ddm1 mutant somatic tissues are also targeted by RdDM, and these tissues were also reported to exhibit increased chromatin accessibility in pericentric heterochromatin. Furthermore, the root columella stem cell niche also displays CHH hypermethylation and an enriched presence of small RNAs at embRdDM loci. Finally, we observe a significant overlap of CHH hypermethylated loci with endosperm DEMETER targeting sites, suggesting that non-cell autonomous communication within the seed may contribute to the epigenetic landscape of the embryo. However, similar overlap with vegetative cell DEMETER targets indicates that the chromatin landscape that allows DEMETER access is mirrored in developing embryos, permitting CHH methylation catalysis at the same loci. Our findings demonstrate that both conserved and embryo-specific epigenetic mechanisms reshape CHH methylation profiles in the dynamic chromatin environment of embryogenesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, P.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frost, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zilberman, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fischer, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.06.535361</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Embryo-specific epigenetic mechanisms reconstitute the CHH methylation landscape during Arabidopsis embryogenesis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.08.536116v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionary druggability: leveraging low-dimensional fitness landscapes towards new metrics for antimicrobial applications 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.08.536116v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The term "druggability" describes the molecular properties of drugs or targets in pharmacological interventions and is commonly used in work involving drug development for clinical applications. There are no current analogues for this notion that quantify the drug-target interaction with respect to a given target variants sensitivity across a breadth of drugs in a panel, or a given drugs range of effectiveness across alleles of a target protein. Using data from low-dimensional empirical fitness landscapes composed of 16 {beta}-lactamase alleles and seven {beta}-lactam drugs, we introduce two metrics that capture (i) the average susceptibility of an allelic variant of a drug target to any available drug in a given panel ("variant vulnerability"), and (ii) the average applicability of a drug (or mixture) across allelic variants of a drug target ("drug applicability"). Finally, we (iii) disentangle the quality and magnitude of interactions between loci in the drug target and the seven drug environments in terms of their mutation by mutation by environment (G x G x E) interactions, offering mechanistic insight into the variant variability and drug applicability metrics. Summarizing, we propose that our framework can be applied to other datasets and pathogen-drug systems to understand which pathogen variants in a clinical setting are the most concerning (low variant vulnerability), and which drugs in a panel are most likely to be effective in an infection defined by standing genetic variation in the pathogen drug target (high drug applicability).
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorji, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shoulders, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ogbunugafor, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.08.536116</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionary druggability: leveraging low-dimensional fitness landscapes towards new metrics for antimicrobial applications]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.09.535490v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Epistasis meets pleiotropy in shaping biophysical protein subspaces associated with antimicrobial resistance 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.09.535490v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Protein space is a rich analogy for genotype-phenotype maps, where amino acid sequence is organized into a high-dimensional space that highlights the connectivity between protein variants. It is a useful abstraction for understanding the process of evolution, and for efforts to engineer proteins towards desirable phenotypes. Few framings of protein space consider how higher-level protein phenotypes can be described in terms of their biophysical dimensions, nor do they rigorously interrogate how forces like epistasis--describing the nonlinear interaction between mutations and their phenotypic consequences--manifest across these dimensions. In this study, we deconstruct a low-dimensional protein space of a bacterial enzyme (dihydrofolate reductase; DHFR) into "subspaces" corresponding to a set of kinetic and thermodynamic traits [(kcat, KM, Ki, and Tm (melting temperature)]. We then examine how three mutations (eight alleles in total) display pleiotropy in their interactions across these subspaces. We extend this approach to examine protein spaces across three orthologous DHFR enzymes (Escherichia coli, Listeria grayi, and Chlamydia muridarum), adding a genotypic context dimension through which epistasis occurs across subspaces. In doing so, we reveal that protein space is a deceptively complex notion, and that the process of protein evolution and engineering should consider how interactions between amino acid substitutions manifest across different phenotypic subspaces.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ogbunugafor, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shakhnovich, E. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shoulders, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.09.535490</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Epistasis meets pleiotropy in shaping biophysical protein subspaces associated with antimicrobial resistance]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.11.536405v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Legacy effects of precipitation and land use impact maize growth and microbiome assembly under drought stress 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.11.536405v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background and AimsAs the climate changes, plants and their associated microbiomes face greater water limitation and increased frequency of drought. Historical environmental patterns can leave a legacy effect on soil and root-associated microbiomes, but the impact of this conditioning on future drought performance is poorly understood. Precipitation gradients provide a means to assess these legacy effects.

MethodsWe collected soil microbiomes from four native prairies across a steep precipitation gradient in Kansas, USA. Seedlings of two Zea mays genotypes were inoculated with each soil microbiome in a factorial drought experiment. We investigated plant phenotypic and root microbiome responses to drought and modeled relationships between plant growth metrics and climatic conditions from the soil microbiome origin sites.

ResultsDrought caused plants to accumulate shoot mass more slowly and achieve greater root/shoot mass ratios. Drought restructured the bacterial root-associated microbiome via depletion of Pseudomonadota and enrichment of Actinomycetota, whereas the fungal microbiome was largely unaffected. An environmental legacy effect on prairie soil microbiomes influenced plants drought responses: counterintuitively, prairie soil inocula from historically wetter locations increased shoot biomass under drought more than inocula from historically drier prairie soils.

ConclusionWe demonstrated links between soil microbiome legacy effects and plant performance under drought, suggesting that future drying climates may condition soils to negatively impact plant performance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Swift, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kolp, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carmichael, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sikes, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.11.536405</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Legacy effects of precipitation and land use impact maize growth and microbiome assembly under drought stress]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.17.537043v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic Mapping of SNP Markers and Candidate Genes Associated with Day-Neutral Flowering in Cannabis sativa L. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.17.537043v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a primarily short-day crop grown for grain, fiber, and secondary metabolites. Although terminal flowering of most non-domesticated hemp is regarded as photoperiod sensitive, limited germplasm is available for the development of day-neutral hemp. Day-neutral plants experience flower maturation independently of the short-day photoperiod cue which is typically triggered by photoperiods of less than 14 hours. The day-neutral trait is the subject of increased commercial interest for the purpose of breeding varieties with accelerated flowering time or cultivars that do not require labor- and cost-intensive light deprivation production systems. Genetic markers for the photoperiodic response would help breeders make early selection in the design of suitable cultivars for specific environments and cultivation calendars. Limited refereed information has been produced regarding the genetic regulation of photoperiodism in C. sativa. A population of 318 F2 individuals segregating for day-neutral flowering was developed, phenotyped, and genotyped. Genome-wide association analysis identified markers associated with the day-neutral trait indicating that a single recessive gene controlling photoperiod sensitivity is located within a large region of Chromosome 1. Flanking region sequence data of linked SNP markers was used in the development and validation of a TaqMan-based qPCR assay for the day-neutral trait. A genetic linkage map was produced, and QTL mapping identified two additional markers on Chromosome 1. Candidate genes, TARGET OF EARLY ACTIVATION TAGGED (TOE)/APETALA2 (AP2), and PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 3 (PRR3), may work together to impact phase transition and photoperiodic flowering respectively and have key domains that are disrupted in day-neutral plants.

The day-neutral flowering (a.k.a. "autoflower") phenotype is a valuable and understudied trait in Cannabis sativa

The phenotype may result from a conserved linkage block of phase transition and photoperiodic flowering genes

A segregating population was developed, genome wide analyses identified markers linked to the day-neutral trait

Correlated markers were mapped to Chromosome 1 across a sizable region that appears to be largely non-recombining
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Garfinkel, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilkerson, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smart, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Getty, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michael, T. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crawford, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.17.537043</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic Mapping of SNP Markers and Candidate Genes Associated with Day-Neutral Flowering in Cannabis sativa L.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.17.537278v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Barley HvNIP2;1 aquaporin permeates water, metalloids, saccharides, and ion pairs due to structural plasticity and diversification 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.17.537278v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aquaporins can facilitate the passive movement of water and small polar molecules and some ions. The barley Nodulin 26-like Intrinsic Protein (HvNIP2;1) embedded in liposomes and examined through stopped-flow light scattering spectrophotometry and Xenopus oocyte swelling assays was found to permeate water, boric and germanic acids, sucrose and L-arabinose but not D-glucose or D-fructose. Other saccharides, such as neutral (D-mannose, D-galactose, D-xylose, D-mannoheptaose) and charged (N-acetyl D-glucosamine, D-glucosamine, D-glucuronic acid) aldoses, disaccharides (lactose, cellobiose, gentiobiose, trehalose), trisaccharide raffinose, and urea, glycerol, and acyclic polyols were permeated to a much lower extent. Apparent permeation of hydrated KCl and MgSO4 ion pairs was observed, while CH3COONa and NaNO3 permeated at significantly lower rates. Experiments with boric acid and sucrose revealed no apparent interaction between solutes when permeated together, and AgNO3 blocked the permeation of all solutes. Full-scale steered molecular dynamics simulations of HvNIP2;1 and spinach SoPIP2;1 revealed possible rectification for water, boric acid, and sucrose transport, and defined key residues interacting with permeants. In a biological context, the simulated sucrose rectification could mediate its apoplastic-to-intracellular transport but not the reverse, thus, constituting a novel element of plant saccharide-transporting machinery. Phylogenomic analyses of 164 Viridiplantae and 2,993 Archaean, bacterial, fungal, and Metazoan aquaporins rationalised solute poly-selectivity in NIP3 sub-clade entries and suggested that they diversified from other sub-clades to acquire a unique specificity of saccharide transporters. Solute specificity definition in NIP aquaporins could inspire developing plants for sustained food production.

Significance StatementAquaporins are fundamental to water and solute movements in nearly all living organisms. Solute selectivity inspections of the HvNIP2;1 aquaporin revealed that it transported water, hydroxylated metalloids boric and germanic acids, sucrose, L-arabinose, KCl, and MgSO4 ion pairs, but not D-glucose or D-fructose and to lesser extent urea, and acyclic polyols. This poly-selective transport by HvNIP2;1 classified in the NIP3 sub-clade aquaporins may afford nutritional and protective roles during plant development and in response to abiotic stresses. It is anticipated that the solute specificity definition of HvNIP2;1 inspires protein engineering and in silico mining to develop plants, which when exposed to suboptimal soil conditions of high soil metalloids, would overcome toxicity for sustained food production.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Venkataraghavan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwerdt, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gulyuk, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yingling, Y. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyerman, S. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hrmova, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.17.537278</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Barley HvNIP2;1 aquaporin permeates water, metalloids, saccharides, and ion pairs due to structural plasticity and diversification]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.21.537769v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Relationship of maternal cytomegalovirus-specific antibody responses and viral load to vertical transmission risk following primary maternal infection in a rhesus macaque model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.21.537769v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital infection and cause of birth defects worldwide. Primary CMV infection during pregnancy leads to a higher frequency of congenital CMV (cCMV) than maternal re-infection, suggesting that maternal immunity confers partial protection. However, poorly understood immune correlates of protection against placental transmission contributes to the current lack of an approved vaccine to prevent cCMV. In this study, we characterized the kinetics of maternal plasma rhesus CMV (RhCMV) viral load (VL) and RhCMV-specific antibody binding and functional responses in a group of 12 immunocompetent dams with acute, primary RhCMV infection. We defined cCMV transmission as RhCMV detection in amniotic fluid (AF) by qPCR. We then leveraged a large group of past and current primary RhCMV infection studies in late-first/early-second trimester RhCMV-seronegative rhesus macaque dams, including immunocompetent (n=15), CD4+ T cell-depleted with (n=6) and without (n=6) RhCMV-specific polyclonal IgG infusion before infection to evaluate differences between RhCMV AF-positive and AF-negative dams. During the first 3 weeks after infection, the magnitude of RhCMV VL in maternal plasma was higher in AF-positive dams in the combined cohort, while RhCMV glycoprotein B (gB)- and pentamer-specific binding IgG responses were lower magnitude compared to AF-negative dams. However, these observed differences were driven by the CD4+ T cell-depleted dams, as there were no differences in plasma VL or antibody responses between immunocompetent AF-positive vs AF-negative dams. Overall, these results suggest that levels of neither maternal plasma viremia nor humoral responses are associated with cCMV following primary maternal infection in healthy individuals. We speculate that other factors related to innate immunity are more important in this context as antibody responses to acute infection likely develop too late to influence vertical transmission. Yet, pre-existing CMV glycoprotein-specific and neutralizing IgG may provide protection against cCMV following primary maternal CMV infection even in high-risk, immunocompromised settings.

Author summaryCytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infectious cause of birth defects globally, but we still do not have licensed medical interventions to prevent vertical transmission of CMV. We utilized a non-human primate model of primary CMV infection during pregnancy to study virological and humoral factors that influence congenital infection. Unexpectedly, we found that the levels virus in maternal plasma were not predictive of virus transmission to the amniotic fluid (AF) in immunocompetent dams. In contrast, CD4+ T cell depleted pregnant rhesus macaques with virus detected in AF had higher plasma viral loads than dams not showing placental transmission. Virus-specific antibody binding, neutralizing, and Fc-mediated antibody effector antibody responses were not different in immunocompetent animals with and without virus detectable in AF, but passively infused neutralizing antibodies and antibodies binding to key glycoproteins were higher in CD4+ T cell-depleted dams who did not transmit the virus compared to those that did. Our data suggests that the natural development of virus-specific antibody responses is too slow to prevent congenital transmission following maternal infection, highlighting the need for the development of vaccines that confer levels of pre-existing immunity to CMV-naive mothers that can prevent congenital transmission to their infants during pregnancy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Otero, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barfield, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scheef, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nelson, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodgers, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moström, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manuel, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sass, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmidt, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taher, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Papen, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sprehe, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kendall, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davalos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barry, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Früh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pollara, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malouli, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaur, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Permar, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.21.537769</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Relationship of maternal cytomegalovirus-specific antibody responses and viral load to vertical transmission risk following primary maternal infection in a rhesus macaque model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.21.537826v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dietary phenolics and their microbial metabolites are poor inhibitors of trimethylamine oxidation to trimethylamine N-oxide by hepatic flavin monooxygenase 3 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.21.537826v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
High circulating levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) have been associated with cardiovascular disease risk. TMAO is formed through a microbiome-host pathway utilizing primarily dietary choline as a substrate. Specific gut microbiota transform choline into trimethylamine (TMA), and, when absorbed, host hepatic flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) oxidizes TMA into TMAO. Chlorogenic acid and its metabolites reduce microbial TMA production in vitro. However, little is known regarding the potential for chlorogenic acid and its bioavailable metabolites to inhibit the last step: hepatic conversion of TMA to TMAO. We developed a screening methodology to study FMO3-catalyzed production of TMAO from TMA. HepG2 cells were unable to oxidize TMA into TMAO due to their lack of FMO3 expression. Although Hepa-1 cells did express FMO3 when pre-treated with TMA and NADPH, they lacked enzymatic activity to produce TMAO. Rat hepatic microsomes contained active FMO3. Optimal reaction conditions were: 50 {micro}M TMA, 0.2 mM NADPH and 33 {micro}L microsomes/mL reaction. Methimazole (a known FMO3 competitive substrate) at 200 {micro}M effectively reduced FMO3-catalyzed conversion of TMA to TMAO. However, bioavailable chlorogenic acid metabolites did not generally inhibit FMO3 at physiological (1 {micro}M) nor supra-physiological (50 {micro}M) doses. Thus, the effects of chlorogenic acid in regulating TMAO levels in vivo are unlikely to occur through direct FMO3 enzyme inhibition. Potential effects on FMO3 expression remain unknown. Intestinal inhibition of TMA production and/or absorption are thus likely their primary mechanisms of action.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Iglesias-Carres, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chadwick-Corbin, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sweet, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neilson, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.21.537826</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dietary phenolics and their microbial metabolites are poor inhibitors of trimethylamine oxidation to trimethylamine N-oxide by hepatic flavin monooxygenase 3]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.24.538124v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Analysis of Gene Expression Differences Between Eastern and Western Loblolly Pine Seed Sources 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.24.538124v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The selection of an appropriate seed source for a given geographic region is critical to ensuring prosperous southern pine plantations. The observed variation between eastern and western loblolly pine seed sources has shown differences in economically advantageous traits such as drought tolerance, growth rates, and disease resistance. Understanding what drives these local adaptations is of interest, given that current forecasted climate modeling suggests there will be increased temperatures and changes to precipitation by the year 2050. The objectives of this experiment were to 1) identify differentially expressed transcripts between eastern and western loblolly pine sources; 2) link these transcripts to Arabidopsis orthologs; 3) compare GO categories of differentially-expressed transcripts. The findings highlighted include interesting pathways and genes that are related to the known differences among eastern and western seed provenances. Additionally, they represent fundamental differences in the beginning of seedling development without any treatment or disease pressure applied, showing that there are detectable differences between these two provenances at a young age. Overall, this experiment contributes to the body of literature on fundamental differences between loblolly pine seed sources.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Festa, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whetten, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.24.538124</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Analysis of Gene Expression Differences Between Eastern and Western Loblolly Pine Seed Sources]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.24.538161v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Reduces Burst Activities in Neurons Measured by Micro-Electrode Arrays 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.24.538161v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
SARS-CoV-2 caused a large-scale global pandemic between 2020 and 2022. Despite efforts to understand its biology and mechanisms of pathogenicity, the viral impact on the neurological systems remains unclear. The main goal of this study was to quantify the neurological phenotypes induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in neurons, measured by in-vitro multi-well micro-electrode arrays (MEAs). We extracted the whole-brain neurons from the newborn P1 mice and plated them on multi-well micro-electrode arrays and administered purified recombinant spike proteins (S1 and S2 subunits respectively) from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The signals from the MEAs were transmitted from an amplifier to a high-performance computer for recording and analysis. We used an in-house developed algorithm to quantify neuronal phenotypes. Among all the phenotypic features analyzed, we discovered that the S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 decreased the mean burst numbers observed on each electrode; This effect was not observed for the spike 2 protein (S2) and could be rescued by an anti-S1 antibody. Finally, our data strongly suggest that the receptor binding domain (RBD) of S1 is responsible for the reduction of burst activities in neurons. Overall, our results strongly indicate that spike proteins may play an important role in altering neuronal phenotypes, specifically the burst patterns, when neurons are exposed during early development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Salvador, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tseng, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vethan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hemry, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hammond, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freeburg, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chou, G.-W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, Y.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.24.538161</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Reduces Burst Activities in Neurons Measured by Micro-Electrode Arrays]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.26.538474v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Protective effects of polyphenol-rich extracts against neurotoxicity elicited by paraquat or rotenone in cellular models of Parkinson's disease 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.26.538474v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Parkinsons disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving motor symptoms caused by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Epidemiological evidence suggests that anthocyanin (ANC) intake is associated with a low risk of PD. Previously, we reported that extracts enriched with ANC and proanthocyanidins (PAC) suppressed dopaminergic neuron death elicited by the PD-related toxin rotenone in a primary midbrain culture model. Here, we characterized botanical extracts enriched with a mixed profile of polyphenols, as well as a set of purified polyphenolic standards, in terms of their ability to mitigate dopaminergic cell death in midbrain cultures exposed to another PD-related toxicant, paraquat (PQ), and we examined underlying neuroprotective mechanisms. Extracts prepared from blueberries, black currants, grape seeds, grape skin, mulberries, and plums, as well as several ANC, were found to rescue dopaminergic neuron loss in PQ-treated cultures. Comparison of a subset of ANC-rich extracts for the ability to mitigate neurotoxicity elicited by PQ versus rotenone revealed that a hibiscus or plum extract was only neuroprotective in cultures exposed to rotenone or PQ, respectively. Several extracts or compounds with the ability to protect against PQ neurotoxicity increased the activity of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2 in cultured astrocytes, and PQ-induced dopaminergic cell death was attenuated in Nrf2-expressing midbrain cultures. In other studies, we found that extracts prepared from hibiscus, grape skin, or purple basil (but not plums) rescued defects in O2 consumption in neuronal cells treated with rotenone. Collectively, these findings suggest that extracts enriched with certain combinations of ANC, PAC, stilbenes, and other polyphenols could potentially slow neurodegeneration in the brains of individuals exposed to PQ or rotenone by activating cellular antioxidant mechanisms and/or alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tambe, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacquet, A. d. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strathearn, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yousef, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grace, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferruzzi, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simon, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lila, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rochet, J.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.26.538474</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Protective effects of polyphenol-rich extracts against neurotoxicity elicited by paraquat or rotenone in cellular models of Parkinson's disease]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.12.540534v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single cell assessment of human stem cell derived mesolimbic models and their responses to substances of abuse. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.12.540534v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mesolimbic pathway connects ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons and striatal medium spiny neurons, playing a critical role in reward and stress behaviors. Exposure to substances of abuse during development and adulthood has been linked to adverse outcomes and molecular changes. The rise of human cell repositories and whole genome sequences enables human functional genomics  in a dish, offering insights into human-specific responses to substances of abuse. Characterizations of in vitro models are necessary to ensure appropriate experimental designs and accurate interpretation of results. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of these models and their responses to substances of abuse, introducing new culture conditions for generating medium spiny neurons and dopaminergic neurons from human pluripotent stem cells. Single cell analysis reveals cell type-specific transcriptomic responses to dopamine, cocaine, and morphine, including compound and cell type-specific transcriptomic signatures related to neuroinflammation and alterations in signaling pathways. These findings offer a resource for future genomics studies leveraging human stem cell-derived models.

TeaserGeneration and characterization of a novel mesolimbic pathway model and its response to acute dopamine, morphine, and cocaine.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rudibaugh, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tam, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Estridge, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-05-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.12.540534</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single cell assessment of human stem cell derived mesolimbic models and their responses to substances of abuse.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-05-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.18.541347v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Opening a can of worms: a test of the coinfection facilitation hypothesis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.18.541347v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Parasitic infections are a global occurrence and impact the health of many species. Coinfections, where two or more species of parasite are present in a host, are a common phenomenon across species. Coinfecting parasites can interact directly, or indirectly via their manipulation of (and susceptibility to) the immune system of their shared host. Helminths, such as the cestode Schistocephalus solidus, are well known to suppress immunity of their host (threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus), potentially facilitating other parasite species. Yet, hosts can evolve a more robust immune response (as seen in some stickleback populations), potentially turning facilitation into inhibition. Using wild-caught stickleback from 21 populations with non-zero S. solidus prevalence, we tested an a priori hypothesis that S. solidus infection facilitates infection by other parasites. Consistent with this hypothesis, individuals with S. solidus infections have 18.6% higher richness of other parasites, compared to S. solidus-uninfected individuals from the same lakes. This facilitation-like trend is stronger in lakes where S. solidus is particularly successful but is reversed in lakes with sparse and smaller cestodes (indicative of stronger host immunity). These results suggest that a geographic mosaic of host-parasite coevolution might lead to a mosaic of between-parasite facilitation/inhibition effects.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rodgers, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bolnick, D. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-05-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.18.541347</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Opening a can of worms: a test of the coinfection facilitation hypothesis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-05-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.29.542740v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Allosteric site variants affect GTP hydrolysis on RAS 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.29.542740v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AbstractRAS GTPases are proto-oncoproteins that regulate cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation in response to extracellular signals. The signaling functions of RAS, and other small GTPases, are dependent on their ability to cycle between GDP-bound and GTP-bound states. Structural analyses suggest that GTP hydrolysis catalyzed by HRAS can be regulated by an allosteric site located between helices 3, 4 and loop 7. Here we explore the relationship between intrinsic GTP hydrolysis on HRAS and the position of helix 3 and loop 7 through manipulation of the allosteric site, showing that the two sites are functionally connected. We generated several hydrophobic mutations in the allosteric site of HRAS to promote shifts in helix 3 relative to helix 4. By combining crystallography and enzymology to study these mutants, we show that closure of the allosteric site correlates with increased hydrolysis of GTP on HRAS in solution. Interestingly, binding to the RAS binding domain of RAF kinase (RAF-RBD) inhibits GTP hydrolysis in the mutants. This behavior may be representative of a cluster of poorly understood mutations that occur in human tumors, which potentially cooperate with RAF complex formation to stabilize the GTP-bound state of RAS.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Johnson, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fetics, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodrigues, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mattos, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-05-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.29.542740</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Allosteric site variants affect GTP hydrolysis on RAS]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-05-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.29.542772v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Optimizing Cell Therapy by Sorting Cells with High Extracellular Vesicle Secretion 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.29.542772v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Critical challenges remain in clinical translation of extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapeutics due to the absence of methods to enrich cells with high EV secretion. Current cell sorting methods are limited to surface markers that are uncorrelated to EV secretion or therapeutic potential. We developed a nanovial technology for enrichment of millions of single cells based on EV secretion. This approach was applied to select mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with high EV secretion as therapeutic cells for improving treatment. The selected MSCs exhibited distinct transcriptional profiles associated with EV biogenesis and vascular regeneration and maintained high levels of EV secretion after sorting and regrowth. In a mouse model of myocardial infarction, treatment with high-secreting MSCs improved heart functions compared to treatment with low-secreting MSCs. These findings highlight the therapeutic importance of EV secretion in regenerative cell therapies and suggest that selecting cells based on EV secretion could enhance therapeutic efficacy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Koo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Udani, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tsubamoto, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ko, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Di Carlo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-05-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.29.542772</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Optimizing Cell Therapy by Sorting Cells with High Extracellular Vesicle Secretion]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-05-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.31.543178v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Offline Two-dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Deep Annotation of the Fecal Metabolome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.31.543178v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Compound identification is an essential task in the workflow of untargeted metabolomics since the interpretation of the data in a biological context depends on the correct assignment of chemical identities to the features it contains. Current techniques fall short of identifying all or even most observable features in untargeted metabolomics data, even after rigorous data cleaning approaches to remove degenerate features are applied. Hence, new strategies are required to annotate the metabolome more deeply and accurately. The human fecal metabolome, which is the focus of substantial biomedical interest, is a more complex, more variable, yet lesser-investigated sample matrix compared to widely studied sample types like human plasma. This manuscript describes a novel experimental strategy using multidimensional chromatography to facilitate compound identification in untargeted metabolomics. Pooled fecal metabolite extract samples were fractionated using offline semi-preparative liquid chromatography. The resulting fractions were analyzed by an orthogonal LC-MS/MS method, and the data were searched against commercial, public, and local spectral libraries. Multidimensional chromatography yielded more than a 3-fold improvement in identified compounds compared to the typical single-dimensional LC-MS/MS approach and successfully identified several rare and novel compounds, including atypical conjugated bile acid species. Most features identified by the new approach could be matched to features that were detectable but not identifiable in the original single-dimension LC-MS data. Overall, our approach represents a powerful strategy for deeper annotation of the metabolome that can be implemented with commercially-available instrumentation, and should apply to any dataset requiring deeper annotation of the metabolome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Anderson, B. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raskind, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Evans, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.31.543178</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Offline Two-dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Deep Annotation of the Fecal Metabolome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.01.543306v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Utilizing Aggregated Molecular Phenotype (AMP) Scores to Visualize Simultaneous Molecular Changes in Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.01.543306v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has gained increasing popularity for tissue-based diagnostics due to its ability to identify and visualize molecular characteristics unique to different phenotypes within heterogeneous samples. Data from MSI experiments are often visualized using single ion images and further analyzed using machine learning and multivariate statistics to identify m/z features of interest and create predictive models for phenotypic classification. However, often only a single molecule or m/z feature is visualized per ion image, and mainly categorical classifications are provided from the predictive models. As an alternative approach, we developed an aggregated molecular phenotype (AMP) scoring system. AMP scores are generated using an ensemble machine learning approach to first select features differentiating phenotypes, weight the features using logistic regression, and combine the weights and feature abundances. AMP scores are then scaled between 0 and 1, with lower values generally corresponding to class 1 phenotypes (typically control) and higher scores relating to class 2 phenotypes. AMP scores therefore allow the evaluation of multiple features simultaneously and showcase the degree to which these features correlate with various phenotypes, leading to high diagnostic accuracy and interpretability of predictive models. Here, AMP score performance was evaluated using metabolomic data collected from desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) MSI. Initial comparisons of cancerous human tissues to normal or benign counterparts illustrated that AMP scores distinguished phenotypes with high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Furthermore, when combined with spatial coordinates, AMP scores allow visualization of tissue sections in one map with distinguished phenotypic borders, highlighting their diagnostic utility.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chappel, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eberlin, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reif, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.01.543306</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Utilizing Aggregated Molecular Phenotype (AMP) Scores to Visualize Simultaneous Molecular Changes in Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.05.543168v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Engineering the Maize Root Microbiome: A Rapid MoClo Toolkit and Identification of Potential Bacterial Chassis for studying Plant-Microbe Interactions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.05.543168v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sustainably enhancing crop production is a necessity given the increasing demands for staple crops and their associated carbon/nitrogen inputs. Plant-associated microbiomes offer one avenue for addressing this demand; however, studying these communities and engineering them has remained a challenge due to limited genetic tools and methods. In this work, we detail the development of the Maize Root ToolKit (MRTK); a rapid Modular Cloning (MoClo) toolkit that only takes 2.5 hours to generate desired constructs (5400 potential plasmids) that replicate and express heterologous genes in Enterobacter ludwigii strain AA4 (Elu), Pseudomonas putida AA7 (Ppu), Herbaspirillum robiniae strain AA6 (Hro), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain AA1 (Sma) and Brucella pituitosa strain AA2 (Bpi) which comprise a model maize root synthetic community (SynCom). In addition to these genetic tools, we describe a highly efficient transformation protocol (10^7-10^9 transformants/{micro}g of DNA) for each of these strains. Utilizing this highly efficient transformation protocol, we identified endogenous expression sequences for each strain (ES; promoter and ribosomal binding sites) via genomic promoter trapping. Overall, the MRTK is a scalable platform that expands the genetic engineering toolbox while providing a standardized, high efficiency transformation method that can be implemented across a diverse group of root commensals. These results unlock the ability to elucidate and engineer plant-microbe interactions promoting plant growth for each of the 5 bacterial strains in this study.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Van Schaik, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheadle, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.05.543168</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Engineering the Maize Root Microbiome: A Rapid MoClo Toolkit and Identification of Potential Bacterial Chassis for studying Plant-Microbe Interactions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.06.543867v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The microbial derived bile acid lithocholate and its epimers inhibit Clostridioides difficile growth and pathogenicity while sparing members of the gut microbiota 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.06.543867v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
C. difficile infection (CDI) is associated with antibiotic usage, which disrupts the indigenous gut microbiota and causes the loss of microbial derived secondary bile acids that normally provide protection against C. difficile colonization. Previous work has shown that the secondary bile acid lithocholate (LCA) and its epimer isolithocholate (iLCA) have potent inhibitory activity against clinically relevant C. difficile strains. To further characterize the mechanisms by which LCA and its epimers iLCA and isoallolithocholate (iaLCA) inhibit C. difficile, we tested their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against C. difficile R20291, and a commensal gut microbiota panel. We also performed a series of experiments to determine the mechanism of action by which LCA and its epimers inhibit C. difficile through bacterial killing and effects on toxin expression and activity. Here we show that epimers iLCA and iaLCA strongly inhibit C. difficile growth in vitro while sparing most commensal Gram-negative gut microbes. We also show that iLCA and iaLCA have bactericidal activity against C. difficile, and these epimers cause significant bacterial membrane damage at subinhibitory concentrations. Finally, we observe that iLCA and iaLCA decrease the expression of the large cytotoxin tcdA while LCA significantly reduces toxin activity. Although iLCA and iaLCA are both epimers of LCA, they have distinct mechanisms for inhibiting C. difficile. LCA epimers, iLCA and iaLCA, represent promising compounds that target C. difficile with minimal effects on members of the gut microbiota that are important for colonization resistance.

ImportanceIn the search for a novel therapeutic that targets C. difficile, bile acids have become a viable solution. Epimers of bile acids are particularly attractive as they may provide protection against C. difficile while leaving the indigenous gut microbiota largely unaltered. This study shows that iLCA and iaLCA specifically are potent inhibitors of C. difficile, affecting key virulence factors including growth, toxin expression and activity. As we move toward the use of bile acids as therapeutics, further work will be required to determine how best to deliver these bile acids to a target site within the host intestinal tract.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kisthardt, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thanissery, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pike, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foley, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.06.543867</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The microbial derived bile acid lithocholate and its epimers inhibit Clostridioides difficile growth and pathogenicity while sparing members of the gut microbiota]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.08.544207v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluating the ileal and cecal microbiota composition of a 1940 heritage genetic line and a 2016 commercial line of white leghorns fed representative diets from 1940 and 2016 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.08.544207v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study was conducted to identify and evaluate the differences between the microbiome composition of the ileum and ceca of 1940 and 2016 genetic strains of white leghorns fed representative contemporary diets from those times. Ileal and cecal samples were aseptically collected from both genetic lines at 69 weeks of age. The genomic DNA of the ileal and cecal contents were extracted and the V4 region of the 16S rDNA was sequenced on an Illumina Miseq. Microbiota data were filtered and aligned using the QIIME2 2020.2 pipeline. Alpha and beta diversity metrics were generated and the Analysis of Composition of Microbiomes (ANCOM) was utilized to determine significantly different taxa. Data were considered significant at P [&le;] 0.05 for main effects and Q [&le;] 0.05 for pairwise differences. Alpha diversity of the ileum and ceca were significantly different (P = 0.001; Q = 0.001; however, no differences between genetic lineage were observed (P > 0.05; Q > 0.05). The beta diversity between the ileum and ceca, as well as between the genetic lines (1940 vs. 2016) were significantly different from one another (P = 0.001; Q = 0.001). Using ANCOM, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota were significantly different than other phyla (P 0.05) with a higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria being observed among treatment groups 2 and 3, while Actinobacteriota had higher relative abundance in treatment groups 1 and 4. Among the significantly different genera in the ileum, Pseudomonas, Rhizobiaceae, Leuconostoc, and Aeriscardovia were different (P 0.05) with treatment groups 1 and 4 having a higher relative abundance of Aeriscardovia, while treatment groups 2 and 3 had higher relative abundance in both Pseudomonas and Leuconostoc. In the ceca, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Euryarchaeota were significantly different phyla (P 0.05) with Firmicutes having the highest relative abundance across all treatment groups. Among the significantly different genera (Pseudomonas, Leuconostoc, Alloprevotella, and Aeriscardovia), Alloprevotella had the highest relative abundance across all treatment groups 1 and 2, while Leuconostoc and Pseudomonas had the highest relative abundance in treatment group 4. Results from this study suggest that genetic makeup in conjunction with the nutritional composition of laying hens influences the cecal and ileal microbiota of corresponding hens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wall, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dittoe, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahlerios, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anthony, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.08.544207</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluating the ileal and cecal microbiota composition of a 1940 heritage genetic line and a 2016 commercial line of white leghorns fed representative diets from 1940 and 2016]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.11.544495v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An intranuclear bacterial parasite of deep-sea musselsexpresses apoptosis inhibitors acquired from its host 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.11.544495v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Endozoicomonadaceae bacteria are widespread in many marine animals, and generally considered beneficial. Members of one clade, however, Candidatus Endonucleobacter, infect the nuclei of deep-sea mussels, where they replicate to [&ge;] 80,000 bacteria per nucleus and cause the nuclei to swell to 50 times their original size. How these parasites are able to persist in host nuclei without the cell undergoing apoptosis is not known. We show here that Ca. Endonucleobacter encodes and expresses 7-15 inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs), proteins previously only known from animals and viruses. Dual RNA-seq transcriptomes of infected nuclei revealed parallel upregulation of Ca. Endonucleobacter IAPs and host caspases, suggesting an arms race between the parasite and host for control of apoptosis. Comparative phylogenetic analyses revealed that Ca. Endonucleobacter acquired IAPs repeatedly through horizontal gene transfer from their hosts in convergent acquisition, possibly mediated by herpes viruses that may infect both the parasite and the host.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez Porras, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Assie, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tietjen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Violette, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruber-Vodicka, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leisch, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.11.544495</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An intranuclear bacterial parasite of deep-sea musselsexpresses apoptosis inhibitors acquired from its host]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.12.544530v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Construction of a multi-tissue cell atlas reveals cell-type-specific regulation of molecular and complex phenotypes in pigs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.12.544530v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The systematic characterization of cellular heterogeneity among tissues and cell-type-specific regulation underlying complex phenotypes remains elusive in pigs. Within the Pig Genotype-Tissue Expression (PigGTEx) project, we present a single-cell transcriptome atlas of adult pigs encompassing 229,268 high-quality nuclei from 19 tissues, annotated to 67 major cell types. Besides cellular heterogeneity within and across tissues, we further characterize prominent tissue-specific features and functions of muscle, epithelial, and immune cells. Through deconvoluting 3,921 bulk RNA-seq samples from 17 matching tissues, we dissect thousands of genetic variants with cell-type interaction effects on gene expression (ieQTL). By colocalizing these ieQTL with variants associated with 268 complex traits, we provide new insights into the cellular mechanisms behind these traits. Moreover, we highlight that orthologous genes with cell-type-specific regulation in pigs exhibit significant heritability enrichment for some human complex phenotypes. Altogether, our work provides a valuable resource and highlights novel insights in cellular regulation of complex traits for accelerating pig precision breeding and human biomedical research.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chen, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teng, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yan, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luo, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sahana, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lund, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ballester, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crespo-Piazuelo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karlskov-Mortensen, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fredholm, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clop, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amills, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loving, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuggle, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Madsen, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.12.544530</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Construction of a multi-tissue cell atlas reveals cell-type-specific regulation of molecular and complex phenotypes in pigs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.12.544621v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cytoplasmic Male Sterility and Abortive Seed Traits Generated through Mitochondrial Genome Editing Coupled with Allotopic Expression of atp1 in Tobacco 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.12.544621v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Allotopic expression is the term given for the deliberate relocation of gene function from an organellar genome to the nuclear genome. We hypothesized that the allotopic expression of an essential mitochondrial gene using a promoter that expressed efficiently in all cell types except those responsible for male reproduction would yield a cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) phenotype once the endogenous mitochondrial gene was inactivated via genome editing. To test this, we repurposed the mitochondrially encoded atp1 gene of tobacco to function in the nucleus under the transcriptional control of a CaMV 35S promoter (construct 35S:nATP1), a promoter that has been shown to be minimally expressed in early stages of anther development. The endogenous atp1 gene was eliminated ({Delta}atp1) from 35S:nATP1 tobacco plants using custom-designed meganucleases directed to the mitochondria. Vegetative growth of most 35S:nATP1/{Delta}atp1 plants appeared normal, but upon flowering produced malformed anthers that failed to shed pollen. When 35S:nATP1/{Delta}atp1 plants were cross-pollinated, ovary/capsule development appeared normal, but the vast majority of the resultant seeds were small, largely hollow and failed to germinate, a phenotype akin to the seedless trait known as stenospermocarpy. Characterization of the mitochondrial genomes from three independent {Delta}atp1 events suggested that spontaneous recombination over regions of microhomology and substoichiometric shifting were the mechanisms responsible for atp1 elimination and genome rearrangement in response to exposure to the atp1-targeting meganucleases. Should the results reported here in tobacco prove to be translatable to other crop species, then multiple applications of allotopic expression of an essential mitochondrial gene followed by its elimination through genome editing can be envisaged. Depending on the promoter(s) used to drive the allotopic gene, this technology may have potential application in the areas of: (1) CMS trait development for use in hybrid seed production; (2) seedless fruit production; and (3) transgene containment.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dewey, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Selote, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffin, H. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dickey, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jantz, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matthiadis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strable, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kestell, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, W. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.12.544621</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cytoplasmic Male Sterility and Abortive Seed Traits Generated through Mitochondrial Genome Editing Coupled with Allotopic Expression of atp1 in Tobacco]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.13.544782v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Transcriptional Responses to Dopamine and Cocaine in Human Cerebral Organoids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.13.544782v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Dopamine signaling in the adult ventral forebrain regulates behavior, stress response, and memory formation and in neurodevelopment regulates neural differentiation and cell migration. Excessive dopamine levels including due to cocaine use both in utero and in adults could lead to long-term adverse consequences. The mechanisms underlying both homeostatic and pathological changes remain unclear, partly due to the diverse cellular responses elicited by dopamine and the reliance on animal models that exhibit species- specific differences in dopamine signaling. To address these limitations, 3-D cerebral organoids have emerged as human-derived models, recapitulating salient features of human cell signaling and neurodevelopment. Organoids have demonstrated responsiveness to external stimuli, including substances of abuse, making them valuable investigative models. In this study we utilize the Xiang-Tanaka ventral forebrain organoid model and characterize their response to acute and chronic dopamine or cocaine exposure. The findings revealed a robust immune response, novel response pathways, and a potential critical role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the developing ventral forebrain. These results highlight the potential of cerebral organoids as in vitro human models for studying complex biological processes in the brain.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rudibaugh, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.13.544782</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Transcriptional Responses to Dopamine and Cocaine in Human Cerebral Organoids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.14.543760v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
High-fat diet-induced obesity increases susceptibility to endogenous and ethyl carbamate-induced somatic mutagenesis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.14.543760v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Obesity and dietary fat consumption are associated with increased risk for certain cancers. We conducted a set of experiments designed to investigate both the inherent mutagenicity of high-fat diet (HFD) and the effect of HFD exposure on sensitivity to ethyl carbamate, a known mutagen. Greater body mass in females was associated with higher frequency of Pig-a mutant erythrocytes and HFD-induced obese female mice exhibited increased sensitivity to ethyl carbamate-induced mutagenesis compared to control mice. Together, these findings indicate that HFD exposure induces both endogenously generated changes related to mutagenesis and interacts with the mutagenic effects of ethyl carbamate.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lichtler, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wickliffe, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.14.543760</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[High-fat diet-induced obesity increases susceptibility to endogenous and ethyl carbamate-induced somatic mutagenesis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.14.544943v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Characterizing the power spectrum dynamics of the NREM to REM sleep transition 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.14.544943v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The transition from NREM to REM sleep is considered a transitional or intermediate stage (IS), characterized by high amplitude spindles in the frontal cortex and theta activity in the occipital cortex. Early reports in rats showed an IS lasting from 1 to 5 s, but recent studies suggested a longer duration of this stage. To further characterize the IS, we analyzed its spectral characteristics on electrocorticogram (ECoG) recordings of the olfactory bulb (OB), motor (M1), somato-sensory (S1) and secondary visual cortex (V2) in twelve Wistar male adult rats. By comparing the IS to consolidated NREM/REM epochs, our results reveal that the IS has specific power spectral patterns that statistically differ from both NREM and REM sleep states. Specifically, the main findings were that sigma (11-16 Hz) and beta (17-30 Hz) power in OB, M1, and S1 increased during the IS compared to NREM and REM sleep and began 55 s before REM sleep onset. Additionally, low gamma (31-48 Hz) in the OB started transitioning from NREM levels to REM ones 65 s before its onset. Finally, the high-frequency oscillations (102-198 Hz) in OB, M1, and S1 showed a power increase that began 40 s before REM sleep and reached REM sleep values 10 s after its onset. Thus, we argue that the NREM to REM transition contains its own spectral profile and is more extended than previously described.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Serantes, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cavelli, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mondino, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benedetto, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torterolo, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.14.544943</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Characterizing the power spectrum dynamics of the NREM to REM sleep transition]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.20.543103v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Characterizing Adeno-Associated Virus Capsids with both Denaturing and Intact Analysis Methods 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.20.543103v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids are among the leading gene delivery platforms used to treat a vast array of human diseases and conditions. AAVs exist in a variety of serotypes due to differences in viral protein (VP) sequences, with distinct serotypes targeting specific cells and tissues. As the utility of AAVs in gene therapy increases, ensuring their specific composition is imperative for correct targeting and gene delivery. From a quality control perspective, current analytical tools are limited in their selectivity for viral protein (VP) subunits due to their sequence similiaries, instrumental difficulties in assessing the large molecular weights of intact capsids, and the uncertainity in distinguishing empty and filled capsids. To address these challenges, we combine two distinct analytical workflows that assess the intact capsids and VP subunits separately. First, charge detection-mass spectrometry (CD-MS) was applied for characterization of the intact capsids and then liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, and mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS) separations were used for capsid denaturing measurements. This multi-method combination was applied to 3 AAV serotypes (AAV2, AAV6, and AAV8) to evaluate their intact empty and filled capsid ratios and then examine the distinct VP sequences and modifications present.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ryan, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kostelic, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, C.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powers, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aspinwall, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dodds, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiel, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marty, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.20.543103</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Characterizing Adeno-Associated Virus Capsids with both Denaturing and Intact Analysis Methods]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.20.545696v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Virome analysis of irrigation water sources provides extensive insights into the diversity and distribution of plant viruses in agroecosystems 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.20.545696v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant viruses pose a significant threat to agriculture. Several are stable outside their hosts, can enter water bodies and remain infective for prolonged periods of time. Even though the quality of irrigation water is of increasing importance in the context of plant health, the presence of plant viruses in irrigation waters is understudied. In this study, we conducted a large-scale high-throughput sequencing (HTS)-based virome analysis of irrigation and groundwater sources to obtain complete information about the abundance and diversity of plant viruses in such waters. We detected nucleic acids of plant viruses from 20 families, discovered several novel plant viruses from economically important taxa, like Tobamovirus and observed the influence of the water source on the present virome. By comparing viromes of water and surrounding plants, we observed presence of plant viruses in both compartments, especially in cases of large-scale outbreaks, such as that of tomato mosaic virus. Moreover, we demonstrated that water virome data can extensively inform us about the distribution and diversity of plant viruses for which only limited information is available from plants. Overall, the results of the study provided extensive insights into the virome of irrigation waters from the perspective of plant health. It also suggested that an HTS-based water virome surveillance system could be used to detect potential plant disease outbreaks and to survey the distribution and diversity of plant viruses in the ecosystems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Maksimovic, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bacnik, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Selda Rivarez, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vucurovic, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mehle, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ravnikar, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gutierrez Aguirre, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kutnjak, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.20.545696</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Virome analysis of irrigation water sources provides extensive insights into the diversity and distribution of plant viruses in agroecosystems]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.27.546749v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Loss of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron bile acid altering enzymes impact bacterial fitness and the global metabolic transcriptome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.27.546749v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta) is a Gram-negative gut bacterium that encodes enzymes that alter the bile acid pool in the gut. Primary bile acids are synthesized by the host liver and are modified by gut bacteria. B. theta encodes two bile salt hydrolases (BSHs), as well as a hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDH). We hypothesize that B. theta modifies the bile acid pool in the gut to provide a fitness advantage for itself. To investigate each genes role, different combinations of genes encoding bile acid altering enzymes (bshA, bshB, and hsdhA) were knocked out by allelic exchange, including a triple KO. Bacterial growth and membrane integrity assays were done in the presence and absence of bile acids. To explore if B. thetas response to nutrient limitation changes due to the presence of bile acid altering enzymes, RNASeq analysis of WT and triple KO strains in the presence and absence of bile acids was done. WT B. theta is more sensitive to deconjugated bile acids (CA, CDCA, and DCA) compared to the triple KO, which also decreased membrane integrity. The presence of bshB is detrimental to growth in conjugated forms of CDCA and DCA. RNA-Seq analysis also showed bile acid exposure impacts multiple metabolic pathways in B. theta, but DCA significantly increases expression of many genes in carbohydrate metabolism, specifically those in polysaccharide utilization loci or PULs, in nutrient limited conditions. This study suggests that bile acids B. theta encounters in the gut may signal the bacteria to increase or decrease its utilization of carbohydrates. Further study looking at the interactions between bacteria, bile acids, and the host may inform rationally designed probiotics and diets to ameliorate inflammation and disease.

ImportanceRecent work on BSHs in Gram-negative bacteria, such as Bacteroides, has primarily focused on how they can impact host physiology. However, the benefits bile acid metabolism confers to the bacterium that performs it is not well understood. In this study we set out to define if and how B. theta uses its BSHs and HSDH to modify bile acids to provide a fitness advantage for itself in vitro and in vivo. Genes encoding bile acid altering enzymes were able to impact how B. theta responds to nutrient limitation in the presence of bile acids, specifically carbohydrate metabolism, affecting many polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). This suggests that B. theta may be able to shift its metabolism, specifically its ability to target different complex glycans including host mucin, when it comes into contact with specific bile acids in the gut. This work will aid in our understanding of how to rationally manipulate the bile acid pool and the microbiota to exploit carbohydrate metabolism in the context of inflammation and other GI diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McMillan, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foley, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkins, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.27.546749</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Loss of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron bile acid altering enzymes impact bacterial fitness and the global metabolic transcriptome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.28.546915v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Serovar-level Identification of Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens From Full-length 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.28.546915v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The resolution of variation within species is critical for interpreting and acting on many microbial measurements. In the key foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli and Salmonella, the primary sub-species classification scheme used is serotyping: differentiating variants within these species by surface antigen profiles. Serotype prediction from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of isolates is now seen as comparable or preferable to traditional laboratory methods where WGS is available. However, laboratory and WGS methods depend on an isolation step that is time-consuming and incompletely represents the sample when multiple strains are present. Community sequencing approaches that skip the isolation step are therefore of interest for pathogen surveillance. Here we evaluated the viability of amplicon sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene for serotyping S. enterica and E. coli. We developed a novel algorithm for serotype prediction, implemented as an R package (Seroplacer), which takes as input full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences and outputs serovar predictions after phylogenetic placement into a reference phylogeny. We achieved over 89% accuracy in predicting Salmonella serotypes on in silico test data, and identified key pathogenic serovars of Salmonella and E. coli in isolate and environmental test samples. Although serotype prediction from 16S sequences is not as accurate as serotype prediction from WGS of isolates, the potential to identify dangerous serovars directly from amplicon sequencing of environmental samples is intriguing for pathogen surveillance. The capabilities developed here are also broadly relevant to other applications where intra-species variation and direct sequencing from environmental samples could be valuable.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grinevich, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harden, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grinevich, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-06-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.06.28.546915</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Serovar-level Identification of Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens From Full-length 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-06-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.02.547430v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Distinct genetic origins of eumelanin intensity and barring patterns in cichlid fishes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.02.547430v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Pigment patterns are incredibly diverse across vertebrates and are shaped by multiple selective pressures from predator avoidance to mate choice. A common pattern across fishes, but for which we know little about the underlying mechanisms, is repeated melanic vertical bars. In order to understand genetic factors that modify the level or pattern of vertical barring, we generated a genetic cross of 322 F2 hybrids between two cichlid species with distinct barring patterns, Aulonocara koningsi and Metriaclima mbenjii. We identify 48 significant quantitative trait loci that underlie a series of seven phenotypes related to the relative pigmentation intensity, and four traits related to patterning of the vertical bars. We find that genomic regions that generate variation in the level of eumelanin produced are largely independent of those that control the spacing of vertical bars. Candidate genes within these intervals include novel genes and those newly-associated with vertical bars, which could affect melanophore survival, fate decisions, pigment biosynthesis, and pigment distribution. Together, this work provides insights into the regulation of pigment diversity, with direct implications for an animals fitness and the speciation process.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brandon, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michael, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baez, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ciccotto, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powder, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.02.547430</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Distinct genetic origins of eumelanin intensity and barring patterns in cichlid fishes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.06.548017v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Allelic variation in the wheat homolog of topoisomerase II is associated with crossover rate 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.06.548017v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Meiotic recombination is a fundamental biological process that impacts genetic diversity and response of variants to selection. The increase in crossover (CO) frequency by modulating the activity of meiotic genes has been suggested as potential means to improve the efficiency of selection and mitigate the negative impact of linkage drag in crop improvement programs. In this study, we used the wheat nested association mapping (NAM) population to map QTL associated with CO rate and harboring TaTOPII-A1, a gene encoding topoisomerase II that is involved in the regulation of meiosis. An amino acid changing SNP (T/C) located in exon 19 of TaTOPII-A1 with a predicted functional effect showed an association with CO rate. The T-allele of TaTOPII-A1 was associated with a statistically significant 5.9 % increase in COs across several NAM families. The involvement of TaTOPII-A1 in processes affecting CO rate in wheat was confirmed using a TaTOPII-A1 mutant. A strong-effect missense mutation in the TaTOPII-A1 coding region resulted in 1.4-fold increase in the genetic map length and 53% increase in CO rate compared to the wild-type allele. These results demonstrate that functional mutations in TaTOPII-A1 can lead to increased CO frequency. The mutant and natural alleles of TaTOPII-A1 identified in our study could serve as new sources of recombination-promoting genes to manipulate CO rate in wheat and possibly other crops.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jordan, K. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez-de Soto, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Korol, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akhunova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akhunov, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.06.548017</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Allelic variation in the wheat homolog of topoisomerase II is associated with crossover rate]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.07.548152v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multiple TonB Homologs are Important for Carbohydrate Utilization by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.07.548152v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The human gut microbiota is able to degrade otherwise undigestible polysaccharides, largely through the activity of the Bacteroides. Uptake of polysaccharides into Bacteroides is controlled by TonB-dependent transporters (TBDT) whose transport is energized by an inner membrane complex composed of the proteins TonB, ExbB, and ExbD. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta) encodes 11 TonB homologs which are predicted to be able to contact TBDTs to facilitate transport. However, it is not clear which TonBs are important for polysaccharide uptake. Using strains in which each of the 11 predicted tonB genes are deleted, we show that TonB4 (BT2059) is important but not essential for proper growth on starch. In the absence of TonB4, we observed an increase in abundance of TonB6 (BT2762) in the membrane of B. theta, suggesting functional redundancy of these TonB proteins. Growth of the single deletion strains on pectin galactan, chondroitin sulfate, arabinan, and levan suggests a similar functional redundancy of the TonB proteins. A search for highly homologous proteins across other Bacteroides species and recent work in B. fragilis suggests that TonB4 is widely conserved and may play a common role in polysaccharide uptake. However, proteins similar to TonB6 are found only in B. theta and closely related species suggesting that the functional redundancy of TonB4 and TonB6 may be limited across the Bacteroides. This study extends our understanding of the protein network required for polysaccharide utilization in B. theta and highlights differences in TonB complexes across Bacteroides species.

ImportanceThe human gut microbiota, including the Bacteroides, is required for the degradation of otherwise undigestible polysaccharides. The gut microbiota uses polysaccharides as an energy source and the fermentation products such as short chain fatty acids are beneficial to the human host. This use of polysaccharides is dependent on the proper pairing of a TonB protein with polysaccharide-specific TonB-dependent transporters; however, formation of these protein complexes is poorly understood. In this study, we examine the role of 11 predicted TonB homologs in polysaccharide uptake. We show that two proteins, TonB4 and TonB6, may be functionally redundant. This may allow for development of drugs targeting Bacteroides species containing only a TonB4 homolog with limited impact on species encoding the redundant TonB6.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pollet, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foley, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumar, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elmore, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jabara, N. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venkatesh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasconcelos Pereira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martens, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koropatkin, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.07.548152</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multiple TonB Homologs are Important for Carbohydrate Utilization by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.11.548354v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ten Years of Using Key Characteristics of Human Carcinogens to Organize and Evaluate Mechanistic Evidence in IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans: Patterns and Associations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.11.548354v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Systematic review and evaluation of the mechanistic evidence only recently been instituted in cancer hazard identification step of decision-making. One example of organizing and evaluating mechanistic evidence is the Key Characteristics approach of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans. The Key Characteristics of Human Carcinogens were proposed almost 10 years ago and have been used in every IARC Monograph since 2015. We investigated the patterns and associations in the use of Key Characteristics by the independent expert Working Groups. We examined 19 Monographs (2015-2022) that evaluated 73 agents. We extracted information on the conclusions by each Working Group on the strength of evidence for agent-Key Characteristic combinations, data types that were available for decisions, and the role mechanistic data played in the final cancer hazard classification. We conducted both descriptive and association analyses within and across data types. We found that IARC Working Groups were cautious when evaluating mechanistic evidence: for only [~]13% of the agents was strong evidence assigned for any Key Characteristic. Genotoxicity and cell proliferation were most data-rich, while little evidence was available for DNA repair and immortalization Key Characteristics. Analysis of the associations among Key Characteristics revealed that only chemicals metabolic activation was significantly co-occurring with genotoxicity and cell proliferation/death. Evidence from exposed humans was limited, while mechanistic evidence from rodent studies in vivo was often available. Only genotoxicity and cell proliferation/death were strongly associated with decisions on whether mechanistic data was impactful on the final cancer hazard classification. The practice of using the Key Characteristics approach is now well-established at IARC Monographs and other government agencies and the analyses presented herein will inform the future use of mechanistic evidence in regulatory decision-making.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rusyn, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.11.548354</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ten Years of Using Key Characteristics of Human Carcinogens to Organize and Evaluate Mechanistic Evidence in IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans: Patterns and Associations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.17.549289v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An epigenome-wide association study of child appetitive traits and DNA methylation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.17.549289v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Childhood appetitive traits are consistently associated with obesity risk, and yet their etiology is poorly understood. Appetitive traits are complex phenotypes which are hypothesized to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, as well as their interactions. Early-life epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), may be involved in the developmental programming of appetite regulation in childhood. In the current study, we meta-analyzed epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) of cord blood DNAm and early-childhood appetitive traits. Data were from two independent cohorts: the Generation R Study (n=1,086, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) and the Healthy Start study (n=236, Colorado, USA). DNAm at autosomal methylation sites in cord blood was measured using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Parents reported on their childs food responsiveness, emotional undereating, satiety responsiveness and food fussiness using the Childrens Eating Behaviour Questionnaire at age 4-5 years. Multiple regression models were used to examine the association of DNAm (predictor) at the individual site- and regional-level (using DMRff) with each appetitive trait (outcome), adjusting for covariates. Bonferroni-correction was applied to adjust for multiple testing. There were no associations of DNAm and any appetitive trait at the individual site-level. However, at the regional level, we identified 45 associations of DNAm with food responsiveness, 7 associations of DNAm with emotional undereating, 13 associations of DNAm with satiety responsiveness, and 9 associations of DNAm with food fussiness. This study shows that DNAm in the newborn may partially explain variation in appetitive traits expressed in early childhood and provides preliminary support for early programming of child appetitive traits through DNAm. Investigating differential DNAm associated with appetitive traits could be an important first step in identifying biological pathways underlying the development of these behaviors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harris, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Friedman, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Starling, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dabelea, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fuemmeler, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jima, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jansen, P. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felix, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mulder, R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.17.549289</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An epigenome-wide association study of child appetitive traits and DNA methylation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.20.549744v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
HaploCatcher: An R Package for Prediction of Haplotypes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.20.549744v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is crucial to global food security, but is often threatened by diseases, pests, and environmental stresses. Wheat stem sawfly (Cephus cinctus Norton) poeses a major threat to food security in the United States, and solid-stem varieties, which carry the stem-solidness locus (Sst1), are the main source of genetic resistance against sawfly. Marker-assisted selection uses molecular markers to identify lines possessing beneficial haplotypes, like that of the Sst1 locus. In this study, an R package titled "HaploCatcher" was developed to predict specific haplotypes of interest in genome-wide genotyped lines. A training population of 1,056 lines genotyped for the Sst1 locus, known to confer stem solidness, and genome-wide markers was curated to make predictions of the Sst1 haplotypes for 292 lines from the Colorado State University wheat breeding program. Predicted Sst1 haplotypes were compared to marker derived haplotypes. Our results indicated that the training set was substantially predictive, with kappa scores of 0.83 for k-nearest neighbors and 0.88 for random forest models. Forward validation on newly developed breeding lines demonstrated that a random forest model, trained on the total available training data, had comparable accuracy between forward and cross-validation. Estimated group means of lines classified by haplotypes from PCR-derived markers and predictive modeling did not significantly differ. The HaploCatcher package is freely available and may be utilized by breeding programs, using their own training populations, to predict haplotypes for whole genome sequenced early generation material.

CORE IDEASO_LIIdentification, introgression, and frequency increase of large effect loci are important for cultivar development.
C_LIO_LIThe Sst1 locus has a significant effect on cutting score in fields exposed to sawfly infestation.
C_LIO_LIHistorical genetic information can be utilized to predict haplotypes for lines which have genome-wide genetic data.
C_LIO_LIAn R package, HaploCatcher, has been developed to facilitate this analysis in other programs.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Winn, Z. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hudson-Arns, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hammers, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeWitt, N. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyerly, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>St Amand, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nachappa, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haley, S. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mason, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.20.549744</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[HaploCatcher: An R Package for Prediction of Haplotypes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.20.549971v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. enhances identifying genes involved in the biosynthesis of jatrorrhizine 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.20.549971v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. is an important medicinal tetraploid plant in the Menispermaceae family. Its tuber, namely "Radix Tinosporae" used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is rich in medicinal terpenoids and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), To enhance understanding the biosynthesis of medicinal compounds, we, herein, report the assembly of a high quality chromosome-scale genome with both PacBio HiFi and Illumina sequencing technologies. The size of assembled genome was 2.33 Gb consisting of 4070 scaffolds (N50=42.06Mb), of which 92.05% were assigned to 26 pseudochromosomes in A and B sub-genomes. A phylogenetic analysis with the T. sagittata and other 16 plant genomes estimated the evolutionary placement of T. sagittata and its divergence time in Ranunculales. Further genome evolution analysis characterized one round tandem duplication about 1.5 million years ago (MYA) and one whole-genome duplication (WGD) about 86.9 MYA. WGD contributed to the duplication of clade-specific cytochrome P450 gene family in Ranunculales. Moreover, sequencing mining obtained genome-wide genes involved in the biosynthesis of alkaloids and terpenoids. TsA02G014550, one candidate, was functionally characterized to catalyze the formation of (S)-canadine in the jatrorrhizine biosynthetic pathway. Taken together, the assembled genome of T. sagittata provides useful sequences to understand the biosynthesis of jatrorrhizine and other BIAs in plants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Alami, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ouyang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lv, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gong, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Feng, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mei, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-07-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.20.549971</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. enhances identifying genes involved in the biosynthesis of jatrorrhizine]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-07-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551330v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of 4 testing arena sizes and 11 types of embryo media on sensorimotor behaviors in wild-type and chd7 mutant zebrafish larvae 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551330v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The larval zebrafish is a highly versatile model across research disciplines, and the expanding use of behavioral analysis has contributed to many advances in neuro-psychiatric, developmental, and toxicological studies, often through large-scale chemical and genetic screens. In the absence of standardized approaches to larval zebrafish behavior analysis, however, it is critical to understand the impact on behavior of experimental variables such as the size of testing arenas and the choice of embryo medium. Using a custom-built, modular high-throughput testing system, we examined the effects of 4 testing arena sizes and 11 types of embryo media on conserved sensorimotor behaviors in zebrafish larvae. Our data show that testing arena size impacts acoustic startle sensitivity and kinematics as well as spontaneous locomotion and thigmotaxis, with fish tested in larger arenas displaying reduced startle sensitivity and increased locomotion. We also find that embryo media can dramatically affect startle sensitivity, kinematics, habituation, and pre-pulse inhibition, as well as spontaneous swimming, turning, and overall activity. Common media components such as methylene blue and high calcium concentration consistently reduced startle sensitivity and locomotion. To further address how the choice of embryo medium can impact phenotype expression in zebrafish models of disease, we reared chd7 mutant larvae, a model of CHARGE syndrome with previously characterized morphological and behavioral phenotypes, in 5 different types of media and observed impacts on all phenotypes. By defining the effects of these key extrinsic factors on larval zebrafish behavior, these data can help researchers select the most appropriate conditions for their specific research questions, particularly for genetic and chemical screens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hodorovich, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, T. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burton, D. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neese, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bieler, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chudasama, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.31.551330</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of 4 testing arena sizes and 11 types of embryo media on sensorimotor behaviors in wild-type and chd7 mutant zebrafish larvae]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551367v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effect of diffusivity of amyloid beta monomers on the formation of senile plaques 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551367v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Alzheimers disease (AD) presents a perplexing question: why does its development span decades, even though individual amyloid beta (A{beta}) deposits (senile plaques) can form rapidly in as little as 24 hours, as recent publications suggest? This study investigated whether the formation of senile plaques can be limited by factors other than polymerization kinetics alone. Instead, their formation may be limited by the diffusion-driven supply of A{beta} monomers, along with the rate at which the monomers are produced from amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the rate at which A{beta} monomers undergo degradation. A mathematical model incorporating the nucleation and autocatalytic process (via the Finke-Watzky model), as well as A{beta} monomer diffusion, was proposed. The obtained system of partial differential equations was solved numerically, and a simplified version was investigated analytically. The computational results predicted that it takes approximately 7 years for A{beta} aggregates to reach a neurotoxic concentration of 50 M. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to examine how the diffusivity of A{beta} monomers and their production rate impact the concentration of A{beta} aggregates.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.31.551367</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effect of diffusivity of amyloid beta monomers on the formation of senile plaques]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551378v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The relationship between diet, plasma glucose, and cancer prevalence across vertebrates 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551378v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Could diet and mean plasma glucose concentration (MPGluC) explain the variation in cancer prevalence across species? We collected diet, MPGluC, and neoplasia data for 160 vertebrate species from existing databases. We found that MPGluC negatively correlates with cancer and neoplasia prevalence, mostly of gastrointestinal organs. Trophic level positively correlates with cancer and neoplasia prevalence even after controlling for species MPGluC. Most species with high MPGluC (50/78 species = 64.1%) were birds. Most species in high trophic levels (42/53 species = 79.2%) were reptiles and mammals. Our results may be explained by the evolution of insulin resistance in birds which selected for loss or downregulation of genes related to insulin-mediated glucose import in cells. This led to higher MPGluC, intracellular caloric restriction, production of fewer reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines, and longer telomeres contributing to longer longevity and lower neoplasia prevalence in extant birds relative to other vertebrates.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kapsetaki, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Basile, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Compton, Z. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rupp, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duke, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sweazea, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.31.551378</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The relationship between diet, plasma glucose, and cancer prevalence across vertebrates]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551392v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Blueberry and cranberry pangenomes as a resource for future genetic studies and breeding efforts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551392v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Domestication of cranberry and blueberry began in the United States in the early 1800s and 1900s, respectively, and in part owing to their flavors and health-promoting benefits are now cultivated and consumed worldwide. The industry continues to face a wide variety of production challenges (e.g. disease pressures) as well as a demand for higher-yielding cultivars with improved fruit quality characteristics. Unfortunately, molecular tools to help guide breeding efforts for these species have been relatively limited compared with those for other high-value crops. Here, we describe the construction and analysis of the first pangenome for both blueberry and cranberry. Our analysis of these pangenomes revealed both crops exhibit great genetic diversity, including the presence-absence variation of 48.4% genes in highbush blueberry and 47.0% genes in cranberry. Auxiliary genes, those not shared by all cultivars, are significantly enriched with molecular functions associated with disease resistance and the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites, including compounds previously associated with improving fruit quality traits. The discovery of thousands of genes, not present in the previous reference genomes for blueberry and cranberry, will serve as the basis of future research and as potential targets for future breeding efforts. The pangenome, as a multiple-sequence alignment, as well as individual annotated genomes, are publicly available for analysis on the Genome Database for Vaccinium - a curated and integrated web-based relational database. Lastly, the core-gene predictions from the pangenomes will serve useful to develop a community genotyping platform to guide future molecular breeding efforts across the family.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yocca, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Platts, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alger, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teresi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mengist, M. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benevenuto, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felipe V. Ferrao, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobs, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Babinski, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magallanes-Lundback, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bayer, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Golicz, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Humann, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Main, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Espley, R. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chagne, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Albert, N. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montanari, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vorsa, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polashock, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diaz-Garcia, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zalapa, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bassil, N. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munoz, P. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iorizzo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edger, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.07.31.551392</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Blueberry and cranberry pangenomes as a resource for future genetic studies and breeding efforts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.01.551346v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Combined kinome inhibition states are predictive of cancer cell line sensitivity to kinase inhibitor combination therapies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.01.551346v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Protein kinases are a primary focus in targeted therapy development for cancer, owing to their role as regulators in nearly all areas of cell life. Kinase inhibitors are one of the fastest growing drug classes in oncology, but resistance acquisition to kinase-targeting monotherapies is inevitable due to the dynamic and interconnected nature of the kinome in response to perturbation. Recent strategies targeting the kinome with combination therapies have shown promise, such as the approval of Trametinib and Dabrafenib in advanced melanoma, but similar empirical combination design for less characterized pathways remains a challenge. Computational combination screening is an attractive alternative, allowing in-silico screening prior to in-vitro or in-vivo testing of drastically fewer leads, increasing efficiency and effectiveness of drug development pipelines. In this work, we generate combined kinome inhibition states of 40,000 kinase inhibitor combinations from kinobeads-based kinome profiling across 64 doses. We then integrated these with baseline transcriptomics from CCLE to build robust machine learning models to predict cell line sensitivity from NCI-ALMANAC across nine cancer types, with model accuracy R2 [~] 0.75-0.9 after feature selection using elastic-net regression. We further validated the models ability to extend to real-world examples by using the best-performing breast cancer model to generate predictions for kinase inhibitor combination sensitivity and synergy in a PDX-derived TNBC cell line and saw reasonable global accuracy in our experimental validation (R2 [~] 0.7) as well as high accuracy in predicting synergy using four popular metrics (R2 [~] 0.9). Additionally, the model was able to predict a highly synergistic combination of Trametinib (MEK inhibitor) and Omipalisib (PI3K inhibitor) for TNBC treatment, which incidentally was recently in phase I clinical trials for TNBC. Our choice of tree-based models over networks for greater interpretability also allowed us to further interrogate which specific kinases were highly predictive of cell sensitivity in each cancer type, and we saw confirmatory strong predictive power in the inhibition of MAPK, CDK, and STK kinases. Overall, these results suggest that kinome inhibition states of kinase inhibitor combinations are strongly predictive of cell line responses and have great potential for integration into computational drug screening pipelines. This approach may facilitate the identification of effective kinase inhibitor combinations and accelerate the development of novel cancer therapies, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Joisa, C. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berginski, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beville, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stuhlmiller, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okumu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Golitz, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.01.551346</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Combined kinome inhibition states are predictive of cancer cell line sensitivity to kinase inhibitor combination therapies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.06.552190v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
RACER-m Leverages Structural Features for Sparse T Cell Specificity Prediction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.06.552190v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Reliable prediction of T cell specificity against antigenic signatures is a formidable task, complicated primarily by the immense diversity of T cell receptor and antigen sequence space and the resulting limited availability of training sets for inferential models. Recent modeling efforts have demonstrated the advantage of incorporating structural information to overcome the need for extensive training sequence data, yet disentangling the heterogeneous TCR-antigen structural interface to accurately predict the MHC-allele-restricted TCR-peptide binding interactions remained challenging. Here, we present RACER-m, a coarse-grained structural template model leveraging key biophysical information from the diversity of publicly available TCR-antigen crystal structures. We find explicit inclusion of structural content substantially reduces the required number of training examples for reliable prediction of TCR-recognition specificity and sensitivity across diverse biological contexts. We demonstrate that our structural model capably identifies biophysically meaningful point-mutants that affect overall binding affinity, distinguishing its ability in predicting TCR specificity of point mutants peptides from alternative sequence-based methods. Collectively, our approach combines biophysical and inferential learning-based methods to predict TCR-peptide binding events using sparse training data. Its application is broadly applicable to studies involving both closely-related and structurally diverse TCR-peptide pairs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chau, K. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Onuchic, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levine, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>George, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.06.552190</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[RACER-m Leverages Structural Features for Sparse T Cell Specificity Prediction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.13.553123v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Germline mutation rate predicts cancer mortality across 37 vertebrate species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.13.553123v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The explanation for why some species are more susceptible to cancer than others remains an area of intense investigation. Cancer evolves in part through the accumulation of mutations and, therefore, we hypothesized that germline mutation rates would be associated with cancer prevalence and mortality across species. We collected previously published data on germline mutation rate and cancer mortality data for 37 vertebrate species. Germline mutation rate was positively correlated with cancer mortality (P = 0.008). Why animals with increased germline mutation rates die more from cancer remains an open question, however they may benefit from close monitoring for tumors due to hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes. Early diagnoses of cancer in these species may increase their chances of treatment and overall survival.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kapsetaki, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Compton, Z. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mellon, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vincze, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giraudeau, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abegglen, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiffman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.13.553123</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Germline mutation rate predicts cancer mortality across 37 vertebrate species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.14.553264v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Season, not long-term warming, affects the relationship between ecosystem function and microbial diversity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.14.553264v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
1Across biomes, soil biodiversity promotes ecosystem functions. However, whether this relationship will be maintained under climate change is uncertain. Here, using two long-term soil warming experiments, we investigated how warming affects the relationship between ecosystem functions and bacterial diversity across seasons, soil horizons, and warming duration. Soils were sampled from these warming experiments located at the Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, where soils had been heated +5 {degrees}C above ambient for 13 or 28 years at the time of sampling. We assessed seven measurements representative of different ecosystem functions and nutrient pools. We also surveyed bacterial community diversity. We found that ecosystem function was significantly affected by season, with autumn samples having higher function than summer samples. The effect of warming on bacterial diversity was similarly affected by season, where warming in the summer was associated with decreased bacterial evenness in the organic horizon. Despite the decreased bacterial diversity in the warmed plots, we found that the relationship between ecosystem function and bacterial diversity was unaffected by warming or warming duration. Our findings highlight that season is a consistent driver of ecosystem function as well as a modulator of climate change effects on bacterial community diversity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shinfuku, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Domeignoz-Horta, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choudoir, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frey, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeAngelis, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.14.553264</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Season, not long-term warming, affects the relationship between ecosystem function and microbial diversity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.16.553550v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Automated, high-throughput quantification of EGFP-expressing neutrophils in zebrafish by machine learning and a highly-parallelized microscope 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.16.553550v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Normal development of the immune system is essential for overall health and disease resistance. Bony fish, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio), possess all the major immune cell lineages as mammals and can be employed to model human host response to immune challenge. Zebrafish neutrophils, for example, are present in the transparent larvae as early as 48 hours post fertilization and have been examined in numerous infection and immunotoxicology reports. One significant advantage of the zebrafish model is the ability to affordably generate high numbers of individual larvae that can be arrayed in multi-well plates for high throughput genetic and chemical exposure screens. However, traditional workflows for imaging individual larvae have been limited to low-throughput studies using traditional microscopes and manual analyses. Using a newly developed, parallelized microscope, the Multi-Camera Array Microscope (MCAM), we have optimized a rapid, high-resolution algorithmic method to count fluorescently labeled cells in zebrafish larvae in vivo. Using transgenic zebrafish larvae, in which neutrophils express EGFP, we captured 18 gigapixels of images across a full 96-well plate, in 75 seconds, and processed the resulting datastream, counting individual fluorescent neutrophils in all individual larvae in 5 minutes. This automation is facilitated by a machine learning segmentation algorithm that defines the most in-focus view of each larva in each well after which pixel intensity thresholding and blob detection are employed to locate and count fluorescent cells. We validated this method by comparing algorithmic neutrophil counts to manual counts in larvae subjected to changes in neutrophil numbers, demonstrating the utility of this approach for high-throughput genetic and chemical screens where a change in neutrophil number is an endpoint metric. Using the MCAM we have been able to, within minutes, acquire both enough data to create an automated algorithm and execute a biological experiment with statistical significance. Finally, we present this open-source software package which allows the user to train and evaluate a custom machine learning segmentation model and use it to localize zebrafish and analyze cell counts within the segmented region of interest. This software can be modified as needed for studies involving other zebrafish cell lineages using different transgenic reporter lines and can also be adapted for studies using other amenable model species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Efromson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferrero, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Begue, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doman, T. J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dugo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saliu, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reamey, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harfouche, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoder, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.16.553550</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Automated, high-throughput quantification of EGFP-expressing neutrophils in zebrafish by machine learning and a highly-parallelized microscope]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.18.553877v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The role of heterochronic gene expression and regulatory architecture in early developmental divergence 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.18.553877v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
New developmental programs can evolve through adaptive changes to gene expression. The annelid Streblospio benedicti has a developmental dimorphism, which provides a unique intraspecific framework for understanding the earliest genetic changes that take place during developmental divergence. Using comparative RNAseq through ontogeny, we find that only a small proportion of genes are differentially expressed at any time, despite major differences in larval development and life-history. These genes shift expression profiles across morphs by either turning off any expression in one morph or changing the timing or amount of gene expression. We directly connect the contributions of these mechanisms to differences in developmental processes. We examine F1 offspring-- using reciprocal crosses-- to determine maternal mRNA inheritance and the regulatory architecture of gene expression. These results highlight the importance of both novel gene expression and heterochronic shifts in developmental evolution, as well as the trans-acting regulatory factors in initiating divergence.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harry, N. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zakas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.18.553877</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The role of heterochronic gene expression and regulatory architecture in early developmental divergence]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.18.553936v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Longevity Bottlenecks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.18.553936v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The longevity field has received an influx of capital and talent over the past 5 years, but it is unclear where directing these resources would result in the biggest positive impact. We aimed to establish a systematic, rigorous and unbiased way to identify the areas where increased investment would accelerate progress across the whole longevity field the most. To do so, we surveyed [~]400 participants across various sectors of longevity, asking them to 1) identify the major bottlenecks they are experiencing, 2) list their most needed solution, and 3) rate the potential efficacy and barriers to development of various aging intervention strategies. We built a classification system of Bottlenecks and Solutions based on grouping related answers and found the most frequently listed bottlenecks to be 1) lack of validated aging biomarkers; 2) an overall lack of funding; and 3) lack of good models for aging studies. Surprisingly, the most wanted solution was greater availability of large public datasets. Indeed, a common theme across all answers was the need for a new data-centric structure of scientific research, where large datasets are routinely gathered and made available, access walls are removed, protocols are standardized, negative and unpublished data are shared, and AI systems are released on the data for automated discovery. Finally, a lack of regulatory clarity was listed as the biggest barrier to development across all interventions, whereas cellular reprogramming, organ replacement, and genetic medicine (gene therapies and gene editing) were perceived as the intervention strategies with the highest potential for increasing healthy lifespan. We provide these data as a resource for funding agencies, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and newcomers to the field as a means to identify high impact areas to fund and work on.

Key takeawaysO_LI395 Participants were surveyed for their biggest bottlenecks and most needed solutions
C_LIO_LITop Bottlenecks: lack of Validated Biomarkers; Overall lack of Funding and Slow & Expensive Models.
C_LIO_LITop proposed Solutions: more Public Datasets; improved Regulatory Path; and Overall More Funding.
C_LIO_LIBottlenecks and Solutions vary substantially across industry areas.
C_LIO_LIRapamycin and calorie restriction are perceived as the most efficacious interventions in the near term.
C_LIO_LISomatic reprogramming, organ replacement, and genetic medicine are perceived as the most efficacious interventions in the long term (25 years).
C_LIO_LISirtuin and NAD targeting therapies are seen as the least efficacious interventions in all time-frames.
C_LIO_LIAcross all interventions, Regulatory Issues are perceived as the most severely inhibiting factor in the development of the intervention.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Florea, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamalainen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seebold, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murray, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colville, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ingham, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kantelal, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Sicilia, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.18.553936</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Longevity Bottlenecks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.19.553731v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Regulatory variation controlling architectural pleiotropy in maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.19.553731v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An early event in plant organogenesis is establishment of a boundary between the meristem and differentiating lateral organ. In maize (Zea mays), evidence suggests a common gene network functions at boundaries of distinct organs and contributes to pleiotropy between leaf angle and tassel branch number, two agronomic traits. To uncover regulatory variation at the nexus of these two traits, we used regulatory network topologies derived from specific developmental contexts to guide multivariate genome-wide association analyses. In addition to defining network plasticity around core pleiotropic loci, we identified new transcription factors that contribute to phenotypic variation in canopy architecture, and structural variation that contributes to cis-regulatory control of pleiotropy between tassel branching and leaf angle across maize diversity. Results demonstrate the power of informing statistical genetics with context-specific developmental networks to pinpoint pleiotropic loci and their cis-regulatory components, which can be used to fine-tune plant architecture for crop improvement.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bertolini, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rice, B. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Braud, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hake, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strable, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lipka, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eveland, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.19.553731</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Regulatory variation controlling architectural pleiotropy in maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.22.554364v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Morphological hallmarks of dopaminergic neurodegeneration are associated with altered neuron function in Caenorhabditis elegans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.22.554364v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an excellent model system to study neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinsons disease, as it enables analysis of both neuron morphology and function in live animals. Multiple structural changes in neurons, such as cephalic dendrite morphological abnormalities, have been considered hallmarks of neurodegeneration in this model, but their relevance to changes in neuron function are not entirely clear. We sought to test whether hallmark morphological changes associated with chemically induced dopaminergic neuron degeneration, such as dendrite blebbing, breakage, and loss, are indicative of neuronal malfunction and result in changes in behavior. We adapted an established dopaminergic neuronal function assay by measuring paralysis in the presence of exogenous dopamine, which revealed clear differences between cat-2 dopamine deficient mutants, wildtype worms, and dat-1 dopamine abundant mutants. Next, we integrated an automated image processing algorithm and a microfluidic device to segregate worm populations by their cephalic dendrite morphologies. We show that nematodes with dopaminergic dendrite degeneration markers, such as blebbing or breakage, paralyze at higher rates in a dopamine solution, providing evidence that dopaminergic neurodegeneration morphologies are correlated with functional neuronal outputs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clark, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huayta, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morton, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyer, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San-Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.22.554364</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Morphological hallmarks of dopaminergic neurodegeneration are associated with altered neuron function in Caenorhabditis elegans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.25.554910v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic insights into post-domestication expansion and selection of body size in ponies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.25.554910v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Horses domestication revolutionized human civilization by changing transportation, farming, and warfare patterns. Despite extensive studies on modern domestic horse origins, the intricate demographic history and genetic signatures of pony size demand further exploration. Here, we present a high-quality genome of the Chinese Debao pony and extensively analyzed 385 individuals from 49 horse breeds. We reveal the conservation of ancient components in East Asian horses and close relationships between Asian horses and specific European pony lineages. Genetic analysis uncovers Asian paternal origin for European pony breeds, and these pony-sized horses share a close genetic affinity due to the presence of a potential ancestral ghost pony population. Additionally, we identify promising cis-regulatory elements influencing horse withers height by regulating genes like RFLNA and FOXO1. Overall, our study provides insightful perspectives into the development history and genetic determinants underlying body size in ponies and offers broader implications for horse population management and improvement.

TeaserDecoding pony genetics: exploring origins and size determinants sheds light on their historical and biological impacts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teng, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yuan, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cao, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choudhury, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bao, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-08-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.25.554910</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic insights into post-domestication expansion and selection of body size in ponies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-08-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.29.555332v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metagenomic analysis of the honey bee queen microbiome reveals low bacterial diversity and Caudoviricetes phages 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.29.555332v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In eusocial insects, the health of the queens - the colony founders and sole reproductive females - is a primary determinant for colony success. Queen failure in the honey bee Apis mellifera, for example, is a major concern of beekeepers that annually suffer with colony losses, necessitating a greater knowledge of queen health. Several studies on the microbiome of honey bees have characterized its diversity and shown its importance for the health of worker bees, the female non-reproductive caste. However, the microbiome of workers differs from that of queens, which in comparison is still poorly studied. Thus, direct investigations of the queen microbiome are required to understand colony-level microbiome assembly, functional roles, and evolution. Here we used metagenomics to comprehensively characterize the honey bee queen microbiome. Comparing samples from different geographic locations and breeder sources, we show that the microbiome of queens is mostly shaped by the environment experienced since early life, and is predicted to play roles in breakdown of the diet, and protection from pathogens and xenobiotics. We also reveal the microbiome of queens comprises only four core bacterial species, Apilactobacillus kunkeei, Lactobacillus apis, Bombella apis and Commensalibacter sp. Interestingly, in addition to bacteria, we show that bacteriophages infect the queen microbiome, for which Lactobacillaceae are predicted to be the main reservoirs. Together, our results provide the basis to understand the honey bee colony microbiome assemblage, can guide improvements in queen rearing processes, and highlight the importance of bacteriophages for queen microbiome health and microbiome homeostasis in eusocial insects.

ImportanceThe queen caste plays a central role for colony success in eusocial insects, as queens lay eggs, and regulate colony behavior and development. Queen failure can cause colonies to collapse, which is one of the major concerns of beekeepers. Thus, understanding of the biology behind the queens health is a pressing issue. Previous studies have shown the bee microbiome plays an important role in worker bee health, but little is known about the queen microbiome and its function in vivo. Here, we characterized the queen microbiome identifying for the first time present species and their putative functions. We show that the queen microbiome have predicted nutritional and protective roles in queen association, and comprises only four consistently present bacterial species. Additionally, we bring to attention the spread of phages in the queen microbiome, which increased in abundance in failing queens and may impact the fate of the colony.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Caesar, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rice, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Underwood, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>J Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newton, I. L. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.29.555332</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metagenomic analysis of the honey bee queen microbiome reveals low bacterial diversity and Caudoviricetes phages]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.31.555743v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Advances in genomic characterization of Urochloa humidicola: exploring polyploid inheritance and apomixis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.31.555743v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tropical forage grasses are an important food source for animal feeding, with Urochloa humidicola, also known as Koronivia grass, being one of the main pasture grasses for poorly drained soils in the tropics. However, genetic and genomic resources for this species are lacking due to its genomic complexity, including high heterozygosity, evidence of segmental allopolyploidy, and reproduction by apomixis. These complexities hinder the application of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding programs. Here, we developed the highest-density linkage map currently available for the hexaploid tropical forage grass U. humidicola. This map was constructed using a biparental F1 population generated from a cross between the female parent H031 (CIAT 26146), the only known sexual genotype for the species, and the apomictic male parent H016 (BRS cv. Tupi). The linkage analysis included 4,873 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with allele dosage information. It allowed mapping of the apospory locus and phenotype to linkage group 3, in a region syntenic with chromosome 3 of Urochloa ruziziensis and chromosome 1 of Setaria italica. We also identified hexaploid haplotypes for all individuals, assessed the meiotic configuration, and estimated the level of preferential pairing in parents during the meiotic process, which revealed the autopolyploid origin of sexual H031 in contrast to H016, which presented allopolyploid behavior in preferential pairing analysis. These results provide new information regarding the genetic organization, mode of reproduction, and allopolyploid origin of U. humidicola, potential SNPs markers associated to apomixes for MAS and resources for research on polyploids and tropical forage grasses.

Key messageWe present the highest-density genetic map for the hexaploid Urochloa humidicola. SNP markers expose genetic organization, reproduction, and species origin, aiding polyploid and tropical forage research.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Moraes, A. d. C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferreira, R. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aono, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lara, L. A. d. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pessoa-Filho, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrios, S. C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, A. A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>do Valle, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Souza, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vigna, B. B. Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.08.31.555743</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Advances in genomic characterization of Urochloa humidicola: exploring polyploid inheritance and apomixis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.01.555938v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Fish Fillet Using Non-Targeted Analyses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.01.555938v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals that are persistent and highly stable in the environment. Fish consumption has been identified as a key route of PFAS exposure for humans. However, routine fish monitoring targets only a handful of PFAS, and non-targeted analyses have largely only evaluated fish from heavily PFAS-impacted waters. Here, we evaluated PFAS in fish fillets from recreational and drinking water sources in central North Carolina to assess whether PFAS are present in these fillets that would not be detected by conventional targeted methods. We used liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, and mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS) to collect full scan feature data, performed suspect screening using an in-house library of 100 PFAS for high confidence feature identification, searched for additional PFAS features using non-targeted data analyses, and quantified perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in the fillet samples. A total of 36 PFAS were detected in the fish fillets, including 19 that would not be detected using common targeted methods, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 22 in individual fish. Median fillet PFOS levels were concerningly high at 11.6 to 42.3 ppb, and no significant correlation between PFOS levels and number of PFAS per fish was observed. Future PFAS monitoring in this region should target more of these 36 PFAS, and other regions not considered heavily PFAS contaminated should consider incorporating non-targeted analyses into ongoing fish monitoring studies.

SYNOPSISConcerningly high PFOS levels were detected in fish fillets from recreational and drinking water sources in central North Carolina. Of the 36 total PFAS identified, 19 would not be detected using routine targeted monitoring methods.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=109 SRC="FIGDIR/small/555938v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Boatman, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chappel, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polera, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dodds, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.01.555938</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Fish Fillet Using Non-Targeted Analyses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.01.556001v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The role of fruitless in specifying courtship behaviors differs across Drosophila species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.01.556001v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sex-specific behaviors are critical for reproduction and species survival. The sex-specifically spliced transcription factor fruitless (fru) helps establish male courtship behaviors in invertebrates. Forcing male-specific fru (fruM) splicing in Drosophila melanogaster females produces male-typical behaviors, while disrupting female-specific behaviors. However, whether frus joint role in specifying male and inhibiting female behaviors is conserved across species is unknown. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to force FruM expression in female D. virilis, a species in which males and females produce sex-specific songs. In contrast to D. melanogaster, in which one fruM allele is sufficient to generate male behaviors in females, two alleles are needed in D. virilis females. D. virilis females expressing FruM maintain the ability to sing female-typical song as well as lay eggs, whereas D. melanogaster FruM females cannot lay eggs. These results reveal important differences in fru function between divergent species and underscore the importance of studying diverse behaviors and species for understanding the genetic basis of sex differences.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baker, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guan, X.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murthy, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.01.556001</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The role of fruitless in specifying courtship behaviors differs across Drosophila species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.06.556597v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Distilling Mechanistic Models From Multi-Omics Data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.06.556597v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
High-dimensional multi-omics data sets are increasingly accessible and now routinely being generated as part of medical and biological experiments. However, the ability to infer mechanisms of these data remains low due to the abundance of confounding data. The gap between data generation and interpretation highlights the need for strategies to harmonize and distill complex multi-omics data sets into concise, mechanistic descriptions. To this end, a four-step analysis approach for multiomics data is herein demonstrated, comprising: filling missing data and harmonizing data sources, inducing sparsity, developing mechanistic models, and interpretation. This strategy is employed to generate a parsimonious mechanistic model from high-dimensional transcriptomics and metabolomics data collected from a murine model of Clostridioides difficile infection. This approach highlighted the role of the Stickland reactor in the production of toxins during infection, in agreement with recent literature. The methodology present here is demonstrated to be feasible for interpreting multi-omics data sets and it, to the authors knowledge, one of the first reports of a successful implementation of such a strategy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Erwin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fletcher, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sweeney, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lanzas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.06.556597</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Distilling Mechanistic Models From Multi-Omics Data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/204420v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Barriers to Integration of Bioinformatics into Undergraduate Life Sciences Education 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/204420v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bioinformatics, a discipline that combines aspects of biology, statistics, and computer science, is increasingly important for biological research. However, bioinformatics instruction is rarely integrated into life sciences curricula at the undergraduate level. To understand why, the Network for Integrating Bioinformatics into Life Sciences Education (NIBLSE, "nibbles") recently undertook an extensive survey of life sciences faculty in the United States. The survey responses to open-ended questions about barriers to integration were subjected to keyword analysis. The barrier most frequently reported by the ~1,260 respondents was lack of faculty training. Faculty at associates-granting institutions report the least training in bioinformatics and the least integration of bioinformatics into their teaching. Faculty from underrepresented minority groups (URMs) in STEM reported training barriers at a higher rate than others, although the number of URM respondents was small. Interestingly, the cohort of faculty with the most recently awarded PhD degrees reported the most training but were teaching bioinformatics at a lower rate than faculty who earned their degrees in previous decades. Other barriers reported included lack of student interest in bioinformatics; lack of student preparation in mathematics, statistics, and computer science; already overly full curricula; and limited access to resources, including hardware, software, and vetted teaching materials. The results of the survey, the largest to date on bioinformatics education, will guide efforts to further integrate bioinformatics instruction into undergraduate life sciences education.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Williams, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drew, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galindo-Gonzalez, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robic, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinsdale, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morgan, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Triplett, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burnette, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donovan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elgin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fowlks, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goodman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grandgenett, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goller, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hauser, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jungck, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearson, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ryder, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson Sayres, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sierk, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tosado-Acevedo, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tapprich, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tobin, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toro-Martinez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Welch, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ebenbach, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McWilliams, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosenwald, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pauley, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-10-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/204420</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Barriers to Integration of Bioinformatics into Undergraduate Life Sciences Education]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-10-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/220004v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Basic Reproductive Number for Disease Systems with Multiple Coupled Heterogeneities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/220004v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In mathematical epidemiology, a well-known formula describes the impact of heterogeneity on the basic reproductive number, R0, for situations in which transmission is separable and for which there is one source of variation in susceptibility and one source of variation in infectiousness. This formula is written in terms of the magnitudes of the heterogeneities, as quantified by their coefficients of variation, and the correlation between them. A natural question to ask is whether analogous results apply when there are multiple sources of variation in susceptibility and/or infectiousness. In this paper we demonstrate that with three or more coupled heterogeneities, R0 under separable transmission depends on details of the distribution of the heterogeneities in a way that is not seen in the well-known simpler situation. We provide explicit formulae for the cases of multivariate normal and multivariate log-normal distributions, showing that R0 can again be expressed in terms of the magnitudes of the heterogeneities and the pairwise correlations between them. The formulae, however, differ between the two multivariate distributions, demonstrating that no formula of this type applies generally when there are three or more coupled heterogeneities. We see that the results of the formulae are approximately equal when heterogeneities are relatively small and show that an earlier result in the literature (Koella, 1991) should be viewed in this light. We provide numerical illustrations of our results and discuss a setting in which coupled heterogeneities are likely to have a major impact on the value of R0. We also describe a rather surprising result: in a system with three heterogeneities, R0 can exhibit non-monotonic behavior with increasing levels of heterogeneity, in marked contrast to the familiar two heterogeneity setting in which R0 either increases or decreases with increasing heterogeneity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kitron, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkins, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vazquez Prokopec, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Waller, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-11-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/220004</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Basic Reproductive Number for Disease Systems with Multiple Coupled Heterogeneities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-11-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/221499v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Simple statistical identification and removal of contaminant sequences in marker-gene and metagenomics data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/221499v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundThe accuracy of microbial community surveys based on marker-gene and metagenomic sequencing (MGS) suffers from the presence of contaminants -- DNA sequences not truly present in the sample. Contaminants come from various sources, including reagents. Appropriate laboratory practices can reduce contamination, but do not eliminate it. Here we introduce decontam (https://github.com/benjjneb/decontam), an open-source R package that implements a statistical classification procedure that identifies contaminants in MGS data based on two widely reproduced patterns: contaminants appear at higher frequencies in low-concentration samples, and are often found in negative controls.nnResultsdecontam classified amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) in a human oral dataset consistently with prior microscopic observations of the microbial taxa inhabiting that environment and previous reports of contaminant taxa. In metagenomics and marker-gene measurements of a dilution series, decontam substantially reduced technical variation arising from different sequencing protocols. The application of decontam to two recently published datasets corroborated and extended their conclusions that little evidence existed for an indigenous placenta microbiome, and that some low-frequency taxa seemingly associated with preterm birth were contaminants.nnConclusionsdecontam improves the quality of metagenomic and marker-gene sequencing by identifying and removing contaminant DNA sequences. decontam integrates easily with existing MGS workflows, and allows researchers to generate more accurate profiles of microbial communities at little to no additional cost.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Davis, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Proctor, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmes, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Relman, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-11-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/221499</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Simple statistical identification and removal of contaminant sequences in marker-gene and metagenomics data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-11-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/222364v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bacterial adaptation to host diet is a key evolutionary force shaping host-microbe symbiosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/222364v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Life on Earth was dominated by bacteria for billions of years1. About 600 million years ago, animal life emerged and micro-organisms played a crucial role in shaping animal development, physiology and evolution2-4. The two partners committed to a symbiotic relationship that persists in nearly all animals today. Such beneficial interactions are pervasive throughout nature and have been extensively characterized5,6. However, the ecological and evolutionary forces that drive the emergence and evolution of the symbiont benefits to their animal hosts remain largely elusive. Here we show that the host nutritional environment, instead of the host, is a predominant driving force in this evolutionary process and we identify a mechanism resulting from the bacterial adaptation to the diet, which confers improved functional benefit to the host. By applying experimental evolution to a model of host-bacteria beneficial symbiosis: Drosophila melanogaster associated with Lactobacillus plantarum, one of its growth promoting symbiotic bacteria7,8, we found that the de novo mutations in the same acetate kinase (ackA) locus invariably emerge first, rapidly become fixed, and such evolution occurs with or without the host. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ackA mutations trigger the increased production of N-acetyl-glutamine, which is sufficient to confer improved host growth capabilities to the evolved bacterial strains. Our study therefore identifies a specific mechanism by which a symbiotic bacterium increases its benefit to its animal host and reveals that adaptation to the host diet is a foremost step in the determination of the evolutionary course of symbiosis between an animal and its gut microbes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Martino, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joncour, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leenay, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gervais, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shaw, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hughes, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillet, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leulier, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-11-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/222364</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bacterial adaptation to host diet is a key evolutionary force shaping host-microbe symbiosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-11-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/233296v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic heritability estimates in sweet cherry reveal non-additive genetic variance is relevant for industry-prioritized traits 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/233296v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundSweet cherry is consumed widely across the world and provides substantial economic benefits in regions where it is grown. While cherry breeding has been conducted in the Pacific Northwest for over half a century, little is known about the genetic architecture of important traits. We used a genome-enabled mixed model to predict the genetic performance of 505 individuals for 32 phenological, disease response and fruit quality traits evaluated in the RosBREED sweet cherry crop data set. Genome-wide predictions were estimated using a repeated measures model for phenotypic data across 3 years, incorporating additive, dominance and epistatic variance components. Genomic relationship matrices were constructed with high-density SNP data and were used to estimate relatedness and account for incomplete replication across years.nnResultsHigh broad-sense heritabilities of 0.83, 0.77, and 0.75 were observed for days to maturity, firmness, and fruit weight, respectively. Epistatic variance exceeded 40% of the total genetic variance for maturing timing, firmness and powdery mildew response. Dominance variance was the largest for fruit weight and fruit size at 34% and 27%, respectively. Omission of non-additive sources of genetic variance from the genetic mode resulted in inflation of narrow-sense heritability but minimally influenced prediction accuracy of genetic values in validation. Predicted genetic rankings of individuals from single-year models were inconsistent across years, likely due to incomplete sampling of the population genetic variance.nnConclusionsPredicted breeding values and genetic values a measure revealed many high-performing individuals for use as parents and the most promising selections to advance for cultivar release consideration, respectively. This study highlights the importance of using the appropriate genetic model for calculating breeding values to avoid inflation of expected parental contribution to genetic gain. The genomic predictions obtained will enable breeders to efficiently leverage the genetic potential of North American sweet cherry germplasm by identifying high quality individuals more rapidly than with phenotypic data alone.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Piaskowski, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hardner, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iezzoni, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peace, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-12-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/233296</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic heritability estimates in sweet cherry reveal non-additive genetic variance is relevant for industry-prioritized traits]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-12-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/245290v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A metaproteomics method to determine carbon sources and assimilation pathways of species in microbial communities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/245290v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Measurements of the carbon stable isotope ratio ({delta}13C) are widely used in biology to address major questions regarding food sources and metabolic pathways used by organisms. Measurement of these so called stable carbon isotope fingerprints (SIFs) for microbes involved in biogeochemical cycling and microbiota of plants and animals have led to major discoveries in environmental microbiology. Currently, obtaining SIFs for microbial communities is challenging as the available methods either only provide limited taxonomic resolution, such as with the use of lipid biomarkers, or are limited in throughput, such as NanoSIMS imaging of single cells.nnHere we present "direct Protein-SIF" and the Calis-p software package (https://sourceforge.net/projects/calis-p/), which enable high-throughput measurements of accurate {delta}13C values for individual species within a microbial community. We benchmark the method using 20 pure culture microorganisms and show that the method reproducibly provides SIF values consistent with gold standard bulk measurements performed with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Using mock community samples, we show that SIF values can also be obtained for individual species within a microbial community. Finally, a case study of an obligate bacteria-animal symbiosis showed that direct Protein-SIF confirms previous physiological hypotheses and can provide unexpected new insights into the symbionts metabolism. This confirms the usefulness of this new approach to accurately determine {delta}13C values for different species in microbial community samples.nnSignificanceTo understand the roles that microorganisms play in diverse environments such as the open ocean and the human intestinal tract, we need an understanding of their metabolism and physiology. A variety of methods such as metagenomics and metaproteomics exist to assess the metabolism of environmental microorganisms based on gene content and gene expression. These methods often only provide indirect evidence for which substrates are used by a microorganism in a community. The direct Protein-SIF method that we developed allows linking microbial species in communities to the environmental carbon sources they consume by determining their stable carbon isotope signature. Direct Protein-SIF also allows assessing which carbon fixation pathway is used by autotrophic microorganisms that directly assimilate CO2.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dong, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinzke, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wippler, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thorson, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mayer, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strous, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-01-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/245290</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A metaproteomics method to determine carbon sources and assimilation pathways of species in microbial communities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-01-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/262683v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A folded viral noncoding RNA blocks host cell exoribonucleases through programmed remodeling of RNA structure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/262683v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Folded RNA elements that block processive 5'[-&gt;]3' cellular exoribonucleases (xrRNAs) to produce biologically active viral non-coding RNAs were discovered in flaviviruses, potentially revealing a new mode of RNA maturation. However, it was unknown if this RNA structure-dependent mechanism exists elsewhere and if so, whether a singular RNA fold is required. Here, we demonstrate the existence of authentic RNA structure-dependent xrRNAs in dianthoviruses, plant-infecting viruses unrelated to animal-infecting flaviviruses. These novel xrRNAs have no sequence similarity to known xrRNAs, thus we used a combination of biochemistry and virology to characterize their sequence requirements and mechanism of stopping exoribonucleases. By solving the structure of a dianthovirus xrRNAs by x-ray crystallography, we reveal a complex fold that is very different from the flavivirus xrRNAs. However, both versions of xrRNAs contain a unique topological feature that is created by a different set of intramolecular contacts; this may be a defining structural feature of xrRNAs. Remarkably, the dianthovirus xrRNA can use  co-degradational remodeling, exploiting the exoribonucleases degradation-linked helicase activity to help form their resistant structure; such a mechanism has not previously been reported. Convergent evolution has created RNA structure-dependent exoribonuclease resistance in different contexts, which establishes it as a general RNA maturation mechanism and defines xrRNAs as an authentic functional class of RNAs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Steckelberg, A.-L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akiyama, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Costantino, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sit, T. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nix, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kieft, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-02-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/262683</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A folded viral noncoding RNA blocks host cell exoribonucleases through programmed remodeling of RNA structure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-02-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/264010v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
PAGE4 and Conformational Switching: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Implications for Prostate Cancer 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/264010v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Prostate-Associated Gene 4 (PAGE4) is a disordered protein implicated in the progression of prostate cancer. PAGE4 can be phosphorylated at two residue sites by Homeodomain-Interacting Protein Kinase 1 (HIPK1) to facilitate its binding to the Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor. In contrast, a further hyperphosphorylation of PAGE4 by CDC-Like Kinase 2 (CLK2) reduces its binding affinity to AP-1, thus affecting the androgen receptor (AR) activity. Both SAXS and smFRET experiments have shown a structural expansion of PAGE4 upon hyperphosphorylation and a significant increase in size at its N-terminal half than that at its C-terminus. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying this structural transition, we performed a series of constant temperature molecular dynamics simulations using Atomistic AWSEM -- a multi-scale molecular model combining detailed atomistic and coarse-grained simulation approaches. Our simulations show that electrostatic interaction drives a transient formation of an N-terminal loop, which causes the change in size for different phosphorylated forms of PAGE4. Phosphorylation also changes the preference of secondary structure formation of PAGE4, which signifies a transition between states that display different degree of disorder. Finally, we construct a mechanism-based mathematical model that allows us to capture the interactions of different forms of PAGE4 with AP-1 and AR, a key therapeutic target in prostate cancer. Our model predicts intracellular oscillatory dynamics of HIPK1-PAGE4, CLK2-PAGE4 and AR activity, indicating phenotypic heterogeneity in an isogenic cell population. Thus, conformational switching among different forms of PAGE4 may potentially affect the efficiency of therapeutic targeting of AR.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jolly, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bocci, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schafer, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tsai, M.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kulkarni, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Orban, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grishaev, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weninger, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rangarajan, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levine, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Onuchic, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-02-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/264010</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[PAGE4 and Conformational Switching: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Implications for Prostate Cancer]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-02-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/274571v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Cross-Platform Comparison of Student’s Perceptions of the Learning Environment in an Introductory Microbiology Course 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/274571v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AbstractStudents positive perceptions of the learning environment increase retention and persistence in STEM disciplines. This study presents results from a Learning Environment Questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the semester in a redesigned general/introductory microbiology course offered in traditional lecture, flipped and online sections. Split-sample t-tests and chi-squared tests were used for cross-section and within section analyses, respectively. The findings support the study hypothesis that student perceptions of the learning environment will vary as a function of platform. This work demonstrates the additional effect of the time in the semester when students complete the questionnaire and this effect on students perceptions over the course of the semester relative to their initial perceptions. The results of this study offer insight on student perceptions of the learning environment as universities embrace online education in introductory and gateway courses as a response to rising student enrollments and diminishing resources.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ramirez, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, V. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamm, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taveirne, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-03-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/274571</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Cross-Platform Comparison of Student’s Perceptions of the Learning Environment in an Introductory Microbiology Course]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-03-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/277970v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen-Science Microbiome Research 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/277970v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although much work has linked the human microbiome to specific phenotypes and lifestyle variables, data from different projects have been challenging to integrate and the extent of microbial and molecular diversity in human stool remains unknown. Using standardized protocols from the Earth Microbiome Project and sample contributions from over 10,000 citizen-scientists, together with an open research network, we compare human microbiome specimens primarily from the USA, UK, and Australia to one another and to environmental samples. Our results show an unexpected range of beta-diversity in human stool microbiomes as compared to environmental samples, demonstrate the utility of procedures for removing the effects of overgrowth during room-temperature shipping for revealing phenotype correlations, uncover new molecules and kinds of molecular communities in the human stool metabolome, and examine emergent associations among the microbiome, metabolome, and the diversity of plants that are consumed (rather than relying on reductive categorical variables such as veganism, which have little or no explanatory power). We also demonstrate the utility of the living data resource and cross-cohort comparison to confirm existing associations between the microbiome and psychiatric illness, and to reveal the extent of microbiome change within one individual during surgery, providing a paradigm for open microbiome research and education.nnImportanceWe show that a citizen-science, self-selected cohort shipping samples through the mail at room temperature recaptures many known microbiome results from clinically collected cohorts and reveals new ones. Of particular interest is integrating n=1 study data with the population data, showing that the extent of microbiome change after events such as surgery can exceed differences between distinct environmental biomes, and the effect of diverse plants in the diet which we confirm with untargeted metabolomics on hundreds of samples.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McDonald, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hyde, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Debelius, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morton, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ackermann, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aksenov, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Behsaz, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brennan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeRight Goldasicha, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorrestein, P. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fahimipourg, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaffney, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilbert, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gogul, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Green, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hugenholtz, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Humphrey, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huttenhower, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janssen, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jeste, D. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kelley, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knights, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kosciolek, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ladau, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leach, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marotz, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meleshko, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Melnik, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Metcalf, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohimani, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montassier, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Navas-Molina, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, T. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peddada, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pevzner, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pollard, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rah</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-03-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/277970</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen-Science Microbiome Research]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-03-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/281956v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Altered Bile Acid Profile Associates with Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease – An Emerging Role for Gut Microbiome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/281956v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
IntroductionIncreasing evidence suggests a role for the gut microbiome in central nervous system disorders and specific role for the gut-brain axis in neurodegeneration. Bile acids (BA), products of cholesterol metabolism and clearance, are produced in the liver and are further metabolized by gut bacteria. They have major regulatory and signaling functions and seem dysregulated in Alzheimer disease (AD).nnMethodsSerum levels of 15 primary and secondary BAs and their conjugated forms were measured in 1,464 subjects including 370 cognitively normal older adults (CN), 284 with early mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 505 with late MCI, and 305 AD cases enrolled in the AD Neuroimaging Initiative. We assessed associations of BA profiles including selected ratios with diagnosis, cognition, and AD-related genetic variants, adjusting for cofounders and multiple testing.nnResultsIn AD compared to CN, we observed significantly lower serum concentrations of a primary BA (cholic acid CA) and increased levels of the bacterially produced, secondary BA, deoxycholic acid (DCA), and its glycine and taurine conjugated forms. An increased ratio of DCA:CA, which reflects 7-dehydroxylation of CA by gut bacteria, strongly associated with cognitive decline, a finding replicated in serum and brain samples in the Rush Religious Orders and Memory and Aging Project. Several genetic variants in immune response related genes implicated in AD showed associations with BA profiles.nnConclusionWe report for the first time an association between altered BA profile, genetic variants implicated in AD and cognitive changes in disease using a large multicenter study. These findings warrant further investigation of gut dysbiosis and possible role of gut liver brain axis in the pathogenesis of AD.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mahmoudiandehkordi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arnold, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nho, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ahmad, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jia, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xia, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Louie, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kueider, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moseley, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>St. John Williams, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tenenbaum, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blach, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baillie, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhattacharyya, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toledo, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schafferer, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klein, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koal, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Risacher, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kling, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Motsinger-Reif, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotroff, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jack, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hankemeier, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bennett, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Jager, P. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trojanowski, J. Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shaw, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weiner, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doraiswamy, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Duijn, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saykin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kastenmueller, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaddurah-Daouk, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alzheimers Dise</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-03-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/281956</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Altered Bile Acid Profile Associates with Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease – An Emerging Role for Gut Microbiome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-03-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/302679v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Expanded view of the ecological genomics of ant responses to climate change 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/302679v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Given the abundance, broad distribution, and diversity of roles that ants play in many ecosystems, they are an ideal group to serve as ecosystem indicators of climatic change. At present, only a few whole-genome sequences of ants are available (19 of > 16,000 species), mostly from tropical and sub-tropical species. To address this limited sampling, we sequenced genomes of temperate-latitude species from the genus Aphaenogaster, a genus with important seed dispersers. In total, we sampled seven colonies of six species: A. ashmeadi, A. floridana, A. fulva, A. miamiana, A. picea, and A. rudis. The geographic ranges of these species collectively span eastern North America from southern Florida to southern Canada, which encompasses a latitudinal gradient in which many climatic variables are changing rapidly. For the six genomes, we assembled an average of 271,039 contigs into 47,337 scaffolds. The mean genome size was 370.5 Mb, ranging from 310.3 to 429.7, which is comparable to that of other sequenced ant genomes (212.8 to 396.0 Mb) and flow cytometry estimates (210.7 to 690.4 Mb). In an analysis of currently sequenced ant genomes and the new Aphaenogaster sequences, we found that after controlling for both spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetics ant genome size was marginally correlated with sample site climate similarity. Of all examined climate variables, minimum temperature showed the strongest correlation with genome size, with ants from locations with colder minimum temperatures having larger genomes. These results suggest that temperature extremes could be a selective force acting on ant genomes and point to the need for more extensive sequencing of ant genomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lau, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ellison, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Penick, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeMarco, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gotelli, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanders, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Helms Cahan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-04-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/302679</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Expanded view of the ecological genomics of ant responses to climate change]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-04-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/312421v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
One-step assembly of large CRISPR arrays enables multi-functional targeting and reveals constraints on array design 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/312421v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
CRISPR-Cas systems inherently multiplex through their CRISPR arrays--whether to confer immunity against multiple invaders or by mediating multi-target editing, regulation, imaging, and sensing. However, arrays remain difficult to generate due to their reoccurring repeat sequences. Here, we report an efficient, one-step scheme called CRATES to construct large CRISPR arrays through defined assembly junctions within the trimmed portion of array spacers. We show that the constructed arrays function with the single-effector nucleases Cas9, Cas12a, and Cas13a for multiplexed DNA/RNA cleavage and gene regulation in cell-free systems, bacteria, and yeast. We also applied CRATES to assemble composite arrays utilized by multiple Cas nucleases, where these arrays enhanced DNA targeting specificity by blocking off-target sites. Finally, array characterization revealed context-dependent loss of spacer activity and processing of unintended guide RNAs derived from Cas12a terminal repeats. CRATES thus can facilitate diverse applications requiring CRISPR multiplexing and help elucidate critical factors influencing array function.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Liao, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ttofali, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Slotkowski, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Denny, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cecil, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leenay, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-05-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/312421</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[One-step assembly of large CRISPR arrays enables multi-functional targeting and reveals constraints on array design]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-05-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/319434v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Determination of novel members in the Drosophila melanogaster anterior-posterior patterning system using natural variation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/319434v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The anterior-posterior axis of the developing Drosophila melanogaster embryo is patterned by a well-studied gene regulatory network called the Gap Gene Network. This network acts to buffer the developing pattern against noise, thereby minimizing errors in gene expression and preventing patterning defects.nnIn this paper, we sought to discover novel regulatory regions and transcription factors acting in a subset of the Gap network using a selection of wild-caught fly lines derived from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). The fly lines in the DGRP contain subtle genomic differences due to natural variation; we quantified the differences in positioning of gene expression borders of two anterior-poster patterning genes, Kruppel (Kr) and Even-skipped in 13 of the DGRP lines. The differences in the positions of Kruppel and Even-skipped were then correlated to specific single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertions/deletions within the select fly lines. Putative enhancers containing these genomic differences were validated for their ability to produce expression using reporter constructs and analyzed for possible transcription factor binding sites. The identified transcription factors were then perturbed and the resulting Eve and Kr positioning was determined. In this way, we found medea, ultraspiracle, glial cells missing, and orthopedia effect Kr and Eve positioning in subtle ways, while knock-down of pangolin produces significant shifts in Kr and subsequent Eve expression patterns. Most importantly this study points to the existence of many additional novel members that have subtle effects on this system and the degree of complexity that is present in patterning the developing embryo.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jermusyk, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gharavi, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tingare, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/319434</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Determination of novel members in the Drosophila melanogaster anterior-posterior patterning system using natural variation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/320754v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dorsal/NF-κB exhibits a dorsal-to-ventral mobility gradient in the Drosophila embryo 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/320754v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Morphogen-mediated patterning is a highly dynamic developmental process. To obtain an accurate understanding of morphogen gradient formation and downstream gene expression, biophysical parameters such as protein mobilities must be quantified in vivo. The dorsal-ventral (DV) patterning of early Drosophila embryos by the NF-{kappa}B homolog Dorsal (Dl) is an excellent system for understanding morphogen gradient formation. Dl gradient formation is controlled by the inhibitor Cactus/I{kappa}B (Cact), which regulates the nuclear import and diffusion of Dl protein. However, quantitative measurements of Dl mobility and binding are currently lacking. Here, we use scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to quantify the mobility of GFP-tagged Dl. We find that the DNA binding of Dl-GFP, which affects its mobility, varies along the DV axis, with highest DNA binding on the ventral side. Moreover, we also observe that the time scale for Dl-GFP to exit the nucleus is longer in the ventral and lateral regions of the embryo, which is consistent with stronger DNA binding. Using analysis of mutant alleles of dl tagged with GFP, we conclude that Dl-GFP/Cact interactions in the nuclei are responsible for the variation in Dl-GFP/DNA binding along the DV axis, which impacts our understanding of the spatial range of the Dl gradient and the robustness and precision of downstream gene expression. Thus, our results highlight the complexity of morphogen gradient dynamics and the ability of quantitative measurements of biophysical interactions to drive biological discovery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Al Asafen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobsen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-05-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/320754</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dorsal/NF-κB exhibits a dorsal-to-ventral mobility gradient in the Drosophila embryo]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-05-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/330274v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Coral: Clear and customizable visualization of human kinome data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/330274v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Protein kinases represent one ofthe largest gene families in eukaryotes and play roles in a wide range of cell signaling processes and human diseases, making them attractive targets for drug development. The human kinome is extensively featured inhigh-throughput studiesgenerating genomic, proteomic, and kinase profiling data. Current tools for visualizing kinase data in the context of the human kinome superfamily are limited to encoding data through the addition of nodes to a low-resolution image of the kinome tree. We present Coral, a user-friendly interactive webapplication for visualizing both quantitative and qualitative data. Unlike previous tools, Coral can encode data in three features (node color, node size, and branchcolor), allowsthreemodesofkinomevisualization (the traditional kinome tree as well as radial and dynamic-force networks) and generates high-resolution scalable vector graphic files suitable for publication without the need for refinement in graphic editing software. Due to its user-friendly, interactive, and highly customizable design, Coral is broadly applicable to high-throughput studies of the human kinome. The source code and web application are available at github.com/dphansti/Coral. html and phanstiel-lab.med.unc.edu/Coral respectively.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Metz, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deoudes, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berginski, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jimenez-Ruiz, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aksoy, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hammerbacher, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phanstiel, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-05-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/330274</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Coral: Clear and customizable visualization of human kinome data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-05-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/333245v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identifying individual risk rare variants using protein structure-guided local tests (POINT) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/333245v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Rare variants are of increasing interest to genetic association studies because of their etiological contributions to human complex diseases. Due to the rarity of the mutant events, rare variants are routinely analyzed on an aggregate level. While aggregation analyses improve the detection of global-level signal, they are not able to pinpoint causal variants within a variant set. To perform inference on a localized level, additional information, e.g., biological annotation, is often needed to boost the information content of a rare variant. Following the observation that important variants are likely to cluster together on functional domains, we propose a protein structure guided local test (POINT) to provide variant-specific association information using structure-guided aggregation of signal. Constructed under a kernel machine framework, POINT performs local association testing by borrowing information from neighboring variants in the 3-dimensional protein space in a data-adaptive fashion. Besides merely providing a list of promising variants, POINT assigns each variant a p-value to permit variant ranking and prioritization. We assess the selection performance of POINT using simulations and illustrate how it can be used to prioritize individual rare variants in PCSK9 associated with low-density lipoprotein in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial data.nnAuthor summaryWhile it is known that rare variants play an important role in understanding associations between genotype and complex diseases, pinpointing individual rare variants likely to be responsible for association is still a daunting task. Due to their low frequency in the population and reduced signal, localizing causal rare variants often requires additional information, such as type of DNA change or location of variant along the sequence, to be incorporated in a biologically meaningful fashion that does not overpower the genotype data. In this paper, we use the observation that important variants tend to cluster together on functional domains to propose a new approach for prioritizing rare variants: the protein structure guided local test (POINT). POINT uses a genes 3-dimensional protein folding structure to guide aggregation of information from neighboring variants in the protein in a robust manner. We show how POINT improves selection performance over single variant tests and sliding window approaches. We further illustrate how it can be used to prioritize individual rare variants using the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial data, finding five promising variants within PCSK9 in association with low-density lipoprotein, including three new mutations near the PCSK9-LDLR binding domain.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Marceau West, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotroff, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuenemann, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chang, S.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buse, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Motsinger-Reif, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fourches, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tzeng, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-05-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/333245</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identifying individual risk rare variants using protein structure-guided local tests (POINT)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-05-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/337147v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TuxNet: A simple interface to process RNA sequencing data and infer gene regulatory networks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/337147v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Predicting gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from gene expression profiles has become a common approach for identifying important biological regulators. Despite the increase in the use of inference methods, existing computational approaches do not integrate RNA-sequencing data analysis, are often not automated, and are restricted to users with bioinformatics and programming backgrounds. To address these limitations, we have developed TuxNet, an integrated user-friendly platform, which, with just a few selections, allows to process raw RNA-sequencing data (using the Tuxedo pipeline) and infer GRNs from these processed data. TuxNet is implemented as a graphical user interface and, using expression data from any organism with an existing reference genome, can mine the regulations among genes either by applying a dynamic Bayesian network inference algorithm, GENIST, or a regression tree-based pipeline that uses spatiotemporal data, RTP-STAR. To illustrate the use of TuxNet while getting insight into the regulatory cascade downstream of the Arabidopsis root stem cell regulator PERIANTHIA (PAN), we obtained time course gene expression data of a PAN inducible line and inferred a GRN using GENIST. Using RTP-STAR, we then inferred the network of a PAN secondary downstream gene, ATHB13, for which we obtained wildtype and mutant expression profiles. Our case studies feature the versatility of TuxNet to infer networks using different types of gene expression data (i.e time course and steady-state data) as well as how inference networks are used to identify important regulators.nnSUMMARYTuxNet offers a simple interface for non-computational biologists to infer GRNs from raw RNA-seq data.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spurney, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/337147</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TuxNet: A simple interface to process RNA sequencing data and infer gene regulatory networks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/350512v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Canine transmissible venereal tumor genome reveals ancient introgression from coyotes to arctic sled dogs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/350512v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Dear Editor,nnAncient genome-sequencing studies have extensively refined our understanding of the genetic histories and adaptive evolution of humans1, as well as the domestic process of livestock and crops2. Recent studies about ancient and modern canids all indicate that canids have intricate histories, and lots of canine populations disappeared during evolution3-6. Thus, ancient genomes from canine fossils are in high demand to clarify canine evolution and the processes leading to dog domestication. Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT), the oldest known somatic cell line, is a living fossil, originating from cancer cells transmitted from a host to other canids during the mating process7. Clonal origin analyses hints that the original dog infected with CTVT (CTVT founder) came from an ancient sled dog or wolf population ...
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, B.-W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yin, T.-T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, F.-L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Esmailizadeh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poyarkov, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Savolainen, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, G.-D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fu, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-06-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/350512</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Canine transmissible venereal tumor genome reveals ancient introgression from coyotes to arctic sled dogs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-06-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/352039v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Streamlined, recombinase-free genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 in Lactobacillus plantarum reveals barriers to efficient editing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/352039v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lactic-acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum are commonly used for fermenting foods and as probiotics, where increasingly sophisticated genome-editing tools are currently being employed to elucidate and enhance these microbes beneficial properties. The most advanced tools to-date require heterologous single-stranded DNA recombinases to integrate short oligonucleotides followed by using CRISPR-Cas9 to eliminate cells harboring unedited sequences. Here, we show that encoding the recombineering template on a replicating plasmid allowed efficient genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 in multiple L. plantarum strains without a recombinase. This strategy accelerated the genome-editing pipeline and could efficiently introduce a stop codon in ribB, silent mutations in ackA, and a complete deletion of lacM. In contrast, oligo-mediated recombineering with CRISPR-Cas9 proved far less efficient in at least one instance. We also observed unexpected outcomes of our recombinase-free method, including an ~1.3-kb genomic deletion when targeting ribB in one strain, and reversion of a point mutation in the recombineering template in another strain. Our method therefore can streamline targeted genome editing in different strains of L. plantarum, although the best means of achieving efficient editing may vary based on the selected sequence modification, gene, and strain.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Leenay, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vento, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shah, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martino, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leulier, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-06-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/352039</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Streamlined, recombinase-free genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 in Lactobacillus plantarum reveals barriers to efficient editing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-06-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/355610v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Lysophosphatidic acid provokes fibroblast chemotaxis through combinatorial regulation of myosin II 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/355610v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lysophophatidic acid (LPA), a biologically active phospholipid that is ubiquitously present in tissues and organs, provokes cellular responses such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and migration via activation of G-protein coupled receptors. These receptors activate a broad range of intracellular signaling cascades to mediate these responses. Using microfluidic chambers that generate and maintain stable gradients, we observed that chemotaxis of fibroblasts to LPA has higher directional fidelity than chemotaxis provoked by the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligand platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Unlike fast moving amoeboid cells, mesenchymal cells such as fibroblasts do not require PI3K for chemotaxis to a GPCR ligand. In addition, the Arp2/3 complex is not required for fibroblast GPCR-based chemotaxis in either 2D or 3D environments. Our data indicate that combinatorial regulation of myosin II involving global activation by RhoA/ROCK and local inhibition of myosin II at the leading edge by PKC results in highly efficient chemotaxis of fibroblasts to LPA. Based on these observations, we develop a simple mathematical model to explain how dual regulation of myosin II is responsible for enhanced chemotaxis in LPA gradients relative to PDGF. Using pharmacological approaches, we test predictions of this model and modulate the fidelity of LPA and PDGF chemotaxis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Asokan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sondek, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shutova, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Svitkina, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haugh, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bear, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-06-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/355610</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Lysophosphatidic acid provokes fibroblast chemotaxis through combinatorial regulation of myosin II]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-06-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/356261v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Redesign of an Undergraduate General Microbiology Lab to Include Authentic Discovery-Driven Research on Cucumber Fermentations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/356261v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Many undergraduate introductory microbiology laboratory courses teach basic principles of bacteriology using classical protocol-based experiments, with limited critical thinking and inquiry-based learning practices. We initiated a comprehensive redesign in our General Microbiology Laboratory course to promote scientific critical and creative thinking, while strengthening core microbiology concepts and skills. As part of the redesign, a series of authentic discovery-driven labs, based on cucumber fermentations, were developed as an independent research module within the course curriculum. Integrating discovery-driven labs allowed students to be engaged problem solvers, applying the scientific process to develop hypotheses, design experiments, utilize quantitative reasoning, and effectively communicate results. The inquiry-guided research project was developed to evaluate the minimum concentration of salt (NaCl) required in fermentation brine to safely, and effectively, ferment cucumbers. Over 5 weeks, students assess different aspects of the fermentation process, including quantifying bacterial populations with differential and selective media, measuring pH and glucose concentration of brine solutions, and characterizing the microbial metabolic potential. Additionally, students isolate an unknown bacterium from their fermentations, identifying and characterizing the isolate using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolic tests. Throughout the research project, students collect, graph, and analyze their observations, culminating in students creating and presenting a scientific research poster. With this lab redesign, students generate new knowledge contributing to our understanding of microbial ecology within food fermentations, learn core microbiology skills and techniques, and develop critical and creative thinking skills. The impact of their research is valuable to science educators, researchers, and industry partners.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Greenstein, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gove, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breidt, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taveirne, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/356261</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Redesign of an Undergraduate General Microbiology Lab to Include Authentic Discovery-Driven Research on Cucumber Fermentations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/359067v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Within-host infectious disease models accommodating cellular coinfection, with an application to influenza 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/359067v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Within-host models are useful tools for understanding the processes regulating viral load dynamics. While existing models have considered a wide range of within-host processes, at their core these models have shown remarkable structural similarity. Specifically, the structure of these models generally consider target cells to be either uninfected or infected, with the possibility of accommodating further resolution (for example, cells that are refractory to infection and cells that are in an eclipse phase). Recent findings, however, indicate that cellular coinfection is the norm rather than the exception for many viral infectious diseases, and that cells with high multiplicity of infection are present over at least some duration of an infection. The reality of these cellular coinfection dynamics is not accommodated in current within-host models although it may be critical for understanding within-host dynamics. This is particularly the case if multiplicity of infection impacts infected cell phenotypes such as their death rate and their viral production rates. Here, we present a new class of within-host disease models that allow for cellular coinfection in a scalable manner by retaining the low-dimensionality that is a desirable feature of many current within-host models. The models we propose adopt the general structure of epidemiological  macroparasite models that allow hosts to be variably infected by parasites such as nematodes and host phenotypes to flexibly depend on parasite burden. Specifically, our within-host models consider target cells as  hosts and viral particles as  macroparasites, and allow viral output and infected cell lifespans, among other phenotypes, to depend on a cells multiplicity of infection. We show with an application to influenza that these models can be statistically fit to viral load and other within-host data, that they can reproduce notable features of within-host viral dynamics, and that important in vivo quantities such as the mean multiplicity of cellular infection can be easily quantified with these models once parameterized. The within-host model structure we develop here provides an alternative approach for modeling within-host viral load dynamics and allows for a new class of questions to be addressed that consider the effects of cellular coinfection, collective viral interactions, and viral complementation in within-host viral dynamics and evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Koelle, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farrell, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brooke, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ke, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-06-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/359067</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Within-host infectious disease models accommodating cellular coinfection, with an application to influenza]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-06-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/359786v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparative Biochemical and Structural Analysis of Novel Cellulose Binding Proteins (Tapirins) from Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/359786v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genomes of extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor species encode novel cellulose binding proteins, t[a]pirins, located proximate to the type IV pilus locus. Previously, the C-terminal domain of a t[a]pirin (Calkro_0844) from Caldicellulosiruptor kronotskyensis was shown to be structurally unique and have a cellulose binding affinity akin to family 3 carbohydrate binding modules (CBM3). Here, full-length and C-terminal versions of t[a]pirins from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii (Athe_1870), Caldicellulosiruptor hydrothermalis (Calhy_0908), Caldicellulosiruptor kristjanssonii (Calkr_0826), and Caldicellulosiruptor naganoensis (NA10_0869) were produced recombinantly in Escherichia coli and compared to Calkro_0844. All five t[a]pirins bound to microcrystalline cellulose, switchgrass, poplar, filter paper, but not to xylan. Densitometry analysis of bound protein fractions visualized by SDS-PAGE revealed that Calhy_0908 and Calkr_0826 (from weakly cellulolytic species) associated with the cellulose substrates to a greater extent than Athe_1870, Calkro_0844 and NA10_0869 (from strongly cellulolytic species), perhaps to associate closely with biomass to capture glucans released from lignocellulose by cellulases produced in Caldicellulosiruptor communities. Three-dimensional structures of the C-terminal binding regions of Calhy_0908 and Calkr_0826 were closely related to Calkro_0844, despite the fact that their amino acid sequence identities compared to Calkro_0844 were only 16% and 36%, respectively. Unlike the parent strain, C. bescii mutants lacking the t[a]pirin genes did not bind to cellulose following short-term incubation, reinforcing the significance of these proteins in cell association with plant biomass. Given the scarcity of carbohydrates in neutral terrestrial hot springs, t[a]pirins likely help cells scavenge carbohydrates from lignocellulose to support growth and survival of Caldicellulosiruptor species.nnImportanceMechanisms by which microorganisms attach to and degrade lignocellulose are important to understand if effective approaches for conversion of plant biomass into fuels and chemicals are to be developed. Caldicellulosiruptor species grow on carbohydrates from lignocellulose at elevated temperatures and have biotechnological significance for that reason. Novel cellulose binding proteins, called t[a]pirins, are involved in the way Caldicellulosiruptor species interact with microcrystalline cellulose and here additional information about the diversity of these proteins across the genus is provided, including three dimensional structural comparisons.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lee, L. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hart, W. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lunin, V. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alahuhta, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bomble, Y. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Himmel, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blumer-Schuette, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adams, M. W. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kelly, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-06-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/359786</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparative Biochemical and Structural Analysis of Novel Cellulose Binding Proteins (Tapirins) from Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-06-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/361352v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Epithelial restitution defect in neonatal jejunum is rescued by juvenile mucosal homogenate in a pig model of intestinal ischemic injury and repair 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/361352v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Intestinal ischemic injury results sloughing of the mucosal epithelium leading to host sepsis and death unless the mucosal barrier is rapidly restored. Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and volvulus in infants is associated with intestinal ischemia, sepsis and high mortality rates. We have characterized intestinal ischemia/ repair using a highly translatable porcine model in which juvenile (6-8-week-old) pigs completely and efficiently restore barrier function by way of rapid epithelial restitution and tight junction re-assembly. In contrast, separate studies showed that younger neonatal (2-week-old) pigs exhibited less robust recovery of barrier function, which may model an important cause of high mortality rates in human infants with ischemic intestinal disease. Therefore, we aimed to further refine our repair model and characterize defects in neonatal barrier repair. Here we examine the defect in neonatal mucosal repair that we hypothesize is associated with hypomaturity of the epithelial and subepithelial compartments. Following jejunal ischemia in neonatal and juvenile pigs, injured mucosa was stripped from seromuscular layers and recovered ex vivo while monitoring transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and 3H-mannitol flux as measures of barrier function. While ischemia-injured juvenile mucosa restored TEER above control levels, reduced flux over the recovery period and showed 93{+/-}4.7% wound closure, neonates exhibited no change in TEER, increased flux, and a 11{+/-}23.3% increase in epithelial wound size. Scanning electron microscopy revealed enterocytes at the wound margins of neonates failed to assume the restituting phenotype seen in restituting enterocytes of juveniles. To attempt rescue of injured neonatal mucosa, neonatal experiments were repeated with the addition of exogenous prostaglandins during ex vivo recovery, ex vivo recovery with full thickness intestine, in vivo recovery and direct application of injured mucosal homogenate from neonates or juveniles. Neither exogenous prostaglandins, intact seromuscular intestinal layers, nor in vivo recovery enhanced TEER or restitution in ischemia-injured neonatal mucosa. However, ex vivo exogenous application of injured juvenile mucosal homogenate produced a significant increase in TEER and enhanced histological restitution to 80{+/-}4.4% epithelial coveragein injured neonatal mucosa. Thus, neonatal mucosal repair can be rescued through direct contact with the cellular and non-cellular milieu of ischemia-injured mucosa from juvenile pigs. These findings support the hypothesis that a defect in mucosal repair in neonates is due to immature repair mechanisms within the mucosal compartment. Future studies to identify and rescue specific defects in neonatal intestinal repair mechanisms will drive development of novel clinical interventions to reduce mortality in infants affected by intestinal ischemic injury.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ziegler, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pridgen, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mills, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Landeghem, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Odle, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blikslager, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/361352</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Epithelial restitution defect in neonatal jejunum is rescued by juvenile mucosal homogenate in a pig model of intestinal ischemic injury and repair]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/363309v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Predicting Growth and Carcass Traits in Swine Using Metagenomic Data and Machine Learning Algorithms 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/363309v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In this paper, we evaluated the power of metagenome measures taken at three time points over the growth test period (weaning, 15 and 22 weeks) to foretell growth and carcass traits in 1039 individuals of a line of crossbred pigs. We measured prediction accuracy as the correlation between actual and predicted phenotypes in a five-fold cross-validation setting. Phenotypic traits measured included live weight measures and carcass composition obtained during the trial as well as at slaughter. We employed a null model excluding microbiome information as a baseline to assess the increase in prediction accuracy stemming from the inclusion of operational taxonomic units (OTU) as predictors. We further contrasted performance of models from the Bayesian alphabet (Bayesian Lasso) as well machine learning approaches (Random Forest and Gradient Boosting) and semi-parametric kernel models (Reproducing Kernel Hilbert space). In most cases, prediction accuracy increased significantly with the inclusion of microbiome data. Accuracy was more substantial with the inclusion of metagenomic information taken at week 15 and 22, with values ranging from approximately 0.30 for loin traits to more than 0.50 for back-fat. Conversely, microbiome composition at weaning resulted in most cases in marginal gains of prediction accuracy, suggesting that later measures might be more useful to include in predictive models. Model choice affected predictions marginally with no clear winner for any model/trait/time point. We, therefore, suggest average prediction across models as a robust strategy in fitting metagenomic information. In conclusion, microbiome composition can effectively be used as a predictor of growth and composition traits, particularly for fatness traits. The inclusion of OTU predictors could potentially be used to promote fast growth of individuals while limiting fat accumulation. Early microbiome measures might not be good predictors of growth and OTU information might be best collected at later life stages. Future research should focus on the inclusion of both microbiome as well as host genome information in predictions, as well as the interaction between the two. Furthermore, the influence of microbiome on feed efficiency as well as carcass and meat quality should be investigated.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schillebeeckx, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McNulty, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schawb, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schull, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiezzi, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/363309</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Predicting Growth and Carcass Traits in Swine Using Metagenomic Data and Machine Learning Algorithms]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/363564v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic evidence for two carbon fixation pathways in symbiotic and free-living bacteria: The Calvin-Bassham cycle and the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/363564v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Very few bacteria are able to fix carbon via both the reverse tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) and the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycles, such as symbiotic, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that are the sole carbon source for the marine tubeworm Riftia pachyptila, the fastest growing invertebrate. To date, this co-existence of two carbon fixation pathways had not been found in a cultured bacterium and could thus not be studied in detail. Moreover, it was not clear if these two pathways were encoded in the same symbiont individual, or if two symbiont populations, each with one of the pathways, co-existed within tubeworms. With comparative genomics, we show that Thioflavicoccus mobilis, a cultured, free-living gammaproteobacterial sulfur oxidizer, possesses the genes for both carbon fixation pathways. Here, we also show that both the CBB and rTCA pathways are likely encoded in the genome of the sulfur-oxidizing symbiont of the tubeworm Escarpia laminata from deep-sea asphalt volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, we provide genomic and transcriptomic data suggesting a potential electron flow towards the rTCA cycle carboxylase 2-oxoglutarate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, via a rare variant of NADH dehydrogenase/heterodisulfide reductase. This electron bifurcating complex, together with NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase and Na+ translocating Rnf membrane complexes may improve the efficiency of the rTCA cycle in both the symbiotic and the free-living sulfur oxidizer.nnImportancePrimary production on Earth is dependent on autotrophic carbon fixation, which leads to the incorporation of carbon dioxide into biomass. Multiple metabolic pathways have been described for autotrophic carbon fixation, but most autotrophic organisms were assumed to have the genes for only one of these pathways. Our finding of a cultivable bacterium with two carbon fixation pathways in its genome opens the possibility to study the potential benefits of having two pathways and the interplay between these pathways. Additionally, this will allow the investigation of the unusual, and potentially very efficient mechanism of electron flow that could drive the rTCA cycle in these autotrophs. Such studies will deepen our understanding of carbon fixation pathways and could provide new avenues for optimizing carbon fixation in biotechnological applications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rubin Blum, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/363564</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic evidence for two carbon fixation pathways in symbiotic and free-living bacteria: The Calvin-Bassham cycle and the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/364505v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Adaptive strategies of the candidate probiotic E. coli Nissle in the mammalian gut 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/364505v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Probiotics are living microorganisms that are increasingly used as gastrointestinal therapeutics by virtue of their innate or engineered genetic function. Unlike abiotic therapeutics, probiotics can replicate in their intended site, subjecting their genomes and therapeutic properties to natural selection. By exposing the candidate probiotic E. coli Nissle (EcN) to the mouse gastrointestinal tract over several weeks, we uncovered the consequences of gut transit, inter-species competition, antibiotic pressure, and engineered genetic function on the processes under selective pressure during both within-genome and horizontal evolutionary modes. We then show the utility of EcN as a chassis for engineered function by achieving the highest reported reduction in serum phenylalanine levels in a mouse model of phenylketonuria using an engineered probiotic. Collectively, we demonstrate a generalizable pipeline which can be applied to other probiotic strains to better understand their safety and engineering potential.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Crook, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferreiro, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gasparrini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pesesky, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gibson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Condiotte, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dobrowolski, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peterson, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dantas, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/364505</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Adaptive strategies of the candidate probiotic E. coli Nissle in the mammalian gut]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/366088v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ecological analyses of mycobacteria in showerhead biofilms and their relevance to human health 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/366088v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacteria within the genus Mycobacterium can be abundant in showerheads, and the inhalation of aerosolized mycobacteria while showering has been implicated as a mode of transmission in nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections. Despite their importance, the diversity, distributions, and environmental predictors of showerhead-associated mycobacteria remain largely unresolved. To address these knowledge gaps, we worked with citizen scientists to collect showerhead biofilm samples and associated water chemistry data from 656 households located across the U.S. and Europe. Our cultivation-independent analyses revealed that the genus Mycobacterium was consistently the most abundant genus of bacteria detected in residential showerheads, yet mycobacterial diversity and abundances were highly variable. Mycobacteria were far more abundant, on average, in showerheads receiving municipal versus well water, and in U.S. households as compared to European households, patterns that are likely driven by differences in the use of chlorine disinfectants. Moreover, we found that water source, water chemistry, and household location also influenced the prevalence of specific mycobacterial lineages detected in showerheads. We identified geographic regions within the U.S. where showerheads have particularly high abundances of potentially pathogenic lineages of mycobacteria and these  hot spots generally overlapped with those regions where NTM lung disease is most prevalent. Together these results emphasize the public health relevance of mycobacteria in showerhead biofilms. They further demonstrate that mycobacterial distributions in showerhead biofilms are often predictable from household location and water chemistry, knowledge that advances our understanding of NTM transmission dynamics and the development of strategies to reduce exposures to these emerging pathogens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gebert, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Delgado-Baquerizo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oliverio, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Webster, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nichols, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Honda, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chan, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adjemian, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fierer, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/366088</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ecological analyses of mycobacteria in showerhead biofilms and their relevance to human health]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/377572v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Distinct timescales of RNA regulators enable the construction of a genetic pulse generator 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/377572v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
To build complex genetic networks with predictable behaviours, synthetic biologists use libraries of modular parts that can be characterized in isolation and assembled together to create programmable higher-order functions. Characterization experiments and computational models for gene regulatory parts operating in isolation are routinely employed to predict the dynamics of interconnected parts and guide the construction of new synthetic devices. Here, we individually characterize two modes of RNA-based transcriptional regulation, using small transcription activating RNAs (STARs) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), and show how their distinct regulatory timescales can be used to engineer a composed feedforward loop that creates a pulse of gene expression. We use a cell-free transcription-translation system (TXTL) to rapidly characterize the system, and we apply Bayesian inference to extract kinetic parameters for an ODE-based mechanistic model. We then demonstrate in simulation and verify with TXTL experiments that the simultaneous regulation of a single gene target with STARs and CRISPRi leads to a pulse of gene expression. Our results suggest the modularity of the two regulators in an integrated genetic circuit, and we anticipate that construction and modeling frameworks that can leverage this modularity will become increasingly important as synthetic circuits increase in complexity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Westbrook, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshall, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maxwell, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chappell, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Agrawal, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunlop, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noireaux, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lucks, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Franco, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-07-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/377572</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Distinct timescales of RNA regulators enable the construction of a genetic pulse generator]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-07-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/382382v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Age and genetic background determine hybrid male sterility in house mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/382382v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hybrid male sterility (HMS) is a unique type of reproductive isolation commonly observed between house mouse (Mus musculus) subspecies in the wild and in laboratory crosses. We identified hybrids that display three distinct trajectories of fertility despite having identical genotypes at the major HMS gene Prdm9 and the X Chromosome. In each case, we crossed female PWK/PhJ mice representative of the M.m.musculus subspecies to males from classical inbred strains representative of M.m.domesticus: 129S1/SvImJ, A/J, C57BL/6J, and DBA/2J. PWK129S1 males are always sterile, while PWKDBA2 males escape HMS. In addition, we observe age-dependent sterility in PWKB6 and PWKAJ males. These males are fertile between 15 and 35 weeks with moderate penetrance. These results point to multiple segregating HMS modifier alleles, some of which have an age-dependent mode of action. Age-dependent mechanisms could have broad implications for the maintenance of reproductive barriers in nature.nnAuthor SummaryTwo subspecies of house mice show partial reproductive barriers in nature, and may be in the process of speciation. We used mice derived from each subspecies to replicate hybrid male sterility (HMS) in laboratory mice. Two major genetic factors are well established as playing a role in mouse HMS, but the number of additional factors and their mechanisms are unknown. We characterized reproductive trait variation in a set of hybrid male mice that were specifically designed to eliminate the effects of known genetic factors. We discovered that age played an important role in fertility of some hybrids. These hybrid males showed a delayed onset of fertility, then became fertile for only a few weeks. Across all hybrids males in our study, we observed three distinct trajectories of fertility: complete fertility, complete sterility, and age-dependent fertility. These results point to two or more critical HMS variants with large enough effects to completely restore fertility. This study advances our understanding of the genetic architecture and biological mechanisms of reproductive isolation in mice.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Widmayer, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-08-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/382382</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Age and genetic background determine hybrid male sterility in house mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-08-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/382945v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Genomic Basis of Arthropod Diversity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/382945v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundArthropods comprise the largest and most diverse phylum on Earth and play vital roles in nearly every ecosystem. Their diversity stems in part from variations on a conserved body plan, resulting from and recorded in adaptive changes in the genome. Dissection of the genomic record of sequence change enables broad questions regarding genome evolution to be addressed, even across hyper-diverse taxa within arthropods.nnResultsUsing 76 whole genome sequences representing 21 orders spanning more than 500 million years of arthropod evolution, we document changes in gene and protein domain content and provide temporal and phylogenetic context for interpreting these innovations. We identify many novel gene families that arose early in the evolution of arthropods and during the diversification of insects into modern orders. We reveal unexpected variation in patterns of DNA methylation across arthropods and examples of gene family and protein domain evolution coincident with the appearance of notable phenotypic and physiological adaptations such as flight, metamorphosis, sociality and chemoperception.nnConclusionsThese analyses demonstrate how large-scale comparative genomics can provide broad new insights into the genotype to phenotype map and generate testable hypotheses about the evolution of animal diversity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thomas, G. W. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dohmen, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hughes, D. S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murali, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poelchau, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Glastad, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anstead, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ayoub, N. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Batterham, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bellair, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Binford, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chao, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Childers, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinh, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doddapaneni, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duan, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dugan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Esposito, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Friedrich, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garb, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gasser, R. B. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goodisman, M. A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gundersen-Rindal, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Handler, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hatakeyama, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hering, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunter, W. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ioannidis, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jayaseelan, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kalra, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khila, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Korhonen, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindsey, A. R. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mayer, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGregor, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McKenna, D. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Misof,</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-08-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/382945</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Genomic Basis of Arthropod Diversity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-08-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/383992v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Chromosome-scale assemblies reveal the structural evolution of African cichlid genomes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/383992v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundAfrican cichlid fishes are well known for their rapid radiations and are a model system for studying evolutionary processes. Here we compare multiple, high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying cichlid diversification and study how genome structure evolves in rapidly radiating lineages.nnResultsWe re-anchored our recent assembly of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) genome using a new high-density genetic map. We developed a new de novo genome assembly of the Lake Malawi cichlid, Metriaclima zebra, using high-coverage PacBio sequencing, and anchored contigs to linkage groups (LGs) using four different genetic maps. These new anchored assemblies allow the first chromosome-scale comparisons of African cichlid genomes.nnLarge intra-chromosomal structural differences (~2-28Mbp) among species are common, while inter-chromosomal differences are rare (< 10Mbp total). Placement of the centromeres within chromosome-scale assemblies identifies large structural differences that explain many of the karyotype differences among species. Structural differences are also associated with unique patterns of recombination on sex chromosomes. Structural differences on LG9, LG11 and LG20 are associated with reductions in recombination, indicative of inversions between the rock- and sand-dwelling clades of Lake Malawi cichlids. M. zebra has a larger number of recent transposable element (TE) insertions compared to O. niloticus, suggesting that several TE families have a higher rate of insertion in the haplochromine cichlid lineage.nnConclusionThis study identifies novel structural variation among East African cichlid genomes and provides a new set of genomic resources to support research on the mechanisms driving cichlid adaptation and speciation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Conte, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joshi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nandamuri, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gammerdinger, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carleton, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lien, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kocher, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-08-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/383992</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Chromosome-scale assemblies reveal the structural evolution of African cichlid genomes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-08-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/392332v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
High-throughput amplicon sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene with single-nucleotide resolution 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/392332v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Targeted PCR amplification and high-throughput sequencing (amplicon sequencing) of 16S rRNA gene fragments is widely used to profile microbial communities. New long-read sequencing technologies can sequence the entire 16S rRNA gene, but higher error rates have limited their attractiveness when accuracy is important. Here we present a high-throughput amplicon sequencing methodology based on PacBio circular consensus sequencing and the DADA2 sample inference method that measures the full-length 16S rRNA gene with single-nucleotide resolution and a near-zero error rate.nnIn two artificial communities of known composition, our method recovered the full complement of full-length 16S sequence variants from expected community members without residual errors. The measured abundances of intra-genomic sequence variants were in the integral ratios expected from the genuine allelic variants within a genome. The full-length 16S gene sequences recovered by our approach allowed E. coli strains to be correctly classified to the O157:H7 and K12 sub-species clades. In human fecal samples, our method showed strong technical replication and was able to recover the full complement of 16S rRNA alleles in several E. coli strains.nnThere are likely many applications beyond microbial profiling for which high-throughput amplicon sequencing of complete genes with single-nucleotide resolution will be of use.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wong, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heiner, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gulati, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGill, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dougherty, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/392332</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[High-throughput amplicon sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene with single-nucleotide resolution]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/392696v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Filter paper-based spin column for low throughput nucleic acid purification 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/392696v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We describe a method of recharging used spin column or assembling homemade spin column using filter paper as binding material for low throughput nucleic acid purification. We evaluated the efficiency of filter paper based spin columns in the purification of different type of nucleic acids. For instance, by following protocols of respective commercial kits, we found that filter paper to be a useful binding material for purification of many types of nucleic acids, including plant genomic DNA, plant total RNA, PCR product, and DNA from agarose gels. We also found that filter paper has a weak binding affinity to plasmid DNA in tested miniprep protocols. Also, we present the protocols of using filter paper recharged spin column or homemade spin column for low throughput purification of plant genomic DNA and plant total RNA with commercial kit buffer leftover and less expensive homemade buffer.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewis, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Panthee, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/392696</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Filter paper-based spin column for low throughput nucleic acid purification]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/404236v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Adaptive evolution of sperm proteins depends on sperm competition in a pair of Lepidoptera 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/404236v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent theory posits that adaptive evolution of reproductive proteins should depend on rates of female remating. In particular, selection on reproductive proteins is proposed to be weak unless females remate frequently, in which case cryptic female choice and sperm competition impose stronger selection. Here, we test these predictions by explicitly examining the role of selection in the molecular evolution of sperm genes in Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths. Males of this order produce both fertilizing eupyrene sperm and a secondary apyrene type that lacks DNA. Based on population genetic analyses in two species, the monandrous Carolina sphinx moth and the highly polyandrous monarch butterfly, we see evidence for increased selection in fertilizing sperm, but only in the polyandrous species. This signal comes primarily from a decrease in non-synonymous polymorphism in sperm proteins compared to the rest of the genome, indicative of strong purifying selection. Investigation of the distribution of fitness effects of new non-synonymous mutations in monarch sperm confirms stronger selection on sperm proteins in monarchs, with very few neutral variants and weakly deleterious variants and a preponderance of strongly deleterious variants. Additionally, sperm genes in the monarch show an elevation of beneficial variants compared to the rest of the genome, suggesting a role for increased positive selection. Our results suggest that sperm competition can be a powerful selective force at the sequence level as well.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mongue, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gu, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sorenson, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walters, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-08-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/404236</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Adaptive evolution of sperm proteins depends on sperm competition in a pair of Lepidoptera]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-08-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/415232v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Linkage analysis and haplotype phasing in experimental autopolyploid populations with high ploidy level using hidden Markov models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/415232v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Modern SNP genotyping technologies allow to measure the relative abundance of different alleles for a given locus and consequently to estimate their allele dosage, opening a new road for genetic studies in autopolyploids. Despite advances in genetic linkage analysis in autotetraploids, there is a lack of statistical models to perform linkage analysis in organisms with higher ploidy levels. In this paper, we present a statistical method to estimate recombination fractions and infer linkage phases in full-sib populations of autopolyploid species with even ploidy levels in a sequence of SNP markers using hidden Markov models. Our method uses efficient two-point procedures to reduce the search space for the best linkage phase configuration and reestimate the final parameters using the maximum-likelihood of the Markov chain. To evaluate the method, and demonstrate its properties, we rely on simulations of autotetraploid, autohexaploid and autooctaploid populations and on a real tetraploid potato data set. The results demonstrate the reliability of our approach, including situations with complex linkage phase scenarios in hexaploid and octaploid populations.nnAuthor summaryIn this paper, we present a complete multilocus solution based on hidden Markov models to estimate recombination fractions and infer the linkage phase configuration in full-sib mapping populations with even ploidy levels under random chromosome segregation. We also present an efficient pairwise loci analysis to be used in cases were the multilocus analysis becomes compute-intensive.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, A. A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-09-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/415232</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Linkage analysis and haplotype phasing in experimental autopolyploid populations with high ploidy level using hidden Markov models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-09-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/416560v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Discovery of novel thrips vector proteins that bind to the plant bunyavirus, tomato spotted wilt virus. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/416560v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The plant-pathogenic virus, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), encodes a structural glycoprotein (GN) that, like with other bunyavirus/vector interactions, serves a role in viral attachment and possibly entry into arthropod vector host cells. It is well documented that Frankliniella occidentalis is one of seven competent thrips vectors of TSWV transmission to plant hosts, however, the insect molecules that interact with viral proteins, such as GN, during infection and dissemination in thrips vector tissues are unknown. The goals of this project were to identify TSWV-interacting proteins (TIPs) that interact directly with TSWV GN and to localize expression of these proteins in relation to virus in thrips tissues of principle importance along the route of dissemination. We report here the identification of six TIPs from first instar larvae (L1), the most acquisition-efficient developmental stage of the thrips vector. Sequence analyses of these TIPs revealed homology to proteins associated with the infection cycle of other vector-borne viruses. Immunolocalization of the TIPs in L1s revealed robust expression in the midgut and salivary glands of F. occidentalis, the tissues most important during virus infection, replication and plant-inoculation. The TIPs and GN interactions were validated using protein-protein interaction assays. Two of the thrips proteins, endocuticle structural glycoprotein and cyclophilin, were found to be consistent interactors with GN. These newly discovered thrips protein-GN interactions are essential towards better understanding of transmission of persistent propagative plant viruses by their vectors, as well as for developing new strategies of insect pest management and virus resistance in plants.nnImportance StatementThrips-transmitted viruses cause devastating losses to numerous food crops worldwide. For negative-sense RNA viruses that infect plants, the arthropod serves as a host as well by supporting virus replication in specific tissues and organs of the vector. The goal of this work was to identify vector/host proteins that bind directly to the viral attachment protein and thus may play a role in the infection cycle in the insect. Using the model plant bunyavirus, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), and the most efficient thrips vector, we identified and validated six TSWV-interacting proteins from Frankliniella occidentalis first instar larvae. Two proteins, an endocuticle structural glycoprotein and cyclophilin, were able to interact directly with the TSWV attachment protein, GN, in insect cells. The TSWV GN-interacting proteins provide new targets for disrupting the virus-vector interaction and could be putative determinants of vector competence.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Badillo-Vargas, I. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/416560</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Discovery of novel thrips vector proteins that bind to the plant bunyavirus, tomato spotted wilt virus.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/427393v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Computational estimation of ms-sec atomistic folding times 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/427393v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Despite the development of massively parallel computing hardware including inexpensive graphics processing units (GPUs), it has remained infeasible to simulate the folding of atomistic proteins at room temperature using conventional molecular dynamics (MD) beyond the s scale. Here we report the folding of atomistic, implicitly solvated protein systems with folding times {tau}f ranging from ~100 s to ~10s using the weighted ensemble (WE) strategy in combination with GPU computing. Starting from an initial structure or set of structures, WE organizes an ensemble of GPU-accelerated MD trajectory segments via intermittent pruning and replication events to generate statistically unbiased estimates of rate constants for rare events such as folding; no biasing forces are used. Although the variance among atomistic WE folding runs is significant, multiple independent runs are used to reduce and quantify statistical uncertainty. Three systems were examined: NTL9 at low solvent viscosity (yielding {tau}f ~ 5s), NTL9 at water-like viscosity ({tau}f ~ 40s), and Protein G at low viscosity ({tau}f ~ 10s). In all cases the folding time, uncertainty, and ensemble properties could be estimated from WE simulation; for protein G, this characterization required significantly less overall computing than would be required to observe a single folding event with conventional MD simulations. Our results suggest discrepancies with experimental folding times that should enable improvement of force fields and solvent models.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adhikari, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mostofian, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petersen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zuckerman, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-09-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/427393</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Computational estimation of ms-sec atomistic folding times]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-09-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/437616v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Horizontal acquisition of a patchwork Calvin cycle by symbiotic and free-living Campylobacterota (formerly Epsilonproteobacteria) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/437616v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although the majority of known autotrophs use the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle for carbon fixation, all currently described autotrophs from the Campylobacterota (previously Epsilonproteobacteria) use the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA) instead. We discovered campylobacterotal epibionts ("Candidatus Thiobarba") of deep-sea mussels that have acquired a complete CBB cycle and lost key genes of the rTCA cycle. Intriguingly, the phylogenies of campylobacterotal CBB genes suggest they were acquired in multiple transfers from Gammaproteobacteria closely related to sulfur-oxidizing endosymbionts associated with the mussels, as well as from Betaproteobacteria. We hypothesize that "Ca. Thiobarba" switched from the rTCA to a fully functional CBB cycle during its evolution, by acquiring genes from multiple sources, including co-occurring symbionts. We also found key CBB cycle genes in free-living Campylobacterota, suggesting that the CBB cycle may be more widespread in this phylum than previously known. Metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics confirmed high expression of CBB cycle genes in mussel-associated "Ca. Thiobarba". Direct stable isotope fingerprinting showed that "Ca. Thiobarba" has typical CBB signatures, additional evidence that it uses this cycle for carbon fixation. Our discovery calls into question current assumptions about the distribution of carbon fixation pathways across the tree of life, and the interpretation of stable isotope measurements in the environment.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Assie, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leisch, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meier, D. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruber Vodicka, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tegetmeyer, H. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyerdirks, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinzke, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joye, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saxton, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petersen, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-10-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/437616</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Horizontal acquisition of a patchwork Calvin cycle by symbiotic and free-living Campylobacterota (formerly Epsilonproteobacteria)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-10-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/439331v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cell type-specific differences in protein complex stoichiometry and transcriptional regulation affect the timing of stem cell division 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/439331v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Stem cells divide and differentiate to form all the specialized cell types in a multicellular organism. In the Arabidopsis root, stem cells are maintained in an undifferentiated state by a less mitotically active population of cells called the Quiescent Center (QC). Determining how the QC regulates the surrounding stem cell initials, or what makes the QC fundamentally different from the actively dividing initials, is important for understanding how stem cell divisions are maintained. Here, we gained insight into the differences between the QC and the Cortex Endodermis Initials (CEI) by studying the mobile transcription factor SHORTROOT (SHR) and its binding partner SCARECROW (SCR). We constructed an Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) model of SHR and SCR in the QC and CEI which incorporated the stoichiometry of the SHR-SCR complex as well as upstream transcriptional regulation of SHR and SCR. Our model prediction coupled with experimental validation showed that high levels of the SHR-SCR complex is associated with more CEI division but less QC division. Further, our model prediction allowed us to establish the timing of QC and CEI division and propose that SHR repression of QC division depends on the formation of SHR homodimer. Thus, our results support that SHR-SCR protein complex stoichiometry and regulation of SHR transcription modulate the division timing of two different specialized cell types in the root stem cell niche.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clark, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berckmans, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zebell, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simon, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gallagher, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-10-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/439331</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cell type-specific differences in protein complex stoichiometry and transcriptional regulation affect the timing of stem cell division]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-10-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/439851v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Positive feedback and feedforward loops between PERIANTHIA, WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX5 and GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 modulate gene expression and function in the Arabidopsis root 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/439851v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Arabidopsis root meristem consists of populations of stem cells that surround the mitotically less active cells known as the Quiescent Center (QC). The QC maintains the stem cells in a non-cell-autonomous manner through the function of the transcription factor (TF) WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX5 (WOX5), which is required for columella stem cell (CSC) maintenance. However, whether WOX5 has a regulatory role in any other adjacent stem cells is less understood. To this end, we identified a set of TFs downstream of WOX5 in both QC and Cortex Endodermis Initial (CEI) cells. We then utilized Gene Regulatory Network (GRN) inference to identify GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 (GIF1) as a key gene involved in positive feedback and feedforward loops with WOX5 as well as another stem cell regulator, PERIANTHIA (PAN). Finally, we constructed an ordinary differential equation model based on this inferred GRN to simulate GIF1, PAN, and WOX5 expression over time, which suggests the precise temporal expression of WOX5 and GIF1 is important to sustain QC function.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fisher, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-10-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/439851</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Positive feedback and feedforward loops between PERIANTHIA, WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX5 and GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 modulate gene expression and function in the Arabidopsis root]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-10-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/445684v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Variation in pigmentation gene expression is associated with distinct aposematic color morphs in the poison frog, Dendrobates auratus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/445684v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Color and pattern phenotypes have clear implications for survival and reproduction in many species. However, the mechanisms that produce this coloration are still poorly characterized, especially at the genomic level. Here we have taken a transcriptomics-based approach to elucidate the underlying genetic mechanisms affecting color and pattern in a highly polytypic poison frog. We sequenced RNA from the skin from four different color morphs during the final stage of metamorphosis and assembled a de novo transcriptome. We then investigated differential gene expression, with an emphasis on examining candidate color genes from other taxa. Overall, we found differential expression of a suite of genes that control melanogenesis, melanocyte differentiation, and melanocyte proliferation (e.g., tyrpl, lefl, leol, and mitf) as well as several differentially expressed genes involved in purine synthesis and iridophore development (e.g., arfgapl, arfgap2, airc, and gairt). Our results provide evidence that several gene networks known to affect color and pattern in vertebrates play a role in color and pattern variation in this species of poison frog.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Stuckert, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coyle, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davison, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacManes, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Summers, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-10-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/445684</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Variation in pigmentation gene expression is associated with distinct aposematic color morphs in the poison frog, Dendrobates auratus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-10-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/457564v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Tethered homing gene drives: a new design for spatially restricted population replacement and suppression 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/457564v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Optimism regarding potential epidemiological and conservation applications of modern gene drives is tempered by concern about the potential unintended spread of engineered organisms beyond the target population. In response, several novel gene drive approaches have been proposed that can, under certain conditions, locally alter characteristics of a population. One challenge for these gene drives is the difficulty of achieving high levels of localized population suppression without very large releases in face of gene flow. We present a new gene drive system, Tethered Homing (TH), with improved capacity for localized population alteration, especially for population suppression. The TH drive is based on driving a payload gene using a homing construct that is anchored to a spatially restricted gene drive. We use a proof of principle mathematical model to show the dynamics of a TH drive that uses engineered underdominance as an anchor. This system is composed of a split homing drive and a two-locus engineered underdominance drive linked to one part of the split drive (the Cas endonuclease). In addition to improved localization, the TH system offers the ability to gradually adjust the genetic load in a population after the initial alteration, with minimal additional release effort.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dhole, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-10-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/457564</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Tethered homing gene drives: a new design for spatially restricted population replacement and suppression]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-10-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/462788v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exploring neighborhoods in large metagenome assembly graphs reveals hidden sequence diversity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/462788v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genomes computationally inferred from large metagenomic data sets are often incomplete and may be missing functionally important content and strain variation. We introduce an information retrieval system for large metagenomic data sets that exploits the sparsity of DNA assembly graphs to efficiently extract subgraphs surrounding an inferred genome. We apply this system to recover missing content from genome bins and show that substantial genomic sequence variation is present in a real metagenome. Our software implementation is available at https://github.com/spacegraphcats/ spacegraphcats under the 3-Clause BSD License.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brown, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moritz, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Brien, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reidl, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiter, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sullivan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-11-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/462788</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exploring neighborhoods in large metagenome assembly graphs reveals hidden sequence diversity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-11-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/470906v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetics of Cocaine and Methamphetamine Consumption and Preference in Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/470906v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Illicit use of psychostimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, constitutes a significant public health problem. Whereas neural mechanisms that mediate the effects of these drugs are well-characterized, genetic factors that account for individual variation in susceptibility to substance abuse and addiction remain largely unknown. Drosophila melanogaster can serve as a translational model for studies on substance abuse, since flies have a dopamine transporter that can bind cocaine and methamphetamine, and exposure to these compounds elicits effects similar to those observed in people, suggesting conserved evolutionary mechanisms underlying drug responses. Here, we used the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel to investigate the genetic basis for variation in psychostimulant drug consumption, to determine whether similar or distinct genetic networks underlie variation in consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine, and to assess the extent of sexual dimorphism and effect of genetic context on variation in voluntary drug consumption. Quantification of natural genetic variation in voluntary consumption, preference, and change in consumption and preference over time for cocaine and methamphetamine uncovered significant genetic variation for all traits, including sex-, exposure-and drug-specific genetic variation. Genome wide association analyses identified both shared and drug-specific candidate genes, which could be integrated in genetic interaction networks. We assessed the effects of ubiquitous RNA interference (RNAi) on consumption behaviors for 34 candidate genes: all affected at least one behavior. Finally, we utilized RNAi knockdown in the nervous system to implicate dopaminergic neurons and the mushroom bodies as part of the neural circuitry underlying experience-dependent development of drug preference.nnAUTHOR SUMMARYIllicit use of cocaine and methamphetamine is a major public health problem. Whereas the neurological effects of these drugs are well characterized, it remains challenging to determine genetic risk factors for substance abuse in human populations. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, presents an excellent model for identifying evolutionarily conserved genes that affect drug consumption, since genetic background and exposure can be controlled precisely. We took advantage of natural variation in a panel of inbred wild derived fly lines with complete genome sequences to assess the extent of genetic variation among these lines for voluntary consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine and to explore whether some genetic backgrounds might show experience-dependent development of drug preference. The drug consumption traits were highly variable among the lines with strong sex-, drug- and exposure time-specific components. We identified candidate genes and gene networks associated with variation in consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine and development of drug preference. Using tissue-specific suppression of gene expression, we were able to functionally implicate candidate genes that affected at least one consumption trait in at least one drug and sex. In humans, the mesolimbic dopaminergic projection plays a role in drug addiction. We asked whether in Drosophila the mushroom bodies could play an analogous role, as they are integrative brain centers associated with experience-dependent learning. Indeed, our results suggest that variation in consumption and development of preference for both cocaine and methamphetamine is mediated, at least in part, through a neural network that comprises dopaminergic projections to the mushroom bodies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Highfill, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stevens, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anholt, R. R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-11-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/470906</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetics of Cocaine and Methamphetamine Consumption and Preference in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-11-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/471656v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-wide association studies for yield-related traits in soft red winter wheat grown in Virginia 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/471656v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Grain yield is a trait of paramount importance in the breeding of all cereals. In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), yield has steadily increased since the Green Revolution, though the current rate of increase is not forecasted to keep pace with demand due to growing world population and affluence. While several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on yield and related component traits have been performed in wheat, the previous lack of a reference genome has made comparisons between studies difficult. In this study, a GWAS for yield and yield-related traits was carried out on a population of 324 soft red winter wheat lines across a total of four rain-fed environments in the state of Virginia using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker data generated by a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) protocol. Two separate mixed linear models were used to identify significant marker-trait associations (MTAs). The first was a single-locus model utilizing a leave-one-chromosome-out approach to estimating kinship. The second was a sub-setting kinship multi-locus method (FarmCPU). The single-locus model identified nine significant MTAs for various yield-related traits, while the FarmCPU model identified 74 significant MTAs. The availability of the wheat reference genome allowed for the description of MTAs in terms of both genetic and physical positions, and enabled more extensive post-GWAS characterization of significant MTAs. The results indicate promising avenues for increasing grain yield by exploiting variation in traits relating to the number of grains per unit area, as well as phenological traits influencing grain-filling duration of genotypes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ward, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kolb, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Sanford, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyagi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sneller, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffey, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-11-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/471656</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-wide association studies for yield-related traits in soft red winter wheat grown in Virginia]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-11-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/474296v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
BEAST 2.5: An Advanced Software Platform for Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/474296v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Elaboration of Bayesian phylogenetic inference methods has continued at pace in recent years with major new advances in nearly all aspects of the joint modelling of evolutionary data. It is increasingly appreciated that some evolutionary questions can only be adequately answered by combining evidence from multiple independent sources of data, including genome sequences, sampling dates, phenotypic data, radiocarbon dates, fossil occurrences, and biogeographic range information among others. Including all relevant data into a single joint model is very challenging both conceptually and computationally. Advanced computational software packages that allow robust development of compatible (sub-)models which can be composed into a full model hierarchy have played a key role in these developments.nnDeveloping such software frameworks is increasingly a major scientific activity in its own right, and comes with specific challenges, from practical software design, development and engineering challenges to statistical and conceptual modelling challenges. BEAST 2 is one such computational software platform, and was first announced over 4 years ago. Here we describe a series of major new developments in the BEAST 2 core platform and model hierarchy that have occurred since the first release of the software, culminating in the recent 2.5 release.nnAuthor summaryBayesian phylogenetic inference methods have undergone considerable development in recent years, and joint modelling of rich evolutionary data, including genomes, phenotypes and fossil occurrences is increasingly common. Advanced computational software packages that allow robust development of compatible (sub-)models which can be composed into a full model hierarchy have played a key role in these developments. Developing scientific software is increasingly crucial to advancement in many fields of biology. The challenges range from practical software development and engineering, distributed team coordination, conceptual development and statistical modelling, to validation and testing. BEAST 2 is one such computational software platform for phylogenetics, population genetics and phylodynamics, and was first announced over 4 years ago. Here we describe the full range of new tools and models available on the BEAST 2.5 platform, which expand joint evolutionary inference in many new directions, especially for joint inference over multiple data types, non-tree models and complex phylodynamics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bouckaert, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaughan, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barido-Sottani, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duchene, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fourment, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gavryushkina, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heled, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuhnert, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Maio, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matschiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mendes, F. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muller, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ogilvie, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>du Plessis, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Popinga, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rambaut, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siveroni, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suchard, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, C.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stadler, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drummond, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-11-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/474296</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[BEAST 2.5: An Advanced Software Platform for Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-11-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/479121v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
IgG is differentially and selectively transferred across the placenta in HIV-infected women 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/479121v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
SUMMARYnnThe transplacental transfer of maternal IgG to the developing fetus is critical for infant protection against infectious pathogens in the first year of life. However, factors that modulate the transplacental transfer efficiency of maternal IgG that could be harnessed for maternal vaccine design remain largely undefined. HIV-infected women have impaired placental IgG transfer, yet the mechanism underlying this impaired transfer is unknown, presenting an opportunity to explore factors that contribute to the efficiency of placental IgG transfer. We measured the transplacental transfer efficiency of maternal HIV and other pathogen-specific IgG in historical U.S. (n=120) and Malawian (n=47) cohorts of HIV-infected mothers and their HIV- exposed uninfected and HIV-infected infants. We then examined the role of maternal HIV disease progression, infant factors, placental Fc receptor expression, and IgG Fc region subclass and glycan signatures and their association with transplacental transfer efficiency of maternal antigen-specific IgG. We established 3 distinct phenotypes of placental IgG transfer efficiency in HIV-infected women, including: 1) efficient transfer of the majority of antigen-specific IgG populations; 2) generally poor IgG transfer phenotype that was strongly associated with maternal CD4+ T cell counts, hypergammaglobulinemia, and frequently yielded non-protective levels of vaccine-specific IgG; and 3) variable transfer of IgG across distinct antigen specificities. Interestingly, maternal IgG characteristics, such as binding to placentally expressed Fc receptors Fc{gamma}RIIa and Fc{gamma}RIIIa, IgG subclass frequency, and Fc region glycan profiles were associated with placental IgG transfer efficiency. These maternal IgG transplacental transfer determinants were distinct among different antigen-specific IgG populations. Our findings suggest that in HIV-infected women, both maternal disease progression and Fc region characteristics modulate the selective placental transfer of distinct IgG subpopulations, with implications for both the health of HIV-exposed uninfected infants and maternal vaccine design.nnHighlightsO_LILow peripheral blood CD4 + T cell count and hypergammaglobulinemia are associated with inefficient transplacental IgG transfer in HIV-infected womennC_LIO_LIAntigen-specific IgG binding strength to placentally-expressed Fc receptors, but not placental Fc receptor expression levels, mediates selective placental IgG transfernC_LIO_LIAntigen-specific IgG Fc region glycan profiles also contribute to the selective placental IgG transfer of maternal IgG populations in HIV-infected womennC_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Martinez, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fong, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jennewein, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weiner, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrell, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mangold, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goswami, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seage, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alter, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ackerman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fouda, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Permar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-11-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/479121</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[IgG is differentially and selectively transferred across the placenta in HIV-infected women]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-11-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/481143v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Stress, novel sex genes and epigenetic reprogramming orchestrate socially-controlled sex change 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/481143v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bluehead wrasses undergo dramatic, socially-cued female to male sex change. We apply transcriptomic and methylome approaches in this wild coral reef fish to identify the primary trigger and subsequent molecular cascade of gonadal metamorphosis. Our data suggest that the environmental stimulus is exerted via the stress axis, that repression of the aromatase gene (encoding the enzyme converting androgens to estrogens) triggers a cascaded collapse of feminizing gene expression, and identifies notable sex-specific gene neofunctionalization. Furthermore, sex change involves distinct epigenetic reprogramming and an intermediate state with altered epigenetic machinery expression akin to the early developmental cells of mammals. These findings reveal at a molecular level how a normally committed developmental process remains plastic and is reversed to completely alter organ structures.nnOne Sentence SummaryOvary to testis transformation in a sex-changing fish involves transcriptomic and epigenomic reprogramming.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Todd, E. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ortega-Recalde, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamm, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rutherford, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cross, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Black, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kardailsky, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graves, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hore, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godwin, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gemmell, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-12-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/481143</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Stress, novel sex genes and epigenetic reprogramming orchestrate socially-controlled sex change]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-12-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/489880v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Accelerated Bayesian inference of gene expression models from snapshots of single-cell transcripts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/489880v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding how stochastic gene expression is regulated in biological systems using snapshots of single-cell transcripts requires state-of-the-art methods of computational analysis and statistical inference. A Bayesian approach to statistical inference is the most complete method for model selection and uncertainty quantification of kinetic parameters from single-cell data. This approach is impractical because current numerical algorithms are too slow to handle typical models of gene expression. To solve this problem, we first show that time-dependent mRNA distributions of discrete-state models of gene expression are dynamic Poisson mixtures, whose mixing kernels are characterized by a piece-wise deterministic Markov process. We combined this analytical result with a kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm to create a hybrid numerical method that accelerates the calculation of time-dependent mRNA distributions by 1000-fold compared to current methods. We then integrated the hybrid algorithm into an existing Monte Carlo sampler to estimate the Bayesian posterior distribution of many different, competing models in a reasonable amount of time. We validated our method of accelerated Bayesian inference on several synthetic data sets. Our results show that kinetic parameters can be reasonably constrained for modestly sampled data sets, if the model is known a priori. If the model is unknown,the Bayesian evidence can be used to rigorously quantify the likelihood of a model relative to other models from the data. We demonstrate that Bayesian evidence selects the true model and outperforms approximate metrics, e.g., Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) or Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), often used for model selection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lin, Y. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchler, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-12-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/489880</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Accelerated Bayesian inference of gene expression models from snapshots of single-cell transcripts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-12-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/496240v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Queen and king recognition in the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes: Evidence for royal recognition pheromones 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/496240v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Royal recognition is a central feature of insect societies, allowing them to maintain the reproductive division of labor and regulate colony demography. Queen recognition has been broadly demonstrated and queen recognition pheromones have been identified in social hymenopterans, and in one termite species. Here we describe behaviors that are elicited in workers and soldiers by neotenic queens and kings of the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, and demonstrate the chemical basis for the behavior. Workers and soldiers readily perform a lateral or longitudinal shaking behavior upon antennal contact with queens and kings. When royal cuticular chemicals are transferred to live workers or inert glass dummies, they elicit antennation and shaking in a dose-dependent manner. The striking response to reproductives and their cuticular extracts suggests that royal-specific cuticular compounds act as recognition pheromones and that shaking behavior is a clear and measurable queen and king recognition response in this termite species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Funaro, C. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vargo, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-12-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/496240</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Queen and king recognition in the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes: Evidence for royal recognition pheromones]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-12-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/506162v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Global invasion history of the world’s most abundant pest butterfly: a citizen science population genomics study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/506162v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A major goal of invasion and climate change biology research is to understand the ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms to anthropogenic disturbance, especially over large spatial and temporal scales. One significant, and sometimes unattainable, challenge of these studies is garnering sufficient numbers of relevant specimens, especially for species spread across multiple continents. We developed a citizen science project, "Pieris Project", to successfully amass thousands of specimens of the invasive agricultural pest Pieris rapae, the small cabbage white butterfly, from 32 countries worldwide. We then generated and analyzed genomic (ddRAD) and mitochondrial DNA sequence data for these samples to reconstruct and compare different global invasion history scenarios. Our results bolster historical accounts of the global spread and timing of P. rapae introductions. The spread of P. rapae over the last [~]160 years followed a linear series of at least four founding events, with each introduced population serving as the source for the next. We provide the first molecular evidence supporting the hypothesis that the ongoing divergence of the European and Asian subspecies of P. rapae ([~]1,200 yrBP) coincides with the domestication of brassicaceous crops. Finally, the international success of the Pieris Project allowed us to nearly double the geographic scope of our sampling (i.e., add >1,000 specimens from 13 countries), demonstrating the power of the public to aid scientists in collections-based research addressing important questions in ecology and evolutionary biology.nnNon-technical summaryWe provide genetic evidence that the success of the small cabbage white butterfly--its rise to one of the most widespread and abundant butterflies on the planet-- was largely facilitated by human activities, through the domestication of its food plants and the accidental movement of the butterfly by means of trade and human movement (migration). Through an international citizen science project--Pieris Project--people from around the world helped to unravel the global invasion history of this agricultural pest butterfly by collecting samples for DNA analysis. The success of this citizen science project demonstrates the power of the public to aid in collections-based research that address important questions related to ecology and evolutionary biology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ryan, S. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lombaert, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Espeset, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vila, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Talavera, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinca, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Renshaw, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eng, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doellman, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hornett, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pfrender, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shoemaker, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-12-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/506162</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Global invasion history of the world’s most abundant pest butterfly: a citizen science population genomics study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-12-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/509364v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Locally Fixed Alleles: A method to localize gene drive to island populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/509364v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity on islands. While successes have been achieved using traditional removal methods, such as toxicants aimed at rodents, these approaches have limitations and various off-target effects on island ecosystems. Gene drive technologies designed to eliminate a population provide an alternative approach, but the potential for drive-bearing individuals to escape from the target release area and impact populations elsewhere is a major concern. Here we propose the "Locally Fixed Alleles" approach as a novel means for localizing elimination by a drive to an island population that exhibits significant genetic isolation from neighboring populations. Our approach is based on the assumption that in small island populations of rodents, genetic drift will lead to multiple genomic alleles becoming fixed. In contrast, multiple alleles are likely to be maintained in larger populations on mainlands. Utilizing the high degree of genetic specificity achievable using homing drives, for example based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system, our approach aims at employing one or more locally fixed alleles as the target for a gene drive on a particular island. Using mathematical modeling, we explore the feasibility of this approach and the degree of localization that can be achieved. We show that across a wide range of parameter values, escape of the drive to a neighboring population in which the target allele is not fixed will at most lead to modest transient suppression of the non-target population. While the main focus of this paper is on elimination of a rodent pest from an island, we also discuss the utility of the locally fixed allele approach for the goals of population suppression or population replacement. Our analysis also provides a threshold condition for the ability of a gene drive to invade a partially resistant population.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sudweeks, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hollingsworth, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blondel, D. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campbell, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dhole, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eisemann, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godwin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howald, G. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piaggio, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prowse, T. A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross, J. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saah, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shiels, A. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Threadgill, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vella, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/509364</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Locally Fixed Alleles: A method to localize gene drive to island populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/511147v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bacterial Diversity in Feces of Wild Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures and Common Ravens from the Pacific Northwest Coast, U.S.A. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/511147v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Birds harbor diverse microorganisms in their guts, which collectively fulfill important roles in providing their hosts with nutrition and protection from pathogens. Although numerous studies have investigated the presence of certain pathogenic bacteria in the feces of wild birds, only a few have attempted to investigate the microbiota of the gut. This study analyzed the avian bacteria present in the cloaca of avian scavengers captured on coastal beaches of Washington and Oregon between 2013 and 2015: 10 turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), 9 bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and 2 common ravens (Corvus corax). We used illumina sequencing based on the V4 region of the 16s gene was to characterize the bacterial diversity. Our investigation revealed phylum-level differences in the microbiome of turkey vultures, compared with bald eagles and common ravens. Substantial microbiome differences were found between bald eagles and ravens below the phylum level. Although little is known about the possible relations among these microorganisms, our analyses provides the first integrated look at the composition of the avian microbiota and serves as a foundation for future studies in this area.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Crespo, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dowd, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Varland, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamer, T. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/511147</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bacterial Diversity in Feces of Wild Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures and Common Ravens from the Pacific Northwest Coast, U.S.A.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/512509v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of water, sanitation, handwashing and nutritional interventions on soil-transmitted helminth infections in young children: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/512509v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundSoil transmitted helminths (STH) infect >1.5 billion people. Mass drug administration (MDA) reduces infection; however, drug resistance is emerging and reinfection occurs rapidly. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh (WASH Benefits, NCT01590095) to assess whether water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition interventions, alone and combined, reduce STH in a setting with ongoing MDA.

Methodology/Principal FindingsWe randomized clusters of pregnant women into water treatment, sanitation, handwashing, combined water+sanitation+handwashing (WSH), nutrition, nutrition+WSH (N+WSH) or control arms. After 2.5 years of intervention, we enumerated STH infections in children aged 2-12 years with Kato-Katz. We estimated intention-to-treat intervention effects on infection prevalence and intensity. Participants and field staff were not blinded; laboratory technicians and data analysts were blinded.

In 2012-2013, we randomized 5551 women in 720 clusters. In 2015-2016, we enrolled 7795 children of 4102 available women for STH follow-up and collected stool from 7187. Prevalence among controls was 36.8% for A. lumbricoides, 9.2% for hookworm and 7.5% for T. trichiura. Most infections were low-intensity. Compared to controls, the water intervention reduced hookworm (prevalence ratio [PR]=0.69 (0.50, 0.95), prevalence difference [PD]=-2.83 (-5.16, -0.50)) but did not affect other STH. Sanitation improvements reduced T. trichiura (PR=0.71 (0.52, 0.98), PD=-2.17 (-4.03, -0.38)), had a similar borderline effect on hookworm and no effect on A. lumbricoides. Handwashing and nutrition interventions did not reduce any STH. WSH and N+WSH reduced hookworm prevalence by 29-33% (2-3 percentage points) and marginally reduced A. lumbricoides. Effects on infection intensity were similar.

Conclusions/SignificanceIn a low-intensity infection setting with MDA, we found modest but sustained hookworm reduction from water treatment, sanitation and combined WSH interventions. Interventions more effectively reduced STH species with no persistent environmental reservoirs. Our findings highlight waterborne transmission for hookworm and suggest that water treatment and sanitation improvements can augment MDA programs to interrupt STH transmission.

Author summarySoil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect >1.5 billion people worldwide. Mass-administration of deworming drugs is the cornerstone of global strategy for STH control but treated individuals often rapidly get reinfected and there is also concern about emerging drug resistance. Interventions to treat drinking water, wash hands at critical times and isolate human feces from the environment through improved sanitation could reduce STH transmission by reducing the spread of ova from the feces of infected individuals into the environment and subsequently to new hosts, while nutrition improvements could reduce host susceptibility to infection. Existing evidence on the effect of these interventions on STH is scarce. In a setting with ongoing mass-drug administration, we assessed the effect of individual and combined water, sanitation, handwashing and nutrition interventions on STH infection in children. Approximately 2.5 years after delivering interventions, we found reductions in STH infection from water treatment and sanitation interventions; there was no reduction from the handwashing and nutrition interventions. While the reductions were modest in magnitude compared to cure rates achieved by deworming drugs, they indicated sustained reduction in environmental transmission. The reductions were more pronounced for STH species that do not have persistent environmental reservoirs. These findings suggest that water treatment and sanitation interventions can augment mass-drug administration programs in striving toward elimination of STH.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ercumen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benjamin-Chung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arnold, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hubbard, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parvez, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unicomb, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haque, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colford, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luby, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/512509</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of water, sanitation, handwashing and nutritional interventions on soil-transmitted helminth infections in young children: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/517250v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Stem-cell-ubiquitous genes spatiotemporally coordinate division through regulation of stem-cell-specific gene networks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/517250v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Stem cells are responsible for generating all of the differentiated cells, tissues, and organs in a multicellular organism and, thus, play a crucial role in cell renewal, regeneration, and organization. A number of stem cell type-specific genes have a known role in stem cell maintenance, identity, and/or division. Yet, how genes expressed across different stem cell types, referred here as stem-cell-ubiquitous genes, contribute to stem cell regulation is less understood. Here, we find that, in the Arabidopsis root, a stem-cell-ubiquitous gene, TESMIN-LIKE CXC2 (TCX2), controls stem cell division by regulating stem cell-type specific networks. Development of a mathematical model of TCX2 expression allowed us to show that TCX2 orchestrates the coordinated division of different stem cell types. Our results highlight that genes expressed across different stem cell types ensure cross-communication among cells, allowing them to divide and develop harmonically together.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clark, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckner, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nelson, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, T. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simmons, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Butler-Smith, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheldon, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bergmann, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/517250</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Stem-cell-ubiquitous genes spatiotemporally coordinate division through regulation of stem-cell-specific gene networks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/519264v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sequence based mapping identifies AWNS1, a candidate transcription repressor underlying awn suppression at the B1 locus in wheat 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/519264v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Awns are stiff, hair-like structures that grow from the spikelets of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and other grasses. In wild wheat relatives, awns play a role in seed dispersal. Awn suppression in domesticated wheat, where awns are shortened or even eliminated entirely, is variably adaptive with both awned and awnless types under widespread cultivation. Although the B1 locus on the long arm of chromosome 5A is a major determinant of awn suppression, no underlying gene or mechanism of action has been identified. Using association mapping, we identified a SNP marker located on the distal end of 5AL (5A28417) predictive of awn status in a panel of 640 U.S. winter wheat breeding lines, indicating that B1 was the determinant of awn suppression in this germplasm. Analysis of historical data available for the panel determined 5A28417 was also significantly associated with grain test weight. Evaluation of spike morphology and kernel traits was undertaken in a 341 RIL population developed from a cross between awned soft winter wheat cultivar LA95135 and awnless cultivar SS-MPV57. Awn suppression in the population co-segregated with 5A28417 and was co-located with QTL for number of spikelets per spike, kernel weight and kernel length. Fine-mapping located B1 to a region containing only two predicted genes, including a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor 219 bp from 5A28417 that we named AWNS-A1. Deletions encompassing both genes were present in awned mutants of the awnless cultivar Brundage. Polymorphisms in the AWNS-A1 coding region were not observed in diverse wheat germplasm. However, sequencing of wheat lines representing different marker haplotypes in the surrounding region identified a deletion 3 kb downstream of AWNS-A1. A marker for this deletion was highly predictive of awn suppression in a collection of diverse wheat accessions, and indicates that AWNS-A1 is likely the major determinant of awn suppression in global wheat germplasm. AWNS-A1 is more highly expressed in developing spikes of awnless individuals, suggesting a mechanism for awn suppression.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeWitt, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guedira, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lauer, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarinelli, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyagi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hao, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshall, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akhunova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jordan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akhunov, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/519264</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sequence based mapping identifies AWNS1, a candidate transcription repressor underlying awn suppression at the B1 locus in wheat]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/522532v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A novel technique for mapping viscosity in discrete subcellular locations with a BODIPY based fluorescent probe 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/522532v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Numerous cellular processes, including enzyme behaviour, signalling, and protein folding and transport are highly influenced by the local microviscosity environment within living cells. Molecular rotors are fluorescent molecules that respond to the viscosity of their environment through changes in both the intensity and lifetime of their fluorescence. We have synthesised a novel benzyl-guanine derivatized boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) molecular rotor that is a substrate for the SNAP-tag targeting system (named BG-BODIPY), allowing us to target the rotor to discrete locations within the living cell. We demonstrate that BG-BODIPY reports viscosity, and that this can be measured either through fluorescence lifetime or intensity ratiometric measurements. The relative microviscosities within the ER, Golgi, mitochondrial matrix, peroxisomes, lysosomes, cytoplasm, and nucleoplasm were significantly different. Additionally, this approach permitted fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to determine the absolute viscosity within both mitochondria and stress granules, showcasing BG-BODIPYs usefulness in studying both membrane-bound and membraneless organelles. These results highlight targeted BG-BODIPYs broad usefulness for making measurements of cellular viscosity both with FLIM and conventional ratiometric confocal microscopy, the latter option greatly extending the accessibility of the technique although limited to relative meassurements.

Statement of SignificanceLocal viscosity affects molecular behaviour from diffusion and conformational changes to enzyme kinetics and has important implications for cell and tissue function. Mechanical methods for measurement of viscosity average over large volumes and long times and are thus unsuitable for rapid changes on small scales that are biologically relevant. This paper reports a novel optical fluorescence method using genome edited cells to deliver a viscosity reporter to tightly defined locations inside living cells, from which non-destructive organelle-specific measurements can be repeatedly made. The local viscosity of seven separate organelles in living cultured human cells is shown for the first time, together with the viscosity behaviour of a membraneless organelle as it is induced in cells by stress.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pytowski, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foley, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hernandez, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moon, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donohoe, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaux, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/522532</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A novel technique for mapping viscosity in discrete subcellular locations with a BODIPY based fluorescent probe]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/525378v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microhabitat predicts species differences in exploratory behavior in Lake Malawi cichlids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/525378v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Encountering and adaptively responding to unfamiliar or novel stimuli is a fundamental challenge facing animals and is linked to fitness. Behavioral responses to novel stimuli, or exploratory behavior, can differ strongly between closely related species; however, the ecological and evolutionary factors underlying these differences are not well understood, in part because most comparative investigations have focused on only two species. In this study, we investigate exploratory behavior across 23 species in a previously untested vertebrate system, Lake Malawi cichlid fishes, which comprises hundreds of phenotypically diverse species that have diverged in the past one million years. We investigate behavioral variation across species, across microhabitats, and across environmental contexts. We find strong species differences in behavior that are associated with microhabitat, demonstrate that intermediate microhabitats are associated with higher levels of exploratory behavior, show that patterns of behavioral covariation across contexts are characteristic of modular complex traits, and contrast Malawi cichlid data with behavioral data from selectively bred high-and low-exploratory zebrafish. Taken together, our results tie ecology to species differences in behavior, and highlight Lake Malawi cichlids as a powerful system for understanding the evolution, ecology, and biology of natural behavioral variation.

HighlightsO_LIMalawi cichlids exhibit high phenotypic variance in exploratory behaviors
C_LIO_LISpecies differences in exploratory behavior are explained by microhabitat
C_LIO_LIRock-dwelling species exhibit strong edge preferences across assays
C_LIO_LIIntermediate habitats are associated with "high exploratory" open field behavior
C_LIO_LIPatterns of behavioral covariance across contexts are modular in Malawi cichlids
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Johnson, Z. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wong, R. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godwin, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Streelman, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/525378</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microhabitat predicts species differences in exploratory behavior in Lake Malawi cichlids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/531343v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mapping changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of lumpy skin disease virus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/531343v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is an infectious disease of cattle transmitted by arthropod vectors which results in substantial economic losses due to impact on production efficiency and profitability, and represents an emerging threat to international trade of livestock products and live animals. Since 2015, the disease has spread across many Eastern European countries as well as Russia and Kazakhstan. This rapid expansion highlights the emergent nature of the virus in more temperate regions than those in which LSDV traditionally occurred. The goal of this study was to assess the risk for further LSDV spread in Eurasia through a) analysis of environmental factors conducive for LSDV and b) estimate of the underlying LSDV risk using a fine spatiotemporally explicit Bayesian hierarchical model on LSDV outbreak occurrence information. We used ecological niche modeling to estimate the potential distribution of LSDV outbreaks for 2014-2016. This analysis resulted in a spatial representation of environmental limits where, if introduced, LSDV is expected to efficiently spread. The Bayesian space-time model incorporated both environmental factors and the changing spatiotemporal distribution of the disease to capture the dynamics of disease spread and predict areas in which there is an increased risk of LSDV occurrence. Variables related to the average temperature, precipitation, wind speed, as well as land cover and host densities were found to be important drivers explaining the observed distribution of LSDV in both modeling approaches. Areas of elevated LSDV risks were identified mainly in Russia, Turkey, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Results suggest that prevailing ecological conditions may be compatible with further spread of LSDV in Eurasia, though models should be continually updated to reflect the current epidemiologic conditions. The results presented here advance our understanding of the ecological requirements of LSDV in temperate regions and may help in the design and implementation of prevention and surveillance strategies in the region.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Korennoy, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alvarez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Picasso-Risso, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>VanderWaal, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/531343</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mapping changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of lumpy skin disease virus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/531525v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Coupling adaptive molecular evolution to phylodynamics using fitness-dependent birth-death models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/531525v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Beneficial and deleterious mutations cause fitness to vary among individuals in a population, which natural selection can then act upon to drive adaptive evolution. Non-neutral mutations can likewise cause fitness to vary among lineages in a phylogeny and thereby shape its branching structure. While standard phylogenetic models do not allow mutations to feedback and shape tree topology, birth-death models can account for this feedback by letting the fitness of lineages vary depending on their type. To date though, these multi-type birth-death models have only been applied to cases where a lineages fitness is determined by a single evolving character state and have not been extended to model sequence evolution across multiple sites. We introduce an extension of the multi-type birth-death model, the marginal fitness birth-death model, that tracks sequence evolution at multiple sites and how the fitness of a lineage depends on its genotype across all sites. This approach remains computationally tractable even for many evolving sites because it tracks the genotype of a lineage probabilistically in an approximate manner, and then marginalizes over all possible genotypes to determine the expected fitness of a lineage. Although approximate, we show that we can accurately estimate the fitness of a lineage and even site-specific mutational fitness effects from the branching pattern of a phylogeny. To demonstrate the power of this approach, we apply it to estimate the host population level fitness effects of mutations previously identified to increase the infectivity of Ebola virus in human cell lines during the 2013-16 epidemic in West Africa.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stadler, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/531525</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Coupling adaptive molecular evolution to phylodynamics using fitness-dependent birth-death models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/531558v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Same-Species Contamination Detection with Variant Calling Information from Next Generation Sequencing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/531558v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
MotivationSame-species contamination detection is an important quality control step in genetic data analysis. Compared with widely discussed cross-species contamination, same-species contamination is more challenging to detect, and there is a scarcity of methods to detect and correct for this quality control issue. Same-species contamination may be due to contamination by lab technicians or samples from other contributors. Here, we introduce a novel machine learning algorithm to detect same species contamination in next generation sequence data using support vector machines. Our approach uniquely detects such contamination using variant calling information stored in the variant call format (VCF) files (either DNA or RNA), and importantly can differentiate between same species contamination and mixtures of tumor and normal cells.

MethodsIn the first stage of our approach, a change-point detection method is used to identify copy number variations or copy number aberrations (CNVs or CNAs) for filtering prior to testing for contamination. Next, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data is used to test for same species contamination using a support vector machine model. Based on the assumption that alternative allele frequencies in next generation sequencing follow the beta-binomial distribution, the deviation parameter {rho} is estimated by maximum likelihood method. All features of a radial basis function (RBF) kernel support vector machine (SVM) are generated using either publicly available or private training data. Lastly, the generated SVM is applied in the test data to detect contamination. If training data is not available, a default RBF kernel SVM model is used.

ResultsWe demonstrate the potential of our approach using simulation experiments, creating datasets with varying levels of contamination. The datasets combine, in silico, exome sequencing data of DNA from two lymphoblastoid cell lines (NA12878 and NA10855). We generated VCF files using variants identified in these data, and then evaluated the power and false positive rate of our approach to detect same species contamination. Our simulation experiments show that our method can detect levels of contamination as low as 5% with reasonable false positive rates. Results in real data have sensitivity above 99.99% and specificity at 90.24%, even in the presence of DNA degradation that has similar features to contaminated samples. Additionally, the approach can identify the difference between mixture of tumor-normal cells and contamination. We provide an R software implementation of our approach using the defcon()function in the vanquish: Variant Quality Investigation Helper R package on CRAN.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jiang, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchkovich, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Motsinger-Reif, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-01-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/531558</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Same-Species Contamination Detection with Variant Calling Information from Next Generation Sequencing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-01-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/540435v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sulfur-oxidizing symbionts without canonical genes for autotrophic CO2 fixation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/540435v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Since the discovery of symbioses between sulfur-oxidizing (thiotrophic) bacteria and invertebrates at hydrothermal vents over 40 years ago, it has been assumed that autotrophic fixation of CO2 by the symbionts drives these nutritional associations. In this study, we investigated Candidatus Kentron, the clade of symbionts hosted by Kentrophoros, a diverse genus of ciliates which are found in marine coastal sediments around the world. Despite being the main food source for their hosts, Kentron lack the key canonical genes for any of the known pathways for autotrophic fixation, and have a carbon stable isotope fingerprint unlike other thiotrophic symbionts from similar habitats. Our genomic and transcriptomic analyses instead found metabolic features consistent with growth on organic carbon, especially organic and amino acids, for which they have abundant uptake transporters. All known thiotrophic symbionts have converged on using reduced sulfur to generate energy lithotrophically, but they are diverse in their carbon sources. Some clades are obligate autotrophs, while many are mixotrophs that can supplement autotrophic carbon fixation with heterotrophic capabilities similar to those in Kentron. We have shown that Kentron are the only thiotrophic symbionts that appear to be entirely heterotrophic, unlike all other thiotrophic symbionts studied to date, which possess either the Calvin-Benson-Bassham or reverse tricarboxylic acid cycles for autotrophy.

Significance StatementMany animals and protists depend on symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria as their main food source. These bacteria use energy from oxidizing inorganic sulfur compounds to make biomass autotrophically from CO2, serving as primary producers for their hosts. Here we describe apparently non-autotrophic sulfur symbionts called Kentron, associated with marine ciliates. They lack genes for known autotrophic pathways, and have a carbon stable isotope fingerprint heavier than other symbionts from similar habitats. Instead they have the potential to oxidize sulfur to fuel the uptake of organic compounds for heterotrophic growth, a metabolic mode called chemolithoheterotrophy that is not found in other symbioses. Although several symbionts have heterotrophic features to supplement primary production, in Kentron they appear to supplant it entirely.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Seah, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Antony, C. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huettel, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zarzycki, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schada von Borzyskowski, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Erb, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kouris, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liebeke, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruber-Vodicka, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-02-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/540435</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sulfur-oxidizing symbionts without canonical genes for autotrophic CO2 fixation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-02-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/547349v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Coinfection of semi-infectious particles can contribute substantially to influenza infection dynamics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/547349v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AbstractInfluenza is an RNA virus with a genome comprised of eight gene segments. Recent experiments show that the vast majority of virions fail to express one or more gene segments and thus cannot cause a productive infection on their own. These particles, called semi-infectious particles (SIPs), can induce virion production through complementation when multiple SIPs are present in an infected cell. Previous within-host influenza models ignore the potential effects of coinfection and SIPs during virus infection. Here, to investigate the extent that SIPs and coinfection impact viral dynamics, we constructed two within-host models that explicitly keep track of SIPs and coinfection, and fitted the models to clinical data published previously. We found that the model making a more realistic assumption that viruses can only reach a limited number of target cells allows for frequent co-infection during early viral exponential growth and predicts that SIPs contribute substantially to viral load. Furthermore, the model provides a new interpretation of the determinants of viral growth and predicts that the virus within-host growth rate (a measure of viral fitness) is relatively insensitive to the fraction of virions being SIPs, consistent with biological observations. Our results highlight the important role that cellular co-infection can play in regulating infection dynamics and provide a potential explanation for why SIP production is not highly deleterious. More broadly, the model can be used as a general framework to understand coinfection/superinfection in other viral infections.

Author SummaryInfluenza A viruses (IAVs) represent a large public health burden across the world. Currently, our understanding of their infection dynamics is incomplete, which hinders the development of effective vaccines and treatment strategies. Recently, it was shown that a large fraction of virions, called semi-infectious particles, do not cause productive infection on their own; however, coinfection of these particles leads to productive infection. The extent that semi-infectious particles and, more broadly, coinfection contribute to overall influenza infection dynamics is not clear. To address this question, we constructed mathematical models explicitly keeping track of semi-infectious particles and coinfection. We show that coinfection can be frequent over the course of infection and that SIPs play an important role in regulating infection dynamics. Our results have implications towards developing effective therapeutics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Farrell, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brooke, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koelle, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ke, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-02-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/547349</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Coinfection of semi-infectious particles can contribute substantially to influenza infection dynamics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-02-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/552935v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Window to the Fluorescence: The White Eye-Color Gene of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/552935v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Eye-color mutations have proven useful in multiple insect species to help facilitate the development and use of transgenic tools for functional genomics. While there is species-specific variation in the pigments used to color insect eyes, every species studied thus far requires an ortholog of the ABC transporter gene white for proper pigmentation of the eyes. Previously, we generated transgenic western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, and found that their wild-type eye color obscured our ability to visualize a fluorescent marker driven by the widely used 3xP3 eye-specific promoter. Therefore, we sought to identify the D. v. virgifera ortholog of white (Dvvw). Here we report the discovery, cloning, and analysis of Dvvw cDNA and promoter. We also utilize RNA interference to knock down Dvvw mRNA in a transgenic strain, thereby demonstrating the utility of eye-color mutations when developing transgenic technologies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grubbs, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chu, F.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenzen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/552935</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Window to the Fluorescence: The White Eye-Color Gene of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/558932v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Report on the spatial spread of defective interfering particles and its role in suppressing infectious particles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/558932v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Defective interfering particles (DIPs) are categorized as non-infectious viruses with large deletions in their genomic material. A cell infected by a DIP require co-infection by a wild-type virus to complete its replicative lifecycle. There is an increasing interest in developing DIP based therapies in the form of molecular parasites that steal genetic resources of infectious particles. This parasitic behavior is enhanced by constructing engineering designs of DIPs to optimize their role in suppressing the virus infection within-host. Recent experimental studies characterize viral infection as a spatial process and emphasize on its spread rate and the area populated by the infectious particles (IPs). We developed a spatio-temporal model in the framework of reaction-diffusion equations to depict the functional organization of virus particles distributed over a tissue surface. Our model investigates the scenarios and figures out the aspects that can play a vital role to suppress the infection within-host. We studied the impact of initial dose of DIPs, the efficiency of DIP production and the role of cell maturation. Our results show that an engineered DIP can substantially decrease the concentration of IPs. We assert that the decrease in the rate of spatial spread of IPs requires non-deterministic settings.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ali, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ke, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/558932</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Report on the spatial spread of defective interfering particles and its role in suppressing infectious particles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/559609v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Spatial distribution and spread potential of sixteen Leptospira serovars in a subtropical region of Brazil 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/559609v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that represents a major problem in animal and public health due to its high prevalence and widespread distribution. This zoonotic disease is most prevalent in tropical environments where conditions favor pathogen survival. The ecological preferences of Leptospira serovars are poorly understood, limiting our knowledge of where and when outbreaks can occur, which may result in misinformed prevention and control plans. While the disease can occur consistently in time and space in tropical regions, research on the ecology of Leptospirosis remains limited in subtropical regions. This research gap regarding Leptospira ecology brings public and veterinary health problems, impacting local economies. To fill this gap of knowledge, we propose to assess geographic and ecological features among Leptospira serovars in a subtropical area of Brazil where Leptospirosis is endemic to (i) highlight environmental conditions that facilitate or limit Leptospira spread and survival and (ii) reconstruct its geographical distribution. An ecological niche modeling framework was used to characterize and compare Leptospira serovars in both geographical and environmental space. Our results show that, despite the geographic overlap exhibited by the different serovars assessed, we found ecological divergence among their occupied ecological niches. Ecological divergences were expressed as ranges of potential distributions and environmental conditions found suitably by serovar, being Sejroe the most asymmetric. Most important predictors for the potential distribution of most serovars were soil pH (31.7%) and landscape temperature (24.2%). Identification of environmental preferences will allow epidemiologists to better infer the presence of a serovar based on the environmental characteristics of regions rather than inferences based solely on historical epidemiological records. Including geographic and ecological ranges of serovars also may help to forecast transmission potential of Leptospira in public health and the food animal practice.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Escobar, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriges, R. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frias, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanhueza, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-02-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/559609</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Spatial distribution and spread potential of sixteen Leptospira serovars in a subtropical region of Brazil]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-02-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/559831v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Consistent and correctable bias in metagenomic sequencing measurements 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/559831v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Measurements of biological communities by marker-gene and metagenomic sequencing are biased: The measured relative abundances of taxa or their genes are systematically distorted from their true values because each step in the experimental workflow preferentially detects some taxa over others. Bias can lead to qualitatively incorrect conclusions and makes measurements from different protocols quantitatively incomparable. A rigorous understanding of bias is therefore essential. Here we propose, test, and apply a simple mathematical model of how bias distorts marker-gene and metagenomics measurements: Bias multiplies the true relative abundances within each sample by taxon-and protocol-specific factors that describe the different efficiencies with which taxa are detected by the workflow. Critically, these factors are consistent across samples with different compositions, allowing bias to be estimated and corrected. We validate this model in 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomics data from bacterial communities with defined compositions. We use it to reason about the effects of bias on downstream statistical analyses, finding that analyses based on taxon ratios are less sensitive to bias than analyses based on taxon proportions. Finally, we demonstrate how this model can be used to quantify bias from samples of defined composition, partition bias into steps such as DNA extraction and PCR amplification, and to correct biased measurements. Our model improves on previous models by providing a better fit to experimental data and by providing a composition-independent approach to analyzing, measuring, and correcting bias.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McLaren, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willis, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-02-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/559831</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Consistent and correctable bias in metagenomic sequencing measurements]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-02-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/567206v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Major QTLs for resistance to early and late leaf spot diseases are identified on chromosomes 3 and 5 in peanut (Arachis hypogaea) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/567206v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Early and late leaf spots are the major foliar diseases of peanut responsible for severely decreased yield in the absence of intensive fungicide spray programs. Pyramiding host resistance to leaf spots in elite cultivars is a sustainable solution to mitigate the diseases. In order to determine the genetic control of leaf spot disease resistance in peanut, a recombinant inbred line population (Florida-07 x GP-NC WS16) segregating for resistance to both diseases was used to construct a SNP-based linkage map consisting of 855 loci. QTL mapping revealed three resistance QTLs for late leaf spot qLLSA05 (phenotypic variation explained, PVE=7-10%), qLLSB03 (PVE=5-7%), and qLLSB05 (PVE=15-41%) that were consistently expressed over multi-year analysis. Two QTL, qLLSA05 and qLLSB05, confirmed our previously published QTL-seq results. For early leaf spot, three resistance QTLs were identified in multiple years, two on chromosome A03 (PVE=8-12%) and one on chromosome B03 (PVE=13-20%), with the locus qELSA03_1.1 coinciding with the previously published genomic region for LLS resistance in GPBD4. Comparative analysis of the genomic regions spanning the QTLs suggests that resistance to early and late leaf spots are largely genetically independent. In addition, QTL analysis on yield showed that the presence of resistance allele in qLLSB03 and qLLSB05 loci might result in protection from yield loss caused by LLS disease damage. Finally, post hoc analysis of the RIL subpopulation that was not utilized in the QTL mapping revealed that the flanking markers for these QTLs can successfully select for resistant and susceptible lines, confirming the effectiveness of pyramiding these resistance loci to improve host-plant resistance in peanut breeding programs using marker-assisted selection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chee, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Culbreath, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isleib, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holbrook, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ozias-Akins, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/567206</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Major QTLs for resistance to early and late leaf spot diseases are identified on chromosomes 3 and 5 in peanut (Arachis hypogaea)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/568287v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Trichoplax microbiome: the simplest animal lives in an intimate symbiosis with two intracellular bacteria 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/568287v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Summary paragraphPlacozoa is an enigmatic phylum of simple, microscopic, marine metazoans. Although intracellular bacteria have been found in all members of this phylum, almost nothing is known about their identity, location and interactions with their host. We used metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing of single host individuals, plus metaproteomic and imaging analyses, to show that the placozoan Trichoplax H2 lives in symbiosis with two intracellular bacteria. One symbiont forms a new genus in the Midichloriaceae (Rickettsiales) and has a genomic repertoire similar to that of rickettsial parasites, but does not appear to express key genes for energy parasitism. Correlative microscopy and 3-D electron tomography revealed that this symbiont resides in an unusual location, the rough endoplasmic reticulum of its hosts internal fiber cells. The second symbiont belongs to the Margulisbacteria, a phylum without cultured representatives and not known to form intracellular associations. This symbiont lives in the ventral epithelial cells of Trichoplax, likely metabolizes algal lipids digested by its host, and has the capacity to supplement the placozoans nutrition. Our study shows that even the simplest animals known have evolved highly specific and intimate associations with symbiotic, intracellular bacteria, and highlights that symbioses with microorganisms are a basal trait of animal life.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gruber-Vodicka, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leisch, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinzke, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liebeke, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McFall-Ngai, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hadfield, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/568287</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Trichoplax microbiome: the simplest animal lives in an intimate symbiosis with two intracellular bacteria]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/569012v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
How to make more from exposure data? An integrated machine learning pipeline to predict pathogen exposure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/569012v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIPredicting infectious disease dynamics is a central challenge in disease ecology. Models that can assess which individuals are most at risk of being exposed to a pathogen not only provide valuable insights into disease transmission and dynamics but can also guide management interventions. Constructing such models for wild animal populations, however, is particularly challenging; often only serological data is available on a subset of individuals and non-linear relationships between variables are common.nC_LIO_LIHere we take advantage of the latest advances in statistical machine learning to construct pathogen-risk models that automatically incorporate complex non-linear relationships with minimal statistical assumptions from ecological data with missing values. Our approach compares multiple machine learning algorithms in a unified environment to find the model with the best predictive performance and uses game theory to better interpret results. We apply this framework on two major pathogens that infect African lions: canine distemper virus (CDV) and feline parvovirus.nC_LIO_LIOur modelling approach provided enhanced predictive performance compared to more traditional approaches, as well as new insights into disease risks in a wild population. We were able to efficiently capture and visualise strong non-linear patterns, as well as model complex interactions between variables in shaping exposure risk from CDV and feline parvovirus. For example, we found that lions were more likely to be exposed to CDV at a young age but only in low rainfall years.nC_LIO_LIWhen combined with our data calibration approach, our framework helped us to answer questions about risk of pathogen exposure which are difficult to address with previous methods. Our framework not only has the potential to aid in predicting disease risk in animal populations, but also can be used to build robust predictive models suitable for other ecological applications such as modelling species distribution or diversity patterns.nC_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fountain-Jones, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carver, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Packer, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mendoza, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Craft, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/569012</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[How to make more from exposure data? An integrated machine learning pipeline to predict pathogen exposure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/570879v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic analysis reveals shared genes and pathways in human and canine angiosarcoma 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/570879v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Angiosarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer of blood vessel-forming cells with high fatality and few effective treatment options. It is both rare and heterogenous, making large, well powered genomic studies nearly impossible. In dogs, angiosarcoma is common, with breeds like the golden retriever carrying heritable genetic factors that put them at very high risk. If the clinical similarity of canine and human angiosarcoma reflects shared genomic etiology, dogs could be a critically needed model for advancing angiosarcoma research. We assessed the genomic landscape of canine angiosarcoma via whole exome sequencing (47 golden retriever angiosarcomas) and RNA sequencing (74 angiosarcomas from multiple breeds). The predominant mutational signature was the age-associated deamination of cytosine to thymine, and somatic coding mutations occurred most frequently in the tumor suppressor TP53 (59.6% of cases) as well as two genes in the PI3K pathway: the oncogene PIK3CA (29.8%) and its regulatory subunit PIK3R1 (8.5%). We compared the canine data to human data recently released by The Angiosarcoma Project, and found the same genes and many of the same pathways significantly enriched for somatic mutations, most notably protein kinases, glycoproteins, fibronectin Type III domains, EGF-like domains, and cell adhesion proteins such as cadherins. As in human angiosarcoma, CDKN2A/B was recurrently deleted and VEGFA, KDR, and KIT recurrently gained. Canine angiosarcoma closely models human angiosarcoma on a genomic level, and is a powerful tool for investigating the pathogenesis of this devastating disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Megquier, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner-Maier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swofford, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, J.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarver, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakthikumar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koltookian, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewellen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graef, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Borst, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tonomura, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alfoldi, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Painter, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karlsson, E. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Modiano, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elvers, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindblad-Toh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/570879</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic analysis reveals shared genes and pathways in human and canine angiosarcoma]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/581488v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Differences in proteome response to cold acclimation in Zoysia japonica cultivars with different levels of freeze tolerance 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/581488v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Zoysiagrasses (Zoysia spp.) are warm season turfgrasses primarily grown in the southern and transition zones of the United States. An understanding of the physiological changes that zoysiagrasses undergo during cold acclimation may shed light on physiological phenotypic traits useful in selection of freeze tolerant genotypes. We investigated the relationship between cold acclimation, protein expression, and freeze tolerance in cold-acclimated (CA) and non-acclimated (NCA) plants of Zoysia japonica Steud. cultivars  Meyer (freeze-tolerant) and  Victoria (freeze-susceptible). Freeze tolerance was assessed using chambers reaching -6, -8, -10, and -12{degrees}C. Additionally, meristematic tissues from the grass crowns of  Meyer and  Victoria were harvested for proteomic analysis after a four week cold acclimation period. Freeze testing indicated that cold acclimation accounted for a 1.9-fold increase in plant survival compared to the non-acclimation treatment. Overall, proteomic analysis identified 62 protein spots having at least a twofold change in abundance under cold acclimation. Nine and 22 unique protein spots were identified for Meyer and Victoria, respectively, with increased abundance (up-regulated) or decreased abundance (down-regulated). In addition, 23 shared protein spots were found among the two cultivars having differential expression in response to cold acclimation. In Meyer, protein response to cold acclimation was primarily upregulated, while in Victoria, protein response was primarily downregulated. These cold acclimation responsive proteins were found to be involved primarily in transcription, metabolism, protein destination and storage, and energy production. As identified through MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry followed matching of protein homologues against the NCBI Arabidopsis database, major proteins of interest for their association with cold acclimation were LEA 3, MAPK, SOD, GAST1, Phytochrome A, ATP synthase, AGP, PLD, and PSII. Further investigation of these proteins and their functional categories may contribute to increase our understanding of the differences in freezing tolerance among zoysiagrass germplasm.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brown, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holloway, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dacosta, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bernstein, R. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuong, T. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patton, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunne, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arellano, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Livingston, D. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milla-Lewis, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/581488</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Differences in proteome response to cold acclimation in Zoysia japonica cultivars with different levels of freeze tolerance]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/583625v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Functional diversification enabled grassy biomes to fill global climate space 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/583625v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Global change impacts on the Earth System are typically evaluated using biome classifications based on trees and forests. However, during the Cenozoic, many terrestrial biomes were transformed through the displacement of trees and shrubs by grasses. While grasses comprise 3% of vascular plant species, they are responsible for more than 25% of terrestrial photosynthesis. Critically, grass dominance alters ecosystem dynamics and function by introducing new ecological processes, especially surface fires and grazing. However, the large grassy component of many global biomes is often neglected in their descriptions, thereby ignoring these important ecosystem processes. Furthermore, the functional diversity of grasses in vegetation models is usually reduced to C3 and C4 photosynthetic plant functional types, omitting other relevant traits. Here, we compile available data to determine the global distribution of grassy vegetation and key traits related to grass dominance. Grassy biomes (where > 50% of the ground layer is covered by grasses) occupy almost every part of Earths vegetated climate space, characterising over 40% of the land surface. Major evolutionary lineages of grasses have specialised in different environments, but species from only three grass lineages occupy 88% of the land area of grassy vegetation, segregating along gradients of temperature, rainfall and fire. The environment occupied by each lineage is associated with unique plant trait combinations, including C3 and C4 photosynthesis, maximum plant height, and adaptations to fire and aridity. There is no single global climatic limit where C4 grasses replace C3 grasses. Instead this ecological transition varies biogeographically, with continental disjunctions arising through contrasting evolutionary histories.nnSignificance statementWorldviews of vegetation generally focus on trees and forests but grasses characterize the ground layer over 40% of the Earths vegetated land surface. This omission is important because grasses transform surface-atmosphere exchanges, biodiversity and disturbance regimes. We looked beneath the trees to produce the first global map of grass-dominated biomes. Grassy biomes occur in virtually every climate on Earth. However, three lineages of grasses are much more successful than others, characterizing 88% of the land area of grassy biomes. Each of these grass lineages evolved ecological specializations related to aridity, freezing and fire. Recognizing the extent and causes of grass dominance beneath trees is important because grassy vegetation plays vital roles in the dynamics of our biosphere and human wellbeing.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lehmann, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffith, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simpson, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Archibald, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beerling, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bond, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Denton, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Forrestel, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fox, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Georges, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoffmann, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kluyver, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mucina, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pau, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ratnam, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Salamin, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Santini, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spriggs, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Westley, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Still, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stromberg, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Osborne, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/583625</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Functional diversification enabled grassy biomes to fill global climate space]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/587964v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Hemimetabolous insects elucidate the origin of sexual development via alternative splicing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/587964v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insects are the only animals in which sexual differentiation is controlled by sex-specific RNA splicing. The doublesex (dsx) transcription factor produces distinct male and female protein isoforms (DsxM and DsxF) under the control of the RNA splicing factor transformer (tra). tra itself is also alternatively spliced so that a functional Tra protein is only present in females; thus, DsxM is produced by default, while DsxF expression requires Tra. The sex-specific Dsx isoforms are essential for both male and female sexual differentiation. This pathway is profoundly different from the molecular mechanisms that control sex-specific development in other animal groups. In animals as different as vertebrates, nematodes, and crustaceans, sexual differentiation involves male-specific transcription of dsx-related transcription factors that are not alternatively spliced and play no role in female sexual development. To understand how the unique splicing-based mode of sexual differentiation found in insects evolved from a more ancestral transcription-based mechanism, we examined dsx and tra expression in three basal, hemimetabolous insect orders. We find that functional Tra protein is limited to females in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera), but is present in both sexes in the louse Pediculus humanus (Phthiraptera) and the cockroach Blattella germanica (Blattodea). Although alternatively spliced dsx isoforms are seen in all these insects, they are sex-specific in the cockroach and the kissing bug but not in the louse. In B. germanica, RNAi experiments show that dsx is necessary for male, but not female, sexual differentiation, while tra controls female development via a dsx-independent pathway. Our results suggest that the distinctive insect mechanism based on the tra-dsx splicing cascade evolved in a gradual, mosaic process: sex-specific splicing of dsx predates its role in female sexual differentiation, while the role of tra in regulating dsx splicing and in sexual development more generally predates sex-specific expression of the Tra protein. We present a model where the canonical tra-dsx axis originated via merger between expanding dsx function (from males to both sexes) and narrowing tra function (from a general splicing factor to the dedicated regulator of dsx).
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wexler, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Delaney, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belles, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wada-Katsumata, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amicucci, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kopp, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/587964</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Hemimetabolous insects elucidate the origin of sexual development via alternative splicing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/591594v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Driving the scalability of DNA-based information storage systems 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/591594v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The extreme density of DNA presents a compelling advantage over current storage media; however, in order to reach practical capacities, new approaches for organizing and accessing information are needed. Here we use chemical handles to selectively extract unique files from a complex database of DNA mimicking 5 TB of data and design and implement a nested file address system that increases the theoretical maximum capacity of DNA storage systems by five orders of magnitude. These advancements enable the development and future scaling of DNA-based data storage systems with reasonable modern capacities and file access capabilities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tomek, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Volkel, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simpson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hass, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Indermaur, E. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuck, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/591594</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Driving the scalability of DNA-based information storage systems]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/591669v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identification of novel neuroprotective loci modulating ischemic stroke volume in a cross between wild-derived inbred mouse strains 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/591669v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
To identify genes involved in cerebral infarction we have employed a forward genetic approach in inbred mouse strains, using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for cerebral infarct volume after middle cerebral artery occlusion. We had previously observed that infarct volume is inversely correlated with cerebral collateral vessel density in the strains. In this study, we expanded the pool of allelic variation among classical inbred mouse strains by utilizing the eight founder strains of the Collaborative Cross and found a wild-derived strain, WSB/EiJ, that breaks this general rule that collateral vessel density inversely correlates with infarct volume. WSB/EiJ and another wild-derived strain, CAST/EiJ, show the highest collateral vessel densities of any inbred strain, but infarct volume of WSB/EiJ mice is 8.7-fold larger than that of CAST/EiJ mice. QTL mapping between these strains identified four new neuroprotective loci modulating cerebral infarct volume while not affecting collateral vessel phenotypes. To identify causative variants in genes we surveyed non-synonymous coding SNPs between CAST/EiJ and WSB/EiJ and found 96 genes harboring coding SNPs predicted to be damaging and mapping within one of the four intervals. In addition, we performed RNA sequencing for brain tissue of CAST/EiJ and WSB/EiJ mice and identified 79 candidate genes mapping in one of the four intervals showing strain-specific differences in expression. The identification of the genes underlying these neuroprotective loci will provide new understanding of genetic risk factors of ischemic stroke which may provide novel targets for future therapeutic intervention of human ischemic stroke.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lee, H. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Widmayer, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marchuk, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/591669</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identification of novel neuroprotective loci modulating ischemic stroke volume in a cross between wild-derived inbred mouse strains]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/594291v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Bile Duct-on-a-Chip with Organ-Level Functions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/594291v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chronic cholestatic liver diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are frequently associated with damage to the barrier function of the biliary epithelium, but barrier function is difficult to study in vivo and has not been recapitulated in vitro. Here we report the development of a bile duct-on-a-chip that phenocopies not only the tubular architecture of the bile duct in three dimensions, but also its barrier functions. We demonstrated that mouse cholangiocytes in the channel of the device became polarized and formed mature tight junctions, and that the permeability of the cholangiocyte monolayer was comparable to that measured ex vivo for the rat bile duct. Permeability decreased significantly when cells formed a compacted monolayer with cell densities comparable to that seen in vivo. This device enabled independent access to the apical and basolateral surfaces of the cholangiocyte channel, allowing proof-of-concept toxicity studies with the biliary toxin biliatresone and the bile acid glycochenodeoxycholic acid. The cholangiocyte basolateral side was more vulnerable than the apical side to treatment with either agent, suggesting a protective adaptation of the apical surface that is normally exposed to bile. Further studies revealed a protective role of the cholangiocyte apical glycocalyx, wherein disruption of the glycocalyx with neuraminidase increased the permeability of the cholangiocyte monolayer after treatment with glycochenodeoxycholic acid. Conclusion: This bile duct-on-a-chip captured essential features of a simplified bile duct in structure and organ-level functions and represents a novel in vitro platform to study the pathophysiology of the bile duct using cholangiocytes from a variety of sources.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Du, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khandekar, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Llewellyn, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polacheck, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wells, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/594291</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Bile Duct-on-a-Chip with Organ-Level Functions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/596031v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Managing congestion at visitor hotspots using park-level use level data: Case study of a Chinese World Heritage site 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/596031v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tourist congestion at hot spots has been a major management concern for UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other iconic protected areas. A growing number of heritage sites employ technologies, such as cameras and electronic ticket-checking systems, to monitor user levels, but data collected by these monitoring technologies are often under-utilize. In this study, we illustrated how to integrate data from hot spots by camera-captured monitoring and entrance counts to manage use levels at a World Heritage Site in southeastern China. 6,930 photos of a congestion hotspot (scenic outlook on a trail) were collected within the park at a 10-minute interval over 105 days from January to November 2017. The entrance counts were used to predict daily average and maximum use level at the hotspot Average use level at the congestion hotspot did not exceed the use limit mandated by the Chinese park administration agency. However, from 9:20 am to 12:00 pm, the use level at hotspots exceeded visitor preferred use level. Visitor use level was significantly higher at the hotspot during a major Chinese "golden week" holiday. The daily entrance counts significantly predicted the average and maximum use level at the hotspot. Based on our findings, we recommend that the number of visitors entering the gate on each day should be less than 28,764 for the hotspots to meet use level mandates, while less than 6,245 to meet visitor preference. The gap manifested the complexity in visitor capacity management at high-use World Heritage Sites and other protected areas and calls for innovative monitoring and management strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Guo, J.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guo, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, K.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leung, Y.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Q.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/596031</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Managing congestion at visitor hotspots using park-level use level data: Case study of a Chinese World Heritage site]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/601682v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Additive genetic variance for lifetime fitness and the capacity for adaptation in the wild 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/601682v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The immediate capacity for adaptation under current environmental conditions is directly proportional to the additive genetic variance for fitness, VA(W). Mean absolute fitness, [Formula], is predicted to change at the rate [Formula], according to Fishers Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection. Despite ample research evaluating degree of local adaptation, direct assessment of VA(W) and the capacity for ongoing adaptation is exceedingly rare. We estimated VA(W) and [Formula] in three pedigreed populations of annual Chamaecrista fasciculata, over three years in the wild. Contrasting with common expectations, we found significant VA(W) in all populations and years, predicting increased mean fitness in subsequent generations (0.83 to 6.12 seeds per individual). Further, we detected two cases predicting "evolutionary rescue", where selection on standing VA(W) was expected to increase fitness of declining populations ([Formula] < 1.0) to levels consistent with population sustainability and growth. Within populations, interannual differences in genetic expression of fitness were striking. Significant genotype-by-year interactions reflected modest correlations between breeding values across years (all r < 0.490), indicating temporally variable selection at the genotypic level; that could contribute to maintaining VA(W). By directly estimating VA(W) and total lifetime [Formula], our study presents an experimental approach for studies of adaptive capacity in the wild.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kulbba, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pain, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eckhart, V. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shaw, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/601682</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Additive genetic variance for lifetime fitness and the capacity for adaptation in the wild]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/607648v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic prediction accuracies and abilities for growth and wood quality traits of Scots pine, using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/607648v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Higher genetic gains can be achieved through genomic selection (GS) by shortening time of progeny testing in tree breeding programs. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), combined with two imputation methods, allowed us to perform the current genomic prediction study in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). 694 individuals representing 183 full-sib families were genotyped and phenotyped for growth and wood quality traits. 8719 SNPs were used to compare different genomic prediction models. In addition, the impact on the predictive ability (PA) and prediction accuracy to estimate genomic breeding values was evaluated by assigning different ratios of training and validation sets, as well as different subsets of SNP markers. Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP) and Bayesian Ridge Regression (BRR) combined with expectation maximization (EM) imputation algorithm showed higher PAs and prediction accuracies than Bayesian LASSO (BL). A subset of approximately 4000 markers was sufficient to provide the same PAs and accuracies as the full set of 8719 markers. Furthermore, PAs were similar for both pedigree- and genomic-based estimations, whereas accuracies and heritabilities were slightly higher for pedigree-based estimations. However, prediction accuracies of genomic models were sufficient to achieve a higher selection efficiency per year, varying between 50-87% compared to the traditional pedigree-based selection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Calleja-Rodriguez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Funda, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Z.-q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baison, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isik, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abrahamsson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, H. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/607648</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic prediction accuracies and abilities for growth and wood quality traits of Scots pine, using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/608471v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A shared core microbiome in soda lakes separated by large distances 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/608471v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In alkaline soda lakes, high concentrations of dissolved carbonates establish an environment favouring productive phototrophic microbial mat communities. Here we show how different species of microbial phototrophs and autotrophs contribute to this exceptional productivity. Four years of amplicon and shotgun DNA sequencing data from microbial mats from four different lakes indicated the presence of over 2,000 different species of Bacteria and Eukaryotes. Metagenome-assembled-genomes were obtained for a core microbiome of <100 abundant bacteria, which was shared among lakes and accounted for half of the extracted DNA throughout the four year sampling period. Most of the associated species were related to similar microbes previously detected in sediments of Central Asian alkaline soda lakes, showing that common selection principles drive community assembly from a globally distributed reservoir of alkaliphile biodiversity. Dispersal events between the two distant lake systems were shown to be extremely rare, with dispersal rates a function of abundance in microbial mats, but not sediments. Detection of more than 7,000 expressed proteins showed how phototrophic populations allocated resources to specific processes and occupied complementary niches. Carbon fixation only proceeded by the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, detected in Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and, suprisingly, Gemmatomonadetes. Our study not only provides new fundamental insight into soda lake ecology, but also provides a template, guiding future efforts to engineer robust and productive biotechnology for carbon dioxide conversion.nnImportanceAlkaline soda lakes are among the most productive ecosystems worldwide, despite their high pH. This high productivity leads to growth of thick "mats" of filamentous cyanobacteria. Here, we show that such mats have very high biodiversity, but at the same time contain a core, shared set of only approximately 100 different bacteria that perform key functions, such as photosynthesis. This "core microbiome" occurs both in Canadian and Central Asian soda lakes, >8,000 km apart. We present evidence for (very rare) dispersion of some core microbiome members from Canadian mats to Central Asian soda lake sediments. The close similarity between distant microbial communities indicates that these communities share common design principles, that reproducibly lead to a high and robust productivity. We unravel a few examples of such principles and speculate that these might be applied to create robust biotechnology for carbon dioxide conversion, to mitigate of global climate change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zorz, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharp, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gordon, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pon, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dong, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strous, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/608471</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A shared core microbiome in soda lakes separated by large distances]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/608653v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
After the Honeymoon, the Divorce: Unexpected Outcomes of Disease Control Measures Against Endemic Infections 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/608653v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The lack of effective vaccines for many endemic diseases often forces policymakers to enact control programs that rely on non-immunizing controls, such as vector control, in order to reduce the massive burden of these diseases. It is well known that controls can have counterintuitive effects, such as the honeymoon effect, in which partially effective controls cause not only a greater initial reduction in infection than expected for an infection near its endemic equilibrium, but also large outbreaks during control as a result of accumulation of susceptibles. Unfortunately, many control measures cannot be maintained indefinitely, and the results of cessation are not well understood. Here, we examine the results of stopped or failed non-immunizing control measures in endemic settings. By using a mathematical model to compare the cumulative number of cases expected with and without the control measures, we show that deployment of control can lead to a larger total number of infections, counting from the time that control started, than without any control - the divorce effect. This result is directly related to the population-level loss of immunity resulting from non-immunizing controls and is seen in model results from a number of settings when non-immunizing controls are used against an infection that confers immunity. Finally, we also examine three control plans for minimizing the magnitude of the divorce effect in seasonal infections and show that they are incapable of eliminating the divorce effect. While we do not suggest stopping control programs that rely on non-immunizing controls, our results strongly argue that the accumulation of susceptibility should be considered before deploying such controls against endemic infections when indefinite use of the control is unlikely. We highlight that our results are particularly germane to endemic mosquito-borne infections, such as dengue virus, both for routine management involving vector control and for field trials of novel control approaches.

Author SummaryMany common endemic infections lack effective, inexpensive vaccinations, and control relies instead on transmission reduction, e.g. mosquito population reduction for dengue. Often, these controls are used with the immediate goal of decreasing the current incidence with little importance placed on what will happen at later points in time, and much less what will happen once the control is stopped. Here, by looking at the cumulative incidence since the beginning of the control period, instead of the instantaneous incidence, we show that when controls are stopped, or fail, the resulting outbreaks can be large enough to completely eliminate any benefit of the control. We call this result the divorce effect. Further, we show that this result is not limited to specific transmission pathways or epidemiological parameters, but is instead tied directly to the reduction of herd immunity inherent in non-immunizing controls. Lastly, by evaluating programs to minimize the magnitude of the divorce effect, we show that without maintaining herd immunity, or successfully continuing control for decades, it is impossible to keep the costs of post-control outbreaks from outweighing the benefits of the control program.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hollingsworth, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okamoto, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/608653</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[After the Honeymoon, the Divorce: Unexpected Outcomes of Disease Control Measures Against Endemic Infections]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/615625v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microclimate and larval habitat density predict adult Aedes albopictus abundance in urban areas 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/615625v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, transmits several arboviruses of public health importance, including chikungunya and Zika. Since its introduction to the United States in 1985, the species has invaded over forty states, including temperate areas not previously at risk of Aedes-transmitted arboviruses. Mathematical models incorporate climatic variables in predictions of site-specific Ae. albopictus abundances to identify human populations at risk of disease. However, these models rely on coarse resolutions of environmental data that may not accurately represent the climatic profile experienced by mosquitoes in the field, particularly in climatically-heterogeneous urban areas. In this study, we pair field surveys of larval and adult Ae. albopictus mosquitoes with site-specific microclimate data across a range of land use types to investigate the relationships between microclimate, density of larval habitat, and adult mosquito abundance and determine whether these relationships change across an urban gradient. We find no evidence for a difference in larval habitat density or adult abundance between rural, suburban, and urban land classes. Adult abundance increases with increasing larval habitat density, which itself is dependent on microclimate. Adult abundance is strongly explained by microclimate variables, demonstrating that theoretically derived, lab-parameterized relationships in ectotherm physiology apply to the field. Our results provide support for the continued use of temperature-dependent models to predict Ae. albopictus abundance in urban areas.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Evans, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hintz, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shiau, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Solano, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drake, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murdock, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/615625</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microclimate and larval habitat density predict adult Aedes albopictus abundance in urban areas]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/619205v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The continuing impact of an ancient polyploidy on the genomes of teleosts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/619205v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The ancestor of most teleost fishes underwent a whole-genome duplication event three hundred million years ago. Despite its antiquity, the effects of this event are evident both in the structure of teleost genomes and in how those genes still operate to drive form and function. I describe the inference of a set of shared syntenic regions that survive from the teleost genome duplication (TGD) using eight teleost genomes and the outgroup gar genome (which lacks the TGD). I phylogenetically modeled the resolution of the TGD via shared and independent gene losses, concluding that it was likely an allopolyploidy event due to the biased pattern of these gene losses. Duplicate genes surviving from this duplication in zebrafish are less likely to function in early embryo development than are genes that have returned to single copy. As a result, surviving ohnologs function later in development, and the pattern of which tissues these ohnologs are expressed in and their functions lend support to recent suggestions that the TGD was the source of a morphological innovation in the structure of the teleost retina. Surviving duplicates also appear less likely to be essential than singletons, despite the fact that their single-copy orthologs in mouse are no less essential than other genes. Nonetheless, the surviving duplicates occupy central positions in the zebrafish metabolic network.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Conant, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/619205</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The continuing impact of an ancient polyploidy on the genomes of teleosts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/622951v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multiple QTL mapping in autopolyploids: a random-effect model approach with application in a hexaploid sweetpotato full-sib population 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/622951v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In developing countries, the sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. (2n = 6x = 90), is an important autopolyploid species, both socially and economically. However, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping has remained limited due to its genetic complexity. Current fixed-effect models can only fit a single QTL and are generally hard to interpret. Here we report the use of a random-effect model approach to map multiple QTL based on score statistics in a sweetpotato bi-parental population ( Beauregard x  Tanzania) with 315 full-sibs. Phenotypic data were collected for eight yield component traits in six environments in Peru, and jointly predicted means were obtained using mixed-effect models. An integrated linkage map consisting of 30,684 markers distributed along 15 linkage groups (LGs) was used to obtain the genotype conditional probabilities of putative QTL at every cM position. Multiple interval mapping was performed using our R package QTLPOLY and detected a total of 41 QTL, ranging from one to ten QTL per trait. Some regions, such as those on LGs 3 and 15, were consistently detected among root number and yield traits and provided basis for candidate gene search. In addition, some QTL were found to affect commercial and noncommercial root traits distinctly. Further best linear unbiased predictions allowed us to characterize additive allele effects as well as to compute QTL-based breeding values for selection. Together with quantitative genotyping and its appropriate usage in linkage analyses, this QTL mapping methodology will facilitate the use of genomic tools in sweetpotato breeding as well as in other autopolyploids.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>da Silva Pereira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gemenet, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wood, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diaz, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mosquera, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruneberg, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buell, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-04-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/622951</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multiple QTL mapping in autopolyploids: a random-effect model approach with application in a hexaploid sweetpotato full-sib population]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-04-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/623843v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Catalytic Core of DEMETER Guides Active DNA Demethylation in Arabidopsis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/623843v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Arabidopsis DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase demethylates the maternal genome in the central cell prior to fertilization, and is essential for seed viability. DME preferentially targets small transposons that flank coding genes, influencing their expression and initiating plant gene imprinting. DME also targets intergenic and heterochromatic regions, and how it is recruited to these differing chromatin landscapes is unknown. The C-terminal DME catalytic core consists of three conserved regions required for catalysis in vitro. We show that the catalytic core of DME guides active demethylation at endogenous targets, rescuing the developmental and genomic hypermethylation phenotypes of DME mutants. However, without the N-terminus, heterochromatin demethylation is significantly impeded, and abundant CG-methylated genic sequences are ectopically demethylated. We used comparative analysis to reveal that the conserved DME N-terminal domains are only present in the flowering plants, whereas the domain architecture of DME-like proteins in non-vascular plants mainly resembles the catalytic core, suggesting that it might represent the ancestral form of the 5mC DNA glycosylase found in all plant lineages. We propose a bipartite model for DME protein action and suggest that the DME N-terminus was acquired late during land plant evolution to improve specificity and facilitate demethylation at heterochromatin targets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hung, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, X.-Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frost, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iyer, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aravind, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huh, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fischer, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/623843</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Catalytic Core of DEMETER Guides Active DNA Demethylation in Arabidopsis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/627729v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Queen honey bees combat heat stress-induced loss of stored sperm viability with ATP-independent heat shock proteins 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/627729v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
All species need to reproduce to maintain viable populations, but heat stress kills sperm cells across the animal kingdom and rising frequencies of heatwaves are a threat to biodiversity. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are globally distributed micro-livestock; therefore, they could serve as environmental biomonitors for fertility losses. Here, we found that queens have two potential routes of temperaturestress exposure: within colonies and during routine shipping. Our data suggest that temperatures of 15 to 38{degrees}C are safe for queens at a tolerance threshold of 11.5% loss of sperm viability, which is the viability difference associated with queen failure in the field. Heat shock activates expression of specific stressresponse proteins in the spermatheca, which could serve as molecular biomarkers (indicators) for heat stress. This protein fingerprint may eventually enable surveys for the prevalence of heat-induced loss of sperm viability in diverse landscapes as part of a biomonitoring program.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Higo, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Underwood, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milone, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guarna, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pettis, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/627729</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Queen honey bees combat heat stress-induced loss of stored sperm viability with ATP-independent heat shock proteins]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/629501v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparison of multi-parallel qPCR and Kato-Katz for detection of soil-transmitted helminth infection among children in rural Bangladesh 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/629501v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An active area of research investigates whether soil-transmitted helminths (STH) can be locally eliminated in endemic settings. In such settings, highly sensitive diagnostics are needed to detect STH infection. We compared double-slide Kato-Katz, the most commonly used copromicroscopic detection method, to multi-parallel quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 2,800 stool samples from children 2-12 years in rural Bangladesh. We estimated the sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic using Bayesian latent class analysis. Compared to Kato-Katz, STH prevalence using qPCR was almost 3-fold higher for hookworm species and nearly 2-fold higher for Trichuris trichiura. Ascaris lumbricoides prevalence was lower using qPCR, and 26% of samples classified as A. lumbricoides positive by Kato-Katz were negative by qPCR. Amplicon sequencing of the 18S rDNA from 10 samples confirmed that A. lumbricoides was absent in samples classified as positive by Kato-Katz and negative by qPCR. The sensitivity of Kato-Katz was 49% for A. lumbricoides, 32% for hookworm, and 52% for T. trichiura; the sensitivity of qPCR was 79% for A. lumbricoides, 93% for hookworm, and 90% for T. trichiura. Specificity was [&ge;] 97% for both tests for all STH except for Kato-Katz for A. lumbricoides (specificity = 68%). There were moderate negative, monotonic correlations between qPCR cycle quantification values and eggs per gram quantified by Kato-Katz. While it is widely assumed that Kato-Katz has few false positives, our results indicate otherwise. Our findings suggest that qPCR is more appropriate than Kato-Katz in low intensity infection settings because of its higher sensitivity and specificity.nnAuthor summarySoil-transmitted helminth infections (STH) (e.g., Ascaris, hookworm, Trichuris) contribute to a large burden of disease among children in low- and middle-income countries. There is increasing interest in implementing large-scale deworming programs to eliminate STH in certain settings. Efforts to monitor whether local elimination has occurred require sensitive diagnostic tests that will not miss positive cases. Kato-Katz, a microscopy-based diagnostic test, has commonly been used to identify STH eggs in stool, but in settings where infection intensity is low, this method frequently misses positive samples because it requires visual identification of small numbers of eggs, and eggs may degrade prior to visualization. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a molecular diagnostic method that may miss fewer infections because it identifies STH DNA in stool, which can be detected in very small quantities and is less likely to degrade. This study compared the performance of Kato-Katz and qPCR using 2,800 stool samples from children aged 2-12 years in rural Bangladesh. qPCR detected substantially more hookworm and Trichuris infections than Kato-Katz. 26% of samples were classified as Ascaris positive by Kato-Katz and negative by qPCR. We conclude that qPCR is a more appropriate diagnostic method than Kato-Katz in low infection intensity settings.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Benjamin-Chung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pilotte, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ercumen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grant, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maasch, J. R. M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzales, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abrams, B. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ester, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arnold, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haque, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hubbard, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luby, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colford, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/629501</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparison of multi-parallel qPCR and Kato-Katz for detection of soil-transmitted helminth infection among children in rural Bangladesh]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/630582v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Factors affecting pathogenicity of the turfgrass dollar spot pathogen in natural and model hosts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/630582v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Clarireedia sp. (formerly called Sclerotinia homoeocarpa), the fungal pathogen that causes dollar spot of turfgrasses, produces oxalic acid but the role of this toxin in Clarireedia sp. pathogenesis is unknown. In the current study, whole plant inoculation assays were used to evaluate pathogenesis of Clarireedia sp. in various model hosts and investigate the role of oxalic acid in dollar spot disease. These assays revealed that both host endogenous oxalate content and pathogen-produced oxalic acid influence the timing and magnitude of symptom development. In time-course expression analysis, oxalate oxidase and related defense-associated germin-like protein genes in creeping bentgrass showed strong up-regulation starting at 48-72 hpi, indicating that germin-like protein genes are most likely involved in defense following initial contact with the pathogen and demonstrating the importance of oxalic acid in Clarireedia sp. pathogenesis. Overall, the results of these studies suggest that oxalic acid and host endogenous oxalate content are important for pathogenesis by Clarireedia sp. and may be associated with the transition from biotrophy to necrotrophy during host infection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rioux, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephens, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kerns, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/630582</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Factors affecting pathogenicity of the turfgrass dollar spot pathogen in natural and model hosts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/634691v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Environmental, social, management and health factors associated with within- and between-individual variability in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in zoo-housed Asian and African elephants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/634691v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Identifying links between environmental, social, management, and health factors as they relate to physiological stress in captive elephants is crucial for the improvement of welfare and husbandry practices in North American zoos. Studies have examined the effects of short-term and chronic elevations in glucocorticoids in small groups of elephants, but few have examined adrenal activity on a large scale. This study evaluated 106 Asian (Elephas maximus) and 131 African (Loxodonta africana) elephants housed at 64 accredited facilities across North America. Fecal samples were collected every other week for 12 months and analyzed for glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations. Risk factors for mean and individual variability (CV) in FGM were subjected to univariate and multivariable analyses using epidemiological methods. Independent variables that included individual traits, social environment, housing and management factors were chosen based on their identification as risk factors in previously published models for the same North American population of elephants. Results indicate that African elephants are more responsive to social stressors than Asians, and that poor joint health is a stress-related welfare problem for Asian, but not African elephants. For both species, higher FGM concentrations were associated with zoos located at more northern latitudes and having free access to indoor/outdoor spaces, whereas spending more time in managed interactions with staff were associated with lower FGM concentrations. Also important for captive management, elephants having diverse enrichment options and belonging to compatible social groups exhibited lower mean and reduced intra-individual variability in FGM. Our findings show that aspects of the zoo environment can be potential sources of stress for captive elephants, and that there are management activities that can facilitate coping and adapting to zoo conditions. Given species differences in factors that affected FGM, targeted, species-specific management approaches likely are needed to ensure good welfare for all elephants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brown, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bray, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carlstead, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dickey, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ange, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/634691</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Environmental, social, management and health factors associated with within- and between-individual variability in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in zoo-housed Asian and African elephants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/637728v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
From morphogenesis to pathogenesis: A cellulose loosening protein is one of the most widely distributed tools in nature 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/637728v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plants must rearrange the network of complex carbohydrates in their cell walls during normal growth and development. To accomplish this, all plants depend on proteins called expansins that non-enzymatically loosen hydrogen bonds between cellulose microfibrils. Because of their key role in cell wall extension during growth, expansin genes are ubiquitous, diverse, and abundant throughout all land plants. Surprisingly, expansin genes have more recently been found in some bacteria and microbial eukaryotes, where their biological functions are largely unknown. Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny of microbial expansin genes. We find these genes in all eukaryotic microorganisms that have structural cellulose in their cell walls, suggesting expansins evolved in ancient marine microorganisms long before the evolution of land plants. We also find expansins in an unexpectedly high phylogenetic diversity of bacteria and fungi that do not have cellulosic cell walls. These bacteria and fungi with expansin genes inhabit varied ecological contexts mirroring the diversity of terrestrial and aquatic niches where plant and/or algal cellulosic cell walls are present. The microbial expansin phylogeny shows evidence of multiple horizontal gene transfer events within and between bacterial and eukaryotic microbial lineages, which may in part underlie their unusually broad phylogenetic distribution. Taken together, we find expansins to be unexpectedly widespread in both bacterial and eukaryotic genetic backgrounds, and that the contribution of these genes to bacterial and fungal ecological interactions with plants and algae has likely been underappreciated.nnImportanceCellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth. In plant cell walls, where most global cellulose biomass is found, cellulose microfibrils occur intertwined with hemicelluloses and pectins. The rigidity of this polysaccharide matrix provides plant cell walls with structural support, but this rigidity also restricts cellular growth and development. Irreversible, non-enzymatic loosening of structural carbohydrates by expansin proteins is key to successful cell wall growth in plants and green algae. Here, we find that expansin genes are distributed far more broadly throughout diverse bacterial and fungal lineages lacking cellulosic cell walls than previously known. Multiple horizontal gene transfer events are in part responsible for their unusually wide phylogenetic distribution. Together, these results suggest that in addition to being the key evolutionary innovation by which eukaryotes remodel structural cellulose in their cell walls, expansins likely have remarkably broad and under-recognized utility for microbial species that interact with plant and algal structural cellulose in diverse ecological contexts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chase, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhaxybayeva, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rocha, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cosgrove, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shapiro, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/637728</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[From morphogenesis to pathogenesis: A cellulose loosening protein is one of the most widely distributed tools in nature]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/647412v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomics of clinal local adaptation in Pinus sylvestris under continuous environmental and spatial genetic setting 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/647412v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding the consequences of local adaptation at the genomic diversity is a central goal in evolutionary genetics of natural populations. In species with large continuous geographical distributions the phenotypic signal of local adaptation is frequently clear, but the genetic background often remains elusive. We examined the patterns of genetic diversity in Pinus sylvestris, a keystone species in many Eurasian ecosystems with a huge distribution range and decades of forestry research showing that it is locally adapted to the vast range of environmental conditions. Making P. sylvestris an even more attractive subject of local adaptation study, population structure has been shown to be weak previously and in this study. However, little is known about the molecular genetic basis of adaptation, as the massive size of gymnosperm genomes has prevented large scale genomic surveys. We generated a both geographically and genomically extensive dataset using a targeted sequencing approach. By applying divergence-based and landscape genomics methods we found that several coding loci contribute to local adaptation. We also discovered a very large (ca. 300 Mbp) putative inversion with a signal of local adaptation, which to our knowledge is the first such discovery in conifers. Our results call for more detailed analysis of structural variation in relation to genomic basis of local adaptation, emphasize the lack of large effect loci contributing to local adaptation in the coding regions and thus point out to the need for more attention towards multi-locus analysis of polygenic adaptation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tyrmi, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vuosku, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Acosta, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sterck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Savolainen, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pyhajarvi, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/647412</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomics of clinal local adaptation in Pinus sylvestris under continuous environmental and spatial genetic setting]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/649129v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Reconsidering the management paradigm of fragmented populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/649129v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Habitat fragmentation and population declines call for informed management of many endangered species. The dominant paradigm for such management focuses on avoiding deleterious inbreeding effects in separated populations, by facilitating migration to maintain connectivity between them, an approach epitomized by the "one migrant per generation" rule. We show that this paradigm fails to take into account two important factors. First, it ignores an inherent trade-off: maintaining within-population genetic diversity is at the expense of maintaining global diversity. Migration increases local within-population genetic diversity, but also homogenizes the meta-population, which may lead to erosion of global genetic diversity. Second, this paradigm does not consider that because many fragmented species have declined in numbers only within the last century, they still carry much of the high genetic diversity characteristic of the historically large population. The conservation of a species global diversity, crucial for evolutionarily adaptation to ecological challenges such as epidemics, industrial pollutants, or climate change, is paramount to a species long-term survival. Here we discuss how consideration of these factors can inform management of fragmented populations and provide a framework to assess the impact on genetic diversity of different management strategies. We also propose two alternative management strategies to replace the "one migrant per generation" dogma.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kolodny, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McLaren, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenbaum, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramakrishnan, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Feldman, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petrov, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/649129</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Reconsidering the management paradigm of fragmented populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/651323v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Host-microbe interactions in the chemosynthetic Riftia pachyptila symbiosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/651323v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The deep-sea tubeworm Riftia pachyptila lacks a digestive system, but completely relies on bacterial endosymbionts for nutrition. Although the symbiont has been studied in detail on the molecular level, such analyses were unavailable for the animal host, because sequence information was lacking. To identify host-symbiont interaction mechanisms, we therefore sequenced the Riftia transcriptome, which enabled comparative metaproteomic analyses of symbiont-containing versus symbiont-free tissues, both under energy-rich and energy-limited conditions. We demonstrate that metabolic interactions include nutrient allocation from symbiont to host by symbiont digestion, and substrate transfer to the symbiont by abundant host proteins. Our analysis further suggests that Riftia maintains its symbiont by protecting the bacteria from oxidative damage, while also exerting symbiont population control. Eukaryote-like symbiont proteins might facilitate intracellular symbiont persistence. Energy limitation apparently leads to reduced symbiont biomass and increased symbiont digestion. Our study provides unprecedented insights into host-microbe interactions that shape this highly efficient symbiosis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hinzke, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breusing, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felbeck, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haesler, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sievert, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schlueter, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosenstiel, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reusch, T. B. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schweder, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Markert, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/651323</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Host-microbe interactions in the chemosynthetic Riftia pachyptila symbiosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/654137v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
PyBSASeq: a novel, simple, and effective algorithm for BSA-Seq data analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/654137v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bulked segregant analysis (BSA), coupled with next generation sequencing (NGS), allows the rapid identification of both qualitative and quantitative trait loci (QTL), and this technique is referred to as BSA-Seq here. The current SNP index method and G-statistic method for BSA-Seq data analysis require relatively high sequencing coverage to detect major single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-trait associations, which leads to high sequencing cost. Here we developed a simple and effective algorithm for BSA-Seq data analysis and implemented it in Python, the program was named PyBSASeq. Using PyBSASeq, the likely trait-associated SNPs (ltaSNPs) were identified via Fishers exact test and then the ratio of the ltaSNPs to total SNPs in a chromosomal interval was used to identify the genomic regions that condition the trait of interest. The results obtained this way are similar to those generated by the current methods, but with more than five times higher sensitivity, which can reduce the sequencing cost by ~80% and makes BSA-Seq more applicable for the species with a large genome.

Significance StatementBSA-Seq can be utilized to rapidly identify DNA polymorphismtrait associations, and PyBSASeq allows the detection of such associations at much lower sequencing coverage than the current methods, leading to lower sequencing cost and making BSA-Seq more accessible to the research community and more applicable to the species with a large genome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Panthee, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/654137</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[PyBSASeq: a novel, simple, and effective algorithm for BSA-Seq data analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/657866v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Untargeted Metabolomic Profiling Identifies Disease-specific Profiles in Food Allergy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/657866v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundFood allergy (FA) affects an increasing proportion of children for reasons that remain obscure. Identification of pathogenic mechanisms involved in FA using untargeted metabolomic approaches may provide much needed diagnostic and prognostic disease biomarkers and improved treatment options.nnMethodsMass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed on serum samples of children with either FA alone, asthma alone or both FA and asthma as well as healthy pediatric controls.nnResultsFA subjects exhibited a disease-specific metabolomic signature as compared to both control subjects and asthmatics. In particular, FA was uniquely associated with a marked decrease in sphingolipids, as well as a number of other lipid metabolites, in the face of normal frequencies of circulating natural killer T (NKT) cells. Specific comparison of FA and asthmatic subjects revealed differences in the microbiota-sensitive aromatic amino acid and secondary bile acid metabolism. Children with both FA and asthma exhibited a metabolomic profile that aligned with that of FA alone but not asthma. Among children with FA, distinct profiles were associated with history of severe reactions and presence of multiple FA.nnConclusionsChildren with FA display a disease-specific metabolomic profile that is informative of disease mechanisms and severity, and which dominates in the presence of asthma. Lower levels of sphingolipids and ceramides and other metabolomic alterations observed in FA children may reflect the interplay between an altered microbiota and immune cell subsets in the gut.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Crestani, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harb, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charbonnier, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leirer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Motsinger-Reif, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rachid, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phipatanakul, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaddurah-Daouk, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chatila, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/657866</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Untargeted Metabolomic Profiling Identifies Disease-specific Profiles in Food Allergy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/659169v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Community turnover by composition and climate affinity across scales in an alpine system 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/659169v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Premise of the studyExamining community turnover across climate gradients at multiple scales is vital to understanding biogeographic response to climate change. This approach is especially important for alpine plants in which the relative roles of topographic complexity and non-climatic or stochastic factors vary across spatial scales.nnMethodsWe examined the structure of alpine plant communities across elevation gradients in the White Mountains, California. Using community climatic niche means (CCNMs) and measures of community dissimilarity, we explored the relationship between community composition and elevation gradients at three scales: the mountain range, individual peaks, and within elevation contours.nnKey ResultsAt the mountain range scale, community turnover and CCNMs showed strongly significant relationships with elevation, with an increase in the abundance of cooler and wetter-adapted species at higher elevations. At the scale of a single peaks, we found weak and inconsistent relationships between CCNMs and elevation, but variation in community composition explained by elevation increased. Within the elevation contours, the range of CCNMs was weakly positively correlated with turnover in species identity, likely driven by microclimate and other site-specific factors.nnConclusionsOur results suggest that there is strong environmental sorting of alpine plant communities at broad scales, but microclimatic and site-specific, non-climatic factors together shape community turnover at finer scales. In the context of climate change, our results imply that community-climate relationships are scale-dependent, and predictions of local alpine plant range shifts are limited by a lack of topoclimatic and habitat information.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Smithers, B. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oldfather, M. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koontz, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bishop, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bishop, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nachlinger, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/659169</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Community turnover by composition and climate affinity across scales in an alpine system]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/660126v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
On the Effectiveness of UAS for Anti-Poaching in the African Arid Savanna 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/660126v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This paper describes a field study that examined the effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in anti-poaching enforcement in parks and game reserves. In the field study, a UAV attempted to spot mock poachers while the mock poachers tried to spot the UAV. The field study was conducted at N/aan ku se, an operational game reserve in the central region of Namibia. In total, 118 trials were completed, providing 236 UAV-poacher interdiction scenarios. Of these, 198 were during the day, 152 with a quadcopter and 46 with a fixed-wing. Live spotting success during the day varied due to the hiding behavior of the mock poachers, with the highest and lowest success rates of spotting being 86% for poachers in the open and 25% for poachers hiding under canopy cover. The UAVs were demonstrated to be a potentially effective tool for anti-poaching patrol and interdiction, in part, because of their ability to spot poachers. The pursuit of integrating the UAV into current anti-poaching patrol and interdiction efforts in arid savanna landscapes is strongly recommended.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Silverberg, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>vanVuuren, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>vanVuuren, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lutz, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/660126</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[On the Effectiveness of UAS for Anti-Poaching in the African Arid Savanna]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/666875v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Association Tests Using Copy Number Profile Curves (CONCUR) Enhances Power in Rare Copy Number Variant Analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/666875v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Copy number variants (CNVs) are the gain or loss of DNA segments in the genome that can vary in dosage and length. CNVs comprise a large proportion of variation in human genomes and impact health conditions. To detect rare CNV association, kernel-based methods have been shown to be a powerful tool because their flexibility in modeling the aggregate CNV effects, their ability to capture effects from different CNV features, and their ability to accommodate effect heterogeneity. To perform a kernel association test, a CNV locus needs to be defined so that locus-specific effects can be retained during aggregation. However, CNV loci are arbitrarily defined and different locus definitions can lead to different performance depending on the underlying effect patterns. In this work, we develop a new kernel-based test called CONCUR (i.e., Copy Number profile Curve-based association test) that is free from a definition of locus and evaluates CNV-phenotype association by comparing individuals copy number profiles across the genomic regions. CONCUR is built on the proposed concepts of "copy number profile curves" to describe the CNV profile of an individual, and the "common area under the curve (cAUC) kernel" to model the multi-feature CNV effects. Compared to existing methods, CONCUR captures the effects of CNV dosage and length, accounts for the continuous nature of copy number values, and accommodates between- and within-locus etiological heterogeneities without the need to define artificial CNV loci as required in current kernel methods. In a variety of simulation settings, CONCUR shows comparable and improved power over existing approaches. Real data analyses suggest that CONCUR is well powered to detect CNV effects in gene pathways associated with phenotypes using data from the Swedish Schizophrenia Study and the Taiwan Biobank.nnAuthor summaryCopy number variants comprise a large proportion of variation in human genomes. Large rare CNVs, especially those disrupting genes or changing the dosages of genes, can carry relatively strong risks for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Kernel-based association methods have been developed for the analysis of rare CNVs and shown to be a valuable tool. Kernel methods model the collective effect of rare CNVs using flexible kernel functions that capture the characteristics of CNVs and measure CNV similarity of individual pairs. Typically kernels are created by summarizing similarity within an artificially defined "CNV locus" and then collapsing across all loci. In this work, we propose a new kernel-based test, CONCUR, that is based on the CNV location information contained in standard processing of the variants and removes the need for any arbitrarily defined CNV loci. CONCUR quantifies similarity between individual pairs as the common area under their copy number profile curves and is designed to detect CNV dosage, length and dosage-length interaction effects. In simulation studies and real data analysis, we demonstrate the ability of CONCUR test to detect CNV effects under diverse CNV architectures with power and robustness over existing methods.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brucker, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marceau West, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, Q.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsiao, C. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsiao, T.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, C.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magnusson, P. K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sullivan, P. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Szatkiewicz, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, T.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tzeng, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/666875</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Association Tests Using Copy Number Profile Curves (CONCUR) Enhances Power in Rare Copy Number Variant Analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/677047v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modeling cross-regulatory influences on monolignol transcripts and proteins under single and combinatorial gene knockdowns in Populus trichocarpa 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/677047v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Accurate manipulation of metabolites in the monolignol biosynthetic pathway is a key step for controlling lignin content, structure, and other wood properties important to the bioenergy and biomaterial industries. A crucial component of this strategy is predicting how single and combinatorial knockdowns of monolignol specific gene transcripts influence the abundance of monolignol proteins, which are the driving mechanisms of monolignol biosynthesis. Computational models have been developed to estimate protein abundances from transcript perturbations of monolignol specific genes. The accuracy of these models, however, is hindered by the inability to capture indirect regulatory influences on other pathway genes. Here, we examine the manifestation of these indirect influences collectively on transgenic transcript and protein abundances, identifying putative indirect regulatory influences that occur when one or more specific monolignol pathway genes are perturbed. We created a computational model using sparse maximum likelihood to estimate the resulting monolignol transcript and protein abundances in transgenic Populus trichocarpa based on desired single or combinatorial knockdowns of specific monolignol genes. Using in-silico simulations of this model and root mean square error, we show that our model more accurately estimates transcript and protein abundances in differentiating xylem tissue when individual and families of monolignol genes were perturbed. This approach provides a useful computational tool for exploring the cascaded impact of single and combinatorial modifications of monolignol specific genes on lignin and other wood properties. Additionally, these results can be used to guide future experiments to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the indirect influences.nnAuthor summaryEngineering trees to have desirable lignin and wood traits is of significant interest to the bioenergy and biomaterial industries. Genetically modifying the expression of the genes that drive the monolignol biosynthetic pathway is a useful method for obtaining new traits. Modifying the expression of one gene affects not only the abundance of its encoded protein, but can also indirectly impact the amount of other transcripts and proteins. These proteins drive the monolignol biosynthetic pathway. Having an accurate representation of their abundances is key to understanding how lignin and wood traits are altered. We developed a computational model to estimate how the abundance of monolignol transcripts and proteins are changed when one or more monolignol genes are knocked down. Specifying only the abundances of the targeted genes as input, our model estimates how the levels of the other, untargeted, transcripts and proteins are altered. Our model captures indirect regulatory influences at the transcript and protein levels observed in experimental data. The model is an important addition to current models of lignin biosynthesis. By incorporating our approach into the existing models, we expect to improve our ability to explore how new combinations of gene knockdowns impact lignin and many other wood properties.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Matthews, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiang, V. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/677047</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modeling cross-regulatory influences on monolignol transcripts and proteins under single and combinatorial gene knockdowns in Populus trichocarpa]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/680629v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Development and testing of a novel Killer-Rescue self-limiting gene drive system in Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/680629v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We report the development and laboratory testing of a novel Killer-Rescue (K-R) self-limiting gene drive system in Drosophila melanogaster. This K-R system utilizes the well-characterized Gal4/UAS binary expression system and the Gal4 inhibitor, Gal80. Three killer (K) lines were tested; these used either an autoregulated UAS-Gal4 or UAS-Gal4 plus UAS-hid transgene. One universal rescue (R) line was used, UAS-Gal80, to inhibit Gal4 expression. The K lines are lethal and cause death in the absence of R. We show that Gal4 RNA levels are high in the absence of R. Death is possibly due to transcriptional squelching from high levels of Gal4. When R is present, Gal4 activation of Gal80 would lead to inhibition of Gal4 and prevent overexpression. With a single release ratio of 2:1 engineered K-R to wildtype, we find that K drives R through the population while the percent of wild type individuals decreases each generation. The choice of core promoter for a UAS-Gal4 construct strongly influences the K-R system. With the strong hsp70 core promoter, K was very effective but was quickly lost from the population. With the weaker DSCP core promoter, K persisted for longer allowing the frequency of individuals with at least one copy of R to increase to over 98%. This simple gene drive system could be readily adapted to other species such as mosquito disease vectors for driving anti-viral or anti-parasite genes.nnSignificanceHere we report the development and testing of a novel self-limiting gene drive system, Killer-Rescue, in Drosophila melanogaster. This system is composed of an auto-regulated Gal4 Killer (K) and a Gal4-activated Gal80 Rescue (R). Overexpression of Gal4 is lethal but in the presence of R, activation of Gal80 leads to much lower levels of Gal4 and rescue of lethality. We demonstrate that with a single 2:1 engineered to wildtype release, more than 98% of the population carry R after eight generations. We discuss how this Killer-Rescue system may be used for population replacement in a human health pest, Aedes aegypti, or for population suppression in an agricultural pest, Drosophila suzukii.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Webster, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vella, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/680629</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Development and testing of a novel Killer-Rescue self-limiting gene drive system in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/684035v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exploring the Relationship between Geomagnetic Activity and Human Heart Rate Variability 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/684035v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Both geomagnetic and solar activity fluctuate over time and have been proposed to affect human physiology. One physiological measurement that has been previously investigated in this context, heart rate variability (HRV), has substantial health implications regarding the ability to adapt to stressors and has been shown to be altered in many cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Intriguingly, previous work found significant, strong correlations between HRV and geomagnetic/solar activity. In an attempt to replicate these findings, we simultaneously measured HRV from 20 healthy participants during a thirty-day period. In agreement with previous work, we found several significant correlations between HRV and geophysical time-series. However, after correction for autocorrelation, which is inherent in time-series, the only significant results were an increase in very low frequency during higher local geomagnetic activity and a geomagnetic anticipatory decrease in heart rate a day before higher global geomagnetic activity. Both correlations were very low. The loss of most significant effects after this correction suggests that previous findings may be a result of autocorrelation. A further note of caution is required since our and the previous studies in the field do not correct for multiple comparisons given the exploratory analysis strategy. We thus conclude that the effects of geomagnetic and solar activity are (if present) most likely of very small effect size and question the validity of the previous studies given the methodological concerns we have uncovered in our work.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mattoni, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ahn, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frohlich, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frohlich, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/684035</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exploring the Relationship between Geomagnetic Activity and Human Heart Rate Variability]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/688820v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Tissue-specific changes in size and shape of the ligaments and tendons of the porcine knee during post-natal growth 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/688820v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Prior studies have analyzed growth of musculoskeletal tissues between species or across body segments; however, little research has assessed the differences in similar tissues within a single joint. Here we studied changes in the length and cross-sectional area of four ligaments and tendons, (anterior cruciate ligament, patellar tendon, medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament) in the tibiofemoral joint of female Yorkshire pigs through high-field magnetic resonance imaging throughout growth. Tissue lengths increased by 4-to 5-fold from birth to late adolescence across the tissues while tissue cross-sectional area increased by 10-20-fold. The anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament showed allometric growth favoring change in length over change in cross-sectional area while the patellar tendon and medial collateral ligament grow in an isometric manner. Additionally, changes in the length and cross-sectional area of the anterior cruciate ligament did not increase as much as in the other ligaments and tendon of interest. Overall, these findings suggest that musculoskeletal soft tissue morphometry can vary within tissues of similar structure and within a single joint during post-natal growth.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cone, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piercy, H. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lambeth, E. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ru, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedrahita, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spang, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fordham, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/688820</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Tissue-specific changes in size and shape of the ligaments and tendons of the porcine knee during post-natal growth]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/689638v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Unraveling the hexaploid sweetpotato inheritance using ultra-dense multilocus mapping 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/689638v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The hexaploid sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., 2n = 6x = 90) is an important staple food crop worldwide and has a vital role in alleviating famine in developing countries. Due to its high ploidy level, genetic studies in sweetpotato lag behind major diploid crops significantly. We built an ultra-dense multilocus integrated genetic map and characterized the inheritance system in a sweetpotato full-sib family using our newly implemented software, MAPpoly. The resulting genetic map revealed 96.5% collinearity between I. batatas and its diploid relative I. trifida. We computed the genotypic probabilities across the whole genome for all individuals in the mapping population and inferred their complete hexaploid haplotypes. We provide evidence that most of the meiotic configurations (73.3%) were resolved in bivalents, although a small portion of multivalent signatures (15.7%), among other inconclusive configurations (11.0%) were also observed. Except for low levels of preferential pairing in linkage group 2, we observed a hexasomic inheritance mechanism in all linkage groups. We propose that the hexasomic-bivalent inheritance promotes stability to the allelic transmission in sweetpotato.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olukolu, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Da Silva Pereira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gemenet, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/689638</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Unraveling the hexaploid sweetpotato inheritance using ultra-dense multilocus mapping]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/691378v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bacterial communities of herbivores and pollinators that have co-evolved Cucurbita spp. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/691378v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insects, like all animals, are exposed to diverse environmental microbes throughout their life cycle. Yet, we know little about variation in the microbial communities associated with the majority of wild, unmanaged insect species. Here, we use a 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding approach to characterize temporal and geographic variation in the gut bacterial communities of herbivores (Acalymma vittatum and A. trivittatum) and pollinators (Eucera (Peponapis) pruinosa) that have co-evolved with the plant genus Cucurbita (pumpkin, squash, zucchini and gourds). Overall, we find high variability in the composition of bacterial communities in squash bees and beetles collected from different geographic locations and different time points throughout a growing season. Still, many of the most common OTUs are shared in E. (P.) pruinosa, A. vittatum and A. trivittatum. This suggests these insects may be exposed to similar environmental microbial sources while foraging on the same genus of host plants, and that similar microbial taxa may aid in digestion of Cucurbita plant material. The striped cucumber beetle A. vittatum can also transmit Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt of cucurbits. We find that few field-collected A. vittatum individuals have detectable E. tracheiphila, and when this plant pathogen is detected, it comprises less than 1% of the gut bacterial community. Together, these results are consistent with previous studies showing that plant feeding insects have highly variable gut bacterial communities, and provides a first step towards understanding the spatiotemporal variation in the microbial communities associated with herbivores and pollinators that depend on Cucurbita host plants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shapiro, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Youngblom, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scully, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rocha, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paulson, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klepac-Ceraj, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cibrian-Jaramillo, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopez-Uribe, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/691378</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bacterial communities of herbivores and pollinators that have co-evolved Cucurbita spp.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/695411v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregulars increases nutrient uptake in maize (Zea mays) through hyphal foraging and promotion of root growth 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/695411v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant root systems play an essential role in nutrient and water acquisition. In resource-limited soils, modification of root system architecture is an important strategy to optimize plant performance. Most terrestrial plants also form symbiotic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to maximize nutrient uptake. In addition to direct delivery of nutrients, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi benefit the plant host by promoting root growth. Here, we aimed to quantify the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on root growth and nutrient uptake in maize. Inoculated plants showed an increase in both biomass and the total content of twenty quantified elements. In addition, image analysis showed mycorrhizal plants to have denser, more branched root systems. For most of the quantified elements, the increase in content in mycorrhizal plants was proportional to root and overall plant growth. However, the increase in boron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and strontium was greater than predicted by root system size alone, indicating fungal delivery to be supplementing root uptake.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ramirez Flores, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bello-Bello, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olalde-Portugal, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/695411</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregulars increases nutrient uptake in maize (Zea mays) through hyphal foraging and promotion of root growth]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/698795v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) alters weight, the gut microbiota, and the bile acid pool in conventional mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/698795v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ursodeoxycholic acid (commercially available as Ursodiol) is a naturally occurring bile acid that is used to treat a variety of hepatic and gastrointestinal diseases. Ursodiol can modulate bile acid pools, which have the potential to alter the gut microbiota community structure. In turn, the gut microbial community can modulate bile acid pools, thus highlighting the interconnectedness of the gut microbiota-bile acid-host axis. Despite these interactions, it remains unclear if and how exogenously administered ursodiol shapes the gut microbial community structure and bile acid pool. This study aims to characterize how ursodiol alters the gastrointestinal ecosystem in conventional mice. C57BL/6J wildtype mice were given one of three doses of ursodiol (50, 150, or 450 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for 21 days. Alterations in the gut microbiota and bile acids were examined including stool, ileal, and cecal content. Bile acids were also measured in serum. Significant weight loss was seen in mice treated with the low and high dose of ursodiol. Alterations in the microbial community structure and bile acid pool were seen in ileal and cecal content compared to pretreatment, and longitudinally in feces following the 21-day ursodiol treatment. In both ileal and cecal content, members of the Lachnospiraceae family significantly contributed to the changes observed. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive view of how exogenously administered ursodiol shapes the gastrointestinal ecosystem. Further studies to investigate how these changes in turn modify the host physiologic response are important.nnImportanceUrsodeoxycholic acid (commercially available as ursodiol) is used to treat a variety of hepatic and gastrointestinal diseases. Despite its widespread use, how ursodiol impacts the gut microbial community structure and bile acid pool remains unknown. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive view of how exogenously administered ursodiol shapes the gastrointestinal ecosystem. Ursodiol administration in conventional mice resulted in significant alterations in the gut microbial community structure and bile acid pool, indicating that ursodiol has direct impacts on the gut microbiota-bile acid-host axis which should be considered when this medication is administered.nnBile Acid AbbreviationsMCA - -Muricholic acid; {beta}MCA -{beta}-Muricholic acid; {omega}MCA -{omega}-Muricholic acid; CA - Cholic acid; CDCA - Chenodeoxycholic acid; DCA - Deoxycholic acid; GCDCA - Glycochenodeoxycholic acid; GDCA - Glycodeoxycholic acid; GLCA - Glycolithocholic acid; GUDCA - Glycoursodeoxycholic acid; HCA - Hyodeoxycholic acid; iDCA - Isodeoxycholic acid; iLCA - Isolithocholic acid; LCA - Lithocholic acid; TCA - Taurocholic acid; TCDCA - Taurochenodeoxycholic acid; TDCA - Taurodeoxycholic acid; THCA - Taurohyodeoxycholic acid; TUDCA - Tauroursodeoxycholic acid; T{beta}MCA - Tauro-{beta}-muricholic acid; T{omega}MCA -Tauro {omega}-muricholic acid; UDCA - Ursodeoxycholic acid.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Winston, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patterson, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/698795</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) alters weight, the gut microbiota, and the bile acid pool in conventional mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/702183v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Warm nights disrupt global transcriptional rhythms in field-grown rice panicles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/702183v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In rice, a small increase in nighttime temperatures reduces grain yield and quality. How warm nighttime temperatures (WNT) produce these detrimental effects is not well understood, especially in field conditions where the normal day to night temperature fluctuation exceeds the mild increase in nighttime temperature. We observed genome-wide disruption of gene expression timing during the reproductive phase on field-grown rice panicles acclimated to 2-3{degrees}C WNT. Rhythmically expressed transcripts were more sensitive to WNT than non-rhythmic transcripts. The system-wide transcriptional perturbations suggest that WNT disrupts the tight temporal coordination between internal molecular events and the environment resulting in reduced productivity. We identified transcriptional regulators whose predicted targets are enriched for sensitivity to WNT. The affected transcripts and candidate regulators identified through our network analysis explain molecular mechanisms driving sensitivity to WNT and candidates that can be targeted to enhance tolerance to WNT.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Desai, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lawas, L. M. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Valente, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leman, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grinevich, D. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagadish, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/702183</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Warm nights disrupt global transcriptional rhythms in field-grown rice panicles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/706739v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single-gene resolution of locally adaptive genetic variation in Mexican maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/706739v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Threats to crop production due to climate change are one of the greatest challenges facing plant breeders today. While considerable adaptive variation exists in traditional landraces, natural populations of crop wild relatives, and ex situ germplasm collections, separating adaptive alleles from linked deleterious variants that impact agronomic traits is challenging and has limited the utility of these diverse germplasm resources. Modern genome editing techniques such as CRISPR offer a potential solution by targeting specific alleles for transfer to new backgrounds, but such methods require a higher degree of precision than traditional mapping approaches can achieve. Here we present a high-resolution genome-wide association analysis to identify loci exhibiting adaptive patterns in a large panel of more than 4500 traditional maize landraces representing the breadth of genetic diversity of maize in Mexico. We evaluate associations between genotype and plant performance in 13 common gardens across a range of environments, identifying hundreds of candidate genes underlying genotype by environment interaction. We further identify genetic associations with environment across Mexico and show that such loci are associated with variation in yield and flowering time in our field trials and predict performance in independent drought trials. Our results indicate that the variation necessary to adapt crops to changing climate exists in traditional landraces that have been subject to ongoing environmental adaptation and can be identified by both phenotypic and environmental association.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gates, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janzen, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romero Navarro, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willcox, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sonder, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snodgrass, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Zapata, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hearne, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/706739</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single-gene resolution of locally adaptive genetic variation in Mexican maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/707372v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
International lineages of Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from chicken farms, Wakiso District, Uganda 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/707372v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The growing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica in poultry has been reported with public health concern worldwide. We reported, recently, the occurrence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovars carrying clinically relevant resistance genes in dairy cattle farms in the Wakiso District, Uganda, highlighting an urgent need to monitor food-producing animal environments. Here, we present the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and sequence type of 51 Salmonella isolates recovered from 400 environmental samples from chicken farms in Uganda. Among the Salmonella isolates, 32/51 (62.7%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and 10/51 (19.6%) displayed multiple drug resistance. Through PCR, five replicon plasmids were identified among all chicken Salmonella including IncFIIS 17/51 (33.3%), IncI1 12/51 (23.5%), IncP 8/51 (15.7%), IncX1 8/51 (15.7%), and IncX2 1/51 (2.0%). In addition, we identified replicons through WGS (ColpVC and IncFIB). A significant seasonal difference between chicken sampling periods was observed (p= 0.0017). We conclude that MDR Salmonella highlights the risks posed to the animals, environment, and humans for infection. Implementing a robust integrated surveillance system in Uganda will help monitor MDR to help control infectious threats.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ball, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fedorka-cray, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farias Marinho do Monte, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aidara-Kane, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ru, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thakur, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ejobi, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matheu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/707372</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[International lineages of Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from chicken farms, Wakiso District, Uganda]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/707711v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Characterization of Protein Conformational Dynamics within a Riemannian Diffusion Formalism 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/707711v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We have formulated a Riemannian framework for describing the geometry of collective variable spaces of biomolecules within the context of collective variable based molecular dynamics simulations. The formalism provides a theoretical framework to develop enhanced sampling techniques, path-finding algorithms, and transition rate estimators consistent with a Riemannian treatment of the collective variable space, where the quantities of interest such as the potential of the mean force, minimum free energy path, the diffusion constant, and the transition rate remain invariant under coordinate transformation due to the Riemannian treatment of the collective variable space. Specific algorithms within this framework are discussed such as the Riemannian umbrella sampling, the Riemannian string method, and a Riemannian-Bayesian estimator of free energy and diffusion constant, which can be used to estimate the transition rate along a minimum free energy path.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Goolsby, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fakharzadeh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moradi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/707711</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Thermodynamic and Kinetic Characterization of Protein Conformational Dynamics within a Riemannian Diffusion Formalism]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/708388v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Stroke prevents exercise-induced gains in bone microstructure but not composition in mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/708388v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ischemic stroke induces rapid loss in bone mineral density that is up to 13 times greater than during normal aging, leading to a markedly increased risk of fracture. Little is known about skeletal changes following stroke beyond density loss. In this study we use a mild-moderate middle cerebral artery occlusion model to determine the effects of ischemic stroke without bedrest on bone microstructure, dynamic bone formation, and tissue composition. Twenty-seven 12-week-old male C57Bl/6J mice received either a stroke or sham surgery and then either received daily treadmill exercise or remained sedentary for four weeks. All mice were ambulatory immediately following stroke, and limb coordination during treadmill exercise was unaffected by stroke, indicating similar mechanical loading across limbs for both stroke and sham groups. Stroke did not directly detriment microstructure, but exercise only stimulated adaptation in the sham group, not the stroke group, with increased bone volume fraction and trabecular thickness in the sham distal femoral metaphysis. Stroke differentially decreased cortical area in the affected limb relative to the unaffected limb of the distal femoral metaphysis, as well as endosteal bone formation rate in the affected tibial diaphysis. Although exercise failed to improve bone microstructure following stroke, exercise increased mineral-to-matrix content in stroke but not sham. Together, these results show that stroke inhibits exercise-induced changes to femoral microstructure but not tibial composition, even without changes to gait. Similarly, affected-unaffected limb differences in cortical bone structure and bone formation rate in ambulatory mice show that stroke affects bone health even without bedrest.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hanne, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steward, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sessions, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thornburg, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/708388</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Stroke prevents exercise-induced gains in bone microstructure but not composition in mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/708412v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Validating Minimally Invasive Laser Doppler Flowmetry for Serial Bone Perfusion Measurements in Mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/708412v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In vivo laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) has previously been used to quantify blood perfusion accurately at a single timepoint in the murine tibial metaphysis. However, this procedure entailed substantial disruption to soft tissues overlying the bone and caused notable localized inflammation for several weeks after the procedure, impeding serial measurements in the same mouse. In this study, we tested a less invasive technique to measure perfusion in the tibia with LDF and validated that it can be used serially in the same mouse without causing inflammation or gait perturbations. Twenty 14-week-old C57Bl/6J mice were evenly divided into groups that either had daily treadmill exercise or remained sedentary. Within these activity groups, mice were evenly subdivided into groups that received LDF measurements either weekly or only once at the study endpoint. Bone perfusion was measured with LDF in the anteromedial region of the right tibial metaphysis. Serum concentrations of interleukin 6, incision site wound area, and interlimb coordination during gait were measured weekly for four weeks. Tibial perfusion did not differ significantly between exercise and sedentary groups within the weekly or endpoint-only LDF groups at any timepoint. Perfusion was significantly increased in the third week in the weekly LDF group relative to measurements in the second and fourth weeks. Ligation of the femoral artery caused consistent, rapid reductions in tibial perfusion, validating that LDF is sensitive to changes in tibial blood supply. Weekly LDF procedures did not adversely affect gait, as interlimb coordination during treadmill locomotion was similar between weekly and endpoint-only LDF groups at every timepoint. Images of the incision site show wound closure within one week, and serum concentrations of interleukin 6 were not significantly different between weekly and endpoint-only groups. Together, these findings demonstrate that our minimally invasive LDF technique can be used for serial in vivo measurements of intraosseous blood perfusion without inducing localized inflammation or negatively affecting gait patterns in mice.nnHighlightsO_LIModified, minimally invasive laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) technique was validated for serial measures of tibial perfusion in mice.nC_LIO_LIWeekly LDF procedures did not induce inflammation or alter gait patterns that could confound metrics of interest in bone studies.nC_LIO_LILigation of the femoral artery confirmed the LDF technique measures functional perfusion within the bone.nC_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hanne, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Easter, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/708412</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Validating Minimally Invasive Laser Doppler Flowmetry for Serial Bone Perfusion Measurements in Mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/708453v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Minimally Invasive Technique for Serial Intraosseous Perfusion Measurements in the Murine Tibia Using Laser Doppler Flowmetry 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/708453v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In biomedical and preclinical research, the current standard method for measuring blood perfusion inside murine bone, radiolabeled microspheres, is a terminal procedure that cannot be used to monitor longitudinal perfusion changes. Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) can quantify perfusion within the proximal tibial metaphysis of mice in vivo but requires a surgical procedure to place the measurement probe directly onto the bone surface. Sustained inflammation for over a month following this technique was previously reported, and previous studies have used LDF as an endpoint-only procedure. We developed a modified, minimally invasive LDF procedure to measure intraosseous perfusion in the murine tibia without stimulating local or systemic inflammation or inducing gait abnormalities. This modified technique can be used to measure perfusion weekly for up to at least a month. O_LIUnlike previous endpoint-only techniques, this modified LDF procedure can be performed weekly to monitor serial changes to intraosseous perfusion in the murine tibianC_LIO_LIThe modified LDF technique utilizes a smaller, more localized incision to minimize invasiveness and speed recoverynC_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hanne, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Easter, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stangeland-Molo, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/708453</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Minimally Invasive Technique for Serial Intraosseous Perfusion Measurements in the Murine Tibia Using Laser Doppler Flowmetry]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/714162v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Improving yield and fruit quality traits in sweet passion fruit: evidence for genotype by environment interaction and cross-compatibility in selected genotypes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/714162v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Breeding for yield and fruit quality traits in passion fruits is complex due to the polygenic nature of these traits and the existence of genetic correlations among them. Therefore, studies focused on crop management practices and breeding using modern quantitative genetic approaches are still needed, especially for Passiflora alata, an understudied crop, popular known as the sweet passion fruit. It is assumed to be a self-incompatible species and is highly appreciated for its typical aroma and flavor characteristics. With the aim of estimating the genetic and phenotypic parameters related to fruit traits, our group has already investigated a sweet passion fruit progeny consisting of 100 individuals from which 30 genotypes were selected. In this study, we reevaluated these superior genotypes in three environmental conditions. The results of the multi-environment trial analysis indicate that the genotypes do not behave consistently across these environments, and this was taken into account when selecting genotypes. Pairwise genetic correlations among the fruit traits were evaluated, and different genotype rankings obtained depending on the trait and environment, providing further evidence of genotype by environment interaction. Finally, we used a multiplicative selection index to select 20% of genotypes for weight of pulp and against thickness and weight of the fruit skin. The response to selection was positive for all traits except soluble solids, and the superior (six) genotypes were ranked. The consensus is that open-pollinated populations can be used as commercial varieties in crop species that are sensitive to inbreeding depression or within breeding programs that are not well developed. For these reasons, we performed a complete diallel cross for evaluating the capability of the selected genotypes to be fertilized and set fruits. Most of the crosses were compatible, resulting in over 50% fruit set. It is worth noting that all genotypes produce fruits if used as females, which is essential to guarantee yields in commercial orchards.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chavarria-Perez, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giordani, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dias, K. O. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Costa, Z. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ribeiro, C. A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benedetti, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cauz-Santos, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereira, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosa, J. R. B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, A. A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vieira, M. L. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/714162</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Improving yield and fruit quality traits in sweet passion fruit: evidence for genotype by environment interaction and cross-compatibility in selected genotypes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/720375v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Heterospecific aggression differs predominately by species, rather than sex, in Lake Malawi cichlid fish 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/720375v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Because of their striking diversity, Lake Malawi cichlid fish have been well studied for male aggression, particularly among dominant males of closely related sister species within the framework of mate-choice and speciation. However, aggression in females has been largely ignored, and variation in aggressive behaviors between more distantly-related taxa is not well understood despite its potential impact in a complex community structure. To better understand variation in patterns of aggression between species, we presented males and females from five species of Lake Malawi cichlid with a non-predator intruder and recorded all movement and aggressive acts. Additionally, we measured excreted cortisol levels the day after the intruder assay to evaluate one physiological aspect of stress response. We identified species-specific patterns in both specific aggressive acts, and overall level of aggression. Additionally, we found that sexual dimorphism in aggressive acts varies by species and act, where the species with the most aggressive males also has aggressive females. Additionally, cortisol levels vary by taxa, and are associated with restless behavior in the intruder assay, but not levels of aggression. These findings have bearing on understanding sex differences in aggression and their impact on community structure in this important model of rapid evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-07-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/720375</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Heterospecific aggression differs predominately by species, rather than sex, in Lake Malawi cichlid fish]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-07-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/724880v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pedigree-based measurement of the de novo mutation rate in the gray mouse lemur reveals a high mutation rate, few mutations in CpG sites, and a weak sex bias 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/724880v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Spontaneous germline mutations are the raw material on which evolution acts, and knowledge of their frequency and genomic distribution is crucial for understanding how evolution operates at both long and short timescales. At present, the rate and spectrum of de novo mutations have been directly characterized in only a few lineages. It is therefore critical to expand the phylogenetic scope of these studies to gain a more general understanding of observed mutation rate patterns. Our study provides the first direct mutation rate estimate for a strepsirrhine (i.e., the lemurs and lorises), which comprise nearly half of the primate clade. Using high-coverage linked-read sequencing for a focal quartet of gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), we estimated the mutation rate to be 1.64 x 10-8 (95% credible interval: 1.41 x 10-8 to 1.98 x 10-8) mutations/site/generation. This estimate is higher than those measured for most previously characterized mammals. Further, we found an unexpectedly low count of paternal mutations, and only a modest overrepresentation of mutations at CpG-sites. Given the surprising nature of these observations, we conducted an independent analysis of context-dependent substitution types for gray mouse lemur and five additional primate species. This analysis yielded patterns consistent with the mutation spectrum from the pedigree mutation-rate analysis, which provides confidence in our ability to accurately identify de novo mutations with our data and bioinformatic filters.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Campbell, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiley, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poelstra, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunnicutt, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larsen, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>dos Reis, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoder, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/724880</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pedigree-based measurement of the de novo mutation rate in the gray mouse lemur reveals a high mutation rate, few mutations in CpG sites, and a weak sex bias]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/724914v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inositol Trisphosphate Kinase and Diphosphoinositol Pentakisphosphate Kinase Enzymes Constitute the Inositol Pyrophosphate Synthesis Pathway in Plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/724914v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are an emerging class of "high-energy" intracellular signaling molecules containing one or two diphosphate groups attached to an inositol ring, with suggested roles in bioenergetic homeostasis and inorganic phosphate (Pi) sensing. Information regarding the biosynthesis of these unique class of signaling molecules in plants is scarce, however the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis in other eukaryotes have been well described. Here we report the characterization of the two Arabidopsis VIP kinase domains, a newly discovered activity of the Arabidopsis ITPK1 and ITPK2 enzymes, and the subcellular localization of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of InsP6 and PP-InsPs. Our data indicate that AtVIP1-KD and AtVIP2-KD act primarily as 1PP-specific Diphosphoinositol Pentakisphosphate Kinases (PPIP5) Kinases. The AtITPK enzymes, in contrast, can function as InsP6 kinases, and thus are the missing enzyme in the plant PP-InsP synthesis pathway. Together, these enzyme classes can function in plants to produce PP-InsPs, which have been implicated in signal transduction and Pi sensing pathways. We measured a higher InsP7 level (increased InsP7/InsP8 ratio) in vip1/vip2 double loss-of-function mutants, and an accumulation of InsP8 (decreased InsP7/InsP8 ratio) in the 35S:VIP2 overexpression line relative to wild-type plants. We also report that enzymes involved in the synthesis of InsPs and PP-InsPs accumulate within the nucleus and cytoplasm of plant cells. Our work defines a molecular basis for understanding how plants synthesize PP-InsPs which is crucial for determining the roles of these signaling molecules in processes such as Pi sensing.nnSIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTInositol pyrophosphate signaling molecules are of agronomic importance as they can control complex responses to the limited nutrient, phosphate. This work fills in the missing steps in the inositol pyrophosphate synthesis pathway and points to a role for these molecules in the plant cell nucleus. This is an important advance that can help us design future strategies to increase phosphate efficiency in plants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adepoju, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Craige, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cridland, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharp, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Land, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perera, I. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mena, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sobrado, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillaspy, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/724914</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inositol Trisphosphate Kinase and Diphosphoinositol Pentakisphosphate Kinase Enzymes Constitute the Inositol Pyrophosphate Synthesis Pathway in Plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/726133v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Fyn - specific biosensor reveals localized, pulsatile kinase activity and spatially regulated signaling crosstalk 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/726133v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cell behavior is controlled through spatio-temporally localized protein activity. Despite unique and often contradictory roles played by Src-family-kinases (SFKs) in regulating cell physiology, activity patterns of individual SFKs have remained elusive. Here, we report a biosensor for specifically visualizing active conformation of SFK-Fyn in live cells. We deployed combinatorial library screening to isolate a binding-protein (F29) targeting activated Fyn. Nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) analysis provides the structural basis of F29 specificity for Fyn over homologous SFKs. Using F29, we engineered a sensitive, minimally-perturbing fluorescence-resonance-energy-transfer (FRET) biosensor (FynSensor) that reveals cellular Fyn activity to be spatially localized, pulsatile and sensitive to adhesion/integrin signaling. Strikingly, growth factor stimulation further enhanced Fyn activity in pre-activated intracellular zones. However, inhibition of focal-adhesion-kinase activity not only attenuates Fyn activity, but abolishes growth-factor modulation. FynSensor imaging uncovers spatially-organized, sensitized signaling clusters, direct crosstalk between integrin and growth-factor-signaling, and clarifies how compartmentalized Src-kinase activity may drive cell fate.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mukherjee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Udayan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Biswas, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pothula, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manmadhan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>George, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dilip Kumar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Das, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gulyani, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/726133</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Fyn - specific biosensor reveals localized, pulsatile kinase activity and spatially regulated signaling crosstalk]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/728436v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Screening yeast display libraries against magnetized yeast cell targets enables efficient isolation of membrane protein binders. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/728436v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
When isolating binders from yeast displayed combinatorial libraries, a soluble, recombinantly expressed form of the target protein is typically utilized. As an alternative, we describe the use of target proteins displayed as surface fusions on magnetized yeast cells. In our strategy, the target protein is co-expressed on the yeast surface with an iron oxide binding protein; incubation of these yeast cells with iron oxide nanoparticles results in their magnetization. Subsequently, binder cells that interact with the magnetized target cells can be isolated using a magnet. Using a known binder-target pair with modest binding affinity (KD ~ 400 nM), we showed that a binder present at low frequency (1 in 105) could be enriched >100-fold, in a single round of screening, suggesting feasibility of screening combinatorial libraries. Subsequently, we screened yeast display libraries of Sso7d and nanobody variants against yeast displayed targets to isolate binders specific to the cytosolic domain of the mitochondrial membrane protein TOM22 (KD ~ 271-2009 nM) and the extracellular domain of the c-Kit receptor (KD ~ 131 to KD >2000 nM). Additional studies showed that the TOM22 binders identified using this approach could be used for the enrichment of mitochondria from cell lysates, thereby confirming binding to the native mitochondrial protein. The ease of expressing a membrane protein or a domain thereof as a yeast cell surface fusion - in contrast to recombinant soluble expression - makes the use of yeast-displayed targets particularly attractive. Therefore, we expect the use of magnetized yeast cell targets will enable efficient isolation of binders to membrane proteins.nnO_FIG_DISPLAY_L [Figure 1] M_FIG_DISPLAY C_FIG_DISPLAY
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bacon, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burroughs, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blain, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/728436</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Screening yeast display libraries against magnetized yeast cell targets enables efficient isolation of membrane protein binders.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/729624v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Negatively Affects Whole Bone Bending Strength but not Cortical Structure in the Femur 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/729624v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although body mass index is positively associated with bone mineral density, suggesting obesity is protective against fracture, elderly obese individuals experience greater fracture risk at certain sites than non-obese peers, suggesting bone structural or material changes contribute to fragility. Diet-induced obesity rodent studies have reported detrimental changes to bone microstructure and some apparent-level material properties, but tissue-level material changes are not well understood. Because adipose tissue is highly vascularized, and bone remodeling depends critically on functional vascular supply, concurrent effects on osteovascular perfusion and structure may provide insight about obesity-related bone fragility. This study aimed to determine the effects of obesity on both tissue-level bone properties and osteovascular properties that could negatively impact bone strength. Five-week-old male C57Bl/6J mice were fed either high fat diet (HFD) or control fat diet (CFD) for 17 weeks and received daily treadmill exercise or remained sedentary for eight weeks at ages 14-22 weeks. HFD negatively affected femur bending strength, with 18% lower yield load than CFD. Although HFD negatively altered cancellous microstructure in the distal femur, with 32% lower bone volume fraction than CFD, it did not affect cortical bone geometry in the femoral metaphysis or diaphysis. HFD caused increased carbonate substitution but had no effect on other composition metrics or apparent- or tissue-level material properties in the femoral diaphysis. Exercise did not affect bone strength or microstructure but increased endosteal mineralizing surface in the tibial diaphysis, mineral crystallinity and mineral-to-matrix ratio in the femur, and blood supply to the proximal tibial metaphysis. HFD did not affect blood supply in the tibia or 2D osteovascular structure in the distal femoral metaphysis, indicating that HFD negatively affects cancellous bone without affecting osteovasculature. This study reveals that HFD negatively affected cancellous microstructure without affecting osteovascular structure, and whole-bone strength without altering cortical geometry or material properties.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hanne, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steward, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cox, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Easter, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thornburg, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sessions, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pinnamaraju, S. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/729624</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Negatively Affects Whole Bone Bending Strength but not Cortical Structure in the Femur]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/729632v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ischemic Stroke Reduces Bone Perfusion and Alters Osteovascular Structure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/729632v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
RationaleStroke patients lose bone mass and experience fracture at an elevated rate. Although functional intraosseous vasculature is necessary for skeletal maintenance, the effect of stroke on osteovasculature is unknown.nnObjectiveTo characterize changes to osteovascular function, structure, and composition following mild-to-moderate-severity ischemic stroke in mice, both with and without exercise therapy.nnMethods and ResultsTwelve-week-old male mice (n=27) received either a stroke (middle cerebral artery occlusion) or sham procedure, followed by four weeks of daily treadmill or sedentary activity. Intraosseous perfusion, measured weekly in the proximal tibial metaphysis, was reduced by stroke for two weeks. In the second week of recovery, exercise nearly restored perfusion to sham levels, and perfusion tended to be lower in the stroke-affected limb. At the conclusion of the study, osteovascular structure was assessed with contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the distal femoral metaphysis. Stroke significantly increased osteovascular volume and branching but reduced the relative number of blood vessels close to bone surfaces (6-22 {micro}m away) and increased the relative number more than 52 {micro}m away. These differences in vessel proximity to bone were driven by changes in the stroke-exercise group, indicating compounded effects of stroke and exercise. Exercise, but not stroke, nearly reduced the amount of osteogenic Type H blood vessels in the proximal tibial metaphysis, quantified with immunofluorescence microscopy.nnConclusionsThis study is the first to examine the effects of stroke on osteovasculature. Stroke increased the amount of osteovasculature, but since blood vessels close to bone are associated with bone remodeling, the shift in osteovascular structure could play a role in bone loss following stroke. The exercise-induced reduction in the amount of Type H vessels and the stroke-exercise effect on osteovascular structure suggest moderate aerobic activity may have detrimental effects on bone remodeling during early stroke recovery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hanne, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steward, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Geeroms, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Easter, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thornburg, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kerckhofs, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parac-Vogt, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/729632</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ischemic Stroke Reduces Bone Perfusion and Alters Osteovascular Structure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/730945v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Natural genetic variation underlying tiller development in barley (Hordeum vulgare L) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/730945v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), lateral branches called tillers contribute to grain yield and define shoot architecture, but genetic control of tiller number and developmental rate are not well characterized. The primary objectives of this work were to examine relationships between tiller number and other agronomic and morphological traits and identify natural genetic variation associated with tiller number and rate, and related traits. We grew 768 lines from the USDA National Small Grain Core Collection in the field and collected data over two years for tiller number and rate, and agronomic and morphological traits. Our results confirmed that spike row-type and days to heading are correlated with tiller number, and as much as 28% of tiller number variance is attributed to these traits. In addition, negative correlations between tiller number and leaf width and stem diameter were observed, indicating trade-offs between tiller development and other vegetative growth. Thirty-three quantitative trait loci (QTL) were associated with tiller number or rate. Of these, 40% overlapped QTL associated with days to heading and 22% overlapped QTL associated with spike row-type, further supporting that tiller development is influenced by these traits. Despite this, some QTL associated with tiller number or rate, including the major QTL on chromosome 3H, were not associated with any other traits, suggesting that tiller number can be modified independently of other important agronomic traits. These results enhance our knowledge of the genetic control of tiller development in barley, which is important for optimizing tiller number and rate for yield improvement.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Haaning, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chao, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyagi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muehlbauer, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/730945</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Natural genetic variation underlying tiller development in barley (Hordeum vulgare L)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/731216v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Engineered cartilage from human chondrocytes with homozygous knockout of cell cycle inhibitor p21 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/731216v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis (OA) include genetic background and focal cartilage injury. The search for disease-modifying OA therapies would benefit from a more comprehensive knowledge of the genetic variants that contribute to chondrocyte dysfunction and the barriers to cartilage regeneration. One goal of this study was to establish a system for producing engineered cartilage tissue from genetically-defined primary human chondrocytes through genome editing and single-cell expansion. This process was utilized to investigate the functional effect of bi-allelic knockout of the cell cycle inhibitor p21. The use of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) CRISPR/Cas9 complexes targeting two sites in the coding region of p21 resulted in a high frequency (16%) of colonies with homozygous p21 knockout. Chondrogenic pellet cultures from expanded chondrocytes with complete loss of p21 produced more glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and maintained a higher cell number. Single-cell derived colonies retained the potential for robust matrix production after expansion, allowing for analysis of colony variability from the same population of targeted cells. The effect of enhanced cartilage matrix production in p21 knockout chondrocytes persisted when matrix production from individual colonies was analyzed. Chondrocytes had lower levels of p21 protein with further expansion, and the difference in GAG production with p21 knockout was strongest at early passages. These results support previous findings that implicate p21 as a barrier to cartilage matrix production and regenerative capacity. Further, this work establishes the use of genome-edited human chondrocytes as a promising approach for engineered tissue models containing user-defined gene knockouts and other genetic variants for investigation of OA pathogenesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>D'Costa, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rich, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diekman, B. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/731216</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Engineered cartilage from human chondrocytes with homozygous knockout of cell cycle inhibitor p21]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/736660v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcriptome-based Analysis of Tomato Genotypes Resistant to Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas perforans) Race T4 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/736660v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacterial spot (BS) is one of the most devastating foliar bacterial diseases of tomato caused by multiple species of Xanthomonas. We performed the RNA-Seq analysis of three tomato lines with different level of resistance to Xanthomonas perforans race T4 to study the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and transcript-based sequence variations.nnAnalysis between inoculated and control samples revealed that resistant line PI 270443 had more DEGs (834), followed by susceptible line NC 714 (373), and intermediate line NC 1CELBR (154). Gene functional analysis based on Gene Ontology (GO) terms revealed that more GO terms (51) were enriched for up-regulated DEGs in the resistant line PI 270443, and more down-regulated DEGs (67) were enriched in the susceptible line NC 714. The specific analysis for DEGs in biotic stress pathway using MapMan software showed more up-regulated biotic stress pathway DEGs (67) for PI 270443 compared to more down-regulated DEGs (125) for susceptible NC 714 line. One interesting feature was that resistant PI 270443 has three up-regulated DEGs for PR-protein, and susceptible line NC 714 has one down-regulated R gene, which is disease-related.nnAnalysis of sequence variations called from RNA-Seq reads against the reference genome of susceptible Heinz 1706 showed that chr11 which has multiple reported resistance QTLs to BS race T4 is identical between two resistant lines, PI 270443 and NC 1CELBR, suggesting that these two lines share the same resistance QTLs on this chromosome. Several loci for PR-resistance proteins with sequence variation between the resistant and susceptible tomato lines were identified near the known Rx4 resistance gene on chr11. These findings may be useful for further molecular breeding of tomato.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shi, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Panthee, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/736660</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcriptome-based Analysis of Tomato Genotypes Resistant to Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas perforans) Race T4]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/738914v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic analysis of seed and pod traits in a set of Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/738914v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although seed and pod traits are important for peanut breeding, little is known about the inheritance of these traits. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of 156 lines from a cross of Tifrunner x NC 3033 was genotyped with the Axiom_Arachis1 SNP array and SSRs to generate a genetic map composed of 1524 markers in 29 linkage groups (LG). The genetic positions of markers were compared with their physical positions on the peanut genome to confirm the validity of the linkage map and explorethe distribution of recombination and potential chromosomal rearrangements. These traits were phenotyped over three consecutive years for the purpose of developing trait-associated markers for breeding. Forty-nine QTL were identified in 14 LG for seed size index, kernel percentage, seed weight, pod weight, single-kernel, double-kernel, pod area and pod density. Twenty QTL demonstrated phenotypic variance explained (PVE) greater than 10% and eight more than 20%. Of note, seven of the eight major QTL for pod area, pod weight and seed weight (PVE >20% variance) were attributed to NC 3033 and located in a single linkage group, LG B06_1. In contrast, the most consistent QTL for kernel percentage were located on A07/B07 and derived from Tifrunner.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chavarro, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holbrook, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Isleib, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bertioli, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hovav, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Butts, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshall, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sorensen, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ozias-Akins, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/738914</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic analysis of seed and pod traits in a set of Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/739284v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Shuttling of Dorsal by Cactus: mechanism and implications 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/739284v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In a developing animal, morphogen gradients act to pattern tissues into distinct domains of cell types. However, despite their prevalence in development, morphogen gradient formation is a matter of debate. In our recent publication, we showed that the Dorsal/NF-{kappa}B morphogen gradient, which patterns the DV axis of the early Drosophila embryo, is partially established by a mechanism of facilitated diffusion. This mechanism, also known as "shuttling," occurs when a binding partner of the morphogen facilitates the diffusion of the morphogen, allowing it to accumulate at a given site. In this case, the inhibitor Cactus/I{kappa}B facilitates the diffusion of Dorsal/NF-{kappa}B. In the fly embryo, we used computation and experiment to not only show that shuttling occurs in the embryo, but also that it enables the viability of embryos that inherit only one copy of dorsal maternally. Here we further discuss our evidence behind the shuttling mechanism, the previous literature data explained by the mechanism, and how it may also be critical for robustness of development. Finally, we describe an interaction between Dorsal and BMP signaling that is likely affected by shuttling.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schloop, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carrell-Noel, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/739284</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Shuttling of Dorsal by Cactus: mechanism and implications]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/739292v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Robustness of the Dorsal morphogen gradient with respect to morphogen dosage 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/739292v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In multicellular organisms, the timing and placement of gene expression in a developing tissue assigns the fate of each cell in the embryo in order for a uniform field of cells to differentiate into a reproducible pattern of organs and tissues. This positional information is often achieved through the action of spatial gradients of morphogens. Spatial patterns of gene expression are paradoxically robust to variations in morphogen dosage, given that, by definition, gene expression must be sensitive to morphogen concentration. In this work we investigate the robustness of the Dorsal/NF-{kappa}B signaling module with respect to perturbations to the dosage of maternally-expressed dorsal mRNA. The Dorsal morphogen gradient patterns the dorsal-ventral axis of the early Drosophila embryo, and we found that an empirical description of the Dorsal gradient is highly sensitive to maternal dorsal dosage. In contrast, we found experimentally that gene expression patterns are highly robust. Although the components of this signaling module have been characterized in detail, how their function is integrated to produce robust gene expression patterns to variations in the dorsal maternal dosage is still unclear. Therefore, we analyzed a mechanistic model of the Dorsal signaling module and found that Cactus, a cytoplasmic inhibitor for Dorsal, must be present in the nucleus for the system to be robust. Furthermore, active Toll, the receptor that dissociates Cactus from Dorsal, must be saturated. Finally, the vast majority of robust descriptions of the system require facilitated diffusion of Dorsal by Cactus. Each of these three recently-discovered mechanisms of the Dorsal module are critical for robustness. Our work highlights the need for quantitative understanding of biophysical mechanisms of morphogen gradients in order to understand emergent phenotypes, such as robustness.nnAuthor SummaryThe early stages of development of an embryo are crucial for laying the foundation of the body plan. The blueprint of this plan is encoded in long-range spatial protein gradients called morphogens. This positional information is then interpreted by nuclei that begin to differentiate by expressing different genes. In fruit fly embryos, the Dorsal morphogen forms a gradient along the dorsal-ventral axis, with a maximum at the ventral midline. This gradient, and the resulting gene expression patterns are extraordinarily robust to variations in developmental conditions, even during early stages of development. Since positional information is interpreted in terms of concentration of the morphogen, one would expect that doubling or halving dosage would result in disastrous consequences for the embryo. However, we observed that development remains robust. We quantified the effect of dosage by experimentally measuring the boundaries of 2 genes, - sna and sog, expressed along the DV axis and found that variation in the boundaries of these genes was minimal, across embryos with different dosages of Dl. We then used a mathematical model to discern components of the Dl system responsible for buffering the effects of dosage and found three specific mechanisms - deconvolution, Toll saturation and shuttling
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Al Asafen, H. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bandodkar, P. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carrell-Noel, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/739292</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Robustness of the Dorsal morphogen gradient with respect to morphogen dosage]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/739326v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Tunable self-cleaving ribozymes for modulating gene expression in eukaryotic systems 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/739326v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Advancements in the field of synthetic biology have been possible due to the development of genetic tools that are able to regulate gene expression. However, the current toolbox of gene regulatory tools for eukaryotic systems have been outpaced by those developed for simple, single-celled systems. Here, we engineered a set of gene regulatory tools by combining self-cleaving ribozymes with various upstream competing sequences that were designed to disrupt ribozyme self-cleavage. As a proof-of-concept, we were able to modulate GFP expression in mammalian cells, and then showed the feasibility of these tools in Drosophila embryos. For each system, the fold-reduction of gene expression was influenced by the location of the self-cleaving ribozyme/upstream competing sequence (i.e. 5 untranslated region (UTR) vs. 3UTR) and the competing sequence used. Together, this work provides a set of genetic tools that can be used to tune gene expression across various eukaryotic systems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jacobsen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al Asafen, H. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jermusyk, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/739326</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Tunable self-cleaving ribozymes for modulating gene expression in eukaryotic systems]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/740191v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Short-term effects of GPS collars on the activity, behavior, and adrenal response of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/740191v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
GPS collars have revolutionized the field of animal ecology, providing detailed information on animal movement and the habitats necessary for species survival. GPS collars also have the potential to cause adverse effects ranging from mild irritation to severe tissue damage, reduced fitness, and death. The impact of GPS collars on the behavior, stress, or activity, however, have rarely been tested on study species prior to release. The objective of our study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the short-term effects of GPS collars fitted on scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), an extinct-in-the-wild antelope once widely distributed across Sahelian grasslands in North Africa. We conducted behavioral observations, assessed fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM), and evaluated high-resolution data from tri-axial accelerometers. Using a series of non-standard regression models, we illustrate clear but short-term effects to animals fitted with GPS collars. Behavioral observations highlighted a significant increase in the amount of headshaking from pre-treatment levels, returning below baseline levels during the post-treatment period (>3 days post-collaring). Similarly, FGM concentrations (i.e., stress hormones) increased after GPS collars were fitted on animals but returned to pre-collaring levels within 5 days of collaring. Lastly, tri-axial accelerometers, collecting data at eight positions per second, indicated a > 480 percent increase in the amount of hourly headshaking immediately after collaring. This post-collaring increase in headshaking was estimated to decline in magnitude within 4 hours after GPS collar fitting. These effects constitute a handling and/or habituation response (model dependent), with animals showing short-term responses in activity, behavior, and stress that dissipated within several hours to several days of being fitted with GPS collars. Importantly, none of our analyses indicated any long-term effects that would have more pressing animal welfare concerns.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Stabach, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cunningham, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Connette, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mota, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reed, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Byron, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Songer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wacher, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mertes, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Comizzoli, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newby, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Monfort, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leimgruber, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/740191</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Short-term effects of GPS collars on the activity, behavior, and adrenal response of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/742213v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Human cerebral organoids capture the spatiotemporal complexity and disease dynamics of UBE3A 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/742213v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human neurodevelopment and its associated diseases are complex and challenging to study. This has driven recent excitement for human cerebral organoids (hCOs) as research and screening tools. These models are steadily proving their utility; however, it remains unclear what limits they will face in recapitulating the complexities of neurodevelopment and disease. Here we show that their utility extends to key (epi)genetic and disease processes that are complex in space and time. Specifically, hCOs capture UBE3As dynamically imprinted expression and subcellular localization patterns. Furthermore, given UBE3As direct links to Angelman Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder, we show that hCOs respond to candidate small molecule therapeutics. This work demonstrates that hCOs can provide important insights to focus the scope of mechanistic and therapeutic strategies including revealing difficult to access prenatal developmental time windows and cell types key to disease etiology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Voulgaropoulos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drobna, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/742213</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Human cerebral organoids capture the spatiotemporal complexity and disease dynamics of UBE3A]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/745208v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The relevance of dominance and functional annotations to predict agronomic traits in hybrid maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/745208v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Heterosis has been key to the development of maize breeding but describing its genetic basis has been challenging. Previous studies of heterosis have shown the contribution of within-locus complementation effects (dominance) and their differential importance across genomic regions. However, they have generally considered panels of limited genetic diversity and have shown little benefit to including dominance effects for predicting genotypic value in breeding populations. This study examined within-locus complementation and enrichment of genetic effects by functional classes in maize. We based our analyses on a diverse panel of inbred lines crossed with two testers representative of the major heterotic groups in the United States (1,106 hybrids), as well as a collection of 24 biparental populations crossed with a single tester (1,640 hybrids). We assayed three agronomic traits: days to silking (DTS), plant height (PH) and grain yield (GY). Our results point to the presence of dominance for all traits, but also among-locus complementation (epistasis) for DTS and genotype-by-environment interactions for GY. Consistently, dominance improved genomic prediction for PH only. In addition, we assessed enrichment of genetic effects in classes defined by genic regions (gene annotation), structural features (recombination rate and chromatin openness), and evolutionary features (minor allele frequency and evolutionary constraint). We found support for enrichment in genic regions and subsequent improvement of genomic prediction for all traits. Our results point to mechanisms by which heterosis arises through local complementation in proximal gene regions and suggest the relevance of dominance and gene annotations for genomic prediction in maize.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ramstein, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larsson, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cook, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ersoz, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gardner, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenz, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McMullen, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Millard, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rocheford, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuinstra, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradbury, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romay, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/745208</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The relevance of dominance and functional annotations to predict agronomic traits in hybrid maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/747469v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
When a phenotype is not the genotype: Implications of phenotype misclassification and pedigree errors in genomics-assisted breeding of sweetpotato 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/747469v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Experimental error, especially through genotype misclassification and pedigree errors, negatively affects breeding decisions by creating  noise that compounds the genetic signals for selection. Unlike genotype-by-environment interactions, for which different methods have been proposed to address, the effect of  noise due to pedigree errors and misclassification has not received much attention in most crops. We used two case studies in sweetpotato, based on data from the International Potato Centers breeding program to estimate the level of phenotype misclassification and pedigree error and to demonstrate the consequences of such errors when combining phenotypes with the respective genotypes. In the first case study, 27.7% phenotype misclassification was observed when moving genotypes from a diversity panel through in-vitro, screenhouse and field trialing. Additionally, 22.7% pedigree error was observed from misclassification between and within families. The second case study involving multi-environment testing of a full-sib population and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping showed reduced genetic correlations among pairs of environments in mega-environments with higher phenotype misclassification errors when compared to the mega-environments with lower phenotype misclassification errors. Additionally, no QTL could be identified in the low genetic correlation mega-environments. Simulation analysis indicated that phenotype misclassification was more detrimental to QTL detection when compared to missingness in data. The current information is important to inform current and future breeding activities involving genomic-assisted breeding decisions in sweetpotato, and to facilitate putting in place improved workflows that minimize phenotype misclassification and pedigree errors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gemenet, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Boeck, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereira, G. D. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kitavi, M. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ssali, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Utoblo, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swanckaert, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carey, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruneberg, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yada, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mwanga, R. O. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/747469</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[When a phenotype is not the genotype: Implications of phenotype misclassification and pedigree errors in genomics-assisted breeding of sweetpotato]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/749135v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Replicated Umbilical Cord Blood DNA Methylation Loci Associated with Gestational Age at Birth 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/749135v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundDNA methylation is highly sensitive to in utero perturbations and has an established role in both embryonic development and regulation of gene expression. The fetal genetic component has been previously shown to contribute significantly to the timing of birth, yet little is known about the identity and behavior of individual genes.nnObjectivesThe aim of this study was to test the extent genome-wide DNA methylation levels in umbilical cord blood were associated with gestational age at birth (GA). Findings were validated in an independent sample and evidence for the regulation of gene expression was evaluated for cis gene relationships in matched specimens.nnResultsGenome-wide DNA methylation, measured by the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450K BeadChip, was associated with GA for 2,372 CpG probes (5% false discovery rate) in both the Pregnancy, Race, Environment, Genes (PREG - Virginia Commonwealth University) and Newborn Epigenetic Study (NEST - Duke University) cohorts. Significant probes mapped to 1,640 characterized genes and an association with nearby gene expression measures obtained by the Affymetrix HG-133A microarray was found for 11 genes. Differentially methylated positions were enriched for actively transcribed and enhancer chromatin states, were predominately located outside of CpG islands, and mapped to genes enriched for inflammation and innate immunity ontologies. In both PREG and NEST, the first principal component derived from these probes explained approximately one-half (58.1% and 47.8%, respectively) of the variation in GA. This assessment provides a strong evidence to support the importance of DNAm change throughout the gestational time period.nnConclusionsThese results converge on support for the role of variation in DNAm measures as an important genetic regulatory mechanism contributing to inter-individual differences in gestational age at birth. In particular, the pathways described are consistent with the well-known hypothesis of pathogen detection and response by the immune system to elicit premature labor as a consequence of unscheduled inflammation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>York, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Latendresse, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson-Cook, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lapato, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moyer, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wolen, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberson-Nay, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Do, E. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fuemmeler, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strauss, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/749135</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Replicated Umbilical Cord Blood DNA Methylation Loci Associated with Gestational Age at Birth]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/749143v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Resurrection of ancestral effector caspases identifies novel networks for evolution of substrate specificity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/749143v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Apoptotic caspases evolved with metazoans more than 950 million years ago (MYA), and a series of gene duplications resulted in two subfamilies consisting of initiator and effector caspases. The effector caspase genes (caspases-3, -6, and -7) were subsequently fixed into the Chordata phylum more than 650 MYA when the gene for a common ancestor (CA) duplicated, and the three effector caspases have persisted throughout mammalian evolution. All caspases require an aspartate residue at the P1 position of substrates, so each caspase evolved discrete cellular roles through changes in substrate recognition at the P4 position combined with allosteric regulation. We examined the evolution of substrate specificity in caspase-6, which prefers valine at the P4 residue, compared to caspases-3 and -7, which prefer aspartate, by reconstructing the CA of effector caspases (AncCP-Ef1) and the CA of caspase-6 (AncCP-6An). We show that AncCP-Ef1 is a promiscuous enzyme with little distinction between Asp, Val, or Leu at P4. The specificity of caspase-6 was defined early in its evolution, where AncCP-6An demonstrates preference for Val over Asp at P4. Structures of AncCP-Ef1 and of AncCP-6An show a network of charged amino acids near the S4 pocket that, when combined with repositioning a flexible active site loop, resulted in a more hydrophobic binding pocket in AncCP-6An. The ancestral protein reconstructions show that the caspase-hemoglobinase fold has been conserved for over 650 million years and that only three substitutions in the scaffold are necessary to shift substrate selection toward Val over Asp.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grinshpon, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shrestha, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Titus-McQuillan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, P. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swartz, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/749143</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Resurrection of ancestral effector caspases identifies novel networks for evolution of substrate specificity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/761874v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ultra-Conserved Elements and morphology reciprocally illuminate conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses in Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/761874v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Recent technical advances combined with novel computational approaches promised the acceleration of our understanding of the tree of life. However, when it comes to hyperdiverse and poorly known groups of invertebrates, studies are still scarce. As published phylogenies will be rarely challenged by future taxonomists, careful attention must be paid to potential analytical bias. We present the first molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the family Chalcididae, an emblematic group of parasitoid wasps, with a representative sampling (144 ingroups and 7 outgroups) that covers all described subfamilies and tribes and 82% of the known genera. Analyses of 538 Ultra-Conserved Elements (UCEs) with supermatrix (RAxML and IQTREE) and gene-tree reconciliation approaches (ASTRAL, ASTRID) resulted in highly supported topologies in overall agreement with morphology but reveal conflicting topologies for some of the deepest nodes. To resolve these conflicts, we explored the phylogenetic tree space with clustering and gene genealogy interrogation methods, analyzed marker and taxon properties that could bias inferences and performed a thorough morphological analysis (130 characters encoded for 40 taxa representative of the diversity). This joint analysis reveals that UCEs enable attainment of resolution between ancestry and convergent /divergent evolution when morphology is not informative enough, but also shows that a systematic exploration of bias with different analytical methods and a careful analysis of morphological features is required to prevent publication of artefactual results. We highlight a GC-content bias for ML approaches, an artefactual mid-point rooting of the ASTRAL tree and a deleterious effect of high percentage of missing data on gene tree reconciliation methods. Based on the results we propose a new classification of the family into eight subfamilies and 10 tribes that lay the foundation for future studies on the evolutionary history of Chalcididae.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>cruaud, a.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Delvare, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nidelet, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saune, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ratnasingham, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chartois, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blaimer, B. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gates, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brady, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Faure, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Noort, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rossi, J.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasplus, j.-y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/761874</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ultra-Conserved Elements and morphology reciprocally illuminate conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses in Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/762542v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Two distinct trophectoderm lineage stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/762542v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Trophoblasts are the principal cell type of the placenta. The use of human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) as a model for studies of early placental development is hampered by limited genetic diversity of existing hTSC lines, and constraints on using human fetal tissue or embryos needed to generate additional cell lines. Here we report the derivation of two distinct stem cells of the trophectoderm lineage from human pluripotent stem cells. The first is a CDX2- stem cell equivalent to primary hTSCs - they both exhibit identical expression of key markers, are maintained in culture and differentiate under similar conditions, and share high transcriptome similarity. The second is a CDX2+ putative human trophectoderm stem cell (hTESC) with distinct cell culture requirements and differences in gene expression and differentiation relative to hTSCs. Derivation of hTSCs and hTESCs from pluripotent stem cells significantly enables construction of models for normal and pathological placental development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mischler, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karakis, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahinthakumar, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carberry, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rager, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fry, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/762542</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Two distinct trophectoderm lineage stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/773937v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Environmental decomposition of cuticular hydrocarbons generates a volatile pheromone that guides insect social behavior 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/773937v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Once emitted, semiochemicals are exposed to reactive environmental factors that may alter them, thus disrupting chemical communication. Some species, however, might have adapted to detect environmentally mediated breakdown products of their natural chemicals as semiochemicals. We demonstrate that air, water vapor, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation break down unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of Periplaneta americana (American cockroach), resulting in the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In behavioral assays, nymphs strongly avoided aggregating in shelters exposed to the breakdown VOCs from cuticular alkenes. The three treatments (air, water vapor, UV) produced the same VOCs, but at different time-courses and ratios. Fourteen VOCs from UV-exposed CHCs elicited electrophysiological responses in nymph antennae; 10 were identified as 1-pentanol, 1-octanol, 1-nonanol, tetradecanal, acetic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid and hexanoic acid. When short-chain fatty acids were tested as a mix and a blend of the alcohols and aldehyde was tested as a second mix, nymphs exhibited no preference for control or treated shelters. However, nymphs avoided shelters that were exposed to VOCs from the complete 10-compound mix. Conditioned shelters (occupied by cockroaches with feces and CHCs deposited on the shelters), which are normally highly attractive to nymphs, were also avoided after UV-exposure, confirming that breakdown products from deposited metabolites, including CHCs, mediate this behavior. Our results demonstrate that common environmental and anthropogenic agents degrade CHCs into volatile semiochemicals that may serve as necromones or epideictic pheromones, mediating group formation and dissolution.nnSignificance StatementCuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) cover the outer surface of insects, where they prevent water loss and serve as sex pheromones and in nest-mate recognition in social insects. Although CHCs are not volatile, they can be broken into volatile fragments by reacting with environmental agents. We demonstrate that volatile breakdown products of CHCs affect the social behavior of the American cockroach. A synthetic mix of volatiles dispersed cockroaches away from shelters, signaling an unsuitable shelter. These results highlight that some insect species have evolved communication strategies that exploit environmental and anthropogenic agents to produce bioactive compounds that mediate ecological interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hatano, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wada-Katsumata, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/773937</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Environmental decomposition of cuticular hydrocarbons generates a volatile pheromone that guides insect social behavior]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/775098v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
GWAS and Fine-Mapping of Livability and Six Disease Traits in Holstein Cattle 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/775098v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundHealth traits are of significant economic importance to the dairy industry due to their effects on milk production and associated treatment costs. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a means to identify associated genomic variants and thus reveal insights into the genetic architecture of complex traits and diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the genetic basis of seven health traits in dairy cattle and to identify potential candidate genes associated with cattle health using GWAS, fine mapping, and analyses of multitissue transcriptome data.nnResultsWe studied cow livability and six direct disease traits, mastitis, ketosis, hypocalcemia, displaced abomasum, metritis, and retained placenta, using de-regressed breeding values and more than three million imputed DNA sequence variants. After data edits and filtering on reliability, phenotypes for 11,880 to 24,699 Holstein bulls were included in the analyses of the seven traits. GWAS was performed using a mixed-model association test, and a Bayesian fine-mapping procedure was conducted to calculate a posterior probability of causality to each variant and gene in the candidate regions. The GWAS results detected a total of eight genome-wide significant associations for three traits, cow livability, ketosis, and hypocalcemia, including the bovine MHC region associated with livability. Our fine-mapping of associated regions reported 20 candidate genes with the highest posterior probabilities of causality for cattle health. Combined with transcriptome data across multiple tissues in cattle, we further exploited these candidate genes to identify specific expression patterns in disease-related tissues and relevant biological explanations such as the expression of GC in the liver and association with mastitis as well as the CCDC88C expression in CD8 cells and association with cow livability.nnConclusionsCollectively, our analyses report six significant associations and 20 candidate genes of cattle health. With the integration of multi-tissue transcriptome data, our results provide useful information for future functional studies and better understanding of the biological relationship between genetics and disease susceptibility in cattle.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Freebern, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Santos, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parker Gaddis, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>VanRaden, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/775098</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[GWAS and Fine-Mapping of Livability and Six Disease Traits in Holstein Cattle]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/782938v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Systematic profiling of full-length immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor repertoire diversity in rhesus macaque through long read transcriptome sequencing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/782938v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The diversity of immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires is a focal point of immunological studies. Rhesus macaques are key for modeling human immune responses, placing critical importance on the accurate annotation and quantification of their Ig and TCR repertoires. However, due to incomplete reference resources, the coverage and accuracy of the traditional targeted amplification strategies for profiling rhesus Ig and TCR repertoires are largely unknown. Here, using long read sequencing, we sequenced four Indian-origin rhesus macaque tissues and obtained high quality, full-length sequences for over 6,000 unique Ig and TCR transcripts, without the need for sequence assembly. We constructed the first complete reference set for the constant regions of all known isotypes and chain types of rhesus Ig and TCR repertoires. We show that sequence diversity exists across the entire variable regions of rhesus Ig and TCR transcripts. Consequently, existing strategies using targeted amplification of rearranged variable regions comprised of V(D)J gene segments miss a significant fraction (27% to 53% and 42% to 49%) of rhesus Ig/TCR diversity. To overcome these limitations, we designed new rhesus-specific assays that remove the need for primers conventionally targeting variable regions and allow single cell-level Ig and TCR repertoire analysis. Our improved approach will enable future studies to fully capture rhesus Ig and TCR repertoire diversity and is applicable for improving annotations in any model organism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brochu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tseng, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomas, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diveley, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Law, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Picker, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gale, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/782938</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Systematic profiling of full-length immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor repertoire diversity in rhesus macaque through long read transcriptome sequencing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/787945v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic transformation and live-cell nuclear and actin dynamics during the life cycle of a chytrid 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/787945v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chytrids are early-diverging fungi that share ancestral features of animals, including cells that crawl and swim. At later stages, chytrid cells resemble fungi with a chitin-based cell wall and hyphal-like structures known as rhizoids. Chytrids are important evolutionary transitional forms, but much remains unknown about their cell biology because we lack genetic tools for the live-cell imaging of their nuclear and cytoskeletal dynamics. Here, we generated stable transgenic lines of the soil chytrid Spizellomyces punctatus, and coupled live-cell microscopy and fluorescent tagging to measure the timing and coordination of growth, the cell cycle, and the actin cytoskeleton. We show that Spizellomyces zoospores rapidly encyst, develop rhizoids, and undergo multiple rounds of synchronous nuclear division in a sporangium, followed by cellularization, to create and release hundreds of zoospores. The life cycle is complete in less than 30 hours. We further demonstrate that crawling zoospores, akin to animal cells, display polymerized actin at the leading edge of amoeboid fronts. After encystment, polymerized actin reorganizes into fungal-like cortical patches and cables that extend into the rhizoid. Actin remains highly dynamic during sporo-genesis with the formation of actin perinuclear shells each cell cycle and the emergence of polygonal territories during cellularization. Spizellomyces is a fast-growing and genetically-tractable organism that should be useful for comparative cell biology and understanding the evolution of fungi and early eukaryotes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Medina, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robinson, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bellingham-Johnstun, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ianiri, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laplante, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fritz-Laylin, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchler, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/787945</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic transformation and live-cell nuclear and actin dynamics during the life cycle of a chytrid]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/789040v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phylogeny and Multiple Independent Whole-Genome Duplication Events in the Brassicales 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/789040v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are prevalent throughout the evolutionary history of plants. For example, dozens of WGDs have been phylogenetically localized across the order Brassicales, specifically, within the family Brassicaceae. However, while its sister family, Cleomaceae, has also been characterized by a WGD, its placement, as well as that of other WGD events in other families in the order, remains unclear. Using phylo-transcriptomics from 74 taxa and genome survey sequencing for 66 of those taxa, we infer nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies to assess relationships among the major families of the Brassicales and within the Brassicaceae. We then use multiple methods of WGD inference to assess placement of WGD events. We not only present well-supported chloroplast and nuclear phylogenies for the Brassicales, but we also putatively place Th- and provide evidence for previously unknown events, including one shared by at least two members of the Resedaceae, which we name Rs-. Given its economic importance and many genomic resources, the Brassicales are an ideal group to continue assessing WGD inference methods. We add to the current conversation on WGD inference difficulties, by demonstrating that sampling is especially important for WGD identification.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mabry, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brose, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blischak, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sutherland, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dismukes, W. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bottoms, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edger, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Washburn, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>An, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McKain, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al-Shehbaz, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schranz, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conant, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/789040</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phylogeny and Multiple Independent Whole-Genome Duplication Events in the Brassicales]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/796466v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Insights from a survey-based analysis of the academic job market 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/796466v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Applying for a faculty position is a critical phase of many postdoctoral careers, but most postdoctoral researchers in STEM fields enter the academic job market with little knowledge of the process and expectations. A lack of data has made it difficult for applicants to assess their qualifications relative to the general applicant pool and for institutions to develop effective hiring policies. We analyzed responses to a survey of faculty job applicants between May 2018 and May 2019. We establish various background scholarly metrics for a typical faculty applicant and present an analysis of the interplay between those metrics and hiring outcomes. Traditional benchmarks of a positive research track record above a certain threshold of qualifications were unable to completely differentiate applicants with and without offers. Our findings suggest that there is no single clear path to a faculty job offer and that metrics such as career transition awards and publications in high impact factor journals were neither necessary nor sufficient for landing a faculty position. The applicants perceived the process as unnecessarily stressful, time-consuming, and largely lacking in feedback, irrespective of a successful outcome. Our findings emphasize the need to improve the transparency of the faculty job application process. In addition, we hope these and future data will help empower trainees to enter the academic job market with clearer expectations and improved confidence.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fernandes, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarabipour, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niemi, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jadavji, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kozik, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holehouse, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pejaver, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Symmons, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bisson Filho, A. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haage, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/796466</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Insights from a survey-based analysis of the academic job market]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/804203v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Mechanical Model of Early Somite Segmentation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/804203v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The clock-and-wavefront model (CW) hypothesizes that the formation of somites in vertebrate embryos results from the interplay of molecular oscillations with a wave traveling along the body axis. This model however does not explain how molecular information is interpreted by cells to modulate their rearrangement into somites. Here we performed Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) on the pre-somitic mesoderm (PSM) of chicken embryos at stages 11-12 to describe in detail the cell shape changes occurring along the axis of the PSM. This reveals a wave of epithelialization of the dorsal PSM that precedes somite segmentation. Signs of spatially periodic apical constriction appear in this layer starting at least 3-4 somite lengths caudal to the most recently formed somite. The sizes of these clusters correspond to the typical diameter of chicken somites. We propose that a mechanical instability process leads to the separation of cells into these structures and positions the future inter-somite boundaries. We present a model in which a wave of apical constriction leads to increasing tension and periodic failure of adhesion junctions within the dorsal epithelial layer of the PSM, thus positioning somite boundaries. This model can produce spatially periodic segments whose size depends on the speed of the contraction wave (W) and the rate of increase of apical contractility ({Lambda}). The {Lambda}/W ratio determines whether this mechanism produces spatially and temporally regular or irregular segments, and whether segment sizes increase with the wave speed (scaling) as in the CW model. We discuss the limitations of a purely mechanical model of somite segmentation and the role of biomechanics along with CW during somitogenesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adhyapok, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piatkowska, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clendenon, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stern, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Glazier, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/804203</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Mechanical Model of Early Somite Segmentation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/806844v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Association between DNA methylation and ADHD symptoms from birth to school age: A prospective meta-analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/806844v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder with a substantial genetic component. However, the extent to which epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the etiology of the disorder is not known. We performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium to identify DNA methylation sites associated with ADHD symptoms at two methylation assessment periods: birth and school-age. We examined associations of DNA methylation in cord blood with repeatedly assessed ADHD symptoms (age range 4-15 years) in 2477 children from five cohorts and DNA methylation at school-age with concurrent ADHD symptoms (age 7-11 years) in 2374 children from ten cohorts. CpGs identified with nominal significance (p<0.05) in either of the EWAS were correlated between timepoints ({rho}=0.30), suggesting overlap in associations, however, top signals were very different. At birth, we identified nine CpGs that were associated with later ADHD symptoms (P<1*10-7), including ERC2 and CREB5. Peripheral blood DNA methylation at one of these CpGs (cg01271805 located in the promotor region of ERC2, which regulates neurotransmitter release) was previously associated with brain methylation. Another (cg25520701) lies within the gene body of CREB5, which was associated with neurite outgrowth and an ADHD diagnosis in previous studies. In contrast, at school-age, no CpGs were associated with ADHD with P<1*10-7. In conclusion, we found evidence in this study that DNA methylation at birth is associated with ADHD. Future studies are needed to confirm the utility of methylation variation as biomarker and its involvement in causal pathways.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Neumann, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walton, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alemany, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cecil, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jima, D. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lahti, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuominen, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, E. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Binder, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caramaschi, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carracedo, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Czamara, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Evandt, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felix, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fuemmeler, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gutzkow, K. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Julvez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kajantie, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laivuori, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maguire, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maitre, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murcia, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villa, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharp, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sunyer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raikkonen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van IJzendoorn, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guxens, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Relton, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiemeier, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/806844</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Association between DNA methylation and ADHD symptoms from birth to school age: A prospective meta-analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/815258v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Learning Your Heart Actions From Pulse: ECG Waveform Reconstruction From PPG 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/815258v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This paper studies the relation between electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) and infers the waveform of ECG via the PPG signals that can be obtained from affordable wearable Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices for mobile health. In order to address this inverse problem, a transform is proposed to map the discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of each PPG cycle to those of the corresponding ECG cycle based on our proposed cardiovascular signal model. The proposed method is evaluated with different morphologies of the PPG and ECG signals on three benchmark datasets with a variety of combinations of age, weight, and health conditions using different training setups. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve a high prediction accuracy greater than 0.92 in averaged correlation for each dataset when the model is trained subject-wise. With a signal processing and learning system that is designed synergistically, we are able to reconstruct ECG signals by exploiting the relation of these two types of cardiovascular measurement. The reconstruction capability of the proposed method can enable low-cost ECG screening from affordable wearable IoT devices for continuous and long-term monitoring. This work may open up a new research direction to transfer the understanding of the clinical ECG knowledge base to build a knowledge base for PPG and data from wearable devices.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhu, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tian, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wong, C.-W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/815258</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Learning Your Heart Actions From Pulse: ECG Waveform Reconstruction From PPG]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/818328v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Toxin Cercosporin is a Virulence Factor for Infection of Coffee by Cercospora coffeicola 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/818328v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Brown eye spot, caused by Cercospora coffeicola, causes significant losses in both quality and quantity of coffee production. As many Cercospora spp. produce the photoactivated toxin cercosporin, this study aimed to determine the role of cercosporin in C. coffeicola pathogenesis by creating disruption mutants unable to produce the toxin. Six C. coffeicola isolates from Brazilian fields, representing organic and conventional production systems in the Minas Gerais state, were evaluated for their ability to produce cercosporin in vitro. Toxin production varied among isolates, ranging from 3.5 - 25.3 {micro}M/ 5 mm mycelial plug; production was undetectable in one isolate. The C. coffeicola homolog of the polyketide synthase gene (CTB1) involved in cercosporin production was amplified using a degenerate primer strategy. The 7044 nt ccCTB1 gene sequence was 90.3% identical to the cnCTB1 gene in Cercospora nicotianae and encoded a putative protein of 2196 amino acids with 98.2% similarity and 97.5% identity to its counterpart in C. nicotianae. Transformation of two isolates of C. coffeicola with a CTB1 disruption construct resulted in the recovery of six ctb1 disruption mutants. All of the ctb1 disruptants were deficient in cercosporin production. Disruption mutants did not differ significantly from the wild type for either growth or sporulation, but were significantly altered in virulence on coffee. As compared to wild type, time to lesion development was significantly increased and numbers of lesions were significantly decreased in coffee plants inoculated with ctb1 disruption mutants. These results show that cercosporin toxin is a virulence factor for C. coffeicola infection of coffee.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Souza, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herrero, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daub, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/818328</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Toxin Cercosporin is a Virulence Factor for Infection of Coffee by Cercospora coffeicola]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/822577v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Characterization of C. difficile strains isolated from companion animals and the associated changes in the host fecal microbiota 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/822577v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundClostridioides difficile is an enteric pathogen historically known to cause hospital associated (HA)-infections in humans. A major risk factor for CDI in humans is antibiotic usage as it alters the gut microbiota and there is a loss of colonization resistance against C. difficile. In recent years there has been an increase in community associated (CA)-C. difficile infection that does not have the same risk factors as HA-CDI. Potential sources of CA-CDI have been proposed and include animals, food, water, and the environment, however these sources remain poorly investigated. Here, we define the prevalence of C. difficile strains found in different companion animals (canines, felines, and equines) to investigate a potential zoonotic link. C. difficile strains were identified by toxin gene profiling, fluorescent PCR ribotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. 16s rRNA gene sequencing was done on animal feces to investigate the relationship between the presence of C. difficile and the gut microbiota in different hosts.nnResultsHere, we show that C. difficile was recovered from 20.9% of samples (42/201), which included 33 canines, 2 felines, and 7 equines. Over 69% (29/42) of the isolates were toxigenic and belonged to 14 different ribotypes, with overlap between HA- and CA-CDI cases in humans. The presence of C. difficile results in a shift in the fecal microbial community structure in both canines and equines. Commensal Clostridia C. hiranonis was negatively associated with C. difficile in canines. Further experimentation showed a clear antagonistic relationship between the two strains in vitro, suggesting that commensal Clostridia might play a role in colonization resistance against C. difficile in different hosts.nnConclusionsIn this study we investigated a potentially important source of C. difficile transmission: the companion animal population. C. difficile carriage was common in dogs, cats, and horses. C. difficile isolates from companion animals included many of the same ribotypes known to cause HA- and CA-CDI in humans, and had similar antimicrobial resistance profiles as those isolated from human populations. These data contribute to our understanding of non-hospital exposure to C. difficile in the human population and suggest new avenues for reducing C. difficile prevalence in companion animals and, perhaps, thereby reducing CA-CDI in humans.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thanissery, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McLaren, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reed, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Betrapally, N. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burdette, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Winston, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacob, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/822577</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Characterization of C. difficile strains isolated from companion animals and the associated changes in the host fecal microbiota]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/824896v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Leveraging multiple layers of data to predict Drosophila complex traits 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/824896v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An important challenge in genetics is to be able to predict complex traits accurately. Despite recent advances, prediction accuracy for most complex traits remains low. Here, we used the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), a collection of 200 lines with whole-genome sequences and deep RNA sequencing data, to evaluate the usefulness of using high-quality gene expression levels compared to relying on genotypes for predicting three complex traits. We found that expression levels provided higher accuracy than genotypes for starvation resistance, similar accuracy for chill coma recovery, and lower accuracy for startle response. Models including both genotype and expressions levels did not outperform the best single component model. However, accuracy increased considerably for all the three traits when we included another layer of information, i.e., gene ontology (GO). We found that a limited number of GO terms, some of which had a clear biological interpretation, were strongly predictive of the traits. In summary, this study shows that integrating different sources of information can improve prediction accuracy, especially when large samples are not available.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Morgante, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sorensen, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/824896</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Leveraging multiple layers of data to predict Drosophila complex traits]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/826792v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Development of diagnostic SNP markers for quality assurance and control in sweetpotato  breeding programs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/826792v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Quality assurance and control (QA/QC) is an essential element of a breeding programs optimization efforts towards increased genetic gains. Due to auto-hexaploid genome complexity, a low-cost marker platform for routine QA/QC in sweetpotato breeding programs is still unavailable. We used 662 parents of the International Potato Center (CIP)s global breeding program spanning Peru, Uganda, Mozambique and Ghana, to develop a low-density highly informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker set to be deployed for routine QA/QC. Segregation of the selected 30 SNPs (two SNPs per base chromosome) in a recombined breeding population was evaluated using 282 progeny from some of the parents above. The progeny were replicated from in-vitro, screenhouse and field, and the selected SNP-set was confirmed to identify relatively similar mislabeling error rates as a high density SNP-set of 10,159 markers. Six additional trait-specific markers were added to the selected SNP set from previous quantitative trait loci mapping. The 36-SNP set will be deployed for QA/QC in breeding pipelines and in fingerprinting of advanced clones or released varieties to monitor genetic gains in famers fields. The study also enabled evaluation of CIPs global breeding population structure and the effect of some of the most devastating biotic stresses like sweetpotato virus disease on genetic variation management. These results will inform future deployment of genomic selection in sweetpotato.nnKey MessageA 36-SNP diagnostic marker set has been developed for quality assurance and control to support global sweetpotato breeding optimization efforts. Breeding population structure is shaped by sweetpotato virus disease prevalence.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gemenet, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kitavi, M. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ndege, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ssali, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swanckaert, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Makunde, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gruneberg, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carey, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mwanga, R. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andrade, M. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heck, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campos, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/826792</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Development of diagnostic SNP markers for quality assurance and control in sweetpotato  breeding programs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/827790v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inference of Population Genetic Structure and High Linkage Disequilibrium AmongAlternaria spp. Collected from Tomato and Potato Using Genotyping by Sequencing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/827790v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) is considered a powerful tool to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are useful to characterize closely related genomes of plant species and plant pathogens. We applied GBS to determine genome-wide variations in a panel of 187 isolates of three closely related Alternaria spp. that cause diseases on tomato and potato in North Carolina (NC) and Wisconsin (WI). To compare genetic variations, reads were mapped to both A. alternata and A. solani draft reference genomes and detected dramatic differences in SNPs among them. Comparison of A. linariae and A. solani populations by principal component analysis revealed the first (83.8% of variation) and second (8.0% of variation) components contained A. linariae from tomato in NC and A. solani from potato in WI, respectively, providing evidence of population structure. Genetic differentiation (Hedricks GST) in A. linariae populations from Haywood, Macon, and Madison counties in NC were little or no differentiated (GST 0.0 - 0.2). However, A. linariae population from Swain county appeared to be highly differentiated (GST > 0.8). To measure the strength of the linkage disequilibrium (LD), we also calculated the allelic association between pairs of loci. Lewontins D (measures the fraction of allelic variations) and physical distances provided evidence of linkage throughout the entire genome, consistent with the hypothesis of non-random association of alleles among loci. Our findings provide new insights into the understanding of clonal populations on a genome-wide scale and microevolutionary factors that might play an important role in population structure. Although we found limited genetic diversity, the three Alternaria spp. studied here are genetically distinct and each species is preferentially associated with one host.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adhikari, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knaus, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grünwald, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halterman, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Louws, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/827790</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inference of Population Genetic Structure and High Linkage Disequilibrium AmongAlternaria spp. Collected from Tomato and Potato Using Genotyping by Sequencing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/831628v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Immunoglobulin J chain as a non-invasive indicator of pregnancy in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/831628v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The North American cheetah population serves as a reservoir for the species, and acts as a research population to help understand the unique biology of the species. Little is known about the intrauterine physiology of the cheetah, including embryo differentiation, implantation, and the development of the placenta. After mating, cheetah females frequently experience (30-65% of matings) a non-pregnant luteal phase where progestogen metabolite levels match those found in pregnant females for the first ~55 days of gestation, but parturition does not occur. Immunoglobulin J chain (IgJ) is a molecule that is involved in the activation of the secretory immune response and has been found to be indicative of pregnancy in the cheetah using fecal monitoring. In this study, western blotting was employed to track IgJ abundance in pooled weekly fecal samples following natural breeding or exogenous stimulation to ovulate, and IgJ levels were compared between individuals undergoing a pregnant (n = 12) and non-pregnant (n = 19) luteal phase. It was revealed that IgJ abundance was increased in pregnant females compared to non-pregnant females at week 4 and week 8 post-breeding, indicating the potential modulation of maternal immunity in response to sensitive events such as implantation and the increased secretory activity of the placenta. IgJ levels also tended to be higher early after breeding in females that were bred naturally with intact males compared to exogenously stimulated females with no exposure to seminal plasma, indicating the promotion of maternal tolerance to seminal antigens present upon embryonic implantation. Monitoring fecal IgJ may be a potential method to determine gestational status in the cheetah and will aid future conservation efforts of the species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Byron, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koester, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mozdziak, P. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farin, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crosier, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/831628</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Immunoglobulin J chain as a non-invasive indicator of pregnancy in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/833731v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microbiability of meat quality and carcass composition traits in swine 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/833731v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The impact of gut microbiome composition was investigated at different stages of production (Wean, Mid-test, and Off-test) on meat quality and carcass composition traits of 1,123 three-way-crossbred pigs. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models which included the fixed effects of dam line, contemporary group and gender as well as the random effects of pen, animal and microbiome information at different stages. The contribution of the microbiome to all traits was prominent although it varied over time, increasing from weaning to Off-test for most traits. Microbiability estimates of carcass composition traits were greater compared to meat quality traits. Adding microbiome information did not affect the estimates of genomic heritability of meat quality traits but affected the estimates of carcass composition traits. High microbial correlations were found among different traits, particularly with traits related to fat deposition with decrease in genomic correlation up to 20% for loin weight and belly weight. Decrease in genomic heritabilities and genomic correlations with the inclusion of microbiome information suggested that genomic correlation was partially contributed by genetic similarity of microbiome composition.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>KHANAL, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwab, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fix, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiezzi, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/833731</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microbiability of meat quality and carcass composition traits in swine]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/836429v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dynamic DNA-based information storage 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/836429v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Technological leaps are often driven by key innovations that transform the underlying architectures of systems. Current DNA storage systems largely rely on polymerase chain reaction, which broadly informs how information is encoded, databases are organized, and files are accessed. Here we show that a hybrid  toehold DNA structure can unlock a fundamentally different, dynamic DNA-based information storage system architecture with broad advantages. This innovation increases theoretical storage densities and capacities by eliminating non-specific DNA-DNA interactions common in PCR and increasing the encodable sequence space. It also provides a physical handle with which to implement a range of in-storage file operations. Finally, it reads files non-destructively by harnessing the natural role of transcription in accessing information from DNA. This simple but powerful toehold structure lays the foundation for an information storage architecture with versatile capabilities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lin, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tuck, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/836429</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dynamic DNA-based information storage]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/836494v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Marker-Trait Complete Analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/836494v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
1A recurring problem in genomics involves testing association of one or more traits of interest to multiple genomic features. Feature-trait squared correlations r2 are commonly-used statistics, sensitive to trend associations. It is often of interest to perform testing across collections {r2} over markers and/or traits using both maxima and sums. However, both trait-trait correlations and marker-marker correlations may be strong and must be considered. The primary tools for multiple testing suffer from various shortcomings, including p-value inaccuracies due to asymptotic methods that may not be applicable. Moreover, there is a lack of general tools for fast screening and follow-up of regions of interest.To address these difficulties, we propose the MTCA approach, for Marker-Trait Complete Analysis. MTCA encompasses a large number of existing approaches, and provides accurate p-values over markers and traits for maxima and sums of r2 statistics. MTCA uses the conditional inference implicit in permutation as a motivational frame-work, but provides an option for fast screening with two novel tools: (i) a multivariate-normal approximation for the max statistic, and (ii) the concept of eigenvalue-conditional moments for the sum statistic. We provide examples for gene-based association testing of a continuous phenotype and cis-eQTL analysis, but MTCA can be applied in a much wider variety of settings and platforms.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gallins, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/836494</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Marker-Trait Complete Analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/842351v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genes derived from ancient polyploidy have higher genetic diversity and are associated with domestication in Brassica rapa 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/842351v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIMany crops are polyploid or have a polyploid ancestry. Recent phylogenetic analyses have found that polyploidy often preceded the domestication of crop plants. One explanation for this observation is that increased genetic diversity following polyploidy may have been important during the strong artificial selection that occurs during domestication.
C_LIO_LITo test the connection between domestication and polyploidy, we identified and examined candidate genes associated with the domestication of the diverse crop varieties of Brassica rapa. Like all "diploid" flowering plants, B. rapa has a diploidized paleopolyploid genome and experienced many rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD). We analyzed transcriptome data of more than 100 cultivated B. rapa accessions.
C_LIO_LIUsing a combination of approaches, we identified more than 3,000 candidate genes associated with the domestication of four major B. rapa crop varieties. Consistent with our expectation, we found that the candidate genes were significantly enriched with genes derived from the Brassiceae mesohexaploidy. We also observed that paleologs were significantly more diverse than non-paleologs.
C_LIO_LIOur analyses find evidence for that genetic diversity derived from ancient polyploidy played a key role in the domestication of B. rapa and provide support for its importance in the success of modern agriculture.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Qi, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>An, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, T. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Di, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blischak, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/842351</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genes derived from ancient polyploidy have higher genetic diversity and are associated with domestication in Brassica rapa]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/852178v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The microRNA476a/RFL module regulates adventitious root formation through a mitochondria-dependent pathway in Populus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/852178v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adventitious root (AR) formation at the base of stem cuttings determines the efficiency of clonal propagation for woody plants. Many endogenous and environmental factors influence AR formation. However, our knowledge about the regulation of AR development by mitochondrial metabolism in plants is very limited. Here we identified Populus-specific miR476a as a novel regulator of wound-induced adventitious rooting via orchestrating mitochondrial homeostasis in poplar. MiR476a exhibited inducible expression during AR formation and directly targets several Restorer of Fertility like (RFL) genes encoding mitochondrion-localized pentatricopeptide repeat proteins. Genetic modification of miR476-RFL expression revealed the miR476/RFL-mediated dynamic regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis on AR formation in transgenic poplar. Furthermore, mitochondrial perturbation via exogenous chemical inhibitor validated that the miR476a/RFL-directed AR formation depended on mitochondrial regulation though modulating the auxin pathway. Our results established a miRNA-directed mitochondrion-auxin signaling cascade required for AR development, providing novel insights into the understanding of mitochondrial regulation on plant developmental plasticity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Luo, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guo, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xing, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Su, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fan, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiang, V. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/852178</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The microRNA476a/RFL module regulates adventitious root formation through a mitochondria-dependent pathway in Populus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/854679v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Differences in in vitro responses of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal hormonal axis between low and high egg producing turkey hens 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/854679v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Low egg producing hens (LEPH) ovulate less frequently than high egg producing hens (HEPH) and exhibit differences in mRNA levels for components of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, suggesting differential responsiveness to trophic stimulation. Ovulation frequency is governed by the production and feedback of pituitary gonadotropins and ovarian follicle steroid hormones, which are regulated by HPG axis stimulation and inhibition at the hypothalamic level. Pituitary and follicle cells from LEPH and HEPH were subjected to in vitro hormonal treatments to stimulate or inhibit the HPG axis, followed by expression analysis of mRNA levels for HPG axis genes and radioimmunoassays for steroid hormone production. Statistical analysis was performed using the mixed models procedure of SAS. Pituitary cells from HEPH showed up-regulation of genes associated with ovulation stimulation, whereas LEPH cells showed up-regulation of genes associated with inhibition of ovulation. HEPH follicle cells displayed a higher sensitivity and responsiveness to gonadotropin treatment. Level of egg production impacted ovulation-related gene expression in pituitary cells as well as steroid hormone production in follicle cells, with HEPH displaying a greater positive response to stimulation. These findings indicate that differences in egg production among turkey hens likely involve differential responsiveness of the cells within the HPG axis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brady, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Long, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, H.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Porter, T. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/854679</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Differences in in vitro responses of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal hormonal axis between low and high egg producing turkey hens]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/855064v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
clustifyr: An R package for automated single-cell RNA sequencing cluster classification 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/855064v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundIn single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis, assignment of likely cell types remains a time-consuming, error-prone, and biased process. Current packages for identity assignment use limited types of reference data, and often have rigid data structure requirements. As such, a more flexible tool, capable of handling multiple types of reference data and data structures, would be beneficial.

FindingsTo address difficulties in cluster identity assignment, we developed the clustifyr R package. The package leverages external datasets, including gene expression profiles from scRNA-seq, bulk RNA-seq, microarray expression data, and/or signature gene lists, to assign likely cell types. We benchmark various parameters of a correlation-based approach, and also implement a variety of gene list enrichment methods. By providing tools for exploratory data analysis, we demonstrate the feasibility of a simple and effective data-driven approach for cell type assignment in scRNA-seq cell clusters.

Conclusionsclustifyr is a lightweight and effective cell type assignment tool developed for compatibility with various scRNA-seq analysis workflows. clustifyr is publicly available at https://github.com/rnabioco/clustifyr
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fu, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillen, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheridan, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tian, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daya, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hesselberth, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riemondy, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-11-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/855064</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[clustifyr: An R package for automated single-cell RNA sequencing cluster classification]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-11-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/861583v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gene regulatory effects of a large chromosomal inversion in highland maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/861583v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chromosomal inversions play an important role in local adaptation. Inversions can capture multiple locally adaptive functional variants in a linked block by repressing recombination. However, this recombination suppression makes it difficult to identify the genetic mechanisms that underlie an inversions role in adaption. In this study, we explore how large-scale transcriptomic data can be used to dissect the functional importance of a 13 Mb inversion locus (Inv4m) found almost exclusively in highland populations of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays). Inv4m introgressed into highland maize from the wild relative Zea mays ssp. mexicana, also present in the highlands of Mexico, and is thought to be important for the adaptation of these populations to cultivation in highland environments. First, using a large publicly available association mapping panel, we confirmed that Inv4m is associated with locally adaptive agronomic phenotypes, but only in highland fields. Second, we created two families segregating for standard and inverted haplotypess of Inv4m in a isogenic B73 background, and measured gene expression variation association with Inv4m across 9 tissues in two experimental conditions. With these data, we quantified both the global transcriptomic effects of the highland Inv4m haplotype, and the local cis-regulatory variation present within the locus. We found diverse physiological effects of Inv4m, and speculate that the genetic basis of its effects on adaptive traits is distributed across many separate functional variants.

Author SummaryChromosomal inversions are an important type of genomic structural variant. However, mapping causal alleles within their boundaries is difficult because inversions suppress recombination between homologous chromosomes. This means that inversions, regardless of their size, are inherited as a unit. We leveraged the high-dimensional phenotype of gene expression as a tool to study the genetics of a large chromosomal inversion found in highland maize populations in Mexico - Inv4m. We grew plants carrying multiple versions of Inv4m in a common genetic background, and quantified the transcriptional reprogramming induced by alternative alleles at the locus. Inv4m has been shown in previous studies to have a large effect on flowering, but we show that the functional variation within Inv4m affects many developmental and physiological processes.

Author ContributionsT. Crow, R. Rellan-Alvarez, R. Sawers and D. Runcie conceived and designed the experiment. M. Aguilar-Rangel, J. Rodr[g]uez, R. Rellan-Alvarez and R. Sawers generated the segregating families. T. Crow, J. Ta, S. Nojoomi, M. Aguilar-Rangel, J. Rodr[g]uez D. Gates, D. Runcie performed the experiment. T. Crow, D. Gates, D. Runcie analyzed the data. T. Crow, D. Runcie wrote the original manuscript, and R. Rellan-Alvarez and R. Sawers provided review and editing.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Crow, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ta, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nojoomi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aguilar-Rangel, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torres Rodriguez, J. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gates, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/861583</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gene regulatory effects of a large chromosomal inversion in highland maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/867747v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phylogeography of equine infectious anemia virus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/867747v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Equine Infectious Anemia virus (EIAV) is the causative agent of one of the most impacting infectious diseases affecting equids. EIAV is genetically diverse with several lineages circulating globally. To elucidate EIAV global spread patterns, we studied its spatiotemporal dynamics applying Bayesian phylodynamic analyses, using a worldwide compiled dataset composed of unique sequences of the gag gene. In addition, we performed a scoping review of 1.470 publications on EIAV to characterize the spatiotemporal trends in EAIV research. Phylogeographic reconstruction suggested Hungary as the most likely country of origin for current EIAV circulation (root state posterior probability = 0.21), and one of the most important centers of diversification for the disease. Historical EIAV spread was predominantly characterized by long-distance spread across continents. As a result, we found that the American and Asian circulating EIAV (i.e., Mongolia) are more related to European lineages than to other Asian countries, being Europe the continent with the highest EIAV phylogenetic diversity. Our bibliometric analysis showed a continuous increment in the number of publications per year, where the United States and China appeared as the countries with highest EIAV-related scientific production. This study provides a historical geographic mapping of the EIAV linages spread patterns. In addition, we identified important asymmetry between the current research effort and the availability of genetic data which restricted our abilities to quantify for example the time frame of virus dispersal.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frias-De-Diego, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/867747</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phylogeography of equine infectious anemia virus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/002063v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Holsteins Favor Heifers, Not Bulls: Biased Milk Production Programmed during Pregnancy as a Function of Fetal Sex 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/002063v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mammalian females pay high energetic costs for reproduction, the greatest of which is imposed by lactation. The synthesis of milk requires, in part, the mobilization of bodily reserves to nourish developing young. Numerous hypotheses have been advanced to predict how mothers will differentially invest in sons and daughters, however few studies have addressed sex-biased milk synthesis. Here we leverage the dairy cow model to investigate such phenomena. Using 2.39 million lactation records from 1.49 million dairy cows, we demonstrate that the sex of the fetus influences the capacity of the mammary gland to synthesize milk during lactation. Cows favor daughters, producing significantly more milk for daughters than for sons across lactation. Using a sub-sample of this dataset (N = 113,750 subjects) we further demonstrate that the effects of fetal sex interact dynamically across parities, whereby the sex of the fetus being gestated can enhance or diminish the production of milk during an established lactation. Moreover the sex of the fetus gestated on the first parity has persistent consequences for milk synthesis on the subsequent parity. Specifically, gestation of a daughter on the first parity increases milk production by [~]445 kg over the first two lactations. Our results identify a dramatic and sustained programming of mammary function by offspring in utero. Nutritional and endocrine conditions in utero are known to have pronounced and long-term effects on progeny, but the ways in which the progeny has sustained physiological effects on the dam have received little attention to date.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Katie Hinde</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abigail J Carpenter</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>John C Clay</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barry J Bradford</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2014-01-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/002063</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Holsteins Favor Heifers, Not Bulls: Biased Milk Production Programmed during Pregnancy as a Function of Fetal Sex]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2014-01-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/010116v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
RNA-Seq analysis and annotation of a draft blueberry genome assembly identifies candidate genes involved in fruit ripening, biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, and stage-specific alternative splicing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/010116v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundBlueberries are a rich source of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds that can protect against disease. Identifying genes involved in synthesis of bioactive compounds could enable breeding berry varieties with enhanced health benefits.nnResultsToward this end, we annotated a draft blueberry genome assembly using RNA-Seq data from five stages of berry fruit development and ripening. Genome-guided assembly of RNA-Seq read alignments combined with output from ab initio gene finders produced around 60,000 gene models, of which more than half were similar to proteins from other species, typically the grape Vitis vinifera. Comparison of gene models to the PlantCyc database of metabolic pathway enzymes identified candidate genes involved in synthesis of bioactive compounds, including bixin, an apocarotenoid with potential disease-fighting properties, and defense-related cyanogenic glycosides, which are toxic.nnCyanogenic glycoside (CG) biosynthetic enzymes were highly expressed in green fruit, and a candidate CG detoxification enzyme was up regulated during fruit ripening. Candidate genes for ethylene, anthocyanin, and 400 other biosynthetic pathways were also identified. Homology-based annotation using Blast2GO and InterPro assigned Gene Ontology terms to around 15,000 genes. RNA-Seq expression profiling showed that blueberry growth, maturation, and ripening involve dynamic gene expression changes, including coordinated up and down regulation of metabolic pathway enzymes and transcriptional regulators. Analysis of RNA-seq alignments identified developmentally regulated alternative splicing, promoter use, and 3 end formation.nnConclusionsWe report genome sequence, gene models, functional annotations, and RNA-Seq expression data that provide an important new resource enabling high throughput studies in blueberry. RNA-Seq data are freely available for visualization in Integrated Genome Browser, and analysis code is available from the git repository at http://bitbucket.org/lorainelab/blueberrygenome.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vikas Gupta</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>April Dawn Estrada</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ivory Clabaugh Blakley</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rob Reid</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ketan Patel</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mason D. Meyer</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stig Uggerhoj Andersen</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allan F. Brown</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mary Ann Lila</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ann Loraine</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2014-10-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/010116</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[RNA-Seq analysis and annotation of a draft blueberry genome assembly identifies candidate genes involved in fruit ripening, biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, and stage-specific alternative splicing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2014-10-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/016006v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The origins of a novel butterfly wing patterning gene from within a family of conserved cell cycle regulators 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/016006v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand the origins of novel structures. The wing patterns of butterflies and moths are derived phenotypes unique to the Lepidoptera. Here we identify a gene that we name poikilomousa (poik), which regulates colour pattern switches in the mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Strong associations between phenotypic variation and DNA sequence variation are seen in three different Heliconius species, in addition to associations between gene expression and colour pattern. Colour pattern variants are also associated with differences in splicing of poik transcripts. poik is a member of the conserved fizzy family of cell cycle regulators. It belongs to a faster evolving subfamily, the closest functionally characterised orthologue being the cortex gene in Drosophila, a female germ-line specific protein involved in meiosis. poik appears to have adopted a novel function in the Lepidoptera and become a major target for natural selection acting on colour and pattern variation in this group.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nicola Nadeau</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carolina Pardo-Diaz</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Annabel Whibley</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Megan Ann Supple</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richard Wallbank</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grace C. Wu</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luana Maroja</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laura Ferguson</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heather Hines</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Camilo Salazar</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richard ffrench-Constant</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mathieu Joron</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>William Owen McMillan</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chris Jiggins</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-03-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/016006</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The origins of a novel butterfly wing patterning gene from within a family of conserved cell cycle regulators]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-03-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/018325v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic Basis of Transcriptome Diversity in Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/018325v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding how DNA sequence variation is translated into variation for complex phenotypes has remained elusive, but is essential for predicting adaptive evolution, selecting agriculturally important animals and crops, and personalized medicine. Here, we quantified genome-wide variation in gene expression in the sequenced inbred lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). We found that a substantial fraction of the Drosophila transcriptome is genetically variable and organized into modules of genetically correlated transcripts, which provide functional context for newly identified transcribed regions. We identified regulatory variants for the mean and variance of gene expression, the latter of which could often be explained by an epistatic model. Expression quantitative trait loci for the mean, but not the variance, of gene expression were concentrated near genes. This comprehensive characterization of population scale diversity of transcriptomes and its genetic basis in the DGRP is critically important for a systems understanding of quantitative trait variation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wen Huang</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mary Anna Carbone</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michael Magwire</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jason Peiffer</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richard Lyman</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eric Stone</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robert Anholt</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trudy Mackay</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-04-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/018325</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic Basis of Transcriptome Diversity in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-04-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/035006v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Arabidopsis late blight: Infection of a nonhost plant by Albugo laibachii enables full colonization by Phytophthora infestans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/035006v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans causes potato late blight, and as a potato and tomato specialist pathogen, is seemingly poorly adapted to infect plants outside the Solanaceae. Here, we report the unexpected finding that P. infestans can infect Arabidopsis thaliana when another oomycete pathogen, Albugo laibachii, has colonized the host plant. The behaviour and speed of P. infestans infection in Arabidopsis pre-infected with A. laibachii resemble P. infestans infection of susceptible potato plants. Transcriptional profiling of P. infestans genes during infection revealed a significant overlap in the sets of secreted-protein genes that are induced in P. infestans upon colonisation of potato and susceptible Arabidopsis, suggesting major similarities in P. infestans gene expression dynamics on the two plant species. Furthermore, we found haustoria of A. laibachii and P. infestans within the same Arabidopsis cells. This Arabidopsis - A. laibachii - P. infestans tripartite interaction opens up various possibilities to dissect the molecular mechanisms of P. infestans infection and the processes occurring in co-infected Arabidopsis cells.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Khaoula Belhaj</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liliana M. Cano</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David C. Prince</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ariane Kemen</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kentaro Yoshida</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yasin F. Dagdas</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graham J. Etherington</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Henk-jan Schoonbeek</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>H. Peter van Esse</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jonathan DG Jones</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sophien Kamoun</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sebastian Schornack</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2015-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/035006</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Arabidopsis late blight: Infection of a nonhost plant by Albugo laibachii enables full colonization by Phytophthora infestans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2015-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/038372v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Punctuated evolution and transitional hybrid network in an ancestral cell cycle of fungi 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/038372v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Although cell cycle control is an ancient, conserved, and essential process, some core animal and fungal cell cycle regulators share no more sequence identity than non-homologous proteins. Here, we show that evolution along the fungal lineage was punctuated by the early acquisition and entrainment of the SBF transcription factor through horizontal gene transfer. Cell cycle evolution in the fungal ancestor then proceeded through a hybrid network containing both SBF and its ancestral animal counterpart E2F, which is still maintained in many basal fungi. We hypothesize that a virally-derived SBF may have initially hijacked cell cycle control by activating transcription via the cis-regulatory elements targeted by the ancestral cell cycle regulator E2F, much like extant viral oncogenes. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show that SBF can regulate promoters with E2F binding sites in budding yeast.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Edgar M. Medina</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jonathan J. Turner</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raluca Gordan</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jan M. Skotheim</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicolas E. Buchler</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/038372</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Punctuated evolution and transitional hybrid network in an ancestral cell cycle of fungi]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/057091v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Facilitated Diffusion Mechanism Establishes the Drosophila Dorsal Gradient 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/057091v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The transcription factor NF-{kappa}B plays an important role in the immune system as an apoptotic and inflammatory factor. In the Drosophila melanogaster embryo, a homolog of NF-KB called Dorsal (dl) patterns the dorsal-ventral (DV) axis in a concentration-dependent manner. During early development, dl is sequestered outside the nucleus by Cactus (Cact), homologous to I{kappa}B. Toll signaling at the ventral midline breaks the dl/Cact complex, allowing dl to enter the nucleus where it transcribes target genes. Here we show that dl accumulates on the ventral side of the embryo over the last 5 cleavage cycles and that this accumulation is the result of facilitated diffusion of dl/Cact complex. We speculate that the predominant role for Cact in DV axis specification is to shuttle dl towards the ventral midline. Given that this mechanism has been found in other, independent systems, we suggest it may be more prevalent than previously thought.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sophia N Carrell</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MIchael D O'Connell</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amy E Allen</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephanie M Smith</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gregory Reeves</dc:creator>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/057091</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Facilitated Diffusion Mechanism Establishes the Drosophila Dorsal Gradient]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/088419v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Construction of a high-density American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) composite map using genotyping-by-sequencing for multi-pedigree linkage mapping 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/088419v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is a recently domesticated, economically important, fruit crop with limited molecular resources. New genetic resources could accelerate genetic gain in cranberry through characterization of its genomic structure and by enabling molecular-assisted breeding strategies. To increase the availability of cranberry genomic resources, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) was used to discover and genotype thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within three inter-related cranberry full-sib populations. Additional simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were added to the SNP datasets and used to construct bin maps for the parents of the populations, which were then merged to create the first high-density cranberry composite map containing 6073 markers (5437 SNPs and 636 SSRs) on 12 linkage groups (LGs) spanning 1124 cM. Interestingly, higher rates of recombination were observed in maternal than paternal gametes. The large number of markers in common (mean of 57.3) and the high degree of observed collinearity (mean Pair-wise Spearman Rank Correlations > 0.99) between the LGs of the parental maps demonstrates the utility of GBS in cranberry for identifying polymorphic SNP loci that are transferable between pedigrees and populations in future trait-association studies. Furthermore, the high-density of markers anchored within the component maps allowed identification of segregation distortion regions, placement of centromeres on each of the 12 LGs, and anchoring of genomic scaffolds. Collectively, the results represent an important contribution to the current understanding of cranberry genomic structure and to the availability of molecular tools for future genetic research and breeding efforts in cranberry.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schlautman, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Covarrubias-Pazaran, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diaz-Garcia, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iorizzo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polashock, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grygleski, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vorsa, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zalapa, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2016-11-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/088419</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Construction of a high-density American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) composite map using genotyping-by-sequencing for multi-pedigree linkage mapping]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2016-11-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/109603v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bayesian inference of transcription dynamics from population snapshots of single-molecule RNA FISH in single cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/109603v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Single-molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) provides unparalleled resolution on the abundance and localization of nascent and mature transcripts in single cells. Gene expression dynamics are typically inferred by measuring mRNA abundance in small numbers of fixed cells sampled from a population at multiple time-points after induction. The sparse data that arise from the small number of cells obtained using smFISH present a challenge for inferring transcription dynamics. Here, we developed a computational pipeline (BayFish) to infer kinetic parameters of gene expression from smFISH data at multiple time points after induction. Given an underlying model of gene expression, BayFish uses a Monte Carlo method to estimate the Bayesian posterior probability of the model parameters and quantify the parameter uncertainty given the observed smFISH data. We tested BayFish on smFISH measurements of the neuronal activity inducible gene Npas4 in primary neurons. We showed that a 2-state promoter model can recapitulate Npas4 dynamics after induction and we inferred that the transition rate from the promoter OFF state to the ON state is increased by the stimulus.nnAuthor SummaryGene expression can exhibit cell-to-cell variability due to the stochastic nature of biochemical reactions. Single cell assays (e.g. smFISH) directly quantify stochastic gene expression by measuring the number of active promoters and transcripts per cell in a population of cells. The data are distributions and their shape and time-evolution contain critical information on the underlying process of gene expression. Recent work has combined models of stochastic gene expression with maximum likelihood methods to infer kinetic parameters from smFISH distributions. However, these approaches do not provide a probability distribution or likelihood of model parameters inferred from the smFISH data. This information is useful because it indicates which parameters are loosely constrained by the data and suggests follow up experiments. We developed a suite of MATLAB programs (BayFish) that estimate the Bayesian posterior probability of model parameters from smFISH data. The user specifies an underlying model of stochastic gene expression with unknown parameters ({theta}) and provides smFISH data (Y). BayFish uses a Monte Carlo algorithm to estimate the Bayesian posterior probability P({theta}|Y) of model parameters. BayFish is easily modified and can be applied to other models of stochastic gene expression and smFISH data sets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gomez-Schiavon, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, L.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>West, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchler, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/109603</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bayesian inference of transcription dynamics from population snapshots of single-molecule RNA FISH in single cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/134429v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Naturally-segregating Variation at Ugt86Dd Contributes to Nicotine Resistance in Drosophila melanogaster 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/134429v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Identifying the causative sequence polymorphisms underlying complex trait variation is a key goal of evolutionary and biomedical genetics. By knowing the precise molecular events that confer phenotypic changes we can gain insight into the pathways underlying complex traits and the evolutionary forces acting on variation. Genetic analysis of complex traits in model systems regularly starts by constructing QTL maps, but generally fails to identify causative nucleotide-level polymorphisms. Previously we mapped a series of QTL contributing to resistance to nicotine in a Drosophila melanogaster multiparental mapping resource, and here use a battery of functional tests to resolve QTL to the molecular level. One large-effect QTL resided over a cluster of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, and quantitative complementation tests using deficiencies eliminating subsets of these detoxification genes revealed allelic variation impacting resistance. RNAseq showed that Ugt86Dd had significantly higher expression in genotypes that are more resistant to nicotine, and anterior midgut-specific RNAi of this gene reduced resistance. We discovered a naturally-segregating 22-bp frameshift deletion in Ugt86Dd, and overexpression of the insertion-containing allele in a range of tissues enhanced resistance. Accounting for the InDel event during mapping largely eliminates the QTL, implying the InDel explains the bulk of the effect associated with the mapped locus. Finally, we edited a relatively resistant genetic background to generate lesions in Ugt86Dd that recapitulate the naturally-occurring putative loss-of-function allele, and succeeded in radically reducing resistance. The putatively causative coding InDel in Ugt86Dd can be a launchpad for future mechanistic exploration of xenobiotic detoxification.nnARTICLE SUMMARYResolving the mutations that contribute to among-individual trait variation is a major goal of biomedical and evolutionary genetics. In general however, genetic mapping experiments do not allow immediate resolution of the underlying causative variants. Previous mapping work revealed several loci contributing to nicotine resistance in Drosophila melanogaster. We employed a battery of functional tests to demonstrate that the detoxification gene Ugt86Dd has a major phenotypic effect, and that a segregating frameshift mutation is likely causative. Editing the gene to introduce a premature stop codon led to a significant reduction in resistance, validating its role in xenobiotic detoxification.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Highfill, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tran, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moldenhauer, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Macdonald, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/134429</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Naturally-segregating Variation at Ugt86Dd Contributes to Nicotine Resistance in Drosophila melanogaster]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/136770v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-Wide Characterization Of Isoform Switching In Arabidopsis thaliana 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/136770v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
SUMMARYAlternative splicing and the usage of alternate transcription start- or stop sites allows a single gene to produce multiple transcript isoforms. Most plant genes express one isoform at a significantly higher level than others, but under specific conditions this expression dominance can switch to different isoforms. These isoform switches have been observed for thousands of Zea mays and Vitis vinifera genes and have been linked to development and stress response. In Arabidopsis thaliana however, isoform switches have only been reported for 812 genes and the characteristics of these genes, nor the implications of the isoform switches on their protein functions, are currently well understood. Here we present a dataset of isoform dominance and switching for all genes in the AtRTD2 annotation based on a protocol that was benchmarked on simulated data and validated through comparison with a published RT-PCR panel. We report 138,722 isoform switches for 8,162 genes across 206 public RNA-Seq samples and find that these switches change the protein sequences in 23% of the cases. The observed isoform switches show high consistency across replicates and reveal reproducible patterns in response to treatment and development. We also demonstrate that genes with different ages, expression breadths, and functions show large differences in the frequency at which they switch isoforms and in the effect that these isoform switches have on their protein sequences. Finally, we showcase how the detected isoform switches can be applied to gain further insight in the regulation of a genes expression and function.nnSIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIsoform switching through alternative splicing has been reported for thousands of genes in plants, yet genome-wide datasets to study the implications for gene functions are thus far not available. Here we present the first reference dataset of isoform dominance and switching for Arabidopsis thaliana based on 206 public RNA-Seq samples and provide novel insights in the regulation and functional consequences of alternative splicing.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vaneechoutte, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Estrada, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, Y.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loraine, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vandepoele, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/136770</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-Wide Characterization Of Isoform Switching In Arabidopsis thaliana]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/142570v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Directly Estimating Epidemic Curves From Genomic Data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/142570v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Modern phylodynamic methods interpret an inferred phylogenetic tree as a partial transmission chain providing information about the dynamic process of transmission and removal (where removal may be due to recovery, death or behaviour change). Birth-death and coalescent processes have been introduced to model the stochastic dynamics of epidemic spread under common epidemiological models such as the SIS and SIR models, and are successfully used to infer phylogenetic trees together with transmission (birth) and removal (death) rates. These methods either integrate analytically over past incidence and prevalence to infer rate parameters, and thus cannot explicitly infer past incidence or prevalence, or allow such inference only in the coalescent limit of large population size. Here we introduce a particle filtering framework to explicitly infer prevalence and incidence trajectories along with phylogenies and epidemiological model parameters from genomic sequences and case count data in a manner consistent with the underlying birth-death model. After demonstrating the accuracy of this method on simulated data, we use it to assess the prevalence through time of the early 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vaughan, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leventhal, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drummond, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Welch, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stadler, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-05-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/142570</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Directly Estimating Epidemic Curves From Genomic Data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-05-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/162347v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cadmium Disrupts Vestibular Function by Interfering with Otolith Formation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/162347v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cadmium (Cd2+) is a transition metal found ubiquitously in the earths crust and is extracted in the production of other metals such as copper, lead, and zinc1,2. Human exposure to Cd2+ occurs through food consumption, cigarette smoking, and the combustion of fossil fuels. Cd2+ has been shown to be nephrotoxic, neurotoxic, and osteotoxic, and is a known carcinogen. Animal studies and epidemiological studies have linked prenatal Cd2+ exposure to hyperactivity and balance disorders although the mechanisms remain unknown. In this study we show that zebrafish developmentally exposed to Cd2+ exhibit abnormal otolith development and show an increased tendency to swim in circles, observations that are consistent with an otolith-mediated vestibular defect, in addition to being hyperactive. We also demonstrate that the addition of calcium rescues otolith malformation and reduces circling behavior but has no ameliorating effect on hyperactivity, suggesting that hyperactivity and balance disorders in human populations exposed to Cd are manifestations of separate underlying molecular pathways.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Green, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mattingly, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Planchart, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-07-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/162347</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cadmium Disrupts Vestibular Function by Interfering with Otolith Formation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-07-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/172346v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cadmium Exposure Increases The Risk Of Juvenile Obesity: A Human And Zebrafish Comparative Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/172346v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
OBJECTIVEHuman obesity is a complex metabolic disorder disproportionately affecting people of lower socioeconomic strata, and ethnic minorities, especially African Americans and Hispanics. Although genetic predisposition and a positive energy balance are implicated in obesity, these factors alone do not account for the excess prevalence of obesity in lower socioeconomic populations. Therefore, environmental factors, including exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants, are agents widely suspected to have obesogenic activity, and they also are spatially correlated with lower socioeconomic status. Our study investigates the causal relationship between exposure to the heavy metal, cadmium (Cd), and obesity in a cohort of children and a zebrafish model of adipogenesis.nnDESIGNAn extensive collection of first trimester maternal blood samples obtained as part of the Newborn Epigenetics Study (NEST) were analyzed for the presence Cd, and these results were cross analyzed with the weight-gain trajectory of the children through age five years. Next, the role of Cd as a potential obesogen was analyzed in an in vivo zebrafish model.nnRESULTSOur analysis indicates that the presence of Cd in maternal blood during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of juvenile obesity in the offspring, independent of other variables, including lead (Pb) and smoking status. Our results are recapitulated in a zebrafish model, in which exposure to Cd at levels approximating those observed in the NEST study is associated with increased adiposity.nnCONCLUSIONOur findings identify Cd as potential human obesogen. Moreover, these observations are recapitulated in a zebrafish model, suggesting that the underlying mechanisms may be evolutionarily conserved, and that zebrafish may be a valuable model for uncovering pathways leading to Cd-mediated obesity in human populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Green, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mattingly, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luo, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tzeng, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Planchart, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-08-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/172346</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cadmium Exposure Increases The Risk Of Juvenile Obesity: A Human And Zebrafish Comparative Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-08-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.16.878959v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-wide expression analysis of immune receptors in hot pepper reveals an autonomous NLR cluster in higher plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.16.878959v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plants possess hundreds of intracellular immune receptors encoding nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins. Autoactive NLRs, in some cases a specific NLR domain, induce plant cell death in the absence of pathogen infection. In this study, we identified a group of NLRs (G10) carrying autoactive coiled-coil (CC) domains in pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. CM334) by genome-wide transient expression analysis. The G10-CC-mediated cell death mimics hypersensitive response (HR) cell death triggered by interaction between NLR and effectors derived from pathogens. Sequence alignment and mutagenesis analyses revealed that the intact 1 helix of G10-CCs is critical for both G10-CC- and R gene-mediated HR cell death. The cell death induced by G10-CCs does not require known helper NLRs, suggesting G10-NLRs are novel singleton NLRs. We also found that G10-CCs localize in the plasma membrane as Arabidopsis singleton NLR ZAR1. Extended studies revealed that autoactive G10-CCs are well conserved in other Solanaceae plants, including tomato, potato, and tobacco, as well as a monocot plant, rice. Furthermore, G10-NLR is an ancient form of NLR that present in all tested seed plants (spermatophytes). Our studies not only uncover the autonomous NLR cluster in plants but also provide powerful resources for dissecting the underlying molecular mechanism of NLR-mediated cell death in plants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lee, H.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seo, Y.-E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, S.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choi, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2019.12.16.878959</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-wide expression analysis of immune receptors in hot pepper reveals an autonomous NLR cluster in higher plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.29.886408v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantifying the dynamics of pig movements improve targeted disease surveillance and control plans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2019.12.29.886408v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tracking animal movements over time can fundamentally determine the success of disease control interventions throughout targeting farms that are tightly connected. In commercial pig production, animals are transported between farms based on growth stages, thus it generates time-varying contact networks that will influence the dynamics of disease spread. Still, risk-based surveillance strategies are mostly based on a static network. In this study, we reconstructed the static and temporal pig networks of one Brazilian state from 2017 to 2018, comprising 351,519 movements and 48 million transported pigs. The static networks failed to capture time-respecting movement pathways. Therefore, we propose a time-dependent network susceptible-infected (SI) model to simulate the temporal spread of an epidemic over the pig network globally through the temporal movement of animals among farms, and locally with a stochastic compartmental model in each farm, configured to calculate the minimum number of target farms needed to achieve effective disease control. In addition, we propagated disease on the pig temporal network to calculate the cumulative contacts as a proxy of epidemic sizes and evaluated the impact of network-based disease control strategies. The results show that targeting the first 1,000 farms ranked by degree would be sufficient and feasible to diminish disease spread considerably. Our finding also suggested that assuming a worst-case scenario in which every movement transmit disease, pursuing farms by degree would limit the transmission to up to 29 farms over the two years period, which is lower than the number of infected farms for random surveillance, with epidemic sizes of 2,593 farms. The top 1,000 farms could benefit from enhanced biosecurity plans and improved surveillance, which constitute important next steps in strategizing targeted disease control interventions. Overall, the proposed modeling framework provides a parsimonious solution for targeted disease surveillance when temporal movement data is available.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopes, F. P. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Voges, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Medeiros, A. A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cardenas, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2019.12.29.886408</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantifying the dynamics of pig movements improve targeted disease surveillance and control plans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.31.929141v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Online analysis of microendoscopic 1-photon calcium imaging data streams 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.31.929141v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In-vivo calcium imaging through microendoscopic lenses enables imaging of neuronal populations deep within the brains of freely moving animals. Previously, a constrained matrix factorization approach (CNMF-E) has been suggested to extract single-neuronal activity from microendoscopic data. However, this approach relies on offline batch processing of the entire video data and is demanding both in terms of computing and memory requirements. These drawbacks prevent its applicability to the analysis of large datasets and closed-loop experimental settings. Here we address both issues by introducing two different online algorithms for extracting neuronal activity from streaming microendoscopic data. Our first algorithm presents an online adaptation of the CNMF-E algorithm, which dramatically reduces its memory and computation requirements. Our second algorithm proposes a convolution-based background model for microendoscopic data that enables even faster (real time) processing on GPU hardware. Our approach is modular and can be combined with existing online motion artifact correction and activity deconvolution methods to provide a highly scalable pipeline for microendoscopic data analysis. We apply our algorithms on two previously published typical experimental datasets and show that they yield similar high-quality results as the popular offline approach, but outperform it with regard to computing time and memory requirements.

Author summaryCalcium imaging methods enable researchers to measure the activity of genetically-targeted large-scale neuronal subpopulations. Whereas previous methods required the specimen to be stable, e.g. anesthetized or head-fixed, new brain imaging techniques using microendoscopic lenses and miniaturized microscopes have enabled deep brain imaging in freely moving mice.

However, the very large background fluctuations, the inevitable movements and distortions of imaging field, and the extensive spatial overlaps of fluorescent signals complicate the goal of efficiently extracting accurate estimates of neural activity from the observed video data. Further, current activity extraction methods are computationally expensive due to the complex background model and are typically applied to imaging data after the experiment is complete. Moreover, in some scenarios it is necessary to perform experiments in real-time and closed-loop - analyzing data on-the-fly to guide the next experimental steps or to control feedback -, and this calls for new methods for accurate real-time processing. Here we address both issues by adapting a popular extraction method to operate online and extend it to utilize GPU hardware that enables real time processing. Our algorithms yield similar high-quality results as the original offline approach, but outperform it with regard to computing time and memory requirements. Our results enable faster and scalable analysis, and open the door to new closed-loop experiments in deep brain areas and on freely-moving preparations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Friedrich, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Giovannucci, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pnevmatikakis, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-01-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.01.31.929141</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Online analysis of microendoscopic 1-photon calcium imaging data streams]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-01-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.06.937623v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Insecticide-free trapping bed-net can mitigate insecticide resistance threat in malaria vector control strategies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.06.937623v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mosquito-borne malaria kills 429,000 people each year with the problem acute in sub-Saharan Africa. The successes gained with long-lasting pyrethroid treated bed-nets is now in jeopardy because of wide-spread, pyrethroid-resistance in mosquitoes. Using crowd modeling theory normalized for standard bed-net architecture, we were able to design an attract-trap-kill mechanism for mosquitoes that does not require insecticides. Using three-dimensional polyester knitting and heat fixation, trap funnels were developed with high capture efficacy, no egression under worst-case laboratory conditions, and greater durability than current bed-nets sold. Field testing in Africa in WHO huts with Gen1-3 T (trap)-Nets validated our model, and as predicted, Gen3 had the highest efficacy with a 4.3-fold greater trap-kill rate with no deterrence or repellency compared to Permanet 2.0, the most common bed-net in Africa. A T-Net population model was developed based on field data to predict community level mosquito control compared to a pyrethroid bed-net. This model showed the Gen3 T-Net under field conditions in Africa against pyrethroid resistant mosquitoes was 12.7-fold more efficacious than single chemical, pyrethroid treated nets, demonstrating significantly greater mosquito control using bed-nets without insecticides.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mouhamadou, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fodjo, B. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>West, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCord, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Apperson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roe, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.06.937623</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Insecticide-free trapping bed-net can mitigate insecticide resistance threat in malaria vector control strategies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.12.939041v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Climate and urbanization drive mosquito preference for humans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.12.939041v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The majority of mosquito-borne illness is spread by a few mosquito species that have evolved to specialize in biting humans, yet the precise causes of this behavioral shift are poorly understood. We address this gap in the arboviral vector Aedes aegypti. We first characterize the behaviour of mosquitoes from 27 sites scattered across the species ancestral range in sub-Saharan Africa, revealing previously unrecognized diversity in female preference for human versus animal odor. We then use modelling to show that this diversity can be almost fully predicted by two ecological factors - dry season intensity and human population density. Finally we integrate this information with whole genome sequence data from 345 individual mosquitoes to identify a single underlying ancestry component linked to human preference, with genetic changes concentrated in a few key chromosomal regions. Our findings strongly suggest that human-biting in this important disease vector originally evolved as a by-product of breeding in human-stored water in areas where doing so provided the only means to survive the long, hot dry season. Our model also predicts that changes in human population density are likely to drive future mosquito evolution. Rapid urbanization may drive a shift to human-biting in many cities across Africa by 2050.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rose, N. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sylla, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Badolo, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lutomiah, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ayala, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aribodor, O. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ibe, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akorli, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Otoo, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mutebi, J.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kriete, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ewing, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sang, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gloria-Soria, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powell, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crawford, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McBride, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-02-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.02.12.939041</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Climate and urbanization drive mosquito preference for humans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-02-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.16.994111v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Loss of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in GABAergic interneurons causes sex-dependent impairments in postnatal neurogenesis and cognitive and social behavior 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.16.994111v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Neural stem cells within the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus (DG) generate new neurons that form the granule cell layer during embryonic development and continue to generate new neurons throughout life. The maturation process of newly generated granule cells is modulated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which have been shown to play a role in cell survival, signal modulation, dendritic integration, and memory formation. Disrupted nAChR signaling has been implicated in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, potentially via alterations in DG neurogenesis. GABAergic interneurons are known to express nAChRs, particularly the 7 subunit, and have been shown to shape development, integration, and circuit reorganization of DG granule cells. Therefore, we examined the effects of conditional deletion of 7 nAChRs in GABAergic interneurons on measures of postnatal neurogenesis and behavioral outcomes. Loss of 7 nAChRs resulted in a decrease of postnatal granule cells, as indicated by reduced GFAP+ cells in the DG, specifically in male mice, as well as sex-dependent changes in several behaviors, including social recognition, object investigation, and spatial learning. Overall, these findings suggest 7 nAChRs expressed in GABAergic interneurons play an important role in regulating postnatal neurogenesis and behavior in a sex-dependent manner. This provides important insight into the mechanisms by which cholinergic dysfunction contributes to the cognitive and behavioral changes associated with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nacer, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Otto, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Letsinger, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strauss DeFilipp, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stevanovic, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riddick, N. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nikolova, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cushman, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yakel, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.16.994111</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Loss of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in GABAergic interneurons causes sex-dependent impairments in postnatal neurogenesis and cognitive and social behavior]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.17.996314v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An 1,4-α-glucosyltransferase defines a new maltodextrin catabolism scheme in Lactobacillus acidophilus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.17.996314v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The maltooligosaccharide (MOS) utilization locus in Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, a model for human small-intestine lactobacilli, encodes a family 13 subfamily 31 glycoside hydrolase (GH13_31), annotated as an 1,6--glucosidase. Here, we reveal that this enzyme (LaGH13_31B) is an 1,4--glucosyltransferase that disproportionates MOS with preference for maltotriose. LaGH13_31B acts in concert with a maltogenic -amylase that efficiently releases maltose from MOS larger than maltotriose. Collectively, these two enzymes promote efficient conversion of preferentially odd-numbered MOS to maltose that is phosphorolysed by a maltose phosphorylase, encoded by the same locus. Structural analyses revealed the presence of a flexible elongated loop, which is unique for LaGH13_31B and its close homologues. The identified loop insertion harbours a conserved aromatic residue that modulates the activity and substrate affinity of the enzyme, thereby offering a functional signature of this previously undescribed clade, which segregates from described activities such as 1,6--glucosidases and sucrose isomerases within GH13_31. Sequence analyses revealed that the LaGH13_31B gene is conserved in the MOS utilization loci of lactobacilli, including acidophilus cluster members that dominate the human small intestine.

IMPORTANCEThe degradation of starch in the small intestine generates short linear and branched -glucans. The latter are poorly digestible by humans, rendering them available to the gut microbiota e.g. lactobacilli adapted to the human small intestine and considered as beneficial to health. This study unveils a previously unknown scheme of maltooligosaccharide (MOS) catabolism, via the concerted action of activity together with a classical hydrolase and a phosphorylase. The intriguing involvement of a glucosyltransferase is likely to allow fine-tuning the regulation of MOS catabolism for optimal harnessing of this key metabolic resource in the human small intestine. The study extends the suite of specificities that have been identified in GH13_31 and highlights amino acid signatures underpinning the evolution of 1,4--glucosyl transferases that have been recruited in the MOS catabolism pathway in lactobacilli.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Andersen, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moeller, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poulsen, J.-C. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pichler, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Svensson, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goh, Y.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lo Leggio, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abou Hachem, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.17.996314</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An 1,4-α-glucosyltransferase defines a new maltodextrin catabolism scheme in Lactobacillus acidophilus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.29.014746v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Renewable Fatty Acid Ester Production in Clostridium 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.29.014746v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Production of renewable chemicals through biological routes is considered as an urgent solution for fossil energy crisis. However, endproduct toxicity inhibits microbial performance and is a key bottleneck for biochemical production. To address this challenge, here we report an example of biosynthesis of high-value and easy-recoverable derivatives to alleviate endproduct toxicity and enhance bioproduction efficiency. By leveraging the natural pathways in solventogenic clostridia for co-producing acyl-CoAs, acids and alcohols as precursors, through rational screening for host strains and enzymes, systematic metabolic engineering-- including rational organization of ester-synthesizing enzymes inside of the cell, and elimination of putative prophages, we developed strains that can produce 20.3 g/L butyl acetate and 1.6 g/L butyl butyrate respectively, which were both the unprecedented levels in microbial hosts. Techno-economic analysis indicated a production cost of $986 per metric tonne for butyl acetate production from corn stover comparing to the market price of $1,200-1,400 per metric tonne of butyl acetate, suggesting the economic competitiveness of our developed bioprocess. Our principles of selecting the most appropriate host for specific bioproduction and engineering microbial chassis to produce high-value and easy-separable endproducts are highly applicable to other bioprocesses, and could lead to breakthroughs in biofuel/biochemical production and general bioeconomy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Feng, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jimenez-Bonilla, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cao, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shao, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Borovok, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-03-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.03.29.014746</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Renewable Fatty Acid Ester Production in Clostridium]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-03-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.06.027771v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Impact of Advanced Maternal Age on Physiologic Adaptations to Pregnancy in Vervet Monkeys 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.06.027771v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ContextThe trend to delay pregnancy in the United States has resulted in the number of advanced maternal age (AMA) pregnancies to also increase. In humans, AMA is associated with a variety of pregnancy-related pathologies such as preeclampsia (PE). While AMA is known to be a factor which contributes to the development of pregnancy-induced diseases, the molecular and cellular mechanisms giving rise to this phenomenon are still very limited. This is due in part to lack of a pre-clinical model which has physiologic relevance to human pregnancy while also allowing control of environmental and genetic variability inherent in human studies.

ObjectiveTo determine potential physiologic relevance of the vervet/African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) as a pre-clinical model to study the effects of AMA on adaptations to pregnancy.

DesignThirteen age-diverse pregnant vervet monkeys (3-16 y.o.) were utilized to measure third trimester blood pressure (BP), complete blood count, iron measurements and hormone levels.

ResultsSignificant associations were observed between third trimester diastolic BP and maternal age. Furthermore, the presence of leukocytosis with enhanced circulating neutrophils was observed in AMA mothers compared to younger mothers. Moreover, we observed a negative relationship between maternal age and estradiol, progesterone and cortisol levels. Finally, offspring born to AMA mothers displayed a postnatal growth retardation phenotype.

ConclusionsThese studies demonstrate physiologic impairment in the adaptation to pregnancy in AMA vervet/African green monkeys. Our data indicate the vervet/African green monkey may serve as a useful pre-clinical model and tool for deciphering pathological mediators of maternal disease in AMA pregnancy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Plant, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Armstrong, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruggiero, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sherrill, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Uberseder, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jeffries, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nevarez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jorgensen, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kavanagh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quinn, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.06.027771</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Impact of Advanced Maternal Age on Physiologic Adaptations to Pregnancy in Vervet Monkeys]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.23.058214v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Computationally-guided exchange of substrate selectivity motifs in a modular polyketide synthase acyltransferase 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.23.058214v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Acyltransferases (ATs) of modular polyketide synthases catalyze the installation of malonyl-CoA extenders into polyketide scaffolds. Subsequently, AT domains have been targeted extensively to site-selectively introduce various extenders into polyketides. Yet, a complete inventory of AT residues responsible for substrate selection has not been established, critically limiting the efficiency and scope of AT engineering. Here, molecular dynamics simulations were used to prioritize ~50 mutations in the active site of EryAT6 from erythromycin biosynthesis. Following detailed in vitro studies, 13 mutations across 10 residues were identified to significantly impact extender unit selectivity, including nine residues that were previously unassociated with AT specificity. Unique insights gained from the MD studies and the novel EryAT6 mutations led to identification of two previously unexplored structural motifs within the AT active site. Remarkably, exchanging both motifs in EryAT6 with those from ATs with unusual extender specificities provided chimeric PKS modules with expanded and inverted substrate specificity. Our enhanced understanding of AT substrate selectivity and application of this motif-swapping strategy is expected to advance our ability to engineer PKSs towards designer polyketides.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kalkreuter, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bingham, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keeler, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lowell, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmidt, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sherman, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-04-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.04.23.058214</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Computationally-guided exchange of substrate selectivity motifs in a modular polyketide synthase acyltransferase]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-04-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.14.095802v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Iron Chelator-Mediated Anoxic Biotransformation of Lignin by Novel sp., Tolumonas lignolytica BRL6-1 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.14.095802v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lignin is the second most abundant carbon polymer on earth and despite having more fuel value than cellulose, it currently is considered a waste byproduct in many industrial lignocellulose applications. Valorization of lignin relies on effective and green methods of delignification, with a growing interest in the use of microbes. Here we investigate the physiology and lignin biotransformation mechanisms of the novel facultative anaerobic bacterium, Tolumonas lignolytica BRL6-1, under anoxic conditions. Physiological and biochemical changes were compared between cells grown anaerobically in either lignin-amended or unamended conditions. In the presence of lignin, BRL6-1 had a higher biomass and shorter lag phase compared to unamended conditions, and 14% of the proteins determined to be significantly higher in abundance by log2 fold-change of 2 or greater were related to Fe(II) transport in early exponential phase. Ferrozine assays of the supernatant (<10 kDa fraction) confirmed that Fe(III) was bound to lignin and reduced to Fe(II) only in the presence of BRL6-1, suggesting redox activity by the cells. LC-MS/MS analysis of the secretome showed an extra band at 20 kDa in lignin-amended conditions. Protein sequencing of this band identified a protein of unknown function with homology to enzymes in the radical SAM superfamily. Expression of this protein in lignin-amended conditions suggests its role in radical formation. From our findings, we suggest that BRL6-1 is using a protein in the radical SAM superfamily to interact with the Fe(III) bound to lignin and reducing it to Fe(II) for cellular use, increasing BRL6-1 yield under lignin-amended conditions. This interaction potentially generates organic free radicals and causes a radical cascade which could modify and depolymerize lignin. Further research should clarify the extent to which this mechanism is similar to previously described aerobic chelator-mediated Fenton chemistry or radical producing lignolytic enzymes, such as lignin peroxidases, but under anoxic conditions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chaput, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Billings, A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeDiego, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Orellana, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adkins, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chu, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simmons, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeAngelis, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-05-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.05.14.095802</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Iron Chelator-Mediated Anoxic Biotransformation of Lignin by Novel sp., Tolumonas lignolytica BRL6-1]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-05-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.16.154765v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Machine Learning Models Identify Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.16.154765v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
With the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic there is an urgent need for the discovery of a treatment for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Drug repurposing is one of the most rapid strategies for addressing this need and numerous compounds have been selected for in vitro testing by several groups already. These have led to a growing database of molecules with in vitro activity against the virus. Machine learning models can assist drug discovery through prediction of the best compounds based on previously published data. Herein we have implemented several machine learning methods to develop predictive models from recent SARS-CoV-2 in vitro inhibition data and used them to prioritize additional FDA approved compounds for in vitro testing selected from our in-house compound library. From the compounds predicted with a Bayesian machine learning model, CPI1062 and CPI1155 showed antiviral activity in HeLa-ACE2 cell-based assays and represent potential repurposing opportunities for COVID-19. This approach can be greatly expanded to exhaustively virtually screen available molecules with predicted activity against this virus as well as a prioritization tool for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drug discovery programs. The very latest model for SARS-CoV-2 is available at www.assaycentral.org.Competing Interest StatementSE is CEO and owner of Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc. DHF, KMZ, TRL, AP are employees of Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc.View Full Text
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gawriljuk, V. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kyaw Zin, P. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foil, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bernatchez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beck, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beutler, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ricketts, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rogers, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Puhl, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zorn, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lane, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godoy, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olivia, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siqueira-Neto, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Madrid, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ekins, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.16.154765</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Machine Learning Models Identify Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.19.161240v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A forward genetic screen identifies Dolk as a regulator of startle magnitude through the potassium channel subunit Kv1.1 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.19.161240v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The acoustic startle response is an evolutionary conserved avoidance behavior. Disruptions in startle behavior, in particular startle magnitude, are a hallmark of several human neurological disorders. While the neural circuitry underlying startle behavior has been studied extensively, the repertoire of genes and genetic pathways that regulate this locomotor behavior has not been explored using an unbiased genetic approach. To identify such genes, we took advantage of the stereotypic startle behavior in zebrafish larvae and performed a forward genetic screen coupled with whole genome analysis. This identified mutants in eight genes critical for startle behavior, including two genes encoding proteins associated with human neurological disorders, Dolichol kinase (Dolk), a broadly expressed regulator of the glycoprotein biosynthesis pathway, and the potassium Shaker-like channel subunit Kv1.1. We demonstrate that Kv1.1 acts independently of supraspinal inputs to regulate locomotion, suggesting its site of action is within spinal circuitry. Moreover, we show that Kv1.1 protein is mis-localized in dolk mutants, suggesting they act in a common genetic pathway to regulate movement magnitude. Combined, our results identify a diverse set of eight genes all associated with human disorders that regulate zebrafish startle behavior and reveal a previously unappreciated role for Dolk and Kv1.1 in regulating movement magnitude via a common genetic pathway.

Author summaryUnderlying all animal behaviors are neural circuits, which are controlled by numerous molecular pathways that direct neuron development and activity. To identify and study these molecular pathways that control behavior, we use a simple vertebrate behavior, the acoustic startle response, in the larval zebrafish. In response to an intense noise, larval zebrafish will quickly turn and swim away to escape. From a genetic screen, we have identified a number of mutants that behave in abnormal ways in response to an acoustic stimulus. We cloned these mutants and identified eight genes that regulate startle behavior. All eight genes are associated with human disorders, and here we focus on two genes, dolk and kcna1a, encoding Dolk, a key regulator of protein glycosylation, and the potassium channel Kv1.1, respectively. We demonstrate that loss of dolk or kcna1a causes larval zebrafish to perform exaggerated swim movements and that Dolk is required for Kv1.1 protein localization to axons of neurons throughout the nervous system, providing strong evidence that dolk and kcna1a act in a common molecular pathway. Combined, our studies provide new insights into the genetic regulation of startle behavior.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Meserve, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nelson, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Echeverry, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jain, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wolman, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereda, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Granato, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.19.161240</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A forward genetic screen identifies Dolk as a regulator of startle magnitude through the potassium channel subunit Kv1.1]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.25.171728v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionary dynamics of bipartite begomoviruses revealed by complete genome analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.25.171728v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Several key evolutionary events marked the evolution of geminiviruses, culminating with the emergence of bipartite genomes represented by viruses classified in the genus Begomovirus. This genus represents the most abundant group of multipartite viruses, contributing significantly to the observed abundance of multipartite species in the virosphere. Although aspects related to virus-host interactions and evolutionary dynamics have been extensively studied, the bipartite nature of these viruses has been little explored in evolutionary studies. We performed a parallel evolutionary analysis of the DNA-A and DNA-B components of New World begomoviruses. A total of 239 full-length DNA-B sequences obtained in this study, combined with 292 DNA-A and 76 DNA-B sequences retrieved from GenBank, were analyzed. The results indicate that the DNA-A and DNA-B respond differentially to evolutionary processes, with the DNA-B being more permissive to variation and more prone to recombination than the DNA-A. Although a clear geographic segregation was observed for both components, differences in the genetic structure between DNA-A and DNA-B were also observed, with cognate components belonging to distinct genetic clusters. DNA-B coding regions evolve under the same selection pressures than DNA-A coding regions. Together, our results indicate an interplay between reassortment and recombination acting at different levels across distinct subpopulations and components.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xavier, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godinho, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mar, T. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferro, C. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sande, O. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silva, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramos-Sobrinho, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nascimento, R. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Assuncao, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lima, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lima, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zerbini, F. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-06-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.06.25.171728</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionary dynamics of bipartite begomoviruses revealed by complete genome analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-06-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.193052v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Towards genetic modification of plant-parasitic nematodes: delivery of macromolecules to adults and expression of exogenous mRNA in second stage juveniles. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.193052v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant-parasitic nematodes are a continuing threat to food security, causing an estimated 100 billion USD in crop losses each year. The most problematic are the obligate sedentary endoparasites (primarily root knot nematodes and cyst nematodes). Progress in understanding their biology is held back by a lack of tools for functional genetics: forward genetics is largely restricted to studies of natural variation in populations, and reverse genetics is entirely reliant on RNA interference. There is an expectation that the development of functional genetic tools would accelerate the progress of research on plant-parasitic nematodes, and hence the development of novel control solutions. Here, we develop some of the foundational biology required to deliver a functional genetic tool kit in plant-parasitic nematodes. We characterise the gonads of male Heterodera schachtii and Meloidogyne hapla in the context of spermatogenesis. We test and optimise various methods for the delivery, expression, and/or detection of exogenous nucleic acids in plant-parasitic nematodes. We demonstrate that delivery of macromolecules to cyst and root knot nematode male germlines is difficult, but possible. Similarly, we demonstrate the delivery of oligonucleotides to root knot nematode gametes. Finally, we develop a transient expression system in plant-parasitic nematodes by demonstrating the delivery and expression of exogenous mRNA encoding various reporter genes throughout the body of H. schachtii juveniles using lipofectamine-based transfection. We anticipate these developments to be independently useful, will expedite the development of genetic modification tools for plant-parasitic nematodes, and ultimately catalyze research on a group of nematodes that threaten global food security.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kranse, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beasley, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adams, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pires da Silva, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bell, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lilley, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Urwin, P. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bird, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miska, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smant, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gheysen, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Viney, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abad, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maier, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baum, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siddique, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williamson, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akay, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eves-van den Akker, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.15.193052</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Towards genetic modification of plant-parasitic nematodes: delivery of macromolecules to adults and expression of exogenous mRNA in second stage juveniles.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.17.209486v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Visual effort moderates postural cascade dynamics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.17.209486v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Standing still and focusing on a visible target in front of us is a preamble to many coordinated behaviors (e.g., reaching an object). Hiding behind its apparent simplicity is a deep layering of texture at many scales. The task of standing still laces together activities at multiple scales: from ensuring that a few photoreceptors on the retina cover the target in the visual field on an extremely fine scale to synergies spanning the limbs and joints at smaller scales to the mechanical layout of the ground underfoot and optic flow in the visual field on the coarser scales. Here, we used multiscale probability density function (PDF) analysis to show that postural fluctuations exhibit similar statistical signatures of cascade dynamics as found in fluid flow. In participants asked to stand quietly, the oculomotor strain of visually fixating at different distances moderated postural cascade dynamics. Visually fixating at a comfortable viewing distance elicited posture with a similar cascade dynamics as posture with eyes closed. Greater viewing distances known to stabilize posture showed more diminished cascade dynamics. In contrast, nearest and farthest viewing distances requiring greater oculomotor strain to focus on targets elicited a dramatic strengthening of postural cascade dynamics, reflecting active postural adjustments. Critically, these findings suggest that vision stabilizes posture by reconfiguring the prestressed poise that prepares the body to interact with different spatial layouts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mangalam, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, I.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newell, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kelty-Stephen, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.17.209486</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Visual effort moderates postural cascade dynamics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.17.209502v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Visual effort moderates a self-correcting nonlinear postural control policy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.17.209502v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Visually guided postural control emerges in response to task constraints. Task constraints generate physiological fluctuations that foster the exploration of available sensory information at many scales. Temporally correlated fluctuations quantified using fractal and multifractal metrics have been shown to carry perceptual information across the body. The risk of temporally correlated fluctuations is that stable sway appears to depend on a healthy balance of standard deviation (SD): too much or too little SD entails destabilization of posture. This study presses on the visual guidance of posture by prompting participants to quietly stand and fixate at distances within, less than, and beyond comfortable viewing distance. Manipulations of the visual precision demands associated with fixating nearer and farther than comfortable viewing distance reveals an adaptive relationship between SD and temporal correlations in postural fluctuations. Changing the viewing distance of the fixation target shows that increases in temporal correlations and SD predict subsequent reductions in each other. These findings indicate that the balance of SD within stable bounds may depend on a tendency for temporal correlations to self-correct across time. Notably, these relationships became stronger with greater distance from the most comfortable viewing and reaching distance, suggesting that this self-correcting relationship allows the visual layout to press the postural system into a poise for engaging with objects and events. Incorporating multifractal analysis showed that all effects attributable to monofractal evidence were better attributed to multifractal evidence of nonlinear interactions across scales. These results offer a glimpse of how current nonlinear dynamical models of self-correction may play out in biological goal-oriented behavior. We interpret these findings as part of the growing evidence that multifractal nonlinearity is a modeling strategy that resonates strongly with ecological-psychological approaches to perception and action.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kelty-Stephen, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, I.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carver, N. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newell, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mangalam, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.17.209502</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Visual effort moderates a self-correcting nonlinear postural control policy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.27.222760v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Natural Antisense Transcript of Period2, Per2AS, regulates the amplitude of the mouse circadian clock 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.27.222760v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Circadian transcriptome studies identified a novel transcript at the Period2 (Per2) locus, which we named Per2AS. Per2AS is a long non-coding RNA transcribed from the antisense strand of Per2, and is expressed rhythmically and anti-phasic to Per2 mRNA. Previously, we mathematically tested the hypothesis that Per2AS and Per2 mutually inhibit each others expression by forming a double negative feedback loop, and found that Per2AS expands the oscillatory domain. In this study, we have experimentally tested this prediction by perturbing the expression of Per2AS in mouse fibroblasts. We found that Per2AS represses Per2 pre-transcriptionally in cis and regulates the amplitude of the circadian clock, but not period or phase. Unexpectedly, we also found that Per2 positively regulates Per2AS post-transcriptionally, indicating that Per2AS and Per2 form a single negative feedback loop. Because knock-down of Per2 does not recapitulate the phenotypes of Per2AS perturbation and Per2AS also activates Bmal1 in trans, we propose that Per2AS regulates the amplitude of the circadian clock without producing a protein by rewiring the molecular clock circuit.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mosig, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castaneda, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deslauriers, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frazier, L. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maghzian, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pokharel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schrier, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koike, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyson, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Green, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Takahashi, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kojima, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-07-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.07.27.222760</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Natural Antisense Transcript of Period2, Per2AS, regulates the amplitude of the mouse circadian clock]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-07-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.25.266759v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Global historic pandemics caused by the FAM-1 genotype of the Irish potato pathogen Phytophthora infestans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.25.266759v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The FAM-1 genotype of Phytophthora infestans caused late blight in the 1840s in the US and Europe and was responsible for the Irish famine. We examined 140 herbarium specimens collected between 1845 and 1991 from six continents and used 12-plex microsatellite genotyping (SSR) to identify FAM-1 and the mtDNA lineage (Herb-1/ Ia) present in historic samples. FAM-1 was detected in approximately 73% of the historic specimens and was found on 6 continents. The US-1 genotype was found in only 27% of the samples and was found later on all continents except Australia/Oceania. FAM-1 was the first genotype detected in almost all the former British colonies from which samples were available. The data from historic samples suggest the FAM-1 genotype was widespread, diverse, and spread more widely than US-1. The famine lineage spread to six continents over 140 years, and likely spread during global colonization from Europe.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Saville, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ristaino, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-08-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.08.25.266759</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Global historic pandemics caused by the FAM-1 genotype of the Irish potato pathogen Phytophthora infestans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-08-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.09.289017v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Insulin potentiates the synchronous firing of arcuate nucleus Kiss1 neurons that protects against diet-induced obesity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.09.289017v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Kisspeptin (Kiss1) neurons are essential for reproduction, but their role in the control of energy balance and other homeostatic functions remains unclear. High frequency firing of hypothalamic arcuate Kiss1 (Kiss1ARH) neurons releases kisspeptin into the median eminence, and neurokinin B (NKB) and dynorphin onto neighboring Kiss1ARH neurons to generate a slow excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) mediated by TRPC5 channels that entrains intermittent, synchronous firing of Kiss1ARH neurons. High frequency optogenetic stimulation of Kiss1ARH neurons releases glutamate to excite the anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons and inhibit the orexigenic neuropeptide Y/agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons via metabotropic glutamate receptors. At the molecular level, the endoplasmic reticulum calcium-sensing protein stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) is critically involved in the regulation of neuronal Ca2+ signaling and neuronal excitability through its interaction with plasma membrane calcium (e.g., TRPC) channels. 17{beta}-estradiol (E2) downregulates Stim1 mRNA expression in female arcuate neurons. Therefore, we hypothesized that deletion of Stim1 in Kiss1ARH neurons would increase neuronal excitability and their synchronous firing, which ultimately would affect energy homeostasis. Using optogenetics in combination with whole-cell recording and GCaMP6 imaging in slices, we discovered that the deletion of Stim1 in Kiss1 neurons significantly increased the amplitude of the slow EPSP and augmented synchronous [Ca2+]i oscillations in Kiss1ARH neurons. Deletion of Stim1 in Kiss1ARH neurons amplified the actions of NKB and protected ovariectomized female mice from developing obesity and glucose intolerance with high-fat dieting. Therefore, STIM1 appears to play a critical role in regulating synchronous firing of Kiss1ARH neurons, which ultimately affects energy homeostasis.

Significance StatementHypothalamic arcuate kisspeptin (Kiss1ARH) neurons are essential for stimulating the pulsatile release of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and maintaining fertility. However, Kiss1ARH neurons appear to be a key player in coordinating energy balance with reproduction. The regulation of calcium channels and hence calcium signaling is critically dependent on the endoplasmic reticulum calcium-sensing protein stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), which interacts with the plasma membrane calcium channels. We have conditionally deleted Stim1 in Kiss1ARH neurons and found that it significantly increased the excitability of Kiss1ARH neurons and protected ovariectomized female mice from developing obesity and glucose intolerance with high-fat dieting.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Qiu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stincic, T. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bosch, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Connors, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petrie, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ronnekleiv, O. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kelly, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.09.289017</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Insulin potentiates the synchronous firing of arcuate nucleus Kiss1 neurons that protects against diet-induced obesity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.11.293373v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Direct Continuous EMG control of a Powered Prosthetic Ankle for Improved Postural Control after Guided Physical Training: a Case Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.11.293373v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundDespite the promise of powered lower limb prostheses, the existing control of these modern devices is insufficient to assist many daily activities, such as postural control while lifting weight, that require continuous control of prosthetic joints according to human states and environments. The objective of this case study was to investigate the feasibility and potential of direct, continuous electromyographic (dEMG) control of a powered ankle prosthesis, combined with physical therapist (PT)-guided training, for improved standing postural control in an individual with transtibial amputation.

MethodsA powered prosthetic ankle was directly controlled by EMG signals of the residual lateral gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles. The participant with transtibial amputation received 4-week PT-guided training on posture while using the dEMG control of powered ankle. A subset of activities in the mini-BESTest (a clinical balance assessment tool) were used in the training and evaluation protocol. We quantified EMG signals in the bilateral shank muscles, biomechanics that captures postural control and stability, and score for the clinical balance evaluation.

ResultsCompared to the participants daily passive prosthesis, the dEMG-controlled ankle, combined with the training, yielded improved clinical balance score and reduced compensation from the intact joints. In addition, cross correlation coefficient of bilateral CoP excursions, a metric for quantifying standing postural control, increased to 0.83({+/-}0.07) when using dEMG ankle control, compared with 0.39({+/-}0.29) when using the passive device. Between-limb coordination was also observed as synchronized activation of homologous muscles in the shank. We witnessed rapid improvement in performance on the first day of the training for load transfer tasks, where bilateral CoP synchronization improvement was significantly related to repetition order (R=0.459, p = 0.045). Finally, the participant further improved this performance significantly across training days.

ConclusionThis case study showed the feasibility of dEMG control of powered prosthetic ankle by a transtibial amputee after a PT-guided training to assist postural control. This studys training protocol and dEMG control method that lays the foundation for future study to extend these results through the inclusion of more participants and activities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fleming, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buxton, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodges, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.11.293373</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Direct Continuous EMG control of a Powered Prosthetic Ankle for Improved Postural Control after Guided Physical Training: a Case Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.309187v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing whitefly diversity to infer about begomovirus dynamics in cassava in Brazil 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.309187v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant virus ecology is strongly dependent on that of its vector. The necessity of a competent vector for transmission is a primary ecological factor driving the host range expansion of plant arthropod-borne viruses, with vectors playing an essential role in promoting disease emergence. Cassava begomoviruses severely constrain cassava production in Africa. Curiously, begomoviruses have never been reported in cassava in South America, the center of origin for this crop. It has been hypothesized that the absence of a competent begomoviruses vector that efficiently colonizes cassava is the reason why begomoviruses have not emerged in South America. To test this hypothesis, we performed a country-wide whitefly diversity study in cassava in Brazil. Adults and/or nymphs of whiteflies were collected from sixty-six cassava fields across twelve states representing the main agroecological zones of the country. A total of 1,385 individuals were genotyped based on partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) sequences. A high species richness was observed, with five previously described species and two putative new ones. The most prevalent species were Tetraleurodes acaciae and Bemisia tuberculata, representing over 75% of the analyzed individuals. Although we detected, for the first time, the presence of Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (BtMEAM1) colonizing cassava in Brazil, it was not prevalent. The species composition varied across regions, with fields in the Northeast region showing a higher diversity. These results expand our knowledge of whitefly diversity in cassava and support the hypothesis that begomovirus epidemics have not occurred in cassava in Brazil due to the absence of competent vector populations. However, they indicate an ongoing adaptation process of BtMEAM1 to cassava, increasing the likelihood of begomovirus emergence in this crop in the near future.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xavier, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zerbini, F. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.09.22.309187</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing whitefly diversity to infer about begomovirus dynamics in cassava in Brazil]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.01.322974v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Perilipin2 down-regulation in beta cells impairs insulin secretion under nutritional stress and damages mitochondria 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.01.322974v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Perilipin 2 (PLIN2) is the lipid droplet (LD) protein in {beta} cells that increases under nutritional stress. Down-regulation of PLIN2 is often sufficient to reduce LD accumulation. To determine whether PLIN2 positively or negatively affects {beta} cell function under nutritional stress, PLIN2 was down-regulated in mouse {beta} cells, INS1 cells, and human islet cells. {beta} cell specific deletion of PLIN2 in mice on a high fat diet reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in vivo and in vitro. Down-regulation of PLIN2 in INS1 cells blunted GSIS after 24 h incubation with 0.2 mM palmitic acids. Down-regulation of PLIN2 in human pseudoislets cultured at 5.6 mM glucose impaired both phases of GSIS, indicating that PLIN2 is critical for GSIS. Down-regulation of PLIN2 decreased specific OXPHOS proteins in all three models and reduced oxygen consumption rates in INS1 cells and mouse islets. Moreover, we found that PLIN2 deficient INS1 cells increased the distribution of a fluorescent oleic acid analog to mitochondria and showed signs of mitochondrial stress as indicated by susceptibility to fragmentation and alterations of acyl-carnitines and glucose metabolites. Collectively, PLIN2 in {beta} cells have an important role in preserving insulin secretion, {beta} cell metabolism and mitochondrial function under nutritional stress.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mishra, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Promes, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harata, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sivitz, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fink, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhardwaj, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Neill, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sah, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strack, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stephens, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenberg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anokye-Danso, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ahima, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ankrum, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Imai, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.10.01.322974</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Perilipin2 down-regulation in beta cells impairs insulin secretion under nutritional stress and damages mitochondria]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.01.363465v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Trade-offs between risks of predation and starvation in larvae make the shelf break an optimal spawning location for Atlantic Bluefin tuna 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.01.363465v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Atlantic Bluefin tuna (ABT) (Thunnus thynnus) travel long distances to spawn in oligotrophic regions of the Gulf of Mexico. To estimate regional larval ABT mortality, we developed a spatially-explicit, Lagrangian, individual-based model that simulates dispersal, growth, and mortality within realistic predator and prey fields during the spawning periods from 1993-2012. Modelled larval ABT experience high mortality in the first week of feeding with an average mortality rate of 0.53 {+/-} 0.26 d-1 prior to postflexion. Survival ranged from 0.12%-0.32% suggesting that recruitment may vary by a factor of 2.7 due to early life stage mortality alone. Starvation is the dominant source of mortality driven by the early critical period; however, survival is ultimately limited by predation on older individuals. As a result, first-feeding larvae survive better in the more food-rich areas on the shelf, while larger larvae survive better in the open ocean with fewer predators, making the shelf break an optimal spawning area. Our findings support the hypothesis that ABT spawn in oligotrophic regions to minimize predation on their larvae. Ocean modeling tools presented in this study may help facilitate an ecosystem-based management approach to improve future stock assessment models by better resolving the stock-recruitment relationship.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shropshire, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morey, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chassignet, E. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karnauskas, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coles, V. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malca, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laiz-Carrion, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fiksen, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reglero, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shiroza, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maria Quintanilla Hervas, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gerard, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamkin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stukel, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-11-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.11.01.363465</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Trade-offs between risks of predation and starvation in larvae make the shelf break an optimal spawning location for Atlantic Bluefin tuna]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-11-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.01.407361v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Repurposing the Ebola and Marburg Virus Inhibitors Tilorone, Quinacrine and Pyronaridine: In vitro Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 and Potential Mechanisms 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.01.407361v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
SARS-CoV-2 is a newly identified virus that has resulted in over 1.3 M deaths globally and over 59 M cases globally to date. Small molecule inhibitors that reverse disease severity have proven difficult to discover. One of the key approaches that has been widely applied in an effort to speed up the translation of drugs is drug repurposing. A few drugs have shown in vitro activity against Ebola virus and demonstrated activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo. Most notably the RNA polymerase targeting remdesivir demonstrated activity in vitro and efficacy in the early stage of the disease in humans. Testing other small molecule drugs that are active against Ebola virus would seem a reasonable strategy to evaluate their potential for SARS-CoV-2. We have previously repurposed pyronaridine, tilorone and quinacrine (from malaria, influenza, and antiprotozoal uses, respectively) as inhibitors of Ebola and Marburg virus in vitro in HeLa cells and of mouse adapted Ebola virus in mouse in vivo. We have now tested these three drugs in various cell lines (VeroE6, Vero76, Caco-2, Calu-3, A549-ACE2, HUH-7 and monocytes) infected with SARS-CoV-2 as well as other viruses (including MHV and HCoV 229E). The compilation of these results indicated considerable variability in antiviral activity observed across cell lines. We found that tilorone and pyronaridine inhibited the virus replication in A549-ACE2 cells with IC50 values of 180 nM and IC50 198 nM, respectively. We have also tested them in a pseudovirus assay and used microscale thermophoresis to test the binding of these molecules to the spike protein. They bind to spike RBD protein with Kd values of 339 nM and 647 nM, respectively. Human Cmax for pyronaridine and quinacrine is greater than the IC50 hence justifying in vivo evaluation. We also provide novel insights into their mechanism which is likely lysosomotropic.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Puhl, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fritch, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lane, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tse, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yount, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sacramento, C. Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tavella, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Costa, F. T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weston, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Logue, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frieman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Premkumar, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pearce, K. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hurst, B. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andrade, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levi, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kisthardt, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scholle, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Souza, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moorman, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baric, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Madrid, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ekins, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2020-12-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2020.12.01.407361</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Repurposing the Ebola and Marburg Virus Inhibitors Tilorone, Quinacrine and Pyronaridine: In vitro Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 and Potential Mechanisms]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2020-12-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.19.427293v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A conserved regulatory module regulates receptor kinase signaling in immunity and development 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.19.427293v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ligand recognition by cell-surface receptors underlies development and immunity in both animals and plants. Modulating receptor signaling is critical for appropriate cellular responses but the mechanisms ensuring this are poorly understood. Here, we show that signaling by plant receptors for pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in immunity and CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED peptides (CLEp) in development employ a similar regulatory module. In the absence of ligand, signaling is dampened through association with specific type-2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs). Upon activation, PAMP and CLEp receptors phosphorylate divergent cytosolic kinases, which, in turn, phosphorylate the phosphatases, thereby promoting their release from the receptor complexes. Our work reveals a regulatory circuit shared between immune and developmental receptor signaling, which may have broader important implications for plant receptor kinase-mediated signaling in general.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>DeFalco, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anne, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>James, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willoughby, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johanndrees, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Genolet, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pullen, A.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>zipfel, c.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hardtke, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nimchuk, Z. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.19.427293</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A conserved regulatory module regulates receptor kinase signaling in immunity and development]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.21.427435v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Tristetraprolin prevents gastric metaplasia in mice by suppressing pathogenic inflammation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.21.427435v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aberrant immune activation is associated with numerous inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and contributes to cancer development and progression. Within the stomach, inflammation drives a well-established sequence from gastritis to metaplasia, eventually resulting in adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately, the processes that regulate gastric inflammation and prevent carcinogenesis remain unknown. Tristetraprolin (TTP) is an RNA-binding protein that promotes the turnover of numerous pro-inflammatory and oncogenic mRNAs. Here, we utilized a TTP-overexpressing model, the TTP{Delta}ARE mouse, to examine whether TTP can protect the stomach from adrenalectomy (ADX)-induced gastric inflammation and spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM). We found that TTP{Delta}ARE mice were completely protected from ADX-induced gastric inflammation and SPEM. RNA sequencing revealed that TTP overexpression suppressed the expression of genes associated with the innate immune response. Finally, we show that protection from gastric inflammation was only partially due to suppression of Tnf, a well-known TTP target. Our results demonstrate that TTP exerts broad anti-inflammatory effects in the stomach and suggest that therapies that increase TTP expression may be effective treatments of pro-neoplastic gastric inflammation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Busada, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kadka, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peterson, K. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stumpo, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cidlowski, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blackshear, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-01-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.01.21.427435</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Tristetraprolin prevents gastric metaplasia in mice by suppressing pathogenic inflammation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-01-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.10.430628v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Home range and movement patterns of the Andean Fox Lycalopex culpaeus (Molina 1782) in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.10.430628v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study reports movement patterns and home range estimates of an Andean fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) in Cotopaxi National Park in Ecuador, representing the first GPS-tagging of the species. The GPS functioned well during the 197-day tracking period. Home range sizes ranged between 4.9 - 8.1 km2, depending on the estimation method. Movement speeds averaged 0.17 km/hr at day vs. 0.87 km/hr. at night, and distance traveled averaged 0.23 km at day vs. 0.89 km at night. These preliminary results highlight the importance of collecting unbiased, high-quality data which enables an enhanced understanding on mammal behavior and human/animal interaction.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Castellanos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castellanos, F. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brito, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.10.430628</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Home range and movement patterns of the Andean Fox Lycalopex culpaeus (Molina 1782) in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.17.431719v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Programmable Toolkit to Dynamically Signal Cells using Peptide Strand Displacement 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.17.431719v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The native extracellular matrix communicates and interacts with cells by dynamically displaying signals to control their behavior. Mimicking this dynamic environment in vitro is essential in order to unravel how cell-matrix interactions guide cell fate. Here, we present a synthetic platform for the temporal display of cell adhesive signals using coiled-coil peptides. By designing an integrin-engaging coiled-coil pair to have a toehold (unpaired domain), we were able to use a peptide strand displacement reaction to remove the cell cue from the surface. This allowed us to test how the on-demand display of RGDS ligands at variable duration and periodicity of ligand exposure influence cell spreading degree and kinetics. Transient display of V{beta}3 selective ligands instructed fibroblast cells to reversibly spread and contract in response to changes in ligand exposure over multiple cycles, exhibiting a universal kinetic response. Also, cells that were triggered to spread and contract repeatedly exhibited greater enrichment of integrins in focal adhesions versus cells cultured on persistent RGDS-displaying surfaces. This dynamic platform will allow us to uncover the molecular code by which cells sense and respond to changes in their environment and will provide insights into ways to program cellular behavior.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Riker, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daly, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Papanikolas, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jian, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klawa, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sahin, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freeman, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.02.17.431719</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Programmable Toolkit to Dynamically Signal Cells using Peptide Strand Displacement]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.31.437805v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structural basis for the tryptophan sensitivity of TnaC-mediated ribosome stalling 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.31.437805v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Free L-tryptophan (L-Trp) induces the expression of the Escherichia coli tryptophanase operon, leading to the production of indole from L-Trp. Tryptophanase operon expression is controlled via a mechanism involving the tryptophan-dependent stalling of ribosomes engaged in translation of tnaC, a leader sequence upstream of tnaA that encodes a 24-residue peptide functioning as a sensor for L-Trp. Although extensive biochemical characterization has revealed the elements of the TnaC peptide and the ribosome that are responsible for translational arrest, the molecular mechanism underlying the recognition and response to L-Trp by the TnaC-ribosome complex remains unknown. Here, we use a combined biochemical and structural approach to characterize a variant of TnaC (R23F) in which stalling by L-Trp is enhanced because of reduced cleavage of TnaC(R23F)-peptidyl-tRNA. In contrast to previous data originated from lower resolution structural studies, we show that the TnaC-ribosome complex captures a single L-Trp molecule to undergo tryptophan-dependent termination arrest and that nascent TnaC prevents the catalytic GGQ loop of release factor 2 from adopting an active conformation at the peptidyl transferase center. In addition, we show that the conformation of the L-Trp binding site is not altered by the R23F mutation. This leads us to propose a model in which rates of TnaC-peptidyl-tRNA cleavage by release factor and binding of the L-Trp ligand to the translating ribosome determine the tryptophan sensitivity of the wild-type and mutant TnaC variants. Thus, our study reveals a strategy whereby a nascent peptide assists the bacterial ribosome in sensing a small metabolite.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>van der Stel, A.-X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gordon, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sengupta, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klepacki, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perry, T. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herrero del Valle, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vazquez-Laslop, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sachs, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cruz-Vera, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Innis, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-03-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.03.31.437805</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structural basis for the tryptophan sensitivity of TnaC-mediated ribosome stalling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-03-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.19.440506v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Repair of critical-size porcine craniofacial bone defects using a collagen-polycaprolactone composite biomaterial 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.19.440506v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Regenerative medicine approaches for massive craniomaxillofacial bone defects face challenges associated with the scale of missing bone, the need for rapid graft-defect integration, and challenges related to inflammation and infection. Mineralized collagen scaffolds have been shown to promote mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis due to their porous nature and material properties, but are mechanically weak, limiting surgical practicality. Previously, these scaffolds were combined with 3D-printed polycaprolactone mesh to form a scaffold-mesh composite to increase strength and promote bone formation in sub-critical sized porcine ramus defects. Here, we compare the performance of mineralized collagen-polycaprolactone composites to the polycaprolactone mesh in a critical-sized porcine ramus defect model. While there were no differences in overall healing response between groups, our data demonstrated broadly variable metrics of healing regarding new bone infiltration and fibrous tissue formation. Abscesses were present surrounding some implants and polycaprolactone polymer was still present after 9-10 months of implantation. Overall, while there was limited successful healing, with 2 of 22 implants showed substantial levels of bone regeneration, and others demonstrating some form of new bone formation, the results suggest targeted improvements to improve repair of large animal models to more accurately represent craniomaxillofacial bone healing. Notably, strategies to increase osteogenesis throughout the implant, modulate the immune system to support repair, and employ shape-fitting tactics to avoid implant micromotion and resultant fibrosis. Improvements to the mineralized collagen scaffolds involve changes in pore size and shape to increase cell migration and osteogenesis and inclusion or delivery of factors to aid vascular ingrowth and bone regeneration.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dewey, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milner, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weisgerber, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flanagan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rubessa, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lotti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polkoff, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crotts, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hollister, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wheeler, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harley, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-04-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.04.19.440506</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Repair of critical-size porcine craniofacial bone defects using a collagen-polycaprolactone composite biomaterial]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-04-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.442991v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ozone sensitivity of diverse maize genotypes is associated with differences in gene regulation, not gene content 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.442991v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The maize pangenome has demonstrate large amounts of presence/absence variation and it has been hypothesized that presence/absence variation contributes to stress response. To uncover whether the observed genetic variation in physiological response to elevated ozone (a secondary air pollutant that causes significant crop yield losses) concentration is due to variation in genic content, and/or variation in gene expression, we examine the impact of sustained elevated ozone concentration on the leaf tissue from 5 diverse maize inbred genotypes (B73, Mo17, Hp301, C123, NC338). Analysis of long reads from the transcriptomes of the 10 conditions found expressed genes in the leaf are part of the shared genome, with 94.5% of expressed genes from syntenic loci. Quantitative analysis of short reads from 120 plants (twelve from each condition) found limited transcriptional response to sustained ozone stress in the ozone resistant B73 genotype (151 genes), while more than 3,300 genes were significantly differentially expressed in the more sensitive NC338 genotype. The genes underpinning the divergence of B73 from the other 4 genotypes implicates ethylene signaling consistent with some findings in Arabidopsis. For the 82 of the 83 genes differentially expressed among all 5 genotypes and the 788 of 789 genes differentially expressed in 4 genotypes (excluding B73) in sensitivity to ozone is associated with oxidative stress tolerance being associated with a weaker response to a reactive oxygen species (ROS) signal and suggests that genetic variation in downstream processes is key to ozone tolerance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nanni, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morse, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newman, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choquette, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wedow, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leakey, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conesa, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ainsworth, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McIntyre, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-05-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.05.06.442991</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ozone sensitivity of diverse maize genotypes is associated with differences in gene regulation, not gene content]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-05-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.01.458584v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Engineering a thixotropic and biochemically tunable hyaluronan and collagen bioink for biofabrication of multiple tissue construct types 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.01.458584v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The field of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has advanced rapidly in recent years. Significant reduction in the costs associated with obtaining functional 3D bioprinting hardware platforms is both a cause and a result of these advances. As such, there are more laboratories than ever integrating bioprinting methodologies into their research. However, there is a lack of standards in the field of biofabrication governing any requirements or characteristics to support cross-compatibility with biomaterial bioinks, hardware, and different tissue types. Here we describe a modular extracellular matrix (ECM) inspired bioink comprised of collagen and hyaluronic acid base components that: 1) employ reversible internal hydrogen bonding forces to generate thixotropic materials that dynamically reduce their elastic moduli in response to increased shear stress, thus enabling increased compatibility with printing hardware; and 2) modular addons in the form of chemically-modified fibronectin and laminin that when covalently bound within the bioink support a variety of tissue types, including liver, neural, muscle, pancreatic islet, and adipose tissue. These features aim to accelerate the deployment of such bioinks for tissue engineering of functional constructs in the hands of various end users.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aleman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sivakumar, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DePalma, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mazzocchi, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huntwork, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoo, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banks, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maycock, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leaks, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Enck, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Opara, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gatenholm, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Welker, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soker, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herberg, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Criswell, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Skardal, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.01.458584</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Engineering a thixotropic and biochemically tunable hyaluronan and collagen bioink for biofabrication of multiple tissue construct types]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.10.459829v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dopamine biases sensitivity to personal goals and social influence in self-control over everyday desires 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.10.459829v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
People regularly give in to daily temptations in spite of conflict with personal goals. To test hypotheses about neuropharmacological influences on self-control, we used positron emission tomography to measure dopamine D2-like receptors (D2R) and experience sampling surveys to naturalistically track daily desires outside the laboratory in everyday life in a sample of 103 adults. Higher D2R availability in the ventral striatum was associated with increased sensitivity to personal goal conflict but not desire strength in deciding whether to attempt to resist a desire. The influence of D2Rs on sensitivity to personal goal conflict depended on whether desires were experienced in a social context. D2R availability in the midbrain (but not the ventral striatum) influenced whether desires were enacted. These findings provide unique evidence that the dopamine system influences decision making and regulatory behavior and provides new insights into how these mechanisms interact with personal goals and social contexts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Castrellon, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Young, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dang, L. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cowan, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zald, D. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Samanez-Larkin, G. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.09.10.459829</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dopamine biases sensitivity to personal goals and social influence in self-control over everyday desires]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.22.465382v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Clostridioides difficile infection increases circulating p-cresol levels and dysregulates brain dopamine metabolism: linking gut-brain axis to autism and other neurologic disorders? 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.22.465382v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Gastrointestinal illnesses are one of the most common comorbidities reported in patients with neurodevelopmental diseases, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Gut dysbiosis, overgrowth of C. difficile, and gut microbiota-associated alterations in central neurotransmission have been implicated in ASD, where the dopaminergic axis plays an important role in the disease pathogenesis. Human C. difficile strains produce a significant amount of the toxic metabolite p-cresol, an inhibitor of dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), which catalyzes the conversion of dopamine (DA) to norepinephrine (NE). p-Cresol is known to precipitate and exacerbate autistic behavior in rodents by increasing DA levels and altering DA receptor sensitivity in brain regions relevant to ASD. Therefore, we hypothesized that C. difficile infection dysregulates dopaminergic metabolism by increasing p-cresol levels in the gut and systemic circulation, and by inhibiting brain DBH, ultimately leading to elevated DA in different brain regions. For testing this hypothesis, we induced antibiotic-associated C. difficile infection in mice and determined the gut and serum p-cresol levels, serum DBH activity, and dopamine and its metabolite levels in different brain regions relevant to ASD. The results showed that C. difficile infection causes a significant increase in striatal DA, accompanied by significantly altered levels of DA metabolites and NE in different brain regions (p < 0.05). In addition, significantly increased circulating p-cresol levels and reduced DBH activity were observed in C. difficile infected mice (p < 0.05). Therefore, the results from this study suggest a potential link between C. difficile infection and alterations in the dopaminergic axis implicated in the precipitation and aggravation of ASD.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>A. Vinithakumari, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Padhi, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>G. Hernandez, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Je-Han Lin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunkerson-Kurzhumov, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Showman, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breitzman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stokes, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sulaiman, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tangudu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuttappan, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muyyarikkandy, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phillips, G. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anantharam, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sponseller, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kanthasamy, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mooyottu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.22.465382</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Clostridioides difficile infection increases circulating p-cresol levels and dysregulates brain dopamine metabolism: linking gut-brain axis to autism and other neurologic disorders?]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.22.465536v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli degrades the host MUC2 mucin barrier to facilitate critical pathogen-enterocyte interactions in human small intestine. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.22.465536v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are a genetically diverse pathologic variant of E. coli defined by the production of heat-labile (LT) and/or heat-stable (ST) toxins. ETEC are estimated to cause hundreds of millions of cases of diarrheal illness annually. However, it is not clear that all strains are equally equipped to cause disease and asymptomatic colonization with ETEC is common in low-middle income regions lacking basic sanitation and clean water where ETEC are ubiquitous. Recent molecular epidemiology studies have revealed a significant association between strains which produce EatA, a secreted autotransporter protein, and the development of symptomatic infection. Here, we demonstrate that LT stimulates production of MUC2 mucin by goblet cells in human small intestine, enhancing the protective barrier between pathogens and enterocytes. In contrast, using explants of human small intestine as well as small intestinal enteroids, we show that EatA counters this host defense by engaging and degrading the MUC2 mucin barrier to promote bacterial access to target enterocytes and ultimately toxin delivery suggesting that EatA plays a crucial role in the molecular pathogenesis of ETEC. These findings may inform novel approaches to prevention of the acute diarrheal illness as well as the sequelae associated with ETEC and other pathogens that rely on EatA and similar proteases for efficient interaction with their human hosts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sheikh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wangdi, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vickers, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aaron, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Palmer, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herring, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simoes, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crainic, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gildersleeve, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van der Post, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansson, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleckenstein, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-10-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.10.22.465536</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli degrades the host MUC2 mucin barrier to facilitate critical pathogen-enterocyte interactions in human small intestine.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-10-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.03.467111v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estimating the Designability of Protein Structures 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.03.467111v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The total number of amino acid sequences that can fold to a target protein structure, known as "designability", is a fundamental property of proteins that contributes to their structure and function robustness. The highly designable structures always have higher thermodynamic stability, mutational stability, fast folding, regular secondary structures, and tertiary symmetries. Although it has been studied on lattice models for very short chains by exhaustive enumeration, it remains a challenge to estimate the designable quantitatively for real proteins. In this study, we designed a new deep neural network model that samples protein sequences given a backbone structure using sequential Monte Carlo method. The sampled sequences with proper weights were used to estimate the designability of several real proteins. The designed sequences were also tested using the latest AlphaFold2 and RoseTTAFold to confirm their foldabilities. We report this as the first study to estimate the designability of real proteins.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pan, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.03.467111</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estimating the Designability of Protein Structures]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.03.467148v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Protein loop modeling and refinement using deep learning models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.03.467148v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Loops in proteins play essential roles in protein functions and interactions. The structural characterization of loops is challenging because of their conformational flexibility and relatively poor conservation in multiple sequence alignments. Many experimental and computational approaches have been carried out during the last few decades for loop modeling. Although the latest AlphaFold2 achieved remarkable performance in protein structure predictions, the accuracy of loop regions for many proteins still needs to be improved for downstream applications such as protein function prediction and structure based drug design. In this paper, we proposed two novel deep learning architectures for loop modeling: one uses a combined convolutional neural network (CNN)-recursive neural network (RNN) structure (DeepMUSICS) and the other is based on refinement of histograms using a 2D CNN architecture (DeepHisto). In each of the methods, two types of models, conformation sampling model and energy scoring model, were trained and applied in the loop folding process. Both methods achieved promising results and worth further investigations. Since multiple sequence alignments (MSA) were not used in our architecture, the energy scoring models have less bias from MSA. We believe the methods may serve as good complements for refining AlphaFold2 predicted structures.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pan, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lo, C.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mandal, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.03.467148</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Protein loop modeling and refinement using deep learning models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.03.467194v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Applications of AlphaFold beyond Protein Structure Prediction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.03.467194v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Predicting structures accurately for natural protein sequences by DeepMinds AlphaFold is certainly one of the greatest breakthroughs in biology in the twenty-first century. For designed or engineered sequences, which can be unstable, predicting the stabilities together with their structures is essential since unstable structures will not function properly. We found that experimentally measured stability changes of point mutations correlate poorly with the confidence scores produced by AlphaFold. However, the stability changes can be accurately predicted using features extracted from the representations learned by AlphaFold, indicating greater generalizability of AlphaFold to designed or engineered sequences than previously thought. We then used AlphaFold to validate our previously developed protein design method, ProDCoNN, that designs sequences to fold to target protein structures given only the backbone structure information of the target proteins. We showed that ProDCoNN was able to design sequences that fold to structures very close to target structures. By combining a modified ProDCoNN, AlphaFold, and sequential Monte Carlo, we designed a novel framework to estimate the designability of protein structures. The designability of a protein structure is defined as the number of sequences, which encode the protein structure, and is an indicator of the functional robustness of proteins. For the first time, we estimated the designability of a real protein structure, chain A of FLT3 ligand (PDB ID: 1ETE) with 134 residues, as 3.12{+/-}2.14E85.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>PAN, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hong, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.03.467194</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Applications of AlphaFold beyond Protein Structure Prediction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.04.467289v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
ProDCoNN-server: a web server for protein sequence prediction and design from a three-dimensional structure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.04.467289v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We present ProDCoNN-server, a web server for protein sequence design and prediction from a given protein structure. The server is based on a previously developed deep learning model for protein design, ProDCoNN, which achieved state-of-the-art performance when tested on large numbers of test proteins and benchmark datasets. The prediction is very fast compared with other protein sequence prediction servers - it takes only a few minutes for a query protein on average. Two models could be selected for different purposes: BBO for full sequence prediction, extendable for multiple sequence generation, and BBS for single position prediction with the type of other residues known. ProDCoNN-server outputs the predicted sequence and the probability matrix for each amino acid at each predicted residue. The probability matrix can also be visualized as a sequence logos figure (BBO) or probability distribution plot (BBS). The server is available at: https://prodconn.stat.fsu.edu/.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mandal, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cui, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.04.467289</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[ProDCoNN-server: a web server for protein sequence prediction and design from a three-dimensional structure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.15.468664v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Interleukin-6 Drives Key Pathologic Outcomes in Experimental Acetaminophen-induced Liver Failure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.15.468664v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background and AimsIn severe cases of acetaminophen (APAP) overdose, acute liver injury rapidly progresses to acute liver failure (ALF), producing life-threatening complications including, hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and multi-organ failure (MOF). Systemic levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 are highest in ALF patients with the most severe complications and the poorest prognosis. The mechanistic basis for dysregulation of these cytokines, and their association with outcome in ALF, remain poorly defined.

MethodsTo investigate the impact of IL-6 and IL-10 in ALF, we used an experimental setting of failed liver repair after APAP overdose in which a high dose of APAP is administered (i.e., 500-600 mg/kg). Mice were treated with neutralizing antibodies to block IL-6 and IL-10.

ResultsIn mice with APAP-induced ALF, high levels of IL-10 reduced monocyte recruitment and trafficking in the liver resulting in impaired clearance of dead cell debris. Kupffer cells in these mice, displayed features of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, including high level expression of IL-10 and PD-L1, which were increased in an IL-6-dependent manner. Similar to ALF patients with HE, cerebral blood flow was reduced in mice with APAP-induced ALF. Remarkably, although IL-6 is hepatoprotective in mice treated with low doses of APAP (i.e., 300 mg/kg), IL-6 neutralization in mice with APAP-induced ALF fully restored cerebral blood flow and reduced mortality.

ConclusionCollectively, these studies demonstrate that exaggerated production of IL-6 in APAP-induced ALF triggers immune suppression (i.e., high levels of IL-10 and PD-L1), reduces cerebral blood flow (a feature of hepatic encephalopathy), disrupts liver repair (i.e., failed clearance of dead cells), and increases mortality.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Roth, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strickland, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez-Pons, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pant, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yen, T.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freeborn, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhushan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boss, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rockwell, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorrance, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Apte, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luyendyk, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Copple, B. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.15.468664</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Interleukin-6 Drives Key Pathologic Outcomes in Experimental Acetaminophen-induced Liver Failure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.17.468984v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Variability of in vivo sarcomere length measures in the upper limb obtained with second harmonic generation microendoscopy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.17.468984v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The lengths of a muscles sarcomeres are a primary determinant of its ability to contract and produce force. In addition, sarcomere length is a critical parameter that is required to make meaningful comparisons of both the force-generating and excursion capacities of different muscles. Until recently, in vivo sarcomere length data have been limited to invasive or intraoperative measurement techniques. With the advent of second harmonic generation microendosopy, minimally invasive measures of sarcomere length can be made for the first time. This imaging technique expands our ability to study muscle adaptation due to changes in stimulus, use, or disease. However, due to the inability to measure sarcomeres outside of surgery or biopsy, little is known about the natural, anatomical variability in sarcomere length in living human subjects. To develop robust experimental protocols that ensure data provide accurate representations of a muscles sarcomere lengths, we sought to quantify experimental uncertainty associated with in vivo measures of sarcomere lengths. Specifically, we assessed the variability in sarcomere length measured 1) within a single image, along a muscle fiber, 2) across images captured within a single trial, across trials, and across days, as well as 3) across locations in the muscle using second harmonic generation in two upper limb muscles with different muscle architectures, functions, and sizes. Across all of our measures of variability we estimate that the magnitude of the uncertainty in in vivo sarcomere length are on the order of ~0.25m. In the two upper limb muscles studied we found larger variability in sarcomere length within a single insertion than across locations. We also developed custom code to make measures of sarcomere length variability across a single fiber and determined that this codes accuracy is an order of magnitude smaller than our measurement uncertainty due to sarcomere variability. Together, our findings provide guidance for the development of robust experimental design and analysis of in vivo sarcomere lengths in the upper limb.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adkins, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fong, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dewald, J. P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murray, W. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.17.468984</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Variability of in vivo sarcomere length measures in the upper limb obtained with second harmonic generation microendoscopy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.19.469294v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Host exposure to symbionts and ecological drift generate divergence in parasite community assembly 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.19.469294v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The initial colonization of a host by symbionts, ranging from parasites to mutualists, can generate priority effects that alter within-host interactions and the trajectory of parasite community assembly. At the same time, variation in parasite communities among hosts can also stem from stochastic processes. Community ecology theory posits that multiple processes (e.g. dispersal, selection and drift) interact to generate variation in community structure, but these processes are rarely considered simultaneously during community assembly. To test the role of these processes in a parasite community, we experimentally simulated dispersal of three symbionts by factorially inoculating individual plants of tall fescue with two foliar fungal parasites, Colletotrichum cereale and Rhizoctonia solani, and a hypothesized mutualist endophyte, Epichloe coenophiala. We then tracked parasite infections longitudinally in the field. After the initial inoculations, hosts were exposed to a common pool of parasites in the field, which we expected to cause parasite communities to converge towards a similar community state. To test for convergence, we analyzed individual hosts parasite community trajectories in multivariate space. In contrast to our expectation, there was no signal of convergence. Instead, parasite community trajectories generally diverged over time between treatment groups and the magnitude of divergence depended on the symbiont species inoculated. Parasite communities of hosts that were inoculated with only the mutualist, Epichloe, showed significant trends of divergence relative to all other symbiont inoculation treatments. In contrast, hosts inoculated with only Rhizoctonia did not exhibit clear trends of divergence when compared to other parasite inoculations. Further, co-inoculation with both parasite species resulted in faster rates of divergence and greater temporal change in parasite communities relative to hosts inoculated with only the parasite Colletotrichum. As predicted by existing theory, parasite communities showed evidence of drift during the beginning of the experiment, which contributed to among-host divergence in parasite community structure. Overall, these data provide evidence that initial dispersal of symbionts produced persistent changes in parasite community structure via ecological selection, that drift was important during the early stages of parasite community assembly, and together, dispersal, selection and drift resulted in parasite community divergence.

Open Research statementThe data and code that support the findings of this study are available through Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714452
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grunberg, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joyner, B. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitchell, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2021-11-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2021.11.19.469294</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Host exposure to symbionts and ecological drift generate divergence in parasite community assembly]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2021-11-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.11.475856v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Considering decoupled phenotypic diversification between ontogenetic phases in macroevolution: An example using Triggerfishes (Balistidae) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.11.475856v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Across the Tree of Life, most studies of phenotypic disparity and diversification have been restricted to adult organisms. However, many lineages have distinct ontogenetic phases that do not reflect the same traits as their adult forms. Non-adult disparity patterns are particularly important to consider for coastal ray-finned fishes, which often have juvenile phases with distinct phenotypes. These juvenile forms are often associated with sheltered nursery environments, with phenotypic shifts between adults and juvenile stages that are readily apparent in locomotor morphology. However, whether this ontogenetic variation in locomotor morphology reflects a decoupling of diversification dynamics between life stages remains unknown. Here we investigate the evolutionary dynamics of locomotor morphology between adult and juvenile triggerfishes. Integrating a time-calibrated phylogenetic framework with geometric morphometric approaches and measurement data of fin aspect ratio and incidence, we reveal a mismatch between morphospace occupancy, the evolution of morphological disparity, and the tempo of trait evolution between life stages. Collectively, our results illuminate how the heterogeneity of morpho-functional adaptations can decouple the mode and tempo of morphological diversification between ontogenetic stages.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dornburg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zapfe, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alfaro, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morris, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adachi, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flores, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Santini, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Near, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frederich, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-01-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.01.11.475856</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Considering decoupled phenotypic diversification between ontogenetic phases in macroevolution: An example using Triggerfishes (Balistidae)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-01-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.15.480513v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
MoveApps - a serverless no-code analysis platform for animal tracking data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.15.480513v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundBio-logging and animal tracking datasets continuously grow in volume and complexity, documenting animal behaviour and ecology in unprecedented extent and detail, but greatly increasing the challenge of extracting knowledge from the data obtained. A large variety of analysis methods are being developed, many of which in effect are inaccessible to potential users, because they remain unpublished, depend on proprietary software or require significant coding skills.

ResultsWe developed MoveApps, an open analysis platform for animal tracking data, to make sophisticated analytical tools accessible to a global community of movement ecologists and wildlife managers. As part of the Movebank ecosystem, MoveApps allows users to design and share workflows composed of analysis modules (Apps) that access and analyse tracking data. Users browse Apps, build workflows, customise parameters, execute analyses and access results through an intuitive web-based interface.

Apps, coded in R or other programming languages, have been developed by the MoveApps team and can be contributed by anyone developing analysis code. They become available to all user of the platform. To allow long-term and cross-system reproducibility, Apps have public source code and are compiled and run in Docker containers that form the basis of a serverless cloud computing system. To support reproducible science and help contributors document and benefit from their efforts, workflows of Apps can be shared, published and archived with DOIs in the Movebank Data Repository.

The platform was beta launched in spring 2021 and currently contains 44 Apps that are used by 156 registered users. We illustrate its use through two workflows that (1) provide a daily report on active tag deployments and (2) segment and map migratory movements.

ConclusionsThe MoveApps platform is meant to empower the community to supply, exchange and use analysis code in an intuitive environment that allows fast and traceable results and feedback. By bringing together analytical experts developing movement analysis methods and code with those in need of tools to explore, answer questions and inform decisions based on data they collect, we intend to increase the pace of knowledge generation and integration to match the huge growth rate in bio-logging data acquisition.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Koelzsch, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davidson, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gauggel, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hahn, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hirt, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lang, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lohr, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Russell, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scharf, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schneider, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vinciguerra, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wikelski, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Safi, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.15.480513</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[MoveApps - a serverless no-code analysis platform for animal tracking data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.16.480750v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Apiaceae FNS I originated from F3H through tandem gene duplication 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.16.480750v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundFlavonoids are specialized metabolites with numerous biological functions in stress response and reproduction of plants. Flavones are one subgroup that is produced by the flavone synthase (FNS). Two distinct enzyme families evolved that can catalyze the biosynthesis of flavones. While the membrane-bound FNS II is widely distributed in seed plants, one lineage of soluble FNS I appeared to be unique to Apiaceae species.

ResultsWe show through phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses that Apiaceae FNS I evolved through tandem gene duplication of flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) followed by neofunctionalization. Currently available datasets suggest that this event happened within the Apiaceae in a common ancestor of Daucus carota and Apium graveolens. The results also support previous findings that FNS I in the Apiaceae evolved independent of FNS I in other plant species.

ConclusionWe validated a long standing hypothesis about the evolution of Apiaceae FNS I and predicted the phylogenetic position of this event. Our results explain how an Apiaceae-specific FNS I lineage evolved and confirm independence from other FNS I lineages reported in non-Apiaceae species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pucker, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iorizzo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-02-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.02.16.480750</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Apiaceae FNS I originated from F3H through tandem gene duplication]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-02-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.10.483842v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
SELF PRUNING 3C is a flowering repressor that modulates seed germination, root architecture and drought responses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.10.483842v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Allelic variation in the CETS (CENTRORADIALIS, TERMINAL FLOWER 1, SELF PRUNING) gene family has been shown to control agronomically important traits in many crops. CETS genes encode phosphatidylethanolamine binding proteins (PEBPs) that have a central role in flowering time control as florigenic and anti-florigenic signals. The great expansion of CETS genes in many species suggests that the functions of this family go beyond flowering. Here, we characterize the tomato SELF PRUNING 3C (SP3C) gene, and show that besides acting as a flowering repressor it also regulates seed germination and modulates root architecture. We show that loss of SP3C function in CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutant lines accelerates seed germination and increases root length with lower root side branching. Higher SP3C expression in transgenic lines promotes the opposite effects and also improves tolerance to water stress in seedlings. These discoveries provide insights into the role of SP paralogs in agronomically relevant traits and support future exploration of the involvement of CETS genes in abiotic stress responses.

HighlightThe SELF PRUNING 3C (SP3C) gene is a repressor of flowering in tomato and exhibits additional functions, acting as a repressor of seed germination and modulating root architecture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Moreira, J. d. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quinones, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lira, B. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robledo, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Curtin, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vicente, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ribeiro, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ryngajllo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jimenez-Gomez, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peres, L. E. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rossi, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zsögön, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-03-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.03.10.483842</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[SELF PRUNING 3C is a flowering repressor that modulates seed germination, root architecture and drought responses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-03-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.08.495013v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid evolution of the fine-scale recombination landscape in wild house mouse (Mus musculus) populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.08.495013v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Meiotic recombination is an important evolutionary force and essential meiotic process. In many species, recombination events concentrate into "hotspots" defined by the site-specific binding of PRMD9. Rapid evolution of PRDM9s zinc finger DNA-binding array leads to remarkably abrupt shifts in the genomic distribution of hotspots between species, but the question of how Prdm9 allelic variation shapes the landscape of recombination between populations remains less well understood. Wild house mice (Mus musculus) harbor exceptional Prdm9 diversity, with >100 alleles identified to date, and pose a particularly powerful system for addressing this open question. We employed a coalescent-based approach to construct fine-scale, sex-averaged recombination maps from contemporary patterns of linkage disequilibrium in nine geographically isolated wild house mouse populations, including multiple populations from each of three subspecies. Comparing maps between wild mouse populations and subspecies reveals several themes. First, we report weak fine- and broad-scale recombination map conservation across subspecies and populations, with genetic divergence offering no clear prediction for recombination map divergence. Second, most hotspots are unique to one population, an outcome consistent with minimal sharing of Prdm9 alleles between surveyed populations. Finally, by contrasting aggregate hotspot activity on the X versus autosomes, we uncover evidence for population-specific differences in the degree and direction of sex-dimorphism for recombination. Overall, our findings illuminate the variability of both the broad- and fine-scale recombination landscape in Mus musculus and underscore the functional impact of Prdm9 allelic variation in wild mouse populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wooldridge, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dumont, B. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.08.495013</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid evolution of the fine-scale recombination landscape in wild house mouse (Mus musculus) populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.11.495753v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cooperation between Imp2p and Cdc15p imparts stiffness to the constricting contractile ring in fission yeast. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.11.495753v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The contractile ring must anchor to the plasma membrane and cell wall to transmit its tension to the plasma membrane. F-BAR domain containing proteins including Cdc15p and Imp2p in fission yeast are likely candidate anchoring proteins based on their mutant phenotypes. Cdc15p is a node component, links the actin bundle to the plasma membrane, recruits Bgs1p to the division plane, prevents contractile ring sliding, and contributes to the stiffness of the contractile ring. Less is known about Imp2p. We found that similarly to Cdc15p, Imp2p contributes to the stiffness of the contractile ring and assembles into protein clusters. Imp2p clusters contain [~]8 Imp2p dimers and depend on the actin network for their stability at the division plane. Importantly, Imp2p and Cdc15p reciprocally affect the amount of the other in the contractile ring indicating that the two proteins influence each other during cytokinesis and may explain their similar phenotypes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bellingham-Johnstun, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Commer, B. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levesque, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyree, Z. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laplante, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.11.495753</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cooperation between Imp2p and Cdc15p imparts stiffness to the constricting contractile ring in fission yeast.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.24.497535v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Regulation of urea cycle by reversible high stoichiometry lysine succinylation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.24.497535v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The post-translational modification, lysine succinylation is implicated in the regulation of various metabolic pathways. However, its biological relevance remains uncertain due to methodological difficulties in determining high-impact succinylation sites. In the present study, using stable isotope labeling and data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry, we quantified lysine succinylation stoichiometries in mouse livers. Despite the low overall stoichiometry of lysine succinylation, several high stoichiometry sites were identified, especially upon deletion of the desuccinylase SIRT5. In particular, multiple high stoichiometry lysine sites identified in argininosuccinate synthase (ASS1), a key enzyme in urea cycle, are regulated by SIRT5. Mutation of the high stoichiometry lysine in ASS1 to succinyl-mimetic glutamic acid significantly decreased its enzymatic activity. Metabolomics profiling confirms that SIRT5 deficiency decreases urea cycle activity in liver. Importantly, SIRT5 deficiency compromises ammonia tolerance and reduces locomotor and exploratory activity in male mice upon high-ammonium diet feeding. Therefore, lysine succinylation is functionally important in ammonia metabolism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carrico, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyer, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bons, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rose, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riley, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kwok, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumaar, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nishida, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Locasale, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schilling, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Verdin, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-06-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.06.24.497535</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Regulation of urea cycle by reversible high stoichiometry lysine succinylation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-06-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.11.499499v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Holographic stimulation of opposing amygdala ensembles bidirectionally modulates valence-specific behavior 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.11.499499v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is an evolutionarily conserved brain region, well known for valence processing. Despite this central role, the relationship between activity of BLA neuronal ensembles in response to appetitive and aversive stimuli and the subsequent expression of valence-specific behavior has remained elusive. Here we leverage 2-photon calcium imaging combined with single cell holographic photostimulation through an endoscopic lens implanted in the deep brain to demonstrate a direct causal role for discrete ensembles of BLA neurons in the control of oppositely valenced behavior. We report that targeted photostimulation of individual groups of appetitive or aversive BLA neurons shifts behavioral responses toward those behaviors which recruited a specific consumption or avoidance ensemble. Here we identify that neuronal encoding of valence in the BLA is graded and relies on the relative proportion of individual BLA neurons recruited in a stable appetitive or aversive ensemble.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Piantadosi, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Z. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pizzano, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pedersen, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, T. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thai, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stuber, G. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bruchas, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.11.499499</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Holographic stimulation of opposing amygdala ensembles bidirectionally modulates valence-specific behavior]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.29.502051v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Yield Prediction Through Integration of Genetic, Environment, and Management Data Through Deep Learning 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.29.502051v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Accurate prediction of the phenotypic outcomes produced by different combinations of genotypes, environments, and management interventions remains a key goal in biology with direct applications to agriculture, research, and conservation. The past decades have seen an expansion of new methods applied towards this goal. Here we predict maize yield using deep neural networks, compare the efficacy of two model development methods, and contextualize model performance using linear models, which are the conventional method for this task, and machine learning models We examine the usefulness of incorporating interactions between disparate data types. We find a deep learning model with interactions has the best average performance. Optimizing submodules for each datatype improved model performance relative to optimizing the whole model for all data types at once. Examining the effect of interactions in the best performing model revealed that including interactions altered the models sensitivity to weather and management features, including a reduction of the importance scores for timepoints expected to have limited physiological basis for influencing yield - those at the extreme end of the season, nearly 200 days post planting. Based on these results, deep learning provides a promising avenue for phenotypic prediction of complex traits in complex environments and a potential mechanism to better understand the influence of environmental and genetic factors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kick, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wallace, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schnable, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kolkman, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alaca, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beissinger, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ertl, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gage, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hirsch, C. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knoll, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Leon, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lima, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moreta, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weldekidan, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Washburn, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-07-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.07.29.502051</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Yield Prediction Through Integration of Genetic, Environment, and Management Data Through Deep Learning]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-07-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.24.504189v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin drives enteropathic changes in small 1intestinal epithelia 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.24.504189v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), produce heat-labile (LT) and/or heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins, and are a common cause of diarrhea in children of resource-poor regions. ETEC have also been linked repeatedly to poorly understood sequelae including enteropathy, malnutrition, and growth impairment. While the cellular actions of ETEC enterotoxins leading to diarrhea are well-established, their potential contribution to subsequent pathology is unclear. LT stimulates cellular cAMP production to activate protein kinase A (PKA) which phosphorylates cellular ion channels that drive export of salt and water into the intestinal lumen resulting in diarrhea. However, as PKA exhibits broad kinase activity and its activated catalytic subunits modulate transcription of many genes, we interrogated the transcriptional profiles of LT-treated small intestinal epithelia. These studies demonstrated toxin-induced changes in hundreds of genes including those required for biogenesis and function of the brush border, the major site absorption of nutrients, and suppression of a key transcription factors, HNF4 and SMAD4, critical to differentiation of intestinal epithelia. Accordingly, LT treatment of intestinal epithelial cells significantly disrupted the absorptive microvillus architecture and altered transport of essential nutrients. In addition, challenge of neonatal mice with LT-producing ETEC recapitulated the architectural derangement of the brush border while maternal vaccination with LT prevented brush border disruption in ETEC-challenged neonatal mice. Finally, mice repeatedly challenged with toxigenic ETEC exhibited impaired growth recapitulating the multiplicative impact of recurring ETEC infections in children. These findings highlight impacts of ETEC enterotoxins beyond acute diarrheal illness and may inform approaches to mitigate and prevent major sequelae including malnutrition that impact millions of young children.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sheikh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tumala, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vickers, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosa, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sabui, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simoes, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitreva, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Storer, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyksen, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Head, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beatty, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Said, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleckenstein, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-08-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.08.24.504189</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin drives enteropathic changes in small 1intestinal epithelia]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-08-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.06.511181v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phosphorylation chemistry of the Bordetella PlrSR TCS and its contribution to bacterial persistence in the lower respiratory tract 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.06.511181v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
2Bordetella species cause lower respiratory tract infections in mammals. B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica are the causative agents of whooping cough and kennel cough, respectively. The current acellular vaccine for B. pertussis protects against the pertussis toxin but does not prevent transmission or colonization. Cases of B. pertussis infections are on the rise even in areas of high vaccination. The PlrSR two-component system, is required for persistence in the mouse lung. A partial plrS deletion strain and a plrS H521Q strain cannot survive past three days in the lung, suggesting PlrSR works in a phosphorylation dependent mechanism. We characterized the biochemistry of B. bronchiseptica PlrSR and found that both proteins function as a canonical two-component system. His521 and Glu522 were essential for PlrS autophosphorylation. Asn525 was essential for phosphatase activity. The PAS domain was critical for both PlrS autophosphorylation and phosphatase activities. PlrS can both phosphotransfer to and exert phosphatase activity towards PlrR. Unexpectedly, PlrR forms a tetramer when unphosphorylated and a dimer upon phosphorylation. Finally, we demonstrated the importance of PlrS phosphatase activity for persistence within the murine lung. By characterizing PlrSR we hope to guide future in vivo investigation for development of new vaccines and therapeutics.

10 GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG_DISPLAY_L [Figure 1] M_FIG_DISPLAY C_FIG_DISPLAY
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Barr, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, E. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McKay, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ohr, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cotter, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bourret, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-10-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.10.06.511181</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phosphorylation chemistry of the Bordetella PlrSR TCS and its contribution to bacterial persistence in the lower respiratory tract]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-10-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.518785v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dietary sugar and protein exert opposing effects on key larval growth and metabolic regulators, the Drosophila insulin-like peptides Dilp2 and Dilp6. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.518785v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Nutrient intake drives secretion of insulin and insulin-like peptides that stimulate glucose uptake, nutrient storage, protein synthesis and cell growth. The Drosophila genome encodes seven insulin-like peptides (Dilps) that bind to a single known insulin receptor to drive growth and nutrient storage. Whether Dilps respond uniformly to changes in dietary nutrients is unknown. Here we characterized the endocrine response to starvation and dietary sugar and protein in mid-third instar Drosophila larvae, measuring circulating Dilp2, derived from insulin-producing cells in the brain, and Dilp6, produced by the fat body. Starvation led to a 90% reduction in circulating Dilp2 without affecting circulating Dilp6 levels. Dietary protein, but not sugar, restored hemolymph Dilp2 from starved levels, while elevated and imbalanced ratios of sugar to protein led to modest reductions in circulating Dilp2. In contrast, hemolymph Dilp6 was increased by a sugar-only diet. Surprisingly, dietary protein strongly reduced circulating Dilp6 levels. Dietary sugar drives glycogen and triglyceride storage, and levels of these stored nutrients positively correlate with Dilp6. Protein in the diet promotes whole-animal growth, which correlates strongly with circulating Dilp2. Our data show that Dilp2 and Dilp6 secretion are regulated in opposite ways by distinct dietary nutrients. These findings raise the question of how the single known insulin receptor integrates divergent signals from distinct Dilps to control growth and metabolism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Suzawa, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McPherson, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Gorder, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reddy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hilovsky, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keliinui, C. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jamali, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bland, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.01.518785</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dietary sugar and protein exert opposing effects on key larval growth and metabolic regulators, the Drosophila insulin-like peptides Dilp2 and Dilp6.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.29.521498v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Nanofluidic Device for Manipulation and Modification of DNA by Proteins 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.29.521498v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Single-molecule techniques provide important details supplementing the framework obtained from traditional bulk experiments. Many cellular processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair, and telomere maintenance involve interaction among multiple proteins, their co-factors, and DNA. To investigate such interactions and to differentiate the function of each component necessitate a technique that allows the combinatorial exposure of DNA to multiple proteins and co-factors as well as manipulation of the DNA configuration. We present a nanofluidic device with the capability of active combinatorial exchange of up to three buffers in real-time and dynamic manipulation of DNA under physiologically relevant conditions. We demonstrate its utility in monitoring compaction of DNA by telomeric proteins, DNA modification by an endonuclease, and DNA loop extrusion by cohesin.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dangi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Azad, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Countryman, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roushan, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Livshits, G. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaur, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shi, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Detwiler, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Opresko, P. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riehn, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2022-12-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2022.12.29.521498</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Nanofluidic Device for Manipulation and Modification of DNA by Proteins]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2022-12-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.31.524747v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A new microphysiological system shows hypoxia primes human ISCs for interleukin-dependent rescue of stem cell activity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.31.524747v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background & AimsHypoxia in the intestinal epithelium can be caused by acute ischemic events or conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) where immune cell infiltration produces  inflammatory hypoxia, a chronic condition that starves the mucosa of oxygen. Epithelial regeneration after ischemia and IBD suggests intestinal stem cells (ISCs) are highly tolerant to acute and chronic hypoxia; however, the impact of acute and chronic hypoxia on human ISC (hISC) properties have not been reported. Here we present a new microphysiological system (MPS) to investigate how hypoxia affects hISCs isolated from healthy human tissues. We then test the hypothesis that some inflammation-associated interleukins protect hISCs during prolonged hypoxia.

MethodshISCs were exposed to <1.0% oxygen in the MPS for 6-, 24-, 48- & 72hrs. Viability, HIF1 response, transcriptomics, cell cycle dynamics, and hISC response to cytokines were evaluated.

ResultsThe novel MPS enables precise, real-time control and monitoring of oxygen levels at the cell surface. Under hypoxia, hISCs remain viable until 72hrs and exhibit peak HIF1 at 24hrs. hISCs lose stem cell activity at 24hrs that recovers at 48hrs of hypoxia. Hypoxia increases the proportion of hISCs in G1 and regulates hISC capacity to respond to multiple inflammatory signals. Hypoxia induces hISCs to upregulate many interleukin receptors and hISCs demonstrate hypoxia-dependent cell cycle regulation and increased organoid forming efficiency when treated with specific interleukins

ConclusionsHypoxia primes hISCs to respond differently to interleukins than hISCs in normoxia through a transcriptional response. hISCs slow cell cycle progression and increase hISC activity when treated with hypoxia and specific interleukins. These findings have important implications for epithelial regeneration in the gut during inflammatory events.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rivera, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bliton, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burclaff, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Czerwinski, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trueblood, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinesley, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breau, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joshi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pozdin, V. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yao, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ziegler, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blikslager, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniele, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.01.31.524747</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A new microphysiological system shows hypoxia primes human ISCs for interleukin-dependent rescue of stem cell activity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.19.529155v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Peptide ligands for the affinity purification of adeno-associated viruses from HEK 293 cell lysates 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.19.529155v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are the vector of choice for delivering gene therapies that can cure inherited and acquired diseases. Clinical research on various AAV serotypes significantly increased in recent years alongside regulatory approvals of AAV-based therapies. The current AAV purification platform hinges on the capture step, for which several affinity resins are commercially available. These adsorbents rely on protein ligands - typically camelid antibodies - that provide high binding capacity and selectivity, but suffer from low biochemical stability and high cost, and impose harsh elution conditions (pH < 3) that can harm the transduction activity of recovered AAVs. Addressing these challenges, this study introduces peptide ligands that selectively capture AAVs and release them under mild conditions (pH 6.0). The peptide sequences were identified by screening a focused library and modeled in silico against AAV serotypes 2 and 9 (AAV2 and AAV9) to select candidate ligands that target homologous sites at the interface of the VP1-VP2 and VP2-VP3 virion proteins with mild binding strength (KD [~] 10- 5-10-6 M). Selected peptides were conjugated to Toyopearl resin and evaluated via binding studies against AAV2 and AAV9, demonstrating the ability to target both serotypes with values of dynamic binding capacity (DBC10% > 1013 vp per mL of resin) and product yields ([~]50-80%) on par with commercial adsorbents. The peptide-based adsorbents were finally utilized to purify AAV2 from a HEK 293 cell lysate, affording high recovery (50-80%), 80-to-400-fold reduction of host cell proteins (HCPs), and high transduction activity (up to 80%) of the purified viruses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barbieri, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prodromou, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greback-Clarke, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kilgore, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cummings, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pancorbo, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilleskie, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniele, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-02-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.02.19.529155</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Peptide ligands for the affinity purification of adeno-associated viruses from HEK 293 cell lysates]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-02-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.01.530611v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Actin-microtubule crosstalk imparts stiffness to the contractile ring in fission yeast. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.01.530611v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Actin-microtubule interactions are critical for cell division yet how these networks of polymers mutually influence their mechanical properties and functions in live cells remains unknown. In fission yeast, the post-anaphase array (PAA) of microtubules assembles in the plane of the contractile ring and its assembly relies on the Myp2p-dependent recruitment of Mto1p, a component of equatorial microtubule organizing centers (eMTOCs). The general organization of this array of microtubule and the impact on their physical attachment to the contractile ring remain unclear. We found that Myp2p facilitates the recruitment of Mto1p to the inner face of the contractile ring where the eMTOCs polymerize microtubules without their direct interaction. The PAA microtubules form a dynamic polygon of Ase1p crosslinked microtubules inside the contractile ring. The specific loss of PAA microtubules affects the mechanical properties of the contractile ring of actin by lowering its stiffness. This change in the mechanical properties of the ring has no measurable impact on cytokinesis or on the anchoring of the ring. Our work proposes that the PAA microtubules exploit the contractile ring for their assembly and function during cell division while the contractile ring may receive no benefit from these interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bellingham-Johnstun, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyree, Z. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez-Baird, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thorn, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laplante, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-03-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.03.01.530611</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Actin-microtubule crosstalk imparts stiffness to the contractile ring in fission yeast.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-03-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.01.534965v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pharmacokinetic considerations for optimizing inhaled spray-dried pyrazinoic acid formulations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.01.534965v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading cause of death with 1.6 million deaths worldwide reported in 2021. Oral pyrazinamide (PZA) is an integral part of anti-TB regimens, but its prolonged use has the potential to drive development of PZA resistant Mtb. PZA is converted to the active moiety pyrazinoic acid (POA) by the Mtb pyrazinamidase encoded by pncA, and mutations in pncA are associated with the majority of PZA resistance. Conventional oral and parenteral therapies may result in subtherapeutic exposure in the lung, hence direct pulmonary administration of POA may provide an approach to rescue PZA efficacy for treating pncA-mutant PZA-resistant Mtb.

The objectives of the current study were to i) develop novel dry powder POA formulations ii) assess their feasibility for pulmonary delivery using physicochemical characterization, iii) evaluate their pharmacokinetics (PK) in the guinea pig model and iv) develop a mechanism based pharmacokinetic model (MBM) using in vivo PK data to select a formulation providing adequate exposure in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and lung tissue.

We developed three POA formulations for pulmonary delivery and characterized their PK in plasma, ELF, and lung tissue following passive inhalation in guinea pigs. Additionally, the PK of POA following oral, intravenous and intratracheal administration was characterized in guinea pigs. The MBM was used to simultaneously model PK data following administration of POA and its formulations via the different routes. The MBM described POA PK well in plasma, ELF and lung tissue.

Physicochemical analyses and MBM predictions suggested that POA maltodextrin was the best among the three formulations and an excellent candidate for further development as it has: (i) the highest ELF-to-plasma exposure ratio (203) and lung tissue-to-plasma exposure ratio (30.4) compared with POA maltodextrin and leucine (75.7/16.2) and POA leucine salt (64.2/19.3); (ii) the highest concentration in ELF (CmacELF: 171 nM) within 15.5 minutes, correlating with a fast transfer into ELF after pulmonary administration (kPM: 22.6 1/h).

The data from the guinea pig allowed scaling, using the MBM to a human dose of POA maltodextrin powder demonstrating the potential feasibility of an inhaled product.

Table of Contents (TOC)/Abstract Graphic

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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yeshwante, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanafin, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rank, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murcia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xander, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Annis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baxter, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jermain, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Konicki, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmalstig, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Braunstein, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hickey, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.01.534965</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pharmacokinetic considerations for optimizing inhaled spray-dried pyrazinoic acid formulations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.04.535624v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Isolation of Actinomyces cricetomyis sp. nov from orocervicofacial abscesses of African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.04.535624v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
African giant pouched rats are of interest for their unique sense of smell and can be trained for a variety of applications including detection of explosives and infectious diseases. A colony housed at a university animal care facility developed abscesses associated with the jaw and eye in multiple animals. The predominant bacterial species in each case was a catalase-positive Actinomyces-like Gram-positive bacillus. The isolates from different sites and animals matched each other genetically but had sequences and biochemical profiles inconsistent with previously described species of this group. Based on whole genome sequence, biochemical characterization, and fatty acid profile, a novel species of the genus Actinomyces is proposed, namely Actinomyces cricetomyis (type strain 186855T). The type strain is deposited at ATCC (TSD-310) and BCCM/LMG (LMG 32803).
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Franklin-Guild, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Labitt, R. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McQueary, H. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Llanos-Soto, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitchell, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tallmadge, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ophir, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thachil, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goodman, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-04-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.04.04.535624</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Isolation of Actinomyces cricetomyis sp. nov from orocervicofacial abscesses of African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-04-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.08.537343v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
HISTONE DEACETYLASE 19 REGULATES SHOOT MERISTEMLESS EXPRESSION IN THE CARPEL MARGIN MERISTEM CONTRIBUTING TO OVULE NUMBER DETERMINATION AND TRANSMITTING TRACT DIFFERENTIATION 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.08.537343v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The gynoecium is critical for the reproduction of flowering species as it contains the ovules and the tissues required for pollen germination and guidance. These tissues are collectively known as the reproductive tract (ReT) and comprise stigma, style and transmitting tract (TT). The ovules and the ReT originate from a meristem within the pistil named carpel margin meristem (CMM).

SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) is a key transcription factor required for meristem formation and maintenance. In all above-ground meristems, including the CMM, STM has to be locally downregulated to allow proper organ differentiation. However, how this downregulation is achieved in the CMM is unknown.

In this work, we have studied HISTONE DEACETYLASE 19 (HDA19) role in ovule and ReT differentiation, based on the observation that hda19-3 mutant displays reduced ovule number and fails to properly differentiate the TT. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) coupled with RNA-seq revealed that in the CMM of hda19-3 mutant, genes promoting organ development are downregulated while meristematic markers, including STM, are upregulated. We found that HDA19 is fundamental to downregulate STM in the CMM, allowing ovule formation and TT differentiation. STM is ectopically expressed in hda19-3 at intermediate stages of pistil development, and its downregulation by RNA interference alleviated hda19-3 phenotypic defects. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that STM is a direct target of HDA19 during pistil development and that SEEDSTICK (STK) is required for the histone acetylation-mediated regulation of STM.

Our results have led to the identification of the factors required for STM silencing in the gynoecium allowing organogenesis and tissue differentiation from the CMM.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Manrique, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cavalleri, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guazzotti, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villarino, G. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simonini, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bombarely, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Higashiyama, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grossniklaus, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mizzotti, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pereira, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coimbra, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Onelli, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Masiero, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Franks, R. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colombo, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-05-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.08.537343</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[HISTONE DEACETYLASE 19 REGULATES SHOOT MERISTEMLESS EXPRESSION IN THE CARPEL MARGIN MERISTEM CONTRIBUTING TO OVULE NUMBER DETERMINATION AND TRANSMITTING TRACT DIFFERENTIATION]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-05-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.10.540175v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluation of ready-to-use freezer stocks of a synthetic microbial community for maize root colonization 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.10.540175v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) are a valuable tool to study community assembly patterns, host-microbe interactions, and microbe-microbe interactions in a fully controllable setting. Constructing the SynCom inocula for plant-microbe experiments can be time consuming and difficult because a large number of isolates with different media requirements and growth rates are grown in parallel and mixed to appropriate titers. A potential workaround to assembling fresh SynCom inocula for every experiment could be to pre-make and freeze SynComs on a large scale, creating ready-to-use stock inocula. The objective of this study was to compare the reproducibility, stability, and colonization ability of freshly prepared versus frozen SynCom inocula. We used a community of seven species known to colonize maize roots. The results from inoculation with the frozen SynCom were as consistent as standardized de novo construction of fresh SynCom. Our results indicate that creating frozen SynCom inocula for repeated use in experiments not only saves time, but could also improve cross-experiment reproducibility. Although this approach was only validated with one SynCom, it demonstrates a principle that can be tested for improving approaches in constructing other SynComs.

ImportanceSynthetic communities (SynComs) are an invaluable tool to characterize and model plant-microbe interactions. Multimember SynComs approximate intricate real-world interactions between plants and their microbiome, but the complexity and time required for their construction increases enormously for each additional member added to the SynCom. Therefore, researchers who study a diversity of microbiomes using SynComs are looking for ways to simplify the use of SynComs. In this manuscript, we evaluate the feasibility of creating ready-to-use freezer stocks of a well-studied seven-member SynCom for maize roots. The frozen ready-to-use SynCom stocks work according to the principle of "just add buffer and apply to sterilized seeds or seedlings" and thus can save multiple days of laborious growing and combining of multiple microorganisms. We show that ready-to-use SynCom stocks provide comparable results to freshly constructued SynComs and thus allow for large time savings when working with SynComs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Parnell, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.05.10.540175</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluation of ready-to-use freezer stocks of a synthetic microbial community for maize root colonization]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/231134v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Efficacy of Aedes aegypti control by indoor Ultra Low Volume (ULV) insecticide spraying in Iquitos, Peru 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/231134v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundAedes aegypti is a primary vector of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and urban yellow fever viruses. Indoor, ultra low volume (ULV) space spraying with pyrethroid insecticides is the main approach used for Ae. aegypti emergency control in many countries. Given the widespread use of this method, the lack of large-scale experiments or detailed evaluations of municipal spray programs is problematic.nnMethodology/Principal FindingsTwo experimental evaluations of non-residual, indoor ULV pyrethroid spraying were conducted in Iquitos, Peru. In each, a central sprayed sector was surrounded by an unsprayed buffer sector. In 2013, spray and buffer sectors included 398 and 765 houses, respectively. Spraying reduced the mean number of adults captured per house by ~83 percent relative to the pre-spray baseline survey. In the 2014 experiment, sprayed and buffer sectors included 1,117 and 1,049 houses, respectively. Here, the sprayed sectors number of adults per house was reduced ~64 percent relative to baseline. Parity surveys in the sprayed sector during the 2014 spray period indicated an increase in the proportion of very young females. We also evaluated impacts of a 2014 citywide spray program by the local Ministry of Health, which reduced adult populations by ~60 percent. In all cases, adult densities returned to near-baseline levels within one month.nnConclusions/SignificanceOur results demonstrate that densities of adult Ae. aegypti can be reduced by experimental and municipal spraying programs. The finding that adult densities return to approximately pre-spray densities in less than a month is similar to results from previous, smaller scale experiments. Our results demonstrate that ULV spraying is best viewed as having a short-term entomological effect. The epidemiological impact of ULV spraying will need evaluation in future trials that measure capacity of insecticide spraying to reduce disease transmission.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gunning, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okamoto, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Astete, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasquez, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Erhardt, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aguila, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pinedo, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cardenas, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pacheco, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chalco, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Ferruci, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gould, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrison, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2017-12-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/231134</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Efficacy of Aedes aegypti control by indoor Ultra Low Volume (ULV) insecticide spraying in Iquitos, Peru]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2017-12-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/286377v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Agricultural fungicides inadvertently influence the fitness of Colorado potato beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and their susceptibility to insecticides 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/286377v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is an agricultural pest of solanaceous crops which has developed insecticide resistance at an alarming rate. Up to this point, little consideration has been given to unintended, or inadvertent effects that non-insecticide xenobiotics may have on insecticide susceptibility in L. decemlineata. Fungicides, such as chlorothalonil and boscalid, are often used to control fungal pathogens in potato fields and are applied at regular intervals when L. decemlineata populations are present in the crop. In order to determine whether fungicide use may be associated with elevated levels of insecticide resistance in L. decemlineata, we examined phenotypic responses in L. decemlineata to the fungicides chlorothalonil and boscalid. Using enzymatic and transcript abundance investigations we also examined modes of molecular detoxification in response to both insecticide (imidacloprid) and fungicide (boscalid and chlorothalonil) application to more specifically determine if fungicides and insecticides induce similar metabolic detoxification mechanisms. Both chlorothalonil and boscalid exposure induced a phenotypic, enzymatic and transcript response in L. decemlineata which correlates with known mechanisms of insecticide resistance.nnKey MessagesO_LIPrior-exposure to a fungicidal application changes the phenotypic response of Leptinotarsa decemlineata to the insecticide imidaclopridnC_LIO_LIBoth a fungicide and insecticide application activates similar molecular mechanisms of detoxification in Leptinotarsa decemlineatanC_LIO_LIFungicidal xenobiotics may contribute to insecticide resistance in Leptinotarsa decemlineatanC_LInnAuthor Contribution StatementJC, SS, CB, AH, and RG conceived and designed research. JC, AC, DA, TD, and BS conducted experiments. JC and AC analyzed data. JC and RG wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clements, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schoville, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clements, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amezian, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez-Sedillo, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradfield, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huseth, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Groves, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-03-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/286377</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Agricultural fungicides inadvertently influence the fitness of Colorado potato beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and their susceptibility to insecticides]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-03-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/499095v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Antigen receptor control of methionine metabolism in T cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/499095v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Immune activated T lymphocytes modulate the activity of key metabolic pathways to support the transcriptional reprograming and reshaping of cell proteomes that permits effector T cell differentiation. The present study uses high resolution mass spectrometry and metabolic labelling to explore how T cells control the methionine cycle to produce methyl donors for protein and nucleotide methylations. We show that antigen receptor engagement controls flux through the methionine cycle and also controls RNA and histone methylations. We establish that the main rate limiting step for the methionine cycle is control of methionine transporter expression by antigen receptors. Only T cells that respond to antigen to upregulate and sustain methionine transport are supplied with the methyl donors that permit the dynamic nucleotide methylations and epigenetic reprogramming that drives T cell differentiation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sinclair, L. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howden, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brenes-Murillo, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spinelli, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hukelmann, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Macintyre, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rathmell, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Locasale, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamond, A. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cantrell, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-12-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/499095</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Antigen receptor control of methionine metabolism in T cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-12-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/503128v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structural basis for activation of Dot1L methyltransferase on the nucleosome by histone H2BK120 ubiquitylation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/503128v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Histone H3 lysine 79 (H3K79) methylation is enriched on actively transcribed genes, and its misregulation is a hallmark of leukemia. Methylation of H3K79, which resides on the structured disk face of the nucleosome, is mediated by the Dot1L methyltransferase. Dot1L activity is part of a trans-histone crosstalk pathway, requiring prior histone H2B ubiquitylation of lysine 120 (H2BK120ub) for optimal activity. However, the molecular details describing both how Dot1L binds to the nucleosome and why Dot1L is activated by H2BK120 ubiquitylation are unknown. Here we present the cryo-EM structure of Dot1L bound to a nucleosome reconstituted with a site-specifically ubiquitylated H2BK120. The structure reveals that Dot1L engages the nucleosome acidic patch using an arginine anchor and occupies a conformation poised for methylation. Ubiquitin directly interacts with Dot1L and is positioned as a clamp on the nucleosome interacting region of Dot1L. Using our structure, we identify point mutations that disrupt the nucleosome-specific and ubiquitin-dependent activities of Dot1L. This study establishes a path to better understand Dot1L function in normal and leukemia cells.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Anderson, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baird, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsu, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barbour, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koyama, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Borgnia, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGinty, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2018-12-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/503128</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structural basis for activation of Dot1L methyltransferase on the nucleosome by histone H2BK120 ubiquitylation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2018-12-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/590612v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Global phylogeographical patterns in the spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/590612v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) has proven its potential to propagate across local and international borders on numerous occasions, but yet details about the directionality of the spread along with the role of the different host in transmission remain unexplored. To elucidate FMDV global spread characteristics, we studied the spatiotemporal phylodynamics of serotypes O, A, Asia1, SAT1, SAT2, and SAT3, based on more than 50 years of phylogenetic and epidemiological information. Our results revealed phylogeographic patterns, dispersal rates, and the role of host species in the dispersal and maintenance of virus circulation. Contrary to previous studies, our results showed that three serotypes were monophyletic (O, A, and Asia1), while all SATs serotypes did not evidence a defined common ancestor. Root state posterior probability (RSPP) analysis suggested Belgium as the country of origin for serotype O (RSPP=0.27). India was the ancestral country for serotypes A (RSPP= 0.28), and Asia-1 (RSPP= 0.34), while Uganda appeared as the most likely origin country of all SAT serotypes (RSPP> 0.45). Furthermore, we identified the key centers of dispersal of the virus, being China, India and Uganda the most important ones. Bayes factor analysis revealed cattle as the major source of the virus for most of the serotypes (RSPP> 0.63), where the most important host-species transition route for serotypes O, A, and Asia1 was from cattle Bos taurus to swine Sus scrofa domesticus (BF>500), while, for SAT serotypes was from B. taurus to African buffalo Syncerus caffer. This study provides significant insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of the global circulation of FMDV serotypes, by characterizing the viral routes of spread at serotype level, especially uncovering the importance of host species for each serotype in the evolution and spread of FMDV which further improve future decisions for more efficient control and eradication.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frias-De-Diego, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dellicour, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baele, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/590612</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Global phylogeographical patterns in the spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/593392v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Lipidome profiles of postnatal day 2 vaginal swabs reflect fat composition of gilts postnatal diet 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/593392v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We hypothesized that postnatal development of the vagina is impacted by early nutritional environment. Our objective was to determine if lipid profiles of vaginal swabs were different between gilts suckled by sow or fed milk replacer the first 48 h postpartum, with and without a lard-based fat supplement. Gilts (>1.3 kg) were selected at birth across 8 litters and assigned to treatments: colostrum suckled (S, n=8); S plus fat supplement (SF, n=5); bottle-fed milk replacer (B, n=8); or B plus fat supplement (BF, n=7). At 48 h postnatal, vaginal swabs were taken with a cytology brush, immersed in ultrapure water to burst cells, and lipids extracted for analysis using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-profiling. Lipids extracted from serum collected at 48 h from gilts and milk collected from sows at 24 h were also analyzed with MRM-profiling. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found 18 lipids highly distinguished [area-under-the-curve (AUC) > 0.9] between S and B gilts, including phosphatidylethanolamine with 34 carbon and four unsaturations in the fatty acyl residues [PE(34:4)]. Twelve lipids from vaginal swabs highly correlated (r > 0.6; p < 0.01) with nutrition source. Lipids more abundant in milk replacer drove association. For example, mean intensity of PE (34:4) was 149-fold higher in milk replacer than colostrum, with 1.6- and 2.12-fold higher levels in serum and vaginal swab samples (p < 0.001), respectively, of B versus S gilts. Findings support that vaginal swabs can be used to noninvasively study effects of perinatal nutrition on tissue composition.nnSummary sentenceVaginal swab lipidome profiles at 48 h reflect the fat composition of neonatal diet during first two days postnatal.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harlow, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferreira, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sobreira, T. J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Casey, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-03-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/593392</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Lipidome profiles of postnatal day 2 vaginal swabs reflect fat composition of gilts postnatal diet]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-03-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/627687v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantitative evaluation of a high resolution lipidomics platform 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/627687v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Given the general importance of lipids in health and disease, there is a need for efficient technology that broadly profiles and quantitates the lipid composition of complex mixtures. In this study, we developed and quantitatively evaluated a platform that simultaneously profiles both lipids and polar metabolites from the same sample. This method was achieved by using a methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) extraction and employing two liquid chromatography methods coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). This workflow enabled detection and semi-quantitation of over 300 polar metabolites as well as over 300 lipids with comprehensive coverage of diverse chemical classes. Using cultured mammalian cells as an example, we report the quantitative properties of the platform including the sensitivity and linear range. The lipidomics strategy was further applied to characterize changes to lipid metabolism upon treatment with metformin to human ovarian cancer cells. Of the 256 detected lipids, 99 lipids (39%) significantly increased, 11 lipids (4%) were significantly reduced and 146 lipids (57%) remain unchanged in metformin-treated cells. Stable isotope tracing of carbon into lipids using [13C6]-glucose further measured the contribution of de novo fatty acid synthesis to the total fatty acid pool. In summary, the platform enabled the semi-quantitative assessment of hundreds of lipid species and associated carbon incorporation from glucose in a high throughput manner.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Liu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Locasale, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-05-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/627687</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantitative evaluation of a high resolution lipidomics platform]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-05-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/659276v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An improved plant toolset for high-throughput recombineering 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/659276v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Gene functional studies often rely on the expression of a gene of interest as transcriptional and translational fusions with specialized tags. Ideally, this is done in the native chromosomal contexts to avoid potential misexpression artifacts. Although recent improvements in genome editing make it possible to directly modify the target genes in their native chromosomal location, classical transgenesis is still the preferred experimental approach chosen in most gene tagging studies because of its time efficiency and accessibility. We have developed a recombineering-based tagging system that brings together the convenience of the classical transgenic approaches and the high degree of confidence in the obtained results provided by the direct chromosomal tagging achievable by genome editing strategies. These simple and customizable recombineering toolsets and protocols allow for high-throughput generation of a variety of genetic modifications. In addition, a highly efficient recombinase-mediated cassette exchange system has been developed to facilitate the transfer of the desired sequences from a BAC clone to a transformation-compatible binary vector, expanding the use of the recombineering approaches beyond Arabidopsis. The utility of this system is demonstrated by the generation of over 250 whole-gene translational fusions and 123 Arabidopsis transgenic lines corresponding to 62 auxin-related genes, and the characterization of the translational reporter expression patterns for 14 auxin biosynthesis genes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brumos, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gong, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soriano, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez-Amador, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stepanova, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/659276</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An improved plant toolset for high-throughput recombineering]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/661371v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Slow changes in seizure pathways in individual patients with focal epilepsy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/661371v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Personalised medicine requires that treatments adapt to not only the patient, but changing factors within each individual. Although epilepsy is a dynamic disorder that is characterised by pathological fluctuations in brain state, surprisingly little is known about whether and how seizures vary in the same patient. We quantitatively compared within-patient seizure network dynamics using intracranial recordings of over 500 seizures from 31 patients with focal epilepsy (mean 16.5 seizures/patient). In all patients, we found variability in seizure paths through the space of possible network dynamics, producing either a spectrum or clusters of different dynamics. Seizures with similar pathways tended to occur closer together in time, and a simple model suggested that seizure pathways change on circadian and/or slower timescales in the majority of patients. These temporal relationships occurred independent of whether the patient underwent antiepileptic medication reduction. Our results suggest that various modulatory processes, operating at different timescales, shape within-patient seizure dynamics, leading to variable seizure pathways that may require tailored treatment approaches.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schroeder, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diehl, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chowdhury, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duncan, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Tisi, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trevelyan, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Forsyth, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, P. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-06-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/661371</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Slow changes in seizure pathways in individual patients with focal epilepsy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-06-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/727966v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparing the microbial communities of natural and supplemental nests of an endangered ecosystem engineer 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/727966v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Supplemental nests are often used to restore habitats for a variety of rare and endangered taxa. However, though supplemental nests mimic the function of natural nests, they vary in design and building material. We know from previous research on human homes and other buildings that these differences in architecture can alter the types of microbes to which inhabitants are exposed, and these shifts in microbial interactions can be detrimental for health and well-being. Yet, no one has tested whether microbial communities in supplemental structures are distinct from those found in natural nests. Here we sampled the bacteria from inside supplemental nests of the endangered Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana smalli). We then compared the diversity and composition of those bacteria to those collected from natural stick-nests and the forest floor in Key Largo, Florida. In addition, we sampled woodrat bodies to assess the microbiota of nest inhabitants. We observed distinct bacterial communities in Key Largo woodrat nests, relative to the forest environment; however, we could not differentiate between the microbial communities collected from supplemental and natural nests. Furthermore, when we considered genera known to contain bacterial pathogens of wild rodents, supplemental and natural nests exhibited similarly low relative abundances of these taxa. Where we expected to see an accumulation of pathogens, we instead observed high relative abundances of bacteria from antimicrobial-producing groups (i.e., Pseudonocardiaceae and Streptomycetaceae). The microbial biota of Key Largo woodrat individuals resembled those of their nests, with low relative abundances of potentially pathogenic bacteria and high abundances of antimicrobial-producing groups. Our results suggest that, although there is some microbial interaction between nests and nest inhabitants, there are no detectable differences in the types of bacteria to which Key Largo woodrats are exposed in supplemental and natural nest structures.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thoemmes, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cove, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-08-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/727966</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparing the microbial communities of natural and supplemental nests of an endangered ecosystem engineer]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-08-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/763516v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcriptomic Stratification of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Cases Reveals Novel Genetic Modifiers of Disease Pathology 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/763516v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Late-Onset Alzheimers disease (LOAD) is a common, complex genetic disorder well-known for its heterogeneous pathology. The genetic heterogeneity underlying common complex diseases poses a major challenge for targeted therapies and the identification of novel disease-associated variants. Case-control approaches are often limited to examining a specific outcome in a group of heterogenous patients with different clinical characteristics. Here, we developed a novel approach to define relevant transcriptomic endophenotypes and stratify decedents based on molecular profiles in three independent human LOAD cohorts. By integrating post-mortem brain gene co-expression data from 2114 human samples with LOAD, we developed a novel quantitative, composite phenotype that can better account for the heterogeneity in genetic architecture underlying the disease. We used iterative weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) analysis to reduce data dimensionality and to isolate gene sets that are highly co-expressed within disease subtypes and represent specific molecular pathways. We then performed single variant association testing using whole genome-sequencing data for the novel composite phenotype in order to identify genetic loci that contribute to disease heterogeneity. Distinct LOAD subtypes were identified for all three study cohorts (two in ROSMAP, three in Mayo Clinic, two in Mount Sinai Brain Bank). Single variant association analysis identified a genome-wide significant variant in TMEM106B (p-value < 5x10-8, rs1990620G) in the ROSMAP cohort that confers protection from the inflammatory LOAD subtype. Taken together, our novel approach can be used to stratify LOAD into distinct molecular subtypes based on affected disease pathways.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Milind, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Preuss, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haber, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ananda, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mukherjee, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>John, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shapley, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyler, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Logsdon, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crane, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carter, G. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/763516</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcriptomic Stratification of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Cases Reveals Novel Genetic Modifiers of Disease Pathology]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/768317v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Role of Cytosolic, Tyrosine-Insensitive Prephenate Dehydrogenase in Medicago truncatula 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/768317v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
L-Tyrosine (Tyr) is an aromatic amino acid synthesized de novo in plants and microbes downstream of the shikimate pathway. In plants, Tyr and a Tyr pathway intermediate, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (HPP), are precursors to numerous specialized metabolites, which are crucial for plant and human health. Tyr is synthesized in the plastids by a TyrA family enzyme, arogenate dehydrogenase (ADH/TyrAa), which is feedback inhibited by Tyr. In addition to ADH enzymes, many legumes possess prephenate dehydrogenases (PDH/TyrAp), which are insensitive to Tyr and localized to the cytosol. Yet the role of PDH in legumes is currently unknown. This study isolated and characterized Tnt1-transposon mutants of MtPDH1 (pdh1) in Medicago truncatula to investigate PDH function. The pdh1 mutants lacked PDH transcript, PDH activity, and displayed little aberrant morphological phenotypes under standard growth conditions providing genetic evidence that MtPDH1 is responsible for the PDH activity detected in M. truncatula. Though plant PDH enzymes and activity have been specifically found in legumes, nodule number and nitrogenase activity of pdh1 mutants were not significantly reduced compared to wild-type (Wt) during symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Although Tyr levels were not significantly different between Wt and mutants under standard conditions, when carbon flux was increased by shikimate precursor feeding, mutants accumulated significantly less Tyr than Wt. These data suggest that MtPDH1 is involved in Tyr biosynthesis when the shikimate pathway is stimulated, and possibly linked to unidentified legume-specific specialized metabolism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schenck, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Westphal, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jayaraman, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mysore, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anee, J.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sumner, L. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maeda, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-09-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/768317</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Role of Cytosolic, Tyrosine-Insensitive Prephenate Dehydrogenase in Medicago truncatula]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-09-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/792705v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TLR5 participates in the TLR4 receptor complex and biases towards MyD88-dependent signaling in environmental lung injury 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/792705v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lung disease causes significant morbidity and mortality, and is exacerbated by environmental injury, e.g. through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or ozone (O3). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) orchestrate immune responses to injury by recognizing pathogen- or danger-associated molecular patterns. TLR4, the prototypic receptor for LPS, also mediates inflammation after O3, triggered by endogenous hyaluronan. Regulation of TLR4 signaling is incompletely understood. TLR5, the flagellin receptor, is expressed in alveolar macrophages, and regulates immune responses to environmental injury. Using in vivo animal models of TLR4-mediated inflammations (LPS, O3, hyaluronan), we show that TLR5 impacts the in vivo response to LPS, hyaluronan and O3. We demonstrate that immune cells of human carriers of a dominant negative TLR5 allele have decreased inflammatory response to O3 exposure ex vivo and LPS exposure in vitro. Using primary murine macrophages, we find that TLR5 physically associates with TLR4 and biases TLR4 signaling towards the MyD88 pathway. Our results suggest an updated paradigm for TLR4/TLR5 signaling.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hussain, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sciurba, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stober, V. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cypher-Daly, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bulek, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qian, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Solis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakamachi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trempus, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aloor, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gowdy, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, W. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hollingsworth, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tighe, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fessler, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garantziotis, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/792705</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TLR5 participates in the TLR4 receptor complex and biases towards MyD88-dependent signaling in environmental lung injury]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/806620v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Spatiotemporal control of gene expression boundaries using a feedforward loop 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/806620v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A feed forward loop (FFL) is commonly observed in several biological networks. The FFL network motif has been mostly been studied with respect to variation of the input signal in time, with only a few studies of FFL activity in a spatially distributed system such as morphogen-mediated tissue patterning. However, most morphogen gradients also evolve in time. We studied the spatiotemporal behavior of a coherent FFL in two contexts: (1) a generic, oscillating morphogen gradient and (2) the dorsal-ventral patterning of the early Drosophila embryo by a gradient of the NF-{kappa}B homolog Dorsal with its early target Twist. In both models, we found features in the dynamics of the intermediate node - phase difference and noise filtering - that were largely independent of the parameterization of the models, and thus were functions of the structure of the FFL itself. In the Dorsal gradient model, we also found that the dynamics of Dorsal require maternal pioneering factor Zelda for proper target gene expression.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bandodkar, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al Asafen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reeves, G. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/806620</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Spatiotemporal control of gene expression boundaries using a feedforward loop]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/811265v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Orexin signaling in GABAergic lateral habenula neurons modulates aggressive behavior 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/811265v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Heightened aggression is characteristic of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders and can have a wide variety of negative effects on patients, their families, and the public. Recent studies in humans and animals have implicated brain reward circuits in aggression and suggest that, in subsets of aggressive individuals, repeated domination of subordinate social targets is reinforcing. Here, we show that orexin neurons originating from the lateral hypothalamus activate a small population of GABAergic interneurons in the lateral habenula (LHb) via orexin receptor 2 (OxR2) to promote aggression and conditioned place preference (CPP) for aggression-paired contexts. Our study suggests that the orexin system is a potential target for the development of novel therapies aimed at reducing aggressive behaviors and provides the first functional evidence of a local inhibitory circuit within the LHb.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Flanigan, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aleyasin, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burnett, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LeClair, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lucas, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matikainen-Ankney, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janssen, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Takahashi, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menard, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pfau, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Golden, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bouchard, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calipari, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nestler, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DiLeone, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yamanaka, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huntley, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clem, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Russo, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/811265</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Orexin signaling in GABAergic lateral habenula neurons modulates aggressive behavior]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/816579v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gene Expression Networks in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/816579v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A major challenge in modern biology is to understand how naturally occurring variation in DNA sequences affects complex organismal traits through networks of intermediate molecular phenotypes. Here, we performed deep RNA sequencing of 200 Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel inbred lines with complete genome sequences, and mapped expression quantitative trait loci for annotated genes, novel transcribed regions (most of which are long noncoding RNAs), transposable elements and microbial species. We identified host variants that affect expression of transposable elements, independent of their copy number, as well as microbiome composition. We constructed sex-specific expression quantitative trait locus regulatory networks. These networks are enriched for novel transcribed regions and target genes in heterochromatin and euchromatic regions of reduced recombination, and genes regulating transposable element expression. This study provides new insights regarding the role of natural genetic variation in regulating gene expression and generates testable hypotheses for future functional analyses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Everett, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyman, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arya, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Geisz, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morgante, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>St. Armour, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turlapati, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anholt, R. R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mackay, T. F. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/816579</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gene Expression Networks in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/869685v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Chromosomal length reference assembly for Diaphorina citri using single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C proximity ligation with manually curated genes in developmental, structural and immune pathways 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/869685v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundDiaphorina citri is a vector of "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas), the gram-negative bacterial pathogen associated with citrus greening disease. Control measures rely on pesticides with negative impacts on the environment, natural ecosystems and human and animal health. In contrast, gene-targeting methods have the potential to specifically target the vector species and/or reduce pathogen transmission.

ResultsTo improve the genomic resources needed for targeted pest control, we assembled a D. citri genome based on PacBio long reads followed by proximity ligation-based scaffolding. The 474 Mb genome has 13 chromosomal-length scaffolds. 1,036 genes were manually curated as part of a community annotation project, composed primarily of undergraduate students. We also computationally identified a total of 1,015 putative transcription factors (TFs) and were able to infer motifs for 337 TFs (33 %). In addition, we produced a genome-independent transcriptome and genomes for D. citri endosymbionts.

ConclusionsManual annotation provided more accurate gene models for use by researchers and also provided an excellent training opportunity for students from multiple institutions. All resources are available on CitrusGreening.org and NCBI. The chromosomal-length D. citri genome assembly serves as a blueprint for the development of collaborative genomics projects for other medically and agriculturally significant insect vectors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hosmani, P. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flores-Gonzalez, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shippy, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vosburg, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Massimino, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tank, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reynolds, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tamayo, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Norus, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kercher, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grace, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jernigan, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harper, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adkins, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeLaFlor, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paris, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vandervoort, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adams, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Norman, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ventura, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perry, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weirauch, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benoit, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunter, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiersma-Koch, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>D'elia, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mueller, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saha, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2019-12-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/869685</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Chromosomal length reference assembly for Diaphorina citri using single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C proximity ligation with manually curated genes in developmental, structural and immune pathways]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2019-12-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.556668v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Large-scale phenotypic and genomic characterization of Listeria monocytogenes susceptibility to quaternary ammonium compounds 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.556668v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Listeria monocytogenes is a significant concern for the food industry due to its ability to persist in the food processing environment. Decreased susceptibility to disinfectants is one of the factors that contribute to the persistence of L. monocytogenes. The objective of this study was to explore the diversity of L. monocytogenes susceptibility to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) using 1,671 L. monocytogenes isolates. This was used to determine the phenotype-genotype concordance and characterize genomes of the QAC sensitive and tolerant isolates for stress resistance, virulence and plasmid replicon genes. Distribution of QAC tolerance genes among 37,897 publicly available L. monocytogenes genomes were also examined. The minimum inhibitory concentration to QACs was determined by the broth microdilution method and non-sequenced isolates (n=1,244) were whole genome sequenced. Genotype-phenotype concordance was 99% for benzalkonium chloride, DDAC and a commercial QAC based sanitizer. Prevalence of QAC tolerance genes was 23% and 28% in our L. monocytogenes collection and in the global dataset, respectively. qacH was the most prevalent gene in our collection (61%), with 19% prevalence in the global dataset. Notably, bcrABC was most common (72%) globally, while 25% in our collection. Prevalence of emrC and emrE was comparable in both datasets, 7% and 2%, respectively. Replicon genes, indicative of plasmid harborage, were detected in 44% of the isolates and associated with the QAC tolerant phenotype. The presented analysis is based on the biggest L. monocytogenes collection in diversity and quantity for characterization of the L. monocytogenes QAC tolerance at both phenotypic and genomic levels.

IMPORTANCEContamination of Listeria monocytogenes within the food processing environment is of concern to the food industry due to challenges in eradicating the pathogen once it becomes persistent in the environment. Genetic markers associated with increased tolerance to disinfectants have been identified, which alongside factors favor the persistence of L. monocytogenes in the production environment. By employing a comprehensive large-scale phenotypic testing and genomic analysis our study significantly enhances the understanding of the prevalence of quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) tolerant L. monocytogenes and the genetic determinants associated with the increased tolerance. Furthermore, we report on the prevalence of QAC tolerance genes among 37,897 publicly available L. monocytogenes sequences and their distribution within clonal complexes, isolation sources and geographical locations. As the propagation of QAC tolerance showed not be evenly distributed globally this highlights that understanding the development of L. monocytogenes disinfectant tolerance can be monitored using publicly available WGS data.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ivanova, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laage Kragh, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Szarvas, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tosun, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmud, N. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gmeiner, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amar, C. F. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guldimann, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huynh, T. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Karpiskova, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garcia, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aboagye, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Etter, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Centorame, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torresi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Angelis, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pomilio, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okholm, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleta, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lüth, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pietzka, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pagotto, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kovacevic, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rychli, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zdovc, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Papic, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heir, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Langsrud, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moretro, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roger, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kathariou, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tasara, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aarestrup, F. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Njage, P. M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fagerlund, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Truelstrup Hansen, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leekitcharoenphon, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.07.556668</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Large-scale phenotypic and genomic characterization of Listeria monocytogenes susceptibility to quaternary ammonium compounds]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.13.557574v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Need for Stronger Regulation: Commercially Sold Probiotics for Honey Bees Do Not Live Up to Their Claims 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.13.557574v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Antibiotic use in apiculture is often necessary to ensure the survival of honey bee colonies. However, beekeepers are faced with the dilemma of needing to combat bacterial brood infections while also knowing that antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria important for bee health. In recent years, bee probiotics have become increasingly purchased by beekeepers because of product claims like being able to "replenish the microbes lost due to agricultural modifications of honey bees environment" or "promote optimal gut health." Unfortunately, these products have little scientific evidence to support their efficacy, and previous lab experiments have refuted some of their claims. Here, we performed hive-level field experiments to test the effectiveness of SuperDFM-HoneyBee -the most commonly purchased honey bee probiotic in the United States- on restoring the honey bee gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment. We found slight but significant changes in the microbiota composition of bees following oxytetracycline (TerraPro) treatment and no difference between the microbiota of antibiotic treated bees with or without subsequent probiotic supplementation. Moreover, the microorganisms in the probiotic supplement were never found in the guts of the worker bee samples. These results highlight that more research is needed to test the efficacy and outcomes of currently available commercial honey bee probiotic supplements.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Damico, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beasley, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenstein, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raymann, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.13.557574</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Need for Stronger Regulation: Commercially Sold Probiotics for Honey Bees Do Not Live Up to Their Claims]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.11.557187v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Numerical and analytical simulation of the growth of amyloid-β plaques 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.11.557187v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Numerical and analytical solutions were employed to calculate the radius of an amyloid-{beta} (A{beta}) plaque over time. To the authors knowledge, this study presents the first model simulating the growth of A{beta} plaques. Findings indicate that the plaque can attain a diameter of 50 m after 20 years of growth, provided the A{beta} monomer degradation machinery is malfunctioning. A mathematical model incorporates nucleation and autocatalytic growth processes using the Finke-Watzky model. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations was solved numerically, and for the simplified case of infinitely long A{beta} monomer half-life, an analytical solution was found. Assuming that A{beta} aggregates stick together and using the distance between the plaques as an input parameter of the model, it was possible to calculate the plaque radius from the concentration of A{beta} aggregates. This led to the "cube root hypothesis," positing that A{beta} plaque size increases proportionally to the cube root of time. This hypothesis helps explain why larger plaques grow more slowly. Furthermore, the obtained results suggest that the plaque size is independent of the kinetic constants governing A{beta} plaque agglomeration, indicating that the kinetics of A{beta} plaque agglomeration is not a limiting factor for plaque growth. Instead, the plaque growth rate is limited by the rates of A{beta} monomer production and degradation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.11.557187</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Numerical and analytical simulation of the growth of amyloid-β plaques]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.16.557782v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A cell-free transcription-translation pipeline for recreating methylation patterns boosts DNA transformation in bacteria 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.16.557782v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The bacterial world offers diverse strains for understanding medical and environmental processes and for engineering synthetic-biology chasses. However, genetically manipulating these strains has faced a long-standing bottleneck: how to efficiently transform DNA. Here we report IMPRINT, a generalized, rapid and scalable approach based on cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) systems to overcome DNA restriction, a prominent barrier to transformation. IMPRINT utilizes TXTL to express DNA methyltransferases from the bacterial hosts restriction-modification systems. The expressed methyltransferases then methylate DNA in vitro to match the host DNAs methylation pattern, circumventing restriction and enhancing transformation. With IMPRINT, we efficiently multiplex methylation by diverse DNA methyltransferases and enhance plasmid transformation in gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. We also developed a high-throughput pipeline that identifies the most consequential methyltransferases, and we apply IMPRINT to facilitate a library screen for translational rules in a hard-to-transform Bifidobacterium. Overall, IMPRINT can enhance DNA transformation, enabling use of increasingly sophisticated genetic manipulation tools across the bacterial world.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vento, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durmusoglu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sullivan, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ttofali, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Schaik, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barquist, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.16.557782</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A cell-free transcription-translation pipeline for recreating methylation patterns boosts DNA transformation in bacteria]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.13.557544v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Deep autoencoder-based behavioral pattern recognition outperforms standard statistical methods in high-dimensional zebrafish studies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.13.557544v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Zebrafish have become an essential tool in screening for developmental neurotoxic chemicals and their molecular targets. The success of zebrafish as a screening model is partially due to their physical characteristics including their relatively simple nervous system, rapid development, experimental tractability, and genetic diversity combined with technical advantages that allow for the generation of large amounts of high-dimensional behavioral data. These data are complex and require advanced machine learning and statistical techniques to comprehensively analyze and capture spatiotemporal responses. To accomplish this goal, we have trained semi-supervised deep autoencoders using behavior data from unexposed larval zebrafish to extract quintessential "normal" behavior. Following training, our network was evaluated using data from larvae shown to have significant changes in behavior (using a traditional statistical framework) following exposure to toxicants that include nanomaterials, aromatics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other environmental contaminants. Further, our model identified new chemicals (Perfluoro-n-octadecanoic acid, 8-Chloroperfluorooctylphosphonic acid, and Nonafluoropentanamide) as capable of inducing abnormal behavior at multiple chemical-concentrations pairs not captured using distance moved alone. Leveraging this deep learning model will allow for better characterization of the different exposure-induced behavioral phenotypes, facilitate improved genetic and neurobehavioral analysis in mechanistic determination studies and provide a robust framework for analyzing complex behaviors found in higher-order model systems.

Author SummaryWe demonstrate that a deep autoencoder using raw behavioral tracking data from zebrafish toxicity screens outperforms conventional statistical methods, resulting in a comprehensive evaluation of behavioral data. Our models can accurately distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior with near-complete overlap with existing statistical approaches, with many chemicals detectable at lower concentrations than with conventional statistical tests; this is a crucial finding for the protection of public health. Our deep learning models enable the identification of new substances capable of inducing aberrant behavior, and we generated new data to demonstrate the reproducibility of these results. Thus, neurodevelopmentally active chemicals identified by our deep autoencoder models may represent previously undetectable signals of subtle individual response differences. Our method elegantly accounts for the high degree of behavioral variability associated with the genetic diversity found in a highly outbred population, as is typical for zebrafish research, thereby making it applicable to multiple laboratories. Utilizing the vast quantities of control data generated during high-throughput screening is one of the most innovative aspects of this study and to our knowledge is the first study to explicitly develop a deep autoencoder model for anomaly detection in large-scale toxicological behavior studies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Green, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Truong, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thunga, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leong, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hancock, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tanguay, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reif, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.13.557544</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Deep autoencoder-based behavioral pattern recognition outperforms standard statistical methods in high-dimensional zebrafish studies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.557618v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transposable element abundance subtly contributes to lower fitness in maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.557618v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Transposable elements (TEs) have long been shown to have deleterious effects on the survival and reproduction of their host organism. As TEs are mobile DNA that jump to new positions, this deleterious cost can occur directly, by inserting into genes and regulatory sequences. Classical population genetic theory suggests copy-number dependent selection against TEs is necessary to prevent TEs from expanding so much they take over a genome. Such models have been difficult to interpret when applied to large genomes like maize, where there are hundreds of thousands of TE insertions that collectively make up 85% of the genome. Here, we use nearly 5000 inbred lines from maize mapping populations and a pan-genomic imputation approach to measure TE content. Segregating TE content gives rise to 100 Mb differences between individuals, and populations often show transgressive segregation in TE content. We use replicated phenotypes measured in hybrids across numerous years and environments to empirically measure the fitness costs of TEs. For an annual plant like maize, grain yield is not only a key agronomic phenotype, but also a direct measure of reproductive output. We find weak negative effects of TE accumulation on grain yield, nearing the limit of the efficacy of natural selection in maize. This results in a loss of one kernel ({approx}0.1% of average per-plant yield) for every additional 14 Mb of TE content. This deleterious load is enriched in TEs within 1 kilobase of genes and young TE insertions. Together, we provide rare empirical measurements of the fitness costs of TEs, and suggest that the TEs we see today in the genome have been filtered by selection against their deleterious consequences on maize fitness.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Stitzer, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khaipho-Burch, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hudson, A. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Valdes-Franco, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramstein, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Feschotte, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.18.557618</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transposable element abundance subtly contributes to lower fitness in maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.558157v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genome-wide Characterization of Diverse Bacteriophages Enabled by RNA-Binding CRISPRi 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.558157v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacteriophages constitute one of the largest sources of unknown gene content in the biosphere. Even for well-studied model phages, robust experimental approaches to identify and study their essential genes remain elusive. We uncover and exploit the conserved vulnerability of the phage transcriptome to facilitate genome-wide protein expression knockdown via programmable RNA-binding protein dRfxCas13d (CRISPRi-ART) across diverse phages and their host. Establishing the first broad-spectrum phage functional genomics platform, we predict over 90 essential genes across four phage genomes, a third of which have no known function. These results highlight hidden infection strategies encoded in the most abundant biological entities on earth and provide a facile platform to study them.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adler, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al-Shimary, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patel, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ambruster, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colognori, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charles, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, K. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lahiri, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trinidad, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boger, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nomburg, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beurnier, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cui, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrangou, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mutalik, V. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schoeniger, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pogliano, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Savage, D. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doudna, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cress, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.18.558157</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genome-wide Characterization of Diverse Bacteriophages Enabled by RNA-Binding CRISPRi]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.558286v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Plant-based production of diverse human milk oligosaccharides 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.558286v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a diverse class of carbohydrates that aid in the health and development of infants. The vast health benefits of HMOs have made them a commercial target for microbial production; however, producing the [~]130 structurally diverse HMOs at scale has proven difficult. Here, we produce a vast diversity of HMOs by leveraging the robust carbohydrate anabolism of plants. This diversity includes high value HMOs, such as lacto-N-fucopentaose I, that have not yet been commercially produced using state-of-the-art microbial fermentative processes. HMOs produced in transgenic plants provided strong bifidogenic properties, indicating their ability to serve as a prebiotic supplement. Technoeconomic analyses demonstrate that producing HMOs in plants provides a path to the large-scale production of specific HMOs at lower prices than microbial production platforms. Our work demonstrates the promise in leveraging plants for the cheap and sustainable production of HMOs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Barnum, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paviani, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Couture, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Masarweh, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mills, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lebrilla, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barile, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shih, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.18.558286</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Plant-based production of diverse human milk oligosaccharides]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.19.558515v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exportin 1 is required for the reproduction and maize mosaic virus accumulation in its insect vector Peregrinus maidis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.19.558515v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Exportin 1 (XPO1) is the major karyopherin-{beta} nuclear receptor mediating the nuclear export of hundreds of proteins and some classes of RNA and regulates several critical processes in the cell, including but not limited to, cell-cycle progression, transcription, translation, oncogenesis and longevity. Viruses have co-opted XPO1 to promote nucleocytoplasmic transport of viral proteins and RNA. Maize mosaic virus (MMV) is an Alphanucleorhabdovirus transmitted in a circulative propagative manner by the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis. MMV replicates in the nucleus of plant and insect hosts, and it remains unknown whether MMV co-opts P. maidis XPO1 (PmXPO1) to complete its life cycle. Because XPO1 plays multiple regulatory roles in cell functions and virus infection, we hypothesized that RNAi-mediated silencing of XPO1 would simultaneously and negatively affect MMV accumulation and insect physiology. Although PmXPO1 expression was not modulated during MMV infection, PmXPO1 knockdown negatively affected MMV accumulation in P. maidis at 12 and 15 days after microinjection. Likewise, PmXPO1 knockdown negatively affected P. maidis survival and reproduction. PmXPO1 exhibited tissue specific expression patterns with higher expression in the ovaries compared to the guts of adult females. Survival rate was significantly lower for PmXPO1 knockdown females, compared to controls, but no effect was observed for males. Adult females with PmXPO1 knockdown were heavier and had a larger abdomen compared to controls at 4, 8 and 12 days after dsRNA microinjection. Consistent with an increase in weight, glyceride content specifically and significantly increased in PmXPO1 knockdown female planthoppers. Ovary development was significantly inhibited, and mature eggs were not observed in adult females with PmXPO1 knockdown. Consistent with a major role of PmXPO1 in ovary function and egg production, oviposition and egg hatch in plants was dramatically reduced in dsRNA PmXPO1 treated insects compared with control. Altogether, these results suggest that PmXPO1 is a positive regulator of P. maidis reproduction and that it plays a proviral role in the insect vector supporting MMV infection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xavier, C. A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kerner, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.19.558515</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exportin 1 is required for the reproduction and maize mosaic virus accumulation in its insect vector Peregrinus maidis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.19.558553v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multi-omics analysis reveals signatures of selection and loci associated with complex traits in pigs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.19.558553v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Selection signatures that contribute to phenotypic diversity, especially morphogenesis in pigs, remain to be further elucidated. To reveal the regulatory role of genetic variations in phenotypic differences between Eastern and Western pig breeds, we performed a systematic analysis based on seven high-quality de novo assembled genomes, 1,081 resequencing data representing 78 domestic breeds, 162 methylomes, and 162 transcriptomes of skeletal muscle from Tongcheng (Eastern) and Landrace (Western) pigs at 27 developmental stages. Selective sweep uncovers different genetic architectures behind divergent selection directions for the Eastern and Western breeds. Notably, two loci showed functional alterations by almost fixed missense mutations. By integrating time-course transcriptome and methylome, we revealed differences in developmental timing during myogenesis between Eastern and Western breeds. Genetic variants under artificial selection have critical regulatory effects on progression patterns of heterochronic genes like GHSR and BDH1, by the interaction of local DNA methylation status, particularly during embryonic development. Altogether, our work not only provides valuable resources for understanding pig complex traits, but also contributes to human biomedical research.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yi, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mo, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fan, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yuan, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yin, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Groenen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.19.558553</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multi-omics analysis reveals signatures of selection and loci associated with complex traits in pigs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.20.557316v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Context-dependent hyperactivity in syngap1a and syngap1b zebrafish autism models. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.20.557316v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background and AimsSYNGAP1 disorder is a prevalent genetic form of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability (ASD/ID) and is caused by de novo or inherited mutations in one copy of the SYNGAP1 gene. In addition to ASD/ID, SYNGAP1 disorder is associated with comorbid symptoms including treatment-resistant-epilepsy, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal distress. Mechanistic links between these diverse symptoms and SYNGAP1 variants remain obscure, therefore, our goal was to generate a zebrafish model in which this range of symptoms can be studied.

MethodsWe used CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce frameshift mutations in the syngap1a and syngap1b zebrafish duplicates (syngap1ab) and validated these stable models for Syngap1 loss-of-function. Because SYNGAP1 is extensively spliced, we mapped splice variants to the two zebrafish syngap1a and b genes and identified mammalian-like isoforms. We then quantified locomotory behaviors in zebrafish syngap1ab larvae under three conditions that normally evoke different arousal states in wild type larvae: aversive, high-arousal acoustic, medium-arousal dark, and low-arousal light stimuli.

ResultsWe show that CRISPR/Cas9 indels in zebrafish syngap1a and syngap1b produced loss-of-function alleles at RNA and protein levels. Our analyses of zebrafish Syngap1 isoforms showed that, as in mammals, zebrafish Syngap1 N- and C-termini are extensively spliced. We identified a zebrafish syngap1 1-like variant that maps exclusively to the syngap1b gene. Quantifying locomotor behaviors showed that syngap1ab larvae are hyperactive compared to wild type but to differing degrees depending on the stimulus. Hyperactivity was most pronounced in low arousal settings, with overall movement increasing with the number of mutant syngap1 alleles.

ConclusionsOur data support mutations in zebrafish syngap1ab as causal for hyperactivity associated with elevated arousal that is especially pronounced in low-arousal environments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sumathipala, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kozol, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Araki, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Syed, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huganir, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dallman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.20.557316</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Context-dependent hyperactivity in syngap1a and syngap1b zebrafish autism models.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.21.558738v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Into the Wild: A novel wild-derived inbred strain resource expands the genomic and phenotypic diversity of laboratory mouse models 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.21.558738v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The laboratory mouse has served as the premier animal model system for both basic and preclinical investigations for a century. However, laboratory mice capture a narrow subset of the genetic variation found in wild mouse populations. This consideration inherently restricts the scope of potential discovery in laboratory models and narrows the pool of potentially identified phenotype-associated variants and pathways. Wild mouse populations are reservoirs of predicted functional and disease-associated alleles, but the sparsity of commercially available, well-characterized wild mouse strains limits their broader adoption in biomedical research. To overcome this barrier, we have recently imported, sequenced, and phenotyped a set of 11 wild-derived inbred strains developed from wild-caught Mus musculus domesticus. Each of these "Nachman strains" immortalizes a unique wild haplotype sampled from five environmentally diverse locations across North and South America: Saratoga Springs, New York, USA; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Manaus, Brazil; Tucson, Arizona, USA; and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Whole genome sequence analysis reveals that each strain carries between 4.73-6.54 million single nucleotide differences relative to the mouse reference assembly, with 42.5% of variants in the Nachman strain genomes absent from classical inbred mouse strains. We phenotyped the Nachman strains on a customized pipeline to assess the scope of disease-relevant neurobehavioral, biochemical, physiological, metabolic, and morphological trait variation. The Nachman strains exhibit significant inter-strain variation in >90% of 1119 surveyed traits and expand the range of phenotypic diversity captured in classical inbred strain panels alone. Taken together, our work introduces a novel wild-derived inbred mouse strain resource that will enable new discoveries in basic and preclinical research. These strains are currently available through The Jackson Laboratory Repository under laboratory code NachJ.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dumont, B. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gatti, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ballinger, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phifer-Rixey, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheehan, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suzuki, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wooldridge, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Opoku Frempong, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Churchill, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lutz, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosenthal, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nachman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.21.558738</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Into the Wild: A novel wild-derived inbred strain resource expands the genomic and phenotypic diversity of laboratory mouse models]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.558136v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Testing Adaptive Therapy Protocols using Gemcitabine and Capecitabine on a Mouse Model of Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.18.558136v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Highly effective cancer therapies often face limitations due to acquired resistance and toxicity. Adaptive therapy, an ecologically inspired approach, seeks to control therapeutic resistance and minimize toxicity by leveraging competitive interactions between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant subclones, prioritizing patient survival and quality of life over maximum cell kill. In preparation for a clinical trial in breast cancer, we used large populations of MCF7 cells to rapidly generate endocrine-resistance breast cancer cell line. We then mimicked second line therapy in ER+ breast cancers by treating the endocrine-resistant MCF7 cells in a mouse xenograft model to test adaptive therapy with capecitabine, gemcitabine, or the combination of those two drugs. Dose-modulation adaptive therapy with capecitabine alone increased survival time relative to MTD, but not statistically significant (HR: 0.22, 95% CI 0.043-1.1 P = 0.065). However, when we alternated the drugs in both dose modulation (HR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.024 - 0.55, P = 0.007) and intermittent adaptive therapies significantly increased survival time compared to high dose combination therapy (HR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.013 - 0.42; P = 0.003). Overall, survival time increased with reduced dose for both single drugs (P < 0.01) and combined drugs (P < 0.001). Adaptive therapy protocols resulted in tumors with lower proportions of proliferating cells (P = 0.0026) and more apoptotic cells (P = 0.045). The results show that Adaptive therapy outperforms high-dose therapy in controlling endocrine-resistant breast cancer, favoring slower-growing tumors, and showing promise in two-drug alternating regimens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>SEYEDI, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teo, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saha, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mina, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Northfelt, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shibata, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gatenby, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cisneros, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Troan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, A. R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.18.558136</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Testing Adaptive Therapy Protocols using Gemcitabine and Capecitabine on a Mouse Model of Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.21.558844v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multi-signal regulation of the GSK-3β homolog Rim11 governs meiosis entry in yeast 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.21.558844v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Starvation of budding yeast diploid cells induces the cell-fate program that drives meiosis and spore formation. Transcription activation of early meiotic genes (EMGs) requires the transcription activator Ime1, its DNA-binding partner Ume6, and GSK-3{beta} kinase Rim11. Phosphorylation of Ume6 by Rim11 is key for EMG activation. We report that Rim11 integrates multiple input signals to control Ume6 phosphorylation and EMG transcription. Under nutrient-rich conditions PKA represses Rim11 to low levels while TORC1 keeps Rim11 localized to the cytoplasm. Inhibiting PKA and TORC1 induces Rim11 expression and nuclear localization. Remarkably, nuclear Rim11 is required, but not sufficient, for Rim11-dependent Ume6 phosphorylation. Additionally, Ime1 is an essential anchor protein for phosphorylating Ume6. Subsequently, Ume6-Ime1 coactivator complexes form that drive EMG transcription. Our results demonstrate how varied signalling inputs (PKA/TORC1/Ime1) integrated by Rim11 determine EMG expression and entry into meiosis. We propose that the signalling-regulatory network described here generates robustness in cell-fate control.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kociemba, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joergensen, A. C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tadic, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sideri, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chan, W. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ibrahim, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unal, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Skehel, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shahrezaei, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arguello-Miranda, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Werven, F. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.21.558844</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multi-signal regulation of the GSK-3β homolog Rim11 governs meiosis entry in yeast]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.22.558967v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Variability in the phytoplankton response to upwelling across an iron limitation mosaic within the California Current System 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.22.558967v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Coastal upwelling currents such as the California Current System (CCS) comprise some of the most productive biological systems on the planet. Diatoms, a distinct taxon of phytoplankton, dominate these upwelling events in part due to their rapid response to nutrient entrainment. In this region, they may also be limited by the micronutrient iron (Fe), an important trace element primarily involved in photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation. The mechanisms behind how diatoms physiologically acclimate to the different stages of the upwelling conveyor belt cycle with respect to Fe limitation remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we explore their physiological and metatranscriptomic response to the upwelling cycle with respect to the Fe limitation mosaic that exists in the CCS. Subsurface, natural plankton assemblages that would potentially seed surface blooms were examined over wide and narrow shelf regions. The initial biomass and physiological state of the phytoplankton community had a large impact on the overall response to simulated upwelling. Following on-deck incubation under varying Fe physiological states, our results suggest that diatoms quickly dominated the blooms by "frontloading" nitrogen assimilation genes prior to upwelling. However, diatoms subjected to induced Fe limitation exhibited reductions in carbon and nitrogen uptake and decreasing biomass accumulation. Simultaneously, they exhibited a distinct gene expression response which included increased expression of Fe-starvation induced proteins and decreased expression of nitrogen assimilation and photosynthesis genes. These findings may have significant implications for upwelling events in future oceans, where changes in ocean conditions are projected to amplify the gradient of Fe limitation in coastal upwelling regions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lin, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torano, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitehouse, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pierce, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Till, C. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hurst, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freiberger, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mellett, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maldonado, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guo, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sutton, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeitz, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marchetti, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.22.558967</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Variability in the phytoplankton response to upwelling across an iron limitation mosaic within the California Current System]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.23.559127v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Sex differences in avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in mice: Interactions between estrous cycle and genetic background 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.23.559127v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide, exhibit high heritability, and affect twice as many women as men. To evaluate potential interactions between genetic background and cycling ovarian hormones on sex differences in susceptibility to negative valence behaviors relevant to anxiety disorders, we assayed avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in gonadally-intact adult male and female mice across four common inbred mouse strains: C57Bl/6J, 129S1/SVlmJ, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ. Independent of sex, C57Bl/6J mice exhibited low avoidance but high threat memory, 129S1/SvlmJ mice high avoidance and high threat memory, DBA/2J mice low avoidance and low threat memory, and BALB/cJ mice high avoidance but low threat memory. Within-strain comparisons revealed reduced avoidance behavior in the high hormone phase of the estrous cycle (proestrus) compared to all other estrous phases in all strains except DBA/2J, which did not exhibit cycle-dependent behavioral fluctuations. Robust and opposing sex differences in threat conditioning and extinction training were found in the C57Bl/6J and 129S1/SvlmJ lines, whereas no sex differences were observed in the DBA/2J or BALB/cJ lines. C57Bl/6J males exhibited enhanced acute threat memory, whereas 129S1/SvlmJ females exhibited enhanced sustained threat memory, compared to their sex-matched littermates. These effects were not mediated by estrous cycle stage or sex differences in active versus passive defensive behavioral responses. Our data demonstrate that core features of behavioral endophenotypes relevant to anxiety disorders, such as avoidance and threat memory, are genetically driven yet dissociable and can be influenced further by cycling ovarian hormones.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ryherd, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bunce, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baumgartner, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lucas, E. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-09-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.09.23.559127</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Sex differences in avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in mice: Interactions between estrous cycle and genetic background]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-09-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.03.560696v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Programming dynamic division of labor using horizontal gene transfer 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.03.560696v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The metabolic engineering of microbes has broad applications, including in biomanufacturing, bioprocessing, and environmental remediation. The introduction of a complex, multi-step pathway often imposes a substantial metabolic burden on the host cell, restraining the accumulation of productive biomass and limiting pathway efficiency. One strategy to alleviate metabolic burden is division of labor (DOL), in which different subpopulations carry out different parts of the pathway and work together to convert a substrate into a final product. However, the maintenance of different engineered subpopulations is challenging due to competition and convoluted inter-strain population dynamics. Through modeling, we show that dynamic division of labor (DDOL) mediated by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) can overcome these limitations and enable the robust maintenance of burdensome, multi-step pathways. We also use plasmid genomics to uncover evidence that DDOL is a strategy utilized by natural microbial communities. Our work suggests that bioengineers can harness HGT to stabilize synthetic metabolic pathways in microbial communities, enabling the development of robust engineered systems for deployment in a variety of contexts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hamrick, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maddamsetti, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Son, H.-I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>You, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.03.560696</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Programming dynamic division of labor using horizontal gene transfer]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.04.560869v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid evolution of pesticide resistance via adaptation and interspecific introgression in a major North American crop pest 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.04.560869v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Insect crop pests threaten global food security. This threat is amplified through the spread of non-native species and the evolution of pesticide resistance, which can be introduced to a population though de novo mutation or gene flow. We investigate these processes in an economically important noctuid crop pest, Helicoverpa zea, which has rapidly evolved resistance to several pesticides. Its sister species Helicoverpa armigera, first detected as an invasive species in Brazil in 2013, introduced the pyrethroid resistance gene CYP337B3 to South American H. zea via introgression. To understand whether this contributes to pesticide resistance in North America, we sequenced 237 H. zea genomes across 10 sample sites in the US. First, we report H. armigera introgression into the North American H. zea population. Two individuals sampled in Texas in 2019 carry H. armigera haplotypes in a 4Mbp region containing CYP337B3. Second, we show that the remarkable dispersal ability of H. zea results in a panmictic North American population. Third, we detect signatures of selection in non-admixed H. zea, identifying a selective sweep at a second pesticide resistance locus with a similar name: CYP333B3. We estimate that its derived allele conferred a [~]4.9% fitness advantage and show that this estimate explains independently observed rare nonsynonymous CYP333B3 mutations approaching fixation over a [~]20-year period. We also detect putative signatures of selection at a kinesin gene associated with Bt resistance. Our results show that pesticide resistance in H. zea evolved rapidly and recently via two independent mechanisms: interspecific introgression and rapid intraspecific adaptation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>North, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Metz, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stull, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shirley, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crumley, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reisig, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kerns, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilligan, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walsh, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiggins, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sword, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.04.560869</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid evolution of pesticide resistance via adaptation and interspecific introgression in a major North American crop pest]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.08.561373v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Climate warming suppresses soil abundant fungal taxa and reduces soil carbon efflux in a semi-arid grassland 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.08.561373v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The abundance, diversity and activity of soil microorganisms critically control the fate of recent plant carbon (C) inputs as well as protecting soil organic C, regulating C-climate feedbacks. However, the effects of climate change drivers such as warming and precipitation change on soil microbial communities and C dynamics remain poorly understood. Utilizing a long-term field warming and precipitation manipulation in a semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau and a complementary incubation experiment, here we show that warming and rainfall reduction differentially affect the abundance and composition of bacteria and fungi, and soil C efflux. Warming significantly reduced the abundance of fungi but not bacteria, increasing the relative dominance of bacteria in the soil microbial community. In particular, warming shifted the community composition of abundant fungi in favor of oligotrophic Capnodiales and Hypocreales over potential saprotroph Archaeorhizomycetales. In contrast, precipitation reduction increased soil microbial biomass, but did not significantly affect either the abundance or diversity of bacteria. Furthermore, soil abundant, not rare, fungal community composition was significantly correlated with soil CO2 efflux. Our findings suggest that alterations in the fungal community composition, in response to changes in soil C and moisture, dominate the microbial responses to climate change and thus control soil C dynamics in semi-arid grasslands.

Impact statementSemi-arid grasslands play a critical role in global carbon (C) cycle and potential feedbacks to climate change. Understanding the responses of soil microorganisms to warming and rainfall change is key to evaluating and predicting semi-arid grassland soil C dynamics under future climate change scenarios. Our study showed that warming induced a shift in the abundant fungal community, favoring oligotrophic fungi (i.e., Capnodiales and Hypocreales) over the potential saprotrophic Archaeorhizomycetales, and reduced C efflux. These findings advance our understanding of soil microbial and C responses to climate change drivers and may help predict and possibly manage soil C sequestration in semi-arid grasslands.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Qiu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bai, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.08.561373</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Climate warming suppresses soil abundant fungal taxa and reduces soil carbon efflux in a semi-arid grassland]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.09.561410v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An in vitro platform for quantifying cell cycle phase lengths in primary human intestinal stem cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.09.561410v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background and AimsThe intestinal epithelium exhibits dynamic control of cell cycle phase lengths, yet no experimental platform exists for directly analyzing cell cycle phases in living human intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Here, we develop primary human ISC lines with two different reporter constructs to provide fluorescent readouts to analyze cell cycle phases in cycling ISCs.

Methods3D printing was used to construct a collagen press for making chamber slides that support primary human ISC growth and maintenance within the working distance of a confocal microscope objective. The PIP-FUCCI fluorescent cell cycle reporter and a variant with H2A-mScarlet that allows for automated tracking of cell cycle phases (PIP-H2A) were used in human ISCs along with live imaging and EdU pulsing. An analysis pipeline combining free-to-use programs and publicly available code was compiled to analyze live imaging results.

ResultsChamber slides with soft collagen pressed to a thickness of 0.3 mm concurrently support ISC cycling and confocal imaging. PIP-FUCCI ISCs were found to be optimal for snapshot analysis wherein all nuclei are assigned to a cell cycle phase from a single image. PIP-H2A ISCs were better suited for live imaging since constant nuclear signal allowed for more automated analysis. CellPose2 and TrackMate were used together to track cycling cells.

ConclusionsWe present two complete platforms for analyzing cell cycle phases in living primary human ISCs. The PIP-FUCCI construct allows for cell cycle phase assignment from one image of living cells, the PIP-H2A construct allows for semi-automated direct quantification of cell cycle phase lengths in human ISCs using our computational pipeline. These platforms hold great promise for future studies on how pharmaceutical agents affect the intestinal epithelium, how cell cycle is regulated in human ISCs, and more.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cotton, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ariel, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walcott, V. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dixit, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breau, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinesley, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kedziora, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, C. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magness, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burclaff, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.09.561410</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An in vitro platform for quantifying cell cycle phase lengths in primary human intestinal stem cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.563294v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Early root architectural traits and their relationship with yield in Ipomoea batatas L. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.563294v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Root system architecture in storage root crops are an important component of plant growth and yield performance that has received little attention by researchers because of the inherent difficulties posed by in-situ root observation. Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important climate-resilient storage root crop of worldwide importance for both tropical and temperate regions, and identifying genotypes with advantageous root phenotypes and improved root architecture to facilitate breeding for improved storage root yield and quality characteristics in both high and low input scenarios would be beneficial. We evaluated 38 diverse sweetpotato genotypes for early root architectural traits and correlated a subset of these with storage root yield. Early root architectural traits were scanned and digitized using the RhizoVision Explorer software system. Significant genotypic variation was detected for all early root traits including root mass, total root length, root volume, root area and root length by diameter classes. Based on the values of total root length, we separated the 38 genotypes into three root sizes (small, medium, and large). Principal component analysis identified four clusters, primarily defined by shoot mass, root volume, root area, root mass, total root length and root length by diameter class. Average total and marketable yield and number of storage roots, was assessed on a subset of eight genotypes in the field. Several early root traits were positively correlated with total yield, marketable yield, and number of storage roots. These results suggest that root traits, particularly total root length and root mass could improve yield potential and should be incorporated into sweetpotato ideotypes. To help increase sweetpotato performance in challenging environments, breeding efforts may benefit through the incorporation of early root phenotyping using the idea of integrated root phenotypes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Duque, L. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoffmann, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pecota, K. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.20.563294</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Early root architectural traits and their relationship with yield in Ipomoea batatas L.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.563328v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Simple Design for Membrane-Free Microphysiological Systems to Model the Blood-Tissue Barriers 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.563328v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microphysiological systems (MPS) incorporate physiologically relevant microanatomy, mechanics, and cells to mimic tissue function. Reproducible and standardized in vitro models of tissue barriers, such as the blood-tissue interface (BTI), are critical for next-generation MPS applications in research and industry. Many models of the BTI are limited by the need for semipermeable membranes, use of homogenous cell populations, or 2D culture. These factors limit the relevant endothelial-epithelial contact and 3D transport, which would best mimic the BTI. Current models are also difficult to assemble, requiring precise alignment and layering of components. The work reported herein details the engineering of a BTI-on-a-chip (BTI Chip) that addresses current disadvantages by demonstrating a single layer, membrane-free design. Laminar flow profiles, photocurable hydrogel scaffolds, and human cell lines were used to construct a BTI Chip that juxtaposes an endothelium in direct contact with a 3D engineered tissue. A biomaterial composite, gelatin methacryloyl and 8-arm polyethylene glycol thiol, was used for in situ fabrication of a tissue structure within a Y-shaped microfluidic device. To produce the BTI, a laminar flow profile was achieved by flowing a photocurable precursor solution alongside phosphate buffered saline. Immediately after stopping flow, the scaffold underwent polymerization through a rapid exposure to UV light (<300 mJ{middle dot}cm-2). After scaffold formation, blood vessel endothelial cells were introduced and allowed to adhere directly to the 3D tissue scaffold, without barriers or phase guides. Fabrication of the BTI Chip was demonstrated in both an epithelial tissue model and blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. In the epithelial model, scaffolds were seeded with human dermal fibroblasts. For the BBB models, scaffolds were seeded with the immortalized glial cell line, SVGP12. The BTI Chip microanatomy was analyzed post facto by immunohistochemistry, showing the uniform production of a patent endothelium juxtaposed with a 3D engineered tissue. Fluorescent tracer molecules were used to characterize the permeability of the BTI Chip. The BTI Chips were challenged with an efflux pump inhibitor, cyclosporine A, to assess physiological function and endothelial cell activation. Operation of physiologically relevant BTI Chips and a novel means for high-throughput MPS generation was demonstrated, enabling future development for drug candidate screening and fundamental biological investigations.

HIGHLIGHTSO_LIBarrier-type organs-on-a-chip are popular due to their mimicry of a variety of tissue constructs and interfaces.
C_LIO_LITypical barrier-type organs-on-a-chip rely upon microperforated membranes and complex assembly, which limits both ease of fabrication the desired barrier performance.
C_LIO_LIA membrane-free barrier-type organ-on-a-chip is designed, which uses simple Y-channel microfluidics and photopolymerization to form a precise "blood-tissue interface."
C_LIO_LIFabrication of the membrane-free design can be easily parallelized and scaled-up.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Young, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deal, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rusch, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pozdin, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniele, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.20.563328</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Simple Design for Membrane-Free Microphysiological Systems to Model the Blood-Tissue Barriers]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563553v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bacterial diversity and composition on the rinds of specific melon cultivars and hybrids from across different growing regions in the United States 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563553v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The goal of this study was to characterize the bacterial diversity on different melon varieties grown in different regions of the US, and determine the influence that region, rind netting, and variety of melon has on the composition of the melon microbiome. Assessing the bacterial diversity of the microbiome on the melon rind can identify antagonistic and protagonistic bacteria for foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms to improve melon safety, prolong shelf-life, and/or improve overall plant health. Bacterial community composition of melons (n = 603) grown in seven locations over a four-year period were used for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis to identify bacterial diversity and constituents. Statistically significant differences in alpha diversity based on the rind netting and growing region (p < 0.01) were found among the melon samples. Principal Coordinate Analysis based on the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity distance matrix found that the melon bacterial communities clustered more by region rather than melon variety (R2 value: 0.09 & R2 value: 0.02 respectively). Taxonomic profiling among the growing regions found Enterobacteriaceae, Bacillaceae, Microbacteriaceae, and Pseudomonadaceae present on the different melon rinds at an abundance of [&ge;] 0.1%, but no specific core microbiome was found for netted melons. However, a core of Pseudomonadaceae, Bacillaceae, and Exiguobacteraceae were found for non-netted melons. The results of this study indicate that bacterial diversity is driven more by the region that the melons were grown in compared to rind netting or melon type. Establishing the foundation for regional differences could improve melon safety, shelf-life, and quality as well as the consumers health.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Goforth, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Obergh, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Porchas, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crosby, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jifon, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ravishankar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brierley, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leskovar, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turini, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schultheis, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coolong, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koiwa, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patil, B. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cooper, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huynh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parker, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guan, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cooper, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.23.563553</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bacterial diversity and composition on the rinds of specific melon cultivars and hybrids from across different growing regions in the United States]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.26.564154v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Characteristics of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from retail meat products in North Carolina 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.26.564154v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundEscherichia coli is commonly used as an indicator for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food, animal, environment, and human surveillance systems. Our study aimed to characterize AMR in E. coli isolated from retail meat purchased from grocery stores in North Carolina, USA as part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS).

MethodsRetail chicken (breast, n=96; giblets, n=24), turkey (n=96), and pork (n=96) products were purchased monthly from different counties in North Carolina during 2022. Label claims on packages regarding antibiotic use were recorded at collection. E. coli was isolated from meat samples using culture-based methods and isolates were characterized for antimicrobial resistance using whole genome sequencing. Multi-locus sequence typing, phylogroups, and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based maximum-likelihood phylogenic tree were generated. Data were analyzed statistically to determine differences between antibiotic use claims and meat type.

ResultsOf 312 retail meat samples, 138 (44.2%) were positive for E. coli, with turkey (78/138; 56.5%) demonstrating the highest prevalence. Prevalence was lower in chicken (41/138; 29.7%) and pork (19/138;13.8%). Quality sequence data was available from 84.8% (117/138) of the E. coli isolates, which included 72 (61.5%) from turkey, 27 (23.1%) from chicken breast, and 18 (15.4%) from pork. Genes associated with AMR were detected in 77.8% (91/117) of the isolates and 35.9% (42/117) were defined as MDR ([&ge;]3 distinct classes of antimicrobials). Commonly observed AMR genes included tetB (35%), tetA (24.8%), aph(3)-lb (24.8%), and blaTEM-1 (20.5%), the majority of which originated from turkey isolates. Antibiotics use claims had no statistical effect on MDR E. coli isolates from the different meat types (X2=2.21, p =0.33). MDR was observed in isolates from meat products with labels indicating "no claims" (n=29; 69%), "no antibiotics ever" (n=9; 21.4%), and "organic" (n=4; 9.5%). Thirty-four different replicon types were observed. AMR genes were carried on plasmids in 17 E. coli isolates, of which 15 (88.2%) were from turkey and two (11.8%) from chicken. Known sequence types (STs) were described for 81 E. coli isolates, with ST117 (8.5%), ST297 (5.1%), and ST58 (3.4%) being the most prevalent across retail meat types. The most prevalent phylogroups were B1 (29.1%) and A (28.2%). Five clonal patterns were detected among isolates.

ConclusionsE. coli prevalence and the presence of AMR and MDR were highest in turkey retail meat. The lack of an association between MDR E. coli in retail meat and antibiotic use claim, including those with no indication of antimicrobial use, suggests that additional research is required to understand the origin of resistance. The presence of ST117, an emerging human pathogen, warrants further surveillance. The isolates were distinctly diverse suggesting an instability in population dynamics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aworh, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thakur, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gensler, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrell, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harden, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fedorka-Cray, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacob, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.26.564154</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Characteristics of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from retail meat products in North Carolina]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.28.564442v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A normalization method that controls for total RNA abundance affects the identification of differentially expressed genes, revealing bias toward morning-expressed responses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.28.564442v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
RNA-Sequencing is widely used to investigate changes in gene expression at the transcription level in plants. Most plant RNA-Seq analysis pipelines base the normalization approaches on the assumption that total transcript levels do not vary between samples. However, this assumption has not been demonstrated. In fact, many common experimental treatments and genetic alterations affect transcription efficiency or RNA stability, resulting in unequal transcript abundance. The addition of synthetic RNA controls is a simple correction that controls for variation in total mRNA levels. However, adding spike-ins appropriately is challenging with complex plant tissue, and carefully considering how they are added is essential to their successful use. We demonstrate that adding external RNA spike-ins as a normalization control produces differences in RNA-Seq analysis compared to traditional normalization methods, even between two times of day in untreated plants. We illustrate the use of RNA spike-ins with 3 RNA-Seq and present a normalization pipeline that accounts for differences in total transcriptional levels. We evaluate the effect of normalization methods on identifying differentially expressed genes in the context of identifying the effect of the time of day on gene expression and response to chilling stress in sorghum.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Laosuntisuk, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vennapusa, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Somayanda, I. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leman, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagadish, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-10-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.28.564442</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A normalization method that controls for total RNA abundance affects the identification of differentially expressed genes, revealing bias toward morning-expressed responses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-10-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.27.564231v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
No trade-off between ovary activation and immune protein expression in female bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.27.564231v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Evidence for a trade-off between reproduction and immunity has manifested in many animal species, including social insects. However, investigations in social insect queens present a conundrum: new gynes of many social hymenopterans, such as bumble bees and ants, must first mate, then transition from being solitary to social as they establish their nests, thus experiencing confounding shifts in environmental conditions. Worker bumble bees offer an opportunity to investigate patterns of immune protein expression associated with ovary activation while minimizing extraneous environmental factors and genetic differences. Here, we use proteomics to interrogate the patterns of immune protein expression of female bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) by 1) sampling queens at different stages of their life cycle, then 2) by sampling workers with different degrees of ovary activation. Patterns of immune protein expression in the hemolymph of queens are consistent with a reproduction-immunity trade-off, but equivalent samples from workers are not. This brings into question whether queen bumble bees really experience a reproduction-immunity trade-off, or if patterns of immune protein expression may actually be due to the selective pressure of the different environmental conditions they are exposed to during their life cycle.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chapman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bao, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.27.564231</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[No trade-off between ovary activation and immune protein expression in female bumble bees (Bombus impatiens)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.30.564787v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Lewy Body Radius Growth: The Hypothesis of the Cube Root of Time Dependency 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.30.564787v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This paper presents a model for the growth of Lewy bodies (LBs), which are pathological hallmarks of Parkinsons disease (PD). The model simulates the growth of classical LBs, consisting of a core and a halo. The core is assumed to comprise lipid membrane fragments and damaged organelles, while the halo consists of radiating alpha-synuclein (-syn) fibrils. The Finke-Watzky model is employed to simulate the aggregation of lipid fragments and -syn monomers. By analytically and numerically exploring the solutions of the governing equations, approximate solutions were derived, which are applicable for large times. The application of these approximate solutions to simulate LB radius growth led to the discovery of the cube root hypothesis, which posits that the LB radius is proportional to the cube root of its growth time. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the LB radius is unaffected by the kinetic rates of nucleation and autocatalytic growth, with growth primarily regulated by the production rates of lipid membrane fragments and -syn monomers. The model suggests that large LBs relevant to PD can only develop when the machinery responsible for degrading lipid membrane fragments, -syn monomers, and their aggregates is dysfunctional.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.30.564787</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Lewy Body Radius Growth: The Hypothesis of the Cube Root of Time Dependency]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.31.563648v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TaxaNorm: a novel taxa-specific normalization approach for microbiome data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.31.563648v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundIn high-throughput sequencing studies, sequencing depth, which quantifies the total number of reads, varies across samples. Unequal sequencing depth can obscure true biological signals of interest and prevent direct comparisons between samples. To remove variability due to differential sequencing depth, taxa counts are usually normalized before downstream analysis. However, most existing normalization methods scale counts using size factors that are sample specific but not taxa specific, which can result in over- or under-correction for some taxa.

ResultsWe developed TaxaNorm, a novel normalization method based on a zero-inflated negative binomial model. This method assumes the effects of sequencing depth on mean and dispersion vary across taxa. Incorporating the zero-inflation part can better capture the nature of microbiome data. We also propose two corresponding diagnosis tests on the varying sequencing depth effect for validation. We find that TaxaNorm achieves comparable performance to existing methods in most simulation scenarios in downstream analysis and reaches a higher power for some cases. Specifically, it has a well balance on power and false discoveries control. When applying the method in a real dataset, TaxaNorm has improved performance when correcting technical bias.

ConclusionTaxaNorm considers correcting both sample- and taxon-specific bias by introducing an appropriate regression framework in the microbiome data, which aids in data interpretation and visualization. The  TaxaNorm R package is freely available through the CRAN repository https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=TaxaNorm and the source code can be downloaded at https://github.com/wangziyue57/TaxaNorm.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Motsinger-Reif, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.31.563648</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TaxaNorm: a novel taxa-specific normalization approach for microbiome data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.31.564998v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Examination of the quantitative relationship between proteome- and transcriptome-level responses in larval guts of Frankliniella occidentalis infected with an orthotospovirus. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.31.564998v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is the principal thrips vector of Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae (order Bunyavirales, family Tospoviridae), a devastating plant-pathogenic virus commonly referred to as tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). The larval gut is the gateway for virus transmission by F. occidentalis adults to plants. In a previous report, gut expression at the transcriptome-level was subtle but significant in response to TSWV in L1s. Since it has been well documented that the relationship between the expression of mRNA and associated protein products in eukaryotic cells is often discordant, we performed identical, replicated experiments to identify and quantify virus-responsive larval gut proteins to expand our understanding of insect host response to TSWV. While we documented statistically-significant, positive correlations between abundance of proteins (4,189 identified) and their cognate mRNAs expressed in first and second instar guts, there was virtually no alignment of individual genes identified to be differentially modulated by virus infection at the transcriptome and proteome levels. Predicted protein-protein interaction networks associated with clusters of co-expressed proteins revealed wide variation in correlation strength between protein and cognate transcript abundance, which appeared to be associated with the type of cellular processes, cellular compartments, and network connectivity represented by the proteins. In total, our findings indicate distinct and dynamic regulatory mechanisms of transcript and protein abundance (expression, modifications, and/or turnover) in virus-infected gut tissues. This study provides molecular candidates for future functional analysis of thrips vector competence and underscores the necessity of examining complex virus-vector interactions at a systems level.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Han, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.10.31.564998</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Examination of the quantitative relationship between proteome- and transcriptome-level responses in larval guts of Frankliniella occidentalis infected with an orthotospovirus.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.06.565881v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Histone H1x in mouse ventral hippocampus correlates with, but does not cause behavioral adaptations to stress 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.06.565881v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Prior research has identified differential protein expression levels of linker histone H1x within the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) of stress-susceptible versus stress-resilient mice. These mice are behaviorally classified based on their divergent responses to chronic social stress. Here, we sought to determine whether elevated vHipp H1x protein levels directly contribute to these diverging behavioral adaptations to stress. First, we demonstrate that stress-susceptible mice uniquely express elevated vHipp H1x protein levels following chronic stress. Given that linker histones coordinate heterochromatin compaction, we hypothesize that elevated levels of H1x in the vHipp may impede pro-resilience transcriptional adaptations and prevent development of the resilient phenotype following social stress. To test this, 8-10-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to stressed and unstressed groups undergoing 10 days of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) or single housing respectively. Following CSDS, mice were classified as susceptible versus resilient based on their social interaction behaviors. We synthesized a viral overexpression (OE) vector for H1x and transduced experimental mice with either H1x or control GFP within vHipp. Following viral delivery, we conducted social, anxiety-like, and memory-reliant behavior tests on distinct cohorts of mice. We found no behavioral adaptations following H1x OE compared to GFP controls in susceptible, resilient, or unstressed mice. In sum, although we confirm vHipp protein levels of H1x correlate with susceptibility to social stress, we observe no significant behavioral consequence of H1x OE. Thus, we conclude elevated levels of H1x are correlated with, but are not singularly sufficient to drive development of behavioral adaptations to stress.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kim, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Truby, N. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silva, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Picone, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neve, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cui, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.06.565881</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Histone H1x in mouse ventral hippocampus correlates with, but does not cause behavioral adaptations to stress]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.07.565947v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Model-based inference of a plant-specific dual role for HOPS in regulating guard cell vacuole fusion 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.07.565947v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Stomata are the pores on a leaf surface that regulate gas exchange. Each stoma consists of two guard cells whose movements regulate pore opening and thereby control CO2 fixation and water loss. Guard cell movements depend in part on the remodeling of vacuoles, which have been observed to change from a highly fragmented state to a fused morphology during stomata opening. This change in morphology requires a membrane fusion mechanism that responds rapidly to environmental signals, allowing plants to respond to diurnal and stress cues. With guard cell vacuoles being both large and responsive to external signals, stomata represent a unique system in which to delineate mechanisms of membrane fusion.

Fusion of vacuole membranes is a highly conserved process in eukaryotes, with key roles played by two multi-subunit complexes: HOPS (homotypic fusion and vacuolar protein sorting) and SNARE (soluble NSF attachment protein receptor). HOPS is a vacuole tethering factor that is thought to chaperone SNAREs from apposing vacuole membranes into a fusion-competent complex capable of rearranging membranes. To resolve a counter-intuitive observation regarding the role of HOPS in regulating plant vacuole morphology, we derived a quantitative model of vacuole fusion dynamics and used it to generate testable predictions about HOPS-SNARE interactions. We derived our model by applying simulation-based inference to integrate prior knowledge about molecular interactions with limited, qualitative observations of emergent vacuole phenotypes. By constraining the model parameters to yield the emergent outcomes observed for stoma opening - as induced by two distinct chemical treatments - we predicted a dual role for HOPS and identified a stalled form of the SNARE complex that differs from phenomena reported in yeast. We predict that HOPS has contradictory actions at different points in the fusion signaling pathway, promoting the formation of SNARE complexes, but limiting their activity.

Author summaryPlants "breathe" through pores in their leaves where each pore is formed by two specialized cells called guard cells. To open these pores, guard cells change in volume. This volume change is controlled by water-filled organelles called vacuoles that morph from multiple small entities to a few large ones capable of taking up more water to reshape the cell. Specialized proteins in vacuole membranes make this change happen by pulling vacuoles together until they fuse. Some of these proteins reside in membranes, but others must be drawn to the membrane from the cells cytoplasm. Specific lipid molecules in the membrane play an important role in recruiting those proteins to the vacuole membrane. We previously made an unexpected finding that removing this lipid induces plant vacuole fusion. To make sense of this observation, we used a mathematical model to piece together our knowledge of the proteins involved in this process and what we know about the chemical treatments that cause vacuoles to morph. Using computer simulations, we uncovered new rules about how molecules interact in membranes to accomplish the task of vacuole fusion in plants. We think the rules uncovered through mathematical modeling allow plants to respond quickly to environmental cues.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hodgens, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flaherty, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pullen, A.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khan, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>English, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillan, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas-Pierce, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akpa, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.07.565947</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Model-based inference of a plant-specific dual role for HOPS in regulating guard cell vacuole fusion]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.09.565678v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Design of parallel ????-sheet nanofibrils using Monte-Carlo search, coarse-grained simulations, and experimental testing 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.09.565678v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Peptide self-assembly into amyloid fibrils provides numerous applications in drug delivery and biomedical engineering applications. We augment our previously-established computational screening technique along with experimental biophysical characterization to discover 7-mer peptides that self-assemble into "parallel {beta}-sheets", i.e., {beta}-sheets with N-terminus-to-C-terminus {beta}-strand vectors oriented in parallel. To accomplish the desired {beta}-strand organization, we applied the PepAD amino acid sequence design software to the Class-1 cross-{beta} spine defined by Sawaya et al. This molecular configuration includes two layers of parallel {beta}-sheets stacked such that N-terminus-to-C-terminus vectors are oriented antiparallel for molecules on adjacent {beta}-sheets. The first cohort of PepAD identified peptides were examined for their fibrillation behavior in DMD/PRIME20 simulations, and the top performing sequence was selected as a prototype for a subsequent round of sequence refinement. The two rounds of design resulted in a library of eight 7-mer peptides. In DMD/PRIME20 simulations, five of these peptides spontaneously formed fibril-like structures with a predominantly parallel {beta}-sheet arrangement, two formed fibril-like structure with <50% in parallel {beta}-sheet arrangement and one remained a random coil. Among the eight candidate peptides produced by PepAD and DMD/PRIME20, five were synthesized and purified. All five assembled into amyloid fibrils composed of parallel {beta}-sheets based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Circular Dichroism, Electron Microscopy, and Thioflavin-T fluorescence spectroscopy measurements.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sarma, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sudarshan, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robang, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiao, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Le, J. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Helmicki, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paravastu, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, C. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.09.565678</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Design of parallel ????-sheet nanofibrils using Monte-Carlo search, coarse-grained simulations, and experimental testing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.09.566470v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Correlative single molecule lattice light sheet imaging reveals the dynamic relationship between nucleosomes and the local chromatin environment 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.09.566470v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In the nucleus, biological processes are driven by proteins that diffuse through and bind to a meshwork of nucleic acid polymers. To better understand this interplay, we developed an imaging platform to simultaneously visualize single protein dynamics together with the local chromatin environment in live cells. Together with super-resolution imaging, new fluorescent probes, and biophysical modeling, we demonstrated that nucleosomes display differential diffusion and packing arrangements as chromatin density increases whereas the viscoelastic properties and accessibility of the interchromatin space remain constant. Perturbing nuclear functions impacted nucleosome diffusive properties in a manner that was dependent on local chromatin density and supportive of a model wherein transcription locally stabilizes nucleosomes while simultaneously allowing for the free exchange of nuclear proteins. Our results reveal that nuclear heterogeneity arises from both active and passive process and highlights the need to account for different organizational principals when modeling different chromatin environments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Daugird, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rostamian, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lavis, L. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strahl, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Legant, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.09.566470</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Correlative single molecule lattice light sheet imaging reveals the dynamic relationship between nucleosomes and the local chromatin environment]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.10.566613v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantitative Cross-Species Comparison of Serum Albumin Binding of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Five Structural Classes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.10.566613v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of over 8,000 chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to humans, livestock, and wildlife. Serum protein binding affinity is instrumental in understanding PFAS toxicity, yet experimental binding data is limited to only a few PFAS congeners. Previously, we demonstrated the usefulness of a high-throughput, in vitro differential scanning fluorimetry assay for determination of relative binding affinities of human serum albumin for 24 PFAS congeners from 6 chemical classes. In the current study, we used this differential scanning fluorimetry assay to comparatively examine differences in human, bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumin binding of 8 structurally informative PFAS congeners from 5 chemical classes. With the exception of the fluorotelomer alcohol 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctanol (6:2 FTOH), each PFAS congener bound by human serum albumin was also bound by bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumin. The critical role of the charged functional headgroup in albumin binding was supported by the inability of serum albumin of each species tested to bind 6:2 FTOH. Significant interspecies differences in serum albumin binding affinities were identified for each of the bound PFAS congeners. Relative to human albumin, perfluoroalkyl carboxylic and sulfonic acids were bound with greater affinity by porcine and rat serum albumin, and perfluoroalkyl ether congeners bound with lower affinity to porcine and bovine serum albumin. These comparative affinity data for PFAS binding by serum albumin from human, experimental model and livestock species reduce critical interspecies uncertainty and improve accuracy of predictive toxicity assessments for PFAS.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Starnes, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jackson, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rock, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.10.566613</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantitative Cross-Species Comparison of Serum Albumin Binding of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Five Structural Classes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.14.567134v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid Adeno-Associated Virus Genome Quantification with Amplification-Free CRISPR-Cas12a 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.14.567134v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Efficient manufacturing of recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral (rAAV) vectors to meet rising clinical demand remains a major hurdle. One of the most significant challenges is the generation of large amounts of empty capsids without the therapeutic genome. There is no standardized analytical method to accurately quantify the viral genes, and subsequently the empty-to-full ratio, making the manufacturing challenges even more complex. We propose the use of CRISPR diagnostics (CRISPR-Dx) as a robust and rapid approach to determine AAV genome titers. We designed and developed the CRISPR-AAV Evaluation (CRAAVE) assay to maximize sensitivity, minimize time-to-result, and provide a potentially universal design for quantifying multiple transgene constructs encapsidated within different AAV serotypes. We also demonstrate an on-chip CRAAVE assay with lyophilized reagents to minimize end user assay input. The CRAAVE assay was able to detect AAV titers as low as 7e7 vg/mL with high precision (<3% error) in quantifying unknown AAV titers when compared with conventional quantitative PCR (qPCR) method. The assay only requires 30 minutes of assay time, shortening the analytical workflow drastically. Our results suggest CRISPR-Dx could be a promising tool for efficient rAAV genome titer quantification and has the potential to revolutionize biomanufacturing process analytical technology (PAT).

Graphical Abstract

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=183 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/567134v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hetzler, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marinakos, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lott, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohammad, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lass-Napiorkowska, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kolbe, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turrentine, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fields, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Overton, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marie, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hucknall, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rammo, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>George, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.14.567134</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid Adeno-Associated Virus Genome Quantification with Amplification-Free CRISPR-Cas12a]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.17.567539v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Programming Probiotics: Diet-responsive gene expression and colonization control in engineered S. boulardii 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.17.567539v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is an emerging probiotic chassis for delivering biomolecules to the mammalian gut, offering unique advantages as the only eukaryotic probiotic. However, precise control over gene expression and gut residence time in Sb have remained challenging. To address this, we developed five ligand-responsive gene expression systems and repaired galactose metabolism in Sb, enabling inducible gene expression in this strain. Engineering these systems allowed us to construct AND logic gates, control the surface display of proteins, and turn on protein production in the mouse gut in response to a dietary sugar. Additionally, repairing galactose metabolism expanded Sbs habitat within the intestines and resulted in galactose-responsive control over gut residence time. This work opens new avenues for precise dosing of therapeutics by Sb via control over its in vivo gene expression levels and localization within the gastrointestinal tract.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Durmusoglu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haller, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al'Abri, I. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Day, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sands, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vazquez-Uribe, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sommer, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.17.567539</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Programming Probiotics: Diet-responsive gene expression and colonization control in engineered S. boulardii]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.21.568089v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phenology across scales: an intercontinental analysis of leaf-out dates in temperate deciduous tree communities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.21.568089v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AimTo quantify the intra-community variability of leaf-out (ICVLo) among dominant trees in temperate deciduous forests, assess its links with specific and phylogenetic diversity, identify its environmental drivers, and deduce its ecological consequences with regard to radiation received and exposure to late frost.

LocationEastern North America (ENA) and Europe (EUR).

Time period2009-2022

Major taxa studiedTemperate deciduous forest trees.

MethodsWe developed an approach to quantify ICVLo through the analysis of RGB images taken from phenological cameras. We related ICVLo to species richness, phylogenetic diversity and environmental conditions. We quantified the intra-community variability of the amount of radiation received and of exposure to late frost.

ResultsLeaf-out occurred over a longer time interval in ENA than in EUR. The sensitivity of leaf-out to temperature was identical in both regions (-3.4 days per {degrees}C). The distributions of ICVLo were similar in EUR and ENA forests, despite the latter being more species-rich and phylogenetically diverse. In both regions, cooler conditions and an earlier occurrence of leaf-out resulted in higher ICVLo. ICVLo resulted in a ca. 8% difference of radiation absorption over spring among individual trees. Forest communities in ENA had shorter safety margins as regards the exposure to late frosts, and were actually more frequently exposed to late frosts.

Main conclusionsWe conducted the first intercontinental analysis of the variability of leaf-out at the scale of tree communities. North American and European forests showed similar ICVLo, in spite of their differences in terms of species richness and phylogenetic diversity, highlighting the relevance of environmental controls on ICVLo. We quantified two ecological implications of ICVLo (difference in terms of radiation absorption and exposure to late frost), which should be explored in the context of ongoing climate change, which affects trees differently according to their phenological niche.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Delpierre, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garnier, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Treuil-Dussouet, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufkens, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beier, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bell, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berveiller, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cuntz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Curioni, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dahlin, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Denham, S. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Desai, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Domec, J.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hart, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ibrom, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joetzjer, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klosterhalfen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koebsch, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McHale, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morfin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munger, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Noormets, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pilegaard, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pohl, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rebmann, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richardson, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rothstein, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwartz, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilkinson, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soudani, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.21.568089</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phenology across scales: an intercontinental analysis of leaf-out dates in temperate deciduous tree communities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.25.568684v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mechanism of high energy efficiency of carbon fixation by sulfur-oxidizing symbionts revealed by single-cell analyses and metabolic modeling 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.25.568684v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In chemosynthetic symbioses between marine invertebrates and autotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria the symbionts feed their host by producing organic compounds from CO2 using reduced sulfur compounds as an energy source. One such symbiosis, the gutless marine worm Olavius algarvensis harbors at least five bacterial symbionts of which four have the genetic potential for an autotrophic metabolism.

In this study we combined single-cell analyses of CO2 fixation, CO2 release and bulk uptake, with measurements of O2 respiration, sulfur content, and polyhydroxyalkanoate content, as well as mathematical modelling to investigate how energy derived from sulfur oxidation drives carbon fluxes within the symbiosis and between the holobiont and its habitat. We found that under aerobic conditions without external energy sources only the primary symbiont, Ca. Thiosymbion algarvensis, fixed carbon. This symbiont relied on internal sulfur storage for energy production. Our model showed that the apparent efficiency of carbon fixation driven by sulfur oxidation in the symbiosis was higher than thermodynamically feasible if only stored sulfur was considered as source of energy and reducing equivalents. The model and additional calculations showed that reducing equivalents must be derived from a different source than energy. We identified the large amounts of polyhdroxyalkanoate stored by the symbiont as the likely source of reducing equivalents for carbon fixation in the symbiont which boosts the yield of sulfur-driven carbon fixation. The model also showed that heterotrophic carbon fixation by host tissue is not negligible and has to be considered when assessing transfer of carbon from the symbionts to the host.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polerecky, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lott, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bergin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haeusler, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liebeke, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wentrup, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Musat, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuypers, M. M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubilier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.25.568684</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mechanism of high energy efficiency of carbon fixation by sulfur-oxidizing symbionts revealed by single-cell analyses and metabolic modeling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.27.568808v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Reduced Achilles tendon stiffness in aging persists at matched activations and associates with higher metabolic cost of walking 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.27.568808v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The mechanisms responsible for increased walking metabolic cost among older adults are poorly understood. We recently proposed a theoretical premise by which age-related reductions in Achilles tendon stiffness (kAT) can disrupt the neuromechanics of calf muscle behavior and contribute to faster rates of oxygen consumption during walking. The purpose of this study was to objectively evaluate this premise. We quantified kAT at a range of matched activations prescribed using electromyographic biofeedback and walking metabolic cost in a group of 15 younger (age: 23{+/-}4 yrs) and 15 older adults (age: 72{+/-}5 yrs). Older adults averaged 44% less kAT than younger adults at matched triceps surae activations (p=0.046). This effect appeared to arise not only from altered tendon length-tension relations with age, but also from differences in the operating region of those length-tension relations between younger and older adults. Older adults also walked with a 17% higher net metabolic power than younger adults (p=0.017). In addition, we discovered empirical evidence that lesser kAT exacts a metabolic penalty and was positively correlated with higher net metabolic power during walking (r=-0.365, p=0.048). These results pave the way for interventions focused on restoring ankle muscle-tendon unit structural stiffness to improve walking energetics in aging.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Franz, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Krupenevich, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gray, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Batsis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawicki, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.27.568808</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Reduced Achilles tendon stiffness in aging persists at matched activations and associates with higher metabolic cost of walking]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.27.568851v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Visualizing tomato spotted wilt virus protein localization: Cross-kingdom comparisons of protein-protein interactions. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.27.568851v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is an orthotospovirus that infects both plant and insect cells. Understanding the protein localization and interactions in these cells is crucial for unraveling the infection cycle and host-virus interactions. In this study, we investigated the localization of TSWV proteins in cells of plants and insects. Furthermore, we identified the protein-protein interactions among TSWV proteins using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and yeast two-hybrid (MbY2H) assays. Our results revealed distinct localization patterns for TSWV proteins in plant and insect cells. The nucleocapsid protein (N), essential for genome encapsidation, was found in the cytoplasm of both cell types. The non-structural movement protein (NSm) localized to the cytoplasm in insect cells, different from the localization in plant cells plasmodesmata. The non-structural silencing protein (NSs) exhibited peripheral localization in plant cells and cytoplasmic localization in insect cells. Additionally, glycoproteins GN and GC showed cytoplasmic localization in both cell types. Moreover, protein-protein interaction analyses revealed self-interactions of NSm, N, GN, GC, and NSs. These interactions are crucial for viral genome encapsidation, virion assembly, and RNA silencing suppression. We also identified interactions between different TSWV proteins, indicating their roles and host interactions. Comparisons with other orthotospovirus interaction maps highlighted the uniqueness of TSWV protein-protein interaction networks. Despite sharing genome organization and putative gene annotations, each orthotospovirus exhibited distinct interaction maps. Overall, this research expands our knowledge of TSWV infection and elaborates on the intricate relationships between viral proteins, cellular dynamics, and host responses. These findings lay the groundwork for future studies on the molecular mechanisms of TSWV infection and may facilitate the development of effective control strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Martin, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mayfield, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montero-Astua, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.27.568851</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Visualizing tomato spotted wilt virus protein localization: Cross-kingdom comparisons of protein-protein interactions.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.27.568870v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Drivers of population dynamics of at-risk populations change with pathogen arrival 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.27.568870v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Successful wildlife conservation in an era of rapid global change requires understanding determinants of species population abundance and growth. However, when populations are faced with novel stressors, factors associated with healthy and growing populations can change, necessitating a shift in conservation strategies. For example, emerging infectious diseases can cause conditions previously beneficial or neutral to host populations to increase disease impacts. Here, we paired a population dataset of 265 colonies of the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) with 50.7 logger-years of environmental data to explore factors that affected colony response to white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease. We found wide variation in colony responses to WNS, ranging from extirpation to stabilization and persistence. Simulating future population dynamics suggests that most extirpations have already occurred, as the pathogen has been present for several years in most colonies, and that small colonies were more susceptible to extirpation than large ones. Further, while temperature and humidity conditions of hibernacula appeared unassociated with Indiana bat colony growth prior to WNS, extirpation risk following pathogen arrival was elevated in colonies that used colder and wetter hibernacula. Additionally, rates of decline were greater in colder hibernacula, opposite the association for a sympatric bat species. Overall, this study illustrates that emerging infectious diseases can change the factors associated with host population abundance and optimal growth, including through novel environmental associations, which can vary across host species. Consideration of these shifting associations and intrinsic differences between impacted host species will be essential to successful species conservation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grimaudo, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyt, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toomey, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simpson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holliday, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silvis, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doyle, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kath, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Armstrong, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brack, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reynolds, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williamson, R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuczynska, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyer, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jansky, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herzog, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hopkins, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Langwig, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.27.568870</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Drivers of population dynamics of at-risk populations change with pathogen arrival]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.28.569118v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Simulating growth of TDP-43 cytosolic inclusion bodies in neuron soma 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.28.569118v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This paper introduces a mathematical model for the growth of transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) inclusion bodies in neuron soma. The parameter representing the accumulated neurotoxicity caused by misfolded TDP-43 oligomers is also introduced. The models equations enable the numerical calculation of the concentrations of TDP-43 monomers, dimers, free oligomers, and oligomers deposited in inclusion bodies. By simulating the deposition of free oligomers into inclusion bodies, the model predicts the size of TDP-43 inclusion bodies. An approximate solution to the model equations is derived for the scenario where protein degradation machinery is dysfunctional, leading to infinite half-lives for TDP-43 dimers, monomers, and both free and deposited oligomers. This solution, valid at large times, predicts that the radius of the inclusion body increases proportionally to the cube root of time, whereas the accumulated neurotoxicity increases linearly with time. To the best of the authors knowledge, this study is the first to model the relationship between the size of TDP-43 inclusion bodies and time, and the first to introduce the concept of accumulated neurotoxicity caused by misfolded TDP-43 oligomers. Sensitivity analysis of the approximate solution indicates that the inclusion body radius and accumulated neurotoxicity become independent of the kinetic constants at large timescales. While the numerical solution of the full mathematical model continues to work with finite half-lives, the approximate solution becomes invalid for scenarios with physiologically relevant (finite) half-lives of TDP-43 dimers, monomers, and free misfolded oligomers. In contrast to the scenario with infinite half-lives, the numerical solution reveals that, for different values of the kinetic constants, the curves representing the inclusion body radius and accumulated neurotoxicity converge to distinct curves over time.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-11-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.28.569118</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Simulating growth of TDP-43 cytosolic inclusion bodies in neuron soma]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-11-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.29.569329v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enhancing Light-Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy Illumination Beams through Deep Design Optimization 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.29.569329v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) provides the benefit of optical sectioning coupled with rapid acquisition times for imaging of tissue-cleared specimen. This allows for high-resolution 3D imaging of large tissue volumes. Inherently to LSFM, the quality of the imaging heavily relies on the characteristics of the illumination beam, with the notion that the illumination beam only illuminates a thin section that is being imaged. Therefore, substantial efforts are dedicated to identifying slender, non-diffracting beam profiles that can yield uniform and high-contrast images. An ongoing debate concerns the employment of the most optimal illumination beam; Gaussian, Bessel, Airy patterns and/or others. Comparisons among different beam profiles is challenging as their optimization objective is often different. Given that our large imaging datasets ([~]0.5TB images per sample) is already analyzed using deep learning models, we envisioned a different approach to this problem by hypothesizing that we can tailor the illumination beam to boost the deep learning models performance. We achieve this by integrating the physical LSFM illumination model after passing through a variable phase mask into the training of a cell detection network. Here we report that the joint optimization continuously updates the phase mask, improving the image quality for better cell detection. Our methods efficacy is demonstrated through both simulations and experiments, revealing substantial enhancements in imaging quality compared to traditional Gaussian light sheet. We offer valuable insights for designing microscopy systems through a computational approach that exhibits significant potential for advancing optics design that relies on deep learning models for analysis of imaging datasets.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rai, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghashghaei, H. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Greenbaum, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.29.569329</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enhancing Light-Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy Illumination Beams through Deep Design Optimization]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.30.569456v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of Frankliniella occidentalis, the western flower thrips, via embryonic microinjection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.30.569456v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, poses a significant challenge in global agriculture as a notorious pest and a vector of economically significant orthotospoviruses. However, the limited availability of genetic tools for F. occidentalis hampers the advancement of functional genomics and the development of innovative pest control strategies. In this study, we present a robust methodology for generating heritable mutations in F. occidentalis using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system. Two eye-color genes, white (Fo-w) and cinnabar (Fo-cn), frequently used to assess Cas9 function in insects were identified in the F. occidentalis genome and targeted for knockout through embryonic microinjection of Cas9 complexed with Fo-w or Fo-cn specific guide RNAs. Homozygous Fo-w and Fo-cn knockout lines were established by crossing mutant females and males. The Fo-w knockout line revealed an age-dependent modification of eye-color phenotype. Specifically, while young larvae exhibit ivory-colored eyes, the color transitions to bright red as they age. Unexpectedly, loss of Fo-w function also altered body color, with Fo-w mutants having a lighter colored body than wild type, suggesting a dual role for Fo-w in thrips. In contrast, individuals from the Fo-cn knockout line consistently displayed bright red eyes throughout all life stages. Molecular analyses validated precise editing of both target genes. This study offers a powerful tool to investigate thrips gene functions and paves the way for the development of genetic technologies for population suppression and/or population replacement as a means of mitigating virus transmission by this vector.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Han, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klobasa, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Oliveira, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotenberg, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenzen, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.11.30.569456</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of Frankliniella occidentalis, the western flower thrips, via embryonic microinjection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.04.570032v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Ratiometric Nonfluorescent CRISPR Assay Utilizing Cas12a-Induced Plasmid Supercoil Relaxation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.04.570032v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AbstractMost CRISPR-based biosensors rely on labeled reporter molecules and expensive equipment for signal readout. A recent alternative approach quantifies analyte concentration by sizing native {lambda} DNA reporters, providing a simple and label-free solution for ultrasensitive detection. However, this method faces challenges in accurately quantifying size reduction of long DNA reporters via gel electrophoresis due to the sensitivity of DNA band shift to other interferences such as gel distortion. To overcome these limitations, here we developed a simple and robust ratiometric signaling strategy using CRISPR-Cas12a-induced supercoil relaxation of dsDNA plasmid reporters. In the presence of target, we observed that the fraction of supercoiled plasmid DNA decreased, and the amount of relaxed conformation (circular) increased over time. The relative percentage of supercoiled DNA to the relaxed circular DNA was analyzed by gel electrophoresis to generate an intensity-based ratiometric signal for more accurate target concentration quantification. This simple and inexpensive method is [~]100 times more sensitive when compared with the typical fluorescent reporter system. This self-referenced strategy solves the potential application limitations of previously demonstrated DNA sizing-based CRISPR-Dx without compromising the sensitivity. Finally, we demonstrated the applicability of ratiometric sensing strategy using model DNA targets such as AAV and HPV 16, highlighting its feasibility for point-of-use CRISPR-Dx applications.

Table of Contents (TOC)

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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mohammad, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Talton, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dalgan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.04.570032</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Ratiometric Nonfluorescent CRISPR Assay Utilizing Cas12a-Induced Plasmid Supercoil Relaxation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.05.570292v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantitative Modeling of the Short-Term Response to Nitrogen Availability that Coordinates Early Events in Lateral Root Initiation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.05.570292v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient and its bioavailability plays a major role in how plant development is tuned to environmental nutrient status. To find novel factors in early root system architecture responses to N conditions, we performed Arabidopsis thaliana root transcriptome profiling of a short-term time course in limiting and sufficient N conditions. Using this data, we inferred transcriptional regulatory networks in each condition, which revealed the N-condition specific responses of jasmonate regulation; transcriptional factor (TF) ERF107 plays a more generalized role in lateral root development while TF LBD13 is specific to N-limiting conditions. Further, we used a single cell LR cell-type specific transcriptome dataset to model and analyze the roles of TFs LBD13, ERF107, and PDF2 in early stages of LR development. Linking the N time course transcriptomics, LR mutant phenotypes, and cell-type specific single cell profiling, these approaches provide multiple lines of evidence to find and test the roles of TFs that are involved in early root patterning responses to N conditions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gaudinier, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van den Broeck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moreno-Risueno, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Mendina, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brady, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.05.570292</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantitative Modeling of the Short-Term Response to Nitrogen Availability that Coordinates Early Events in Lateral Root Initiation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.07.570531v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
DisDock: A Deep Learning Method for Metal Ion-Protein Redocking 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.07.570531v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The structures of metalloproteins are essential for comprehending their functions and interactions. The breakthrough of AlphaFold has made it possible to predict protein structures with experimental accuracy. However, the type of metal ion that a metalloprotein binds and the binding structure are still not readily available, even with the predicted protein structure. In this study, we present DisDock, a physics-driven deep learning method for predicting protein-metal docking. DisDock takes distogram of randomly initialized protein-ligand configuration as input and outputs the distogram of the predicted binding complex. It combines the U-net architecture with self-attention modules to enhance model performance. Taking inspiration from the physical principle that atoms in closer proximity display a stronger mutual attraction, this predictor capitalizes on geometric information to uncover latent characteristics indicative of atom interactions. To train our model, we employ a high-quality metalloprotein dataset sourced from the Mother of All Databases (MOAD). Experimental results demonstrate that our approach outperforms other existing methods in prediction accuracy for various types of metal ions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.07.570531</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[DisDock: A Deep Learning Method for Metal Ion-Protein Redocking]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.14.571779v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effective seed sterilization methods require optimization across maize genotypes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.14.571779v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Studies of plant-microbe interactions using synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) often require the removal of seed-associated microbes by seed sterilization prior to inoculation to provide gnotobiotic growth conditions. A diversity of seed sterilization protocols have been developed in the past and have been used on different plant species with various amounts of validation. From these studies it has become clear that each plant species requires its own optimized sterilization protocol. It has, however, so far not been tested if the same protocol works equally well for different varieties and seed sources of one plant species. We evaluated six seed sterilization protocols on two different varieties (Sugar Bun & B73) of maize. All unsterilized maize seeds showed fungal growth upon germination on filter paper, highlighting the need for a sterilization protocol. A short sterilization protocol with hypochlorite and ethanol was sufficient to prevent fungal growth on Sugar Bun germinants, however a longer protocol with heat treatment and germination in fungicide was needed to obtain clean B73 germinants. This difference may have arisen from the effect of either genotype or seed source. We then tested the protocol that performed best for B73 on three additional maize genotypes from four sources. Seed germination rates and fungal contamination levels varied widely by genotype and geographic source of seeds. Our study shows that consideration of both variety and seed source is important when optimizing sterilization protocols and highlights the importance of including seed source information in plant-microbe interaction studies that use sterilized seeds.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Parnell, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pal, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Awan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Houdinet, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hawkes, C. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balint-Kurti, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.14.571779</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effective seed sterilization methods require optimization across maize genotypes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.16.571995v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantifying the strength of viral fitness tradeoffs between hosts: A meta-analysis of pleiotropic fitness effects 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.16.571995v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The range of hosts a given virus can infect is widely presumed to be limited by fitness tradeoffs between alternative hosts. These fitness tradeoffs may arise naturally due to antagonistic pleiotropy if mutations that increase fitness in one host tend to decrease fitness in alternate hosts. Yet there is also growing recognition that positive pleiotropy may be more common than previously appreciated. With positive pleiotropy, mutations have concordant fitness effects such that a beneficial mutation can simultaneously increase fitness in different hosts, providing a genetic mechanism by which selection can overcome fitness tradeoffs. How readily evolution can overcome fitness tradeoffs therefore depends on the overall distribution of mutational fitness effects between hosts, including the relative frequency of antagonistic versus positive pleiotropy. We therefore conducted a systematic meta-analysis of the pleiotropic fitness effects of viral mutations reported in different hosts. Our analysis indicates that while both antagonistic and positive pleiotropy are common, fitness effects are overall positively correlated between hosts and unconditionally beneficial mutations are not uncommon. Moreover, the relative frequency of antagonistic versus positive pleiotropy may simply reflect the underlying frequency of beneficial and deleterious mutations in individual hosts. Given a mutation is beneficial in one host, the probability that it is deleterious in another host is roughly equal to the probability that any mutation is deleterious, suggesting there is no natural tendency towards antagonistic pleiotropy. The widespread prevalence of positive pleiotropy suggests that many fitness tradeoffs may be readily overcome by evolution given the right selection pressures.

Lay summary

Evolutionary theory suggests that fitness tradeoffs between alternative environments constrain the potential for organisms to simultaneously adapt to multiple environments. Likewise, fitness tradeoffs between alternative hosts are widely believed to limit the ability of viruses to adapt to multiple hosts and thereby expand their host range. How strongly viruses are constrained by such tradeoffs will largely depend on the fitness effects of new mutations. Fitness tradeoffs may inevitably constrain viral evolution if mutations that increase fitness in one host tend to decrease fitness in alternative hosts. However, mutations can sometimes increase fitness in multiple hosts, allowing viruses to adapt to new hosts without paying fitness costs. Geneticists refer to these two scenarios as antagonistic and positive pleiotropy depending on whether mutations have opposite or concordant fitness effects. Because the relative frequency of antagonistic versus positive pleiotropy is centrally important to viral evolution, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of the fitness effects of mutations reported in different hosts. Our analysis reveals that cases of positive pleiotropy where mutations have beneficial effects in more than one host may be sufficiently common for evolution to resolve many apparent fitness tradeoffs between hosts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, X. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muller, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McDowell, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.16.571995</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantifying the strength of viral fitness tradeoffs between hosts: A meta-analysis of pleiotropic fitness effects]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.26.573376v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Temporal Transcriptome Analysis Uncovers Regulatory Modules Programming Embryo Development from Embryonic Morphogenesis to Post-Germination 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.26.573376v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We profiled the soybean seed embryo transcriptome across embryonic development to post-germinative development to understand gene activities and regulatory networks promoting these processes. Transcriptomic landscapes feature highly prevalent transcripts which are categorized into early and late groups with major functions of reserve accumulation and energy generation, respectively, and both functions are dominant during late reserve accumulation as the transitioning stage. During the mid-reserve accumulation, regulatory events simultaneously dominate at the transcriptional and chromatin levels, followed by the emergence of distinct mRNA populations during late reserve accumulation throughout germination. We identified diverse functions conducted by sequentially activated genes across developmental stages. Gene coexpression network analysis reveals modules associated with developmental stages, some of which are enriched in genes with functions involved in specific developmental processes. We identified an early-desiccation-associated gene module, containing most transcription factors responsive to abiotic stress, within which one transcription factor is functionally validated to demonstrate increased drought tolerance in Arabidopsis overexpression lines. Finally, we found that a subset of genes is under purifying selection, surpasses the number of their Arabidopsis germination-specific homologs and most are active before germination from embryonic morphogenesis through dormancy, suggesting a potential role in governing physical dormancy in soybean compared to physiological dormancy in Arabidopsis. Our data represent a step toward identifying genes and regulatory networks in the soybean genome facilitating developmental programs across transition phases to bridge embryonic and germinative development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, W.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, C.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jhan, Y.-T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chang, C.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.26.573376</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Temporal Transcriptome Analysis Uncovers Regulatory Modules Programming Embryo Development from Embryonic Morphogenesis to Post-Germination]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.27.573094v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Chewing Through Challenges: Exploring the Evolutionary Pathways to Wood-Feeding in Insects 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.27.573094v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Decaying wood, while an abundant and stable resource, presents considerable nutritional challenges due to its structural rigidity, chemical recalcitrance, and low nitrogen content. Despite these challenges, certain insect lineages have successfully evolved saproxylophagy (consuming and deriving sustenance from decaying wood), impacting nutrient recycling in ecosystems and carbon sequestration dynamics. This study explores the uneven phylogenetic distribution of saproxylophagy across insects and delves into the evolutionary origins of this trait in disparate insect orders. Employing a comprehensive analysis of gut microbiome data, encompassing both previously published datasets and newly generated data, from both saproxylophagous insects and their non-saproxylophagous relatives, this Hypothesis paper discusses the broader phylogenetic context and potential morphological, physiological, and symbiotic adaptations necessary for this dietary specialization. The study proposes the "Detritivore-First Hypothesis," suggesting an evolutionary pathway to saproxylophagy through detritivory, and highlights the critical role of symbiotic gut microbiomes in the digestion of decaying wood. The article aims to provide a deeper understanding of the macroevolutionary landscape and mechanisms underpinning the multiple origins and distribution of saproxylophagy in insects.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Beza-Beza, C. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiegmann, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ware, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petersen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gunter, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwarz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bertone, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Young, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mikaelyan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2023-12-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2023.12.27.573094</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Chewing Through Challenges: Exploring the Evolutionary Pathways to Wood-Feeding in Insects]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2023-12-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.26.577404v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inferring neural dynamics of memory during naturalistic social communication 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.26.577404v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Memory processes in complex behaviors like social communication require forming representations of the past that grow with time. The neural mechanisms that support such continually growing memory remain unknown. We address this gap in the context of fly courtship, a natural social behavior involving the production and perception of long, complex song sequences. To study female memory for male song history in unrestrained courtship, we present  Natural Continuation (NC)--a general, simulation-based model comparison procedure to evaluate candidate neural codes for complex stimuli using naturalistic behavioral data. Applying NC to fly courtship revealed strong evidence for an adaptive population mechanism for how female auditory neural dynamics could convert long song histories into a rich mnemonic format. Song temporal patterning is continually transformed by heterogeneous nonlinear adaptation dynamics, then integrated into persistent activity, enabling common neural mechanisms to retain continuously unfolding information over long periods and yielding state-of-the-art predictions of female courtship behavior. At a population level this coding model produces multi-dimensional advection-diffusion-like responses that separate songs over a continuum of timescales and can be linearly transformed into flexible output signals, illustrating its potential to create a generic, scalable mnemonic format for extended input signals poised to drive complex behavioral responses. This work thus shows how naturalistic behavior can directly inform neural population coding models, revealing here a novel process for memory formation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pang, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murthy, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pillow, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-01-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.01.26.577404</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inferring neural dynamics of memory during naturalistic social communication]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-01-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.09.579672v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Loss of UBE3A impacts both neuronal and non-neuronal cells in human cerebral organoids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.09.579672v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Angelman syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by (epi)genetic lesions of maternal UBE3A. Research has focused largely on the role of UBE3A in neurons due to its imprinting in that cell type. Yet, evidence suggests there may be broader neurodevelopmental impacts of UBE3A dysregulation. Human cerebral organoids might reveal these understudied aspects of UBE3A as they recapitulate diverse cell types of the developing human brain. We performed scRNAseq on organoids to reveal the effects of UBE3A disruption on cell type-specific compositions and transcriptomic alterations. In the absence of UBE3A, progenitor proliferation and structures were disrupted while organoid composition shifted away from proliferative cell types. We observed impacts on non-neuronal cells, including choroid plexus enrichment. Furthermore, EMX1+ cortical progenitors were negatively impacted, disrupting corticogenesis, and potentially delaying excitatory neuron maturation. This work reveals novel impacts of UBE3A on understudied cell types and related neurodevelopmental processes and elucidates potential new therapeutic targets.

TeaserHuman cerebral organoids exhibit compositional and transcriptomic alterations in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the absence of UBE3A.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Estridge, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yagci, Z. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ptacek, T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simon, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-02-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.02.09.579672</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Loss of UBE3A impacts both neuronal and non-neuronal cells in human cerebral organoids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-02-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.20.580892v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enable, Empower, Succeed: Harnessing Open Science for Antimicrobial Resistance Containment 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.20.580892v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, particularly in Western sub-Saharan Africa where 27.3 deaths per 100,000 lives are affected, and surveillance and control measures are often limited. Genomics research plays a crucial role in understanding the emergence, spread and containment measures of AMR. However, its implementation in such settings is particularly challenging due to limited human capacity. This manuscript outlines a three-day bioinformatics workshop in Cameroon, highlighting efforts to build human capacity for genomics research to support AMR surveillance using readily accessible and user-friendly web-based tools. The workshop introduced participants to basic next-generation sequencing concepts, data file formats used in bacterial genomics, data sharing procedures and considerations, as well as the use of web-based bioinformatics software to analyse genomic data, including in silico prediction of AMR, phylogenetics analyses, and a quick introduction to Linux(C) command line.

We provide a detailed description of the relevant training approaches used, including workshop structure, the selection and planning, and utilization of freely available web-based tools, and the evaluation methods employed. Our approach aimed to overcome limitations such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to computational resources, and scarcity of expertise. By leveraging the power of freely available web-based tools, we demonstrated how participants can acquire fundamental bioinformatics skills, enhance their understanding of biological data analysis, and contribute to the field, even in an underprivileged environment.

Our findings highlight the effectiveness of this training approach in empowering local researchers and bridging the bioinformatics gap in genomics surveillance of AMR in resource-constrained settings. Building human capacity for genomics research globally, and especially in resource-constrained settings, is imperative for ensuring global health and sustainable containment of AMR.

Data summaryThe authors confirm that all supporting data, code and protocols have been provided within the article or through supplementary data files.

Impact StatementAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, especially in Western sub-Saharan Africa, where 27.3 deaths per 100,000 lives occur. Genomics research play an instrumental role for understanding AMRs emergence, spread, and containment measures. However, its implementation in these settings is challenging due to limited human capacity. A three-day bioinformatics workshop in Cameroon aimed to build human capacity for genomics research using web-based tools. Participants were introduced to next-generation sequencing concepts, data file formats, data sharing procedures, and web-based bioinformatics software for analysing genomic data.

The workshop aimed to overcome limitations like inadequate infrastructure, computational resources, and expertise scarcity. The findings show the effectiveness of this training approach in empowering local researchers and bridging the bioinformatics gap in genomics surveillance of AMR in resource-constrained settings.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Founou, L. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lawal, O. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Djiyou, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Odih, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amoako, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fadanka, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aworh, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lukhele, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nikolic, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matimba, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Founou, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.02.20.580892</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enable, Empower, Succeed: Harnessing Open Science for Antimicrobial Resistance Containment]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.22.581674v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A synergistic culture dependent and independent approach reveals a conserved wheat seed mycobiome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.22.581674v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The occurrence of pathogenic fungal taxa associated with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds is well studied, but less is known about non-pathogenic taxa of the wheat seed mycobiome. The goal of our research is to characterize wheat seed fungal endophyte diversity with a synergistic culture dependent and independent experimental approach. Four publicly available winter wheat cultivars developed in the southeastern United States with varying phenotypic and disease resistance traits were examined over a period of two years: Catawba, Hilliard, Shirley, and USG 3640. Our culture dependent methods involving two nutrient media generated 645 fungal isolates representing twelve genera sampled from multiple cultivars. Metabarcoding analysis identified a broader range of fungal taxa and a greater number of unique sequences than culture dependent methods. When examining fungal diversity across cultivars and years, richness decreased in 2021 for both culture dependent and independent approaches. However, wheat seed fungal community structure was stable across cultivars and years. Our results highlight the importance of combining culture independent and dependent methods to capture and establish a diverse endophytic fungal catalog associated with the wheat seed and highlight areas where future culture dependent efforts can focus their efforts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Becker, L. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshall, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cubeta, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.02.22.581674</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A synergistic culture dependent and independent approach reveals a conserved wheat seed mycobiome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.22.581680v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Stability of the Wheat Seed Mycobiome Across North Carolina's Longitudinal Gradient 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.22.581680v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Improving wheat yield and performance involves selecting varieties that are well adapted for a regional area. Although host genotype and environment are major factors that impact crop performance and resilience, less is known about the relative contribution and occurrence of wheat seed endophytic fungal communities across spatial and temporal scales. An increased understanding of composition and assembly of beneficial endophytic fungal communities across regional scales provides valuable insight into the stability of the endophytic seed mycobiome. Our aim in this study was to examine the relative contribution and impact of latitude and longitude gradients within North Carolina (NC) on wheat seed fungal community structure of two regionally adapted soft red winter wheat cultivars, Hilliard and USG 3640. We examined the endophytic wheat seed microbiome of the two winter wheat cultivars planted in official variety trials at five geographic locations across NC in 2021 and two geographic locations in 2022. ITS1 sequence-based analysis of surface disinfested wheat seeds was conducted to determine alpha and beta diversity. Species richness is influenced by geographical location, however wheat seed mycobiome community structure is stable across cultivars and years. Latitude and longitude contributed to the observed variation in wheat seed mycobiome structure, in addition to yield, seed moisture, and leaf nutrients. When surveying taxa present within all cultivars, geographical sites and years, Alternaria and Epicoccum spp. exhibited high relative abundance in the wheat seed mycobiome. Our results provide a comprehensive catalog of core fungal taxa well-adapted to diverse environments and conserved across wheat cultivars.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Becker, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hawkes, C. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heiniger, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cubeta, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.02.22.581680</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Stability of the Wheat Seed Mycobiome Across North Carolina's Longitudinal Gradient]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.12.584666v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Development of MHC Class I Blocking Peptides to Target Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis CD8+ T Cell Activation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.12.584666v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
MHC class I molecules play a crucial role in the immune system by presenting peptides derived from intracellular proteins to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). This process is essential for immune surveillance and eliminating infected or malignant cells. In some diseases, the immune system fails to recognize and eliminate abnormal cells, leading to disease progression. Under conditions of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), subsets of CD8+ T cells have been identified as pathogenic, leading to inflammation and fibrosis. Therefore, explicitly targeting factors responsible for T cell activation may be necessary to prevent the onset of MASH and future complications such as cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. We have identified a specific MHC class I antigen that activates hepatic and splenic CD8+ T cells isolated from MASH mice. To specifically target the antigen, we developed two MHC H2-Kb blocking peptides, MHCP3 and MHCP5, that competitively inhibit the Ncf2 peptide from binding to H2-Kb and reduce activation and proliferation of CD8+ T cells. By inhibiting the recognition of specific antigens, these blocking peptides may prevent the activation of CD8+ T cells and progression of MASH.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adams, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarma, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, C. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-03-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.03.12.584666</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Development of MHC Class I Blocking Peptides to Target Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis CD8+ T Cell Activation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-03-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584486v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modeling the impact of optimized airflow and sick pen management on the spread of infectious diseases in swine barns 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584486v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The airborne spread of infectious livestock diseases plays a crucial role in the propagation of epidemics, particularly in populations confined to densely populated facilities, such as commercial swine barns. Therefore, quantitative assessments for the performance of barn ventilation systems may serve as an alternative biocontainment control strategy to reduce the spread of infectious pathogens. In this study, we present a framework to simulate airborne disease dissemination within swine barns and facilitate the strategic design of control actions, including optimization of ventilation and placement of sick animals (sick pen). This framework is based on a susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model that accounts for the between-pen disease spread within swine barns. A pen-to-pen contact network is used to construct a transmission matrix according to the transport of airborne respiratory pathogens across pens in the barns, via our Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. By employing this CFD-augmented SIR model, we demonstrated that the location of the sick pen and the barn ventilation configuration played crucial roles in modifying disease dissemination dynamics at the barn level. In addition, we examined the effect of natural ventilation through different curtain adjustments. We observed that curtain adjustments either suppress the disease spread by an average of 56.5% or exacerbate the outbreak potential by an average of 5.7%, compared to the scenario where side curtains are not raised. Furthermore, we optimize the ventilation configuration via the selection and placement of ventilation fans through the integration of the CFD-augmented framework with the genetic algorithm to minimize the dissemination of swine disease within barns. Compared to regular barn ventilation settings, our optimized ventilation system significantly reduced disease spread by an average of 43.2%. Our study emphasizes the role of airborne transmission and a strategy for sick pen management in controlling the spread of within-barn disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Safari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deka, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeh, C.-A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-03-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.03.13.584486</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modeling the impact of optimized airflow and sick pen management on the spread of infectious diseases in swine barns]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-03-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.21.585983v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Correlates of Epigenetic Aging in a Nationally Representative U.S. Study of Younger Adults 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.21.585983v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ImportanceEpigenetic clocks represent molecular evidence of disease risk and aging processes and have been used to identify how social and lifestyle characteristics are associated with accelerated biological aging. However, most of this research is based on older adult samples who already have measurable chronic disease.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether and how sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics are related to biological aging in a younger adult sample across a wide array of epigenetic clock measures.

DesignNationally representative prospective cohort study.

SettingUnited States (U.S.).

ParticipantsData come from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a national cohort of adolescents in grades 7-12 in U.S. in 1994 followed for 25 years over five interview waves. Our analytic sample includes participants followed-up through Wave V in 2016-18 who provided blood samples for DNA methylation (DNAm) testing (n=4237) at Wave V.

ExposureSociodemographic (sex, race/ethnicity, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, geographic location) and lifestyle (obesity status, exercise, tobacco, and alcohol use) characteristics.

Main OutcomeBiological aging assessed from blood DNAm using 16 epigenetic clocks when the cohort was aged 33-44 in Wave V.

ResultsWhile there is considerable variation in the mean and distribution of epigenetic clock estimates and in the correlations among the clocks, we found sociodemographic and lifestyle factors are more often associated with biological aging in clocks trained to predict current or dynamic phenotypes (e.g., PhenoAge, GrimAge and DunedinPACE) as opposed to clocks trained to predict chronological age alone (e.g., Horvath). Consistent and strong associations of faster biological aging were found for those with lower levels of education and income, and those with severe obesity, no weekly exercise, and tobacco use.

Conclusions and RelevanceOur study found important social and lifestyle factors associated with biological aging in a nationally representative cohort of younger-aged adults. These findings indicate that molecular processes underlying disease risk can be identified in adults entering midlife before disease is manifest and represent useful targets for interventions to reduce social inequalities in heathy aging and longevity.

Key PointsO_ST_ABSQuestionC_ST_ABSAre epigenetic clocks, measures of biological aging developed mainly on older-adult samples, meaningful for younger adults and associated with sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics in expected patterns found in prior aging research?

FindingsSociodemographic and lifestyle factors were associated with biological aging in clocks trained to predict morbidity and mortality showing accelerated aging among those with lower levels of education and income, and those with severe obesity, no weekly exercise, and tobacco use.

MeaningAge-related molecular processes can be identified in younger-aged adults before disease manifests and represent potential interventions to reduce social inequalities in heathy aging and longevity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harris, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levitt, B. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaydosh, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyer, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mishra, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kelly, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aiello, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-03-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.03.21.585983</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Correlates of Epigenetic Aging in a Nationally Representative U.S. Study of Younger Adults]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-03-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.22.585974v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Intercontinental dissemination and diversification of Xanthomonas perforans in tomato production 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.22.585974v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Emerging and re-emerging plant diseases continue to present multifarious threats to global food security. Considerable recent efforts are therefore being channeled towards understanding the nature of pathogen emergence, their spread and evolution. Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans (Xep), one of the causal agents of bacterial spot of tomato, rapidly emerged and displaced other bacterial spot xanthomonads in tomato production regions around the world. In less than three decades, it has become a dominant xanthomonad pathogen in tomato production systems across the world and presents a model for understanding diversification of recently emerged bacterial plant pathogens. Although Xep has been continuously monitored in Florida since its discovery, the global population structure and evolution at the genome-scale is yet to be fully explored. The objectives of this work were to determine genetic diversity globally to ascertain if different tomato production regions contain genetically distinct Xep populations, to examine genetic relatedness of strains collected in tomato seed production areas in East Asia and other production regions, and to evaluate variation in type III effectors, which are critical pathogenicity and virulence factors, in relationship to population structure. We used genome data from 270 strains from 13 countries for phylogenetic analysis and characterization of Xop effector gene diversity among strains. Our results showed notable genetic diversity in the pathogen. We found genetically similar strains in distant tomato production regions, including seed production regions, and diversification over the past 100 years, which is consistent with intercontinental dissemination of the pathogen in hybrid tomato production chains. Evolution of the Xep pangenome, including the acquisition and loss of type III secreted effectors, is apparent within and among phylogenetic lineages. The apparent long-distance movement of the pathogen, together with variants that may not yet be widely distributed, poses risks of emergence of new variants in tomato production.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Timilsina, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iruegas-Bocardo, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jibrin, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Subedi, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Minsavage, G. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huguet-Tapia, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Klein-Gordon, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adhikari, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adhikari, T. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cirvilleri, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belen Tapia de la Barrera, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bernal, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Creswell, T. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doan, T. T. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coutinho, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Egel, D. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Felix-Gastelum, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Francis, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kebede, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewis Ivey, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Louws, F. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luo, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maynard, E. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, N. T. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Osdaghi, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quezado-Duval, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roach, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rotondo, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruhl, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shutt, V. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thummabenjapone, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trueman, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vallad, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goss, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-03-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.03.22.585974</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Intercontinental dissemination and diversification of Xanthomonas perforans in tomato production]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-03-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.25.586578v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Human long noncoding RNA, VILMIR, is induced by major respiratory viral infections and modulates the host interferon response 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.25.586578v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a newer class of noncoding transcripts identified as key regulators of biological processes. Here we aimed to identify novel lncRNA targets that play critical roles in major human respiratory viral infections by systematically mining large-scale transcriptomic datasets. Using bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, we identified a previously uncharacterized lncRNA, named virus inducible lncRNA modulator of interferon response (VILMIR), that was consistently upregulated after in vitro influenza infection across multiple human epithelial cell lines and influenza A virus subtypes. VILMIR was also upregulated after SARS-CoV-2 and RSV infections in vitro. We experimentally confirmed the response of VILMIR to influenza infection and interferon-beta (IFN-{beta}) treatment in the A549 human epithelial cell line and found the expression of VILMIR was robustly induced by IFN-{beta} treatment in a dose and time-specific manner. Single cell RNA-seq analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from COVID-19 patients uncovered that VILMIR was upregulated across various cell types including at least five immune cells. The upregulation of VILMIR in immune cells was further confirmed in the human T cell and monocyte cell lines, SUP-T1 and THP-1, after IFN-{beta} treatment. Finally, we found that knockdown of VILMIR expression reduced the magnitude of host transcriptional responses to IFN-{beta} treatment in A549 cells. Together, our results show that VILMIR is a novel interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) that regulates the host interferon response and may be a potential therapeutic target for human respiratory viral infections upon further mechanistic investigation.

IMPORTANCEIdentifying host factors that regulate the immune response to human respiratory viral infection is critical to developing new therapeutics. Human long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to play key regulatory roles during biological processes, however the majority of lncRNA functions within the host antiviral response remain unknown. In this study, we identified that a previously uncharacterized lncRNA, VILMIR, is upregulated after major respiratory viral infections including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV. We demonstrated that VILMIR is an interferon-stimulated gene that is upregulated after interferon-beta (IFN-{beta}) in several human cell types. We also found that knockdown of VILMIR reduced the magnitude of host transcriptional responses to IFN-{beta} treatment in human epithelial cells. Our results reveal that VILMIR regulates the host interferon response and may present a new therapeutic target during human respiratory viral infections.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>John, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huntress, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chou, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollison, T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Covarrubias, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crisci, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carpenter, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-03-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.03.25.586578</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Human long noncoding RNA, VILMIR, is induced by major respiratory viral infections and modulates the host interferon response]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-03-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.25.586692v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pseudo-pac site sequences used by phage P22 in generalized transduction of Salmonella 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.25.586692v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella) and its bacteriophage P22 are a model system for the study of horizontal gene transfer by generalized transduction. Typically, the P22 DNA packaging machinery initiates packaging when a short sequence of DNA, known as the pac site, is recognized on the P22 genome. However, sequences similar to the pac site in the host genome, called pseudo-pac sites, lead to erroneous packaging and subsequent generalized transduction of Salmonella DNA. While the general genomic locations of the Salmonella pseudo-pac sites are known, the sequences themselves have not been determined. We used visualization of P22 sequencing reads mapped to host Salmonella genomes to define regions of generalized transduction initiation and the likely locations of pseudo-pac sites. We searched each genome region for the sequence with the highest similarity to the P22 pac site and aligned the resulting sequences. We built a regular expression (sequence match pattern) from the alignment and used it to search the genomes of two P22-susceptible Salmonella strains-LT2 and 14028S- for sequence matches. The final regular expression successfully identified pseudo-pac sites in both LT2 and 14028S that correspond with generalized transduction initiation sites in mapped read coverages. The pseudo-pac site sequences identified in this study can be used to predict locations of generalized transduction in other P22-susceptible hosts or to initiate generalized transduction at specific locations in P22-susceptible hosts with genetic engineering. Furthermore, the bioinformatics approach used to identify the Salmonella pseudo-pac sites in this study could be applied to other phage-host systems.

ImportanceBacteriophage P22 has been a genetic tool and a key model for the study of generalized transduction in Salmonella since the 1950s, yet certain components of the generalized transduction molecular mechanism remain unknown. Specifically, the locations and sequences of pseudo-pac sites, hypothesized to facilitate packaging of Salmonella DNA by P22, to date have not been determined. In this study, we identified the specific locations and sequences of the pseudo-pac sites frequently recognized by P22 in Salmonella genomes. The identification of highly efficient pseudo-pac sites in Salmonella provides fundamental insights into the sequence specificity necessary for P22 pac site recognition and opens the door to more targeted use of generalized transduction with P22.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Maier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheriff, E. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duerkop, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-03-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.03.25.586692</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pseudo-pac site sequences used by phage P22 in generalized transduction of Salmonella]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-03-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.02.587477v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microbial ecology and site characteristics underlie differences in salinity-methane relationships in coastal wetlands 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.02.587477v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas emitted by archaea in anaerobic environments such as wetland soils. Tidal freshwater wetlands are predicted to become increasingly saline as sea levels rise due to climate change. Previous work has shown that increases in salinity generally decrease CH4 emissions, but with considerable variation, including instances where salinization increased CH4 flux. We measured microbial community composition, biogeochemistry, and CH4 flux from field samples and lab experiments from four different sites across a wide geographic range. We sought to assess how site differences and microbial ecology affect how CH4 emissions are influenced by salinization. CH4 flux was generally, but not always, positively correlated with CO2 flux, soil carbon, ammonium, phosphate, and pH. Methanogen guilds were positively correlated with CH4 flux across all sites, while methanotroph guilds were both positively and negatively correlated with CH4 depending on site. There was mixed support for negative relationships between CH4 fluxes and concentrations of alternative electron acceptors and abundances of taxa that reduce them. CH4/salinity relationships ranged from negative, to neutral, to positive and appeared to be influenced by site characteristics such as pH and plant composition, which also likely contributed to site differences in microbial communities. The activity of site-specific microbes that may respond differently to low-level salinity increases is likely an important driver of CH4/salinity relationships. Our results suggest several factors that make it difficult to generalize CH4/salinity relationships and highlight the need for paired microbial and flux measurements across a broader range of sites.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bueno de Mesquita, C. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hartman, W. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ardon, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bernhardt, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neubauer, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weston, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tringe, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.02.587477</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microbial ecology and site characteristics underlie differences in salinity-methane relationships in coastal wetlands]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.04.588169v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dietary protein source strongly alters gut microbiota composition and function 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.04.588169v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The source of protein in a persons diet affects their total life expectancy. However, the mechanisms by which dietary protein sources differentially impact human health and life expectancy are poorly understood. Dietary choices have major impacts on the composition and function of the intestinal microbiota that ultimately modulate host health. This raises the possibility that health outcomes based on dietary protein sources might be driven by interactions between dietary protein and the gut microbiota. In this study, we determined the effects of seven different sources of dietary protein on the gut microbiota of mice using an integrated metagenomics-metaproteomics approach. The protein abundances measured by metaproteomics can provide microbial species abundances, and evidence for the molecular phenotype of microbiota members because measured proteins indicate the metabolic and physiological processes used by a microbial community. We showed that dietary protein source significantly altered the species composition and overall function of the gut microbiota. Different dietary protein sources led to changes in the abundance of microbial proteins involved in the degradation of amino acids and the degradation of glycosylations conjugated to dietary protein. In particular, brown rice and egg white protein increased the abundance of amino acid degrading enzymes. Egg white protein increased the abundance of bacteria and proteins usually associated with the degradation of the intestinal mucus barrier. These results show that dietary protein sources can change the gut microbiotas metabolism, which could have major implications in the context of gut microbiota mediated diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Blakeley-Ruiz, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartlett, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McMillan, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Awan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vanhoy Walsh, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyerhoffer, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richie, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.04.588169</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dietary protein source strongly alters gut microbiota composition and function]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.05.588213v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metabolically-versatile Ca. Thiodiazotropha symbionts of the deep-sea lucinid clam Lucinoma kazani have the genetic potential to fix nitrogen 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.05.588213v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lucinid clams are one of the most diverse and widespread symbiont-bearing animal groups in both shallow and deep-sea chemosynthetic habitats. Lucicnids harbor Ca. Thiodiazotropha symbionts that can oxidize inorganic and organic substrates such as hydrogen sulfide and formate to gain energy. The interplay between these key metabolic functions, nutrient uptake and biotic interactions in Ca. Thiodiazotropha is not fully understood. We collected Lucinoma kazani individuals from next to a deep-sea brine pool in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at a depth of 1150 m and used Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing to obtain high-quality genomes of their Ca. Thiodiazotropha gloverae symbiont. The genomes served as the basis for transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to characterize the in situ gene expression, metabolism and physiology of the symbionts. We found genes needed for N2 fixation in the deep-sea symbionts genome, which, to date, were only found in shallow-water Ca. Thiodiazotropha. However, we did not detect the expression of these genes and thus the potential role of nitrogen fixation in this symbiosis remains to be determined. We also found the high expression of carbon fixation and sulfur oxidation genes, which indicates chemolithoautotrophy as the key physiology of Ca. Thiodiazotropha. However, we also detected the expression of pathways for using methanol and formate as energy sources. Our findings highlight the key traits these microbes maintain to support the nutrition of their hosts and interact with them.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ratinskaia, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malavin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zvi-Kedem, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rubin-Blum, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.05.588213</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metabolically-versatile Ca. Thiodiazotropha symbionts of the deep-sea lucinid clam Lucinoma kazani have the genetic potential to fix nitrogen]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.06.588435v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The growth rate of senile plaques is determined by the competition between the rate of deposition of free Aβ aggregates into plaques and the autocatalytic production of free Aβ aggregates 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.06.588435v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The formation of amyloid beta (A{beta}) deposits (senile plaques) is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimers disease (AD). This study investigates what processes are primarily responsible for their formation. A model is developed to simulate the diffusion of amyloid beta (A{beta}) monomers, the production of free A{beta} aggregates through nucleation and autocatalytic processes, and the deposition of these aggregates into senile plaques. The model suggests that efficient degradation of A{beta} monomers alone may suffice to prevent the growth of senile plaques, even without degrading A{beta} aggregates and existing plaques. This is because the degradation of A{beta} monomers interrupts the supply of reactants needed for plaque formation. The impact of A{beta} monomer diffusivity is demonstrated to be small, enabling the application of the lumped capacitance approximation and the derivation of approximate analytical solutions for limiting cases with both small and large rates of A{beta} aggregate deposition into plaques. It is found that the rate of plaque growth is governed by two competing processes. One is the deposition rate of free A{beta} aggregates into senile plaques. If this rate is small, the plaque grows slowly. However, if the rate of deposition of A{beta} aggregates into senile plaques is very large, the free A{beta} aggregates are removed from the intracellular fluid by deposition into the plaques, leaving insufficient free A{beta} aggregates to catalyze the production of new aggregates. This suggests that under certain conditions, A{beta} plaques may offer neuroprotection and impede their own growth. Additionally, it indicates that there exists an optimal rate of deposition of free A{beta} aggregates into the plaques, at which the plaques attain their maximum size.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.06.588435</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The growth rate of senile plaques is determined by the competition between the rate of deposition of free Aβ aggregates into plaques and the autocatalytic production of free Aβ aggregates]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.09.588275v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Metaproteomics and DNA metabarcoding as tools to assess dietary intake in humans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.09.588275v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Objective biomarkers of food intake are a sought-after goal in nutrition research. Most biomarker development to date has focused on metabolites detected in blood, urine, skin or hair, but detection of consumed foods in stool has also been shown to be possible via DNA sequencing. An additional food macromolecule in stool that harbors sequence information is protein. However, the use of protein as an intake biomarker has only been explored to a very limited extent. Here, we evaluate and compare measurement of residual food-derived DNA and protein in stool as potential biomarkers of intake. We performed a pilot study of DNA sequencing-based metabarcoding (FoodSeq) and mass spectrometry-based metaproteomics in five individuals stool sampled in short, longitudinal bursts accompanied by detailed diet records (n=27 total samples). Dietary data provided by stool DNA, stool protein, and written diet record independently identified a strong within-person dietary signature, identified similar food taxa, and had significantly similar global structure in two of the three pairwise comparisons between measurement techniques (DNA-to-protein and DNA-to-diet record). Metaproteomics identified proteins including myosin, ovalbumin, and beta-lactoglobulin that differentiated food tissue types like beef from dairy and chicken from egg, distinctions that were not possible by DNA alone. Overall, our results lay the groundwork for development of targeted metaproteomic assays for dietary assessment and demonstrate that diverse molecular components of food can be leveraged to study food intake using stool samples.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Petrone, B. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartlett, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Korenek, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tenekjian, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yancy, W. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.09.588275</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Metaproteomics and DNA metabarcoding as tools to assess dietary intake in humans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.12.589301v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Trends and drivers of hypoxic thickness and volume in Northern Gulf of Mexico: 1985-2018 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.12.589301v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hypoxia is a major environmental issue plaguing the commercially and ecologically important coastal waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Several modeling studies have explored this phenomenon, but primarily focus on the areal extent of the mid-summer hypoxic zone. Research into the variability and drivers of hypoxic volume and thickness is also important in evaluating the seasonal progression of hypoxia and its impact on coastal resources. In this study, we compile data from multiple monitoring programs and develop a geospatial model capable of estimating hypoxic thickness and volume across the summer season. We adopt a space-time geostatistical framework and introduce a rank-based inverse normal transformation to simulate more realistic distributions of hypoxic layer thickness. Our findings indicate that, on average, there is a seasonal lag in peak hypoxic volume and thickness compared to hypoxic area. We assess long-term trends in different hypoxia metrics (area, thickness, and volume), and while most metrics did not exhibit significant trends, mid-summer hypoxic thickness is found to have increased at a rate of 5.9 cm/year (p<0.05) over the past three decades. In addition, spring nitrogen load is found to be the major driver of all hypoxia metrics, when considered along with other riverine inputs and meteorological factors in multiple regression models. Hypoxic volume, which was also often influenced by east-west wind velocities, was found to be more predictable than hypoxic thickness.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Matli, V. R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Obenour, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.12.589301</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Trends and drivers of hypoxic thickness and volume in Northern Gulf of Mexico: 1985-2018]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.12.589318v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A framework for quality control in quantitative proteomics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.12.589318v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A thorough evaluation of the quality, reproducibility, and variability of bottom-up proteomics data is necessary at every stage of a workflow from planning to analysis. We share vignettes applying adaptable quality control (QC) measures to assess sample preparation, system function, and quantitative analysis. System suitability samples are repeatedly measured longitudinally with targeted methods, and we share examples where they are used on three instrument platforms to identify severe system failures and track function over months to years. Internal QCs incorporated at protein and peptide-level allow our team to assess sample preparation issues and to differentiate system failures from sample-specific issues. External QC samples prepared alongside our experimental samples are used to verify the consistency and quantitative potential of our results during batch correction and normalization before assessing biological phenotypes. We combine these controls with rapid analysis (Skyline), longitudinal QC metrics (AutoQC), and server-based data deposition (PanoramaWeb). We propose that this integrated approach to QC is a useful starting point for groups to facilitate rapid quality control assessment to ensure that valuable instrument time is used to collect the best quality data possible. Data are available on Panorama Public and on ProteomeXchange under the identifier PXD051318.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tsantilas, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Merrihew, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robbins, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Plubell, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riffle, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacLean, B. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eckels, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bereman, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spencer, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoofnagle, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacCoss, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.12.589318</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A framework for quality control in quantitative proteomics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.16.589807v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Common viral infections inhibit egg laying in honey bee queens and are linked to premature supersedure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.16.589807v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
With their long lives and extreme reproductive output, social insect queens have escaped the classic trade-off between fecundity and lifespan but evidence for a trade-off between fecundity and immunity has been inconclusive. This is in part because pathogenic effects are seldom decoupled from effects of immune induction. We conducted parallel, blind virus infection experiments in the laboratory and in the field to interrogate the idea of a reproductive immunity trade-off and better understand how these ubiquitous honey bee stressors affect queen health. We found that queens injected with infectious virus had smaller ovaries and were less likely to recommence egg-laying than controls, while queens injected with UV-inactivated virus displayed an intermediate phenotype. In the field, heavily infected queens had smaller ovaries and infection was a meaningful predictor of whether supersedure cells were observed in the colony. Immune responses in queens receiving live virus were similar to queens receiving inactivated virus, and several of the same immune proteins were negatively associated with ovary mass in the field. This work solidifies the relationship between virus infection and symptoms associated with queen failure and suggests that a reproductive-immunity trade-off is partially, but not wholly responsible for these effects.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chapman, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fine, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rempel, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peters, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Currie, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.16.589807</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Common viral infections inhibit egg laying in honey bee queens and are linked to premature supersedure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.17.589929v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ruvbl1 is required for the reproduction of the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.17.589929v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ruvbl1 (also known as TIP49, Pontin) encodes an ATPase of the AAA+ protein superfamily involved in several cellular functions, including chromatin remodeling, control of transcription, and cellular development (motility, growth, and proliferation). Here, we used an in-vivo RNA interference (RNAi) approach to evaluate the effect of Ruvbl1 silencing on the physiology of the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis. Silencing of P. maidis Ruvbl1 (PmRuvbl1) was correlated with visible morphology changes in female individuals with significant increases in body mass observed at 8 and 12 days after double strand RNA (dsRNA) injection. Ovary morphology was significantly affected in adult females with PmRuvbl1 silenced, with no mature oocytes observed at 8 and 12 days after gene silencing. Whereas no significant difference in egg laying was observed 4 days after dsRNA injection, significantly fewer eggs were laid in plants at 8 and 12 days after dsRNA treatment. Furthermore, dramatic reductions in egg hatching were observed at all time points after PmRuvbl1 silencing, compared to dsGFP-injected controls. These results extend PmRuvbl1 functions as a putative regulator of P. maidis reproduction and demonstrate the potential of Ruvbl1 to be further exploited as a target for RNAi-mediated insect control.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Xavier, C. A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.17.589929</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ruvbl1 is required for the reproduction of the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.22.590658v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Algorithms for Breast Cancer Classification: SVM Outperforms XGBoost, CNN, RNN, and Others 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.22.590658v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study evaluates ten machine learning algorithms for classifying breast cancer cases as malignant or benign based on physical attributes. Algorithms tested include XGBoost, CNN, RNN, AdaBoost, Adaptive Decision Learner, fLSTM, GRU, Random Forest, SVM, and Logistic Regression. Using a robust dataset from UCI machine learning Breast Cancer, SVM emerged as the most accurate, achieving 98.2456% accuracy. While AdaBoost, Logistic Regression, Neural Networks, and Random Forest showed promise, none matched SVMs accuracy. These findings underscore the potential of machine learning, particularly SVMs, in cancer diagnosis and treatment by analyzing physical attributes for improved diagnostics and targeted therapies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chatterjee, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghosh, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.22.590658</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Algorithms for Breast Cancer Classification: SVM Outperforms XGBoost, CNN, RNN, and Others]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.25.591211v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Deep learning-driven imaging of cell division and cell growth across an entire eukaryotic life cycle 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.25.591211v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The life cycle of biomedical and agriculturally relevant eukaryotic microorganisms involves complex transitions between proliferative and non-proliferative states such as dormancy, mating, meiosis, and cell division. New drugs, pesticides, and vaccines can be created by targeting specific life cycle stages of parasites and pathogens. However, defining the structure of a microbial life cycle often relies on partial observations that are theoretically assembled in an ideal life cycle path. To create a more quantitative approach to studying complete eukaryotic life cycles, we generated a deep learning-driven imaging framework to track microorganisms across sexually reproducing generations. Our approach combines microfluidic culturing, life cycle stage-specific segmentation of microscopy images using convolutional neural networks, and a novel cell tracking algorithm, FIEST, based on enhancing the overlap of single cell masks in consecutive images through deep learning video frame interpolation. As proof of principle, we used this approach to quantitatively image and compare cell growth and cell cycle regulation across the sexual life cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We developed a fluorescent reporter system based on a fluorescently labeled Whi5 protein, the yeast analog of mammalian Rb, and a new High-Cdk1 activity sensor, LiCHI, designed to report during DNA replication, mitosis, meiotic homologous recombination, meiosis I, and meiosis II. We found that cell growth preceded the exit from non-proliferative states such as mitotic G1, pre-meiotic G1, and the G0 spore state during germination. A decrease in the total cell concentration of Whi5 characterized the exit from non-proliferative states, which is consistent with a Whi5 dilution model. The nuclear accumulation of Whi5 was developmentally regulated, being at its highest during meiotic exit and spore formation. The temporal coordination of cell division and growth was not significantly different across three sexually reproducing generations. Our framework could be used to quantitatively characterize other single-cell eukaryotic life cycles that remain incompletely described. An off-the-shelf user interface Yeastvision provides free access to our image processing and single-cell tracking algorithms.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ramakanth, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yalcinkaya, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neupane, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tadic, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchler, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arguello-Miranda, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-04-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.04.25.591211</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Deep learning-driven imaging of cell division and cell growth across an entire eukaryotic life cycle]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-04-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.01.592064v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Derivation of human trophoblast stem cells from placentas at birth 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.01.592064v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) have emerged as a powerful tool for modeling the placental cytotrophoblast (CTB) in vitro. hTSCs were originally derived from CTBs of the first trimester placenta or blastocyst-stage embryos in trophoblast stem cell medium (TSCM) that contains epidermal growth factor (EGF), the glycogen synthase kinase-beta (GSK3{beta}) inhibitor CHIR99021, the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF{beta}) inhibitors A83-01 and SB431542, valproic acid (VPA), and the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632. Here we show that hTSCs can be derived from CTBs isolated from the term placenta, using TSCM supplemented with a low concentration of mitochondrial pyruvate uptake inhibitor UK5099 and lipid-rich albumin (TUA medium). Notably, hTSCs could not be derived from term CTBs using TSCM alone, or in the absence of either UK5099 or lipid-rich albumin. Strikingly, hTSCs cultured in TUA medium for a few passages could be transitioned into TSCM and cultured thereafter in TSCM. hTSCs from term CTBs cultured in TUA medium as well as those transitioned into and cultured in TSCM thereafter could be differentiated to the extravillous trophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast lineages and exhibited high transcriptome similarity with hTSCs derived from first trimester CTBs. We anticipate that these results will enable facile derivation of hTSCs from normal and pathological placentas at birth with diverse genetic backgrounds and facilitate in vitro mechanistic studies in trophoblast biology.

Significance statementHuman trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) derived from early pregnancy have emerged as a powerful tool for modeling early human placental development in vitro. However, restrictions on derivation of cell lines from fetal tissues limit the availability and genetic diversity of hTSC lines. Also, the associated pregnancy outcome of hTSCs derived from early gestation is unknown. Here we describe the derivation and characterization of hTSCs from placentas obtained at birth. Our results will enable derivation of genetically diverse hTSCs associated with normal and pathological pregnancies, enabling research in placental biology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Karakis, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Britt, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jabeen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.01.592064</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Derivation of human trophoblast stem cells from placentas at birth]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.03.589936v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
DNA replication errors are a major source of adaptive gene amplification 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.03.589936v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Copy number variants (CNVs)--gains and losses of genomic sequences--are an important source of genetic variation underlying rapid adaptation and genome evolution. However, despite their central role in evolution little is known about the factors that contribute to the structure, size, formation rate, and fitness effects of adaptive CNVs. Local genomic sequences are likely to be an important determinant of these properties. Whereas it is known that point mutation rates vary with genomic location and local DNA sequence features, the role of genome architecture in the formation, selection, and the resulting evolutionary dynamics of CNVs is poorly understood. Previously, we have found that the GAP1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergoes frequent and repeated amplification and selection under long-term experimental evolution in glutamine-limiting conditions. The GAP1 gene has a unique genomic architecture consisting of two flanking long terminal repeats (LTRs) and a proximate origin of DNA replication (autonomously replicating sequence, ARS), which are likely to promote rapid GAP1 CNV formation. To test the role of these genomic elements on CNV-mediated adaptive evolution, we performed experimental evolution in glutamine-limited chemostats using engineered strains lacking either the adjacent LTRs, ARS, or all elements. Using a CNV reporter system and neural network simulation-based inference (nnSBI) we quantified the formation rate and fitness effect of CNVs for each strain. We find that although GAP1 CNVs repeatedly form and sweep to high frequency in strains with modified genome architecture, removal of local DNA elements significantly impacts the rate and fitness effect of CNVs and the rate of adaptation. We performed genome sequence analysis to define the molecular mechanisms of CNV formation for 177 CNV lineages. We find that across all four strain backgrounds, between 26% and 80% of all GAP1 CNVs are mediated by Origin Dependent Inverted Repeat Amplification (ODIRA) which results from template switching between the leading and lagging strand during DNA synthesis. In the absence of the local ARS, a distal ARS can mediate CNV formation via ODIRA. In the absence of local LTRs, homologous recombination mechanisms still mediate gene amplification following de novo insertion of retrotransposon elements at the locus. Our study demonstrates the remarkable plasticity of the genome and reveals that template switching during DNA replication is a frequent source of adaptive CNVs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chuong, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ben Nun, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suresh, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matthews, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Avecilla, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abdul-Rahman, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brandt, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ram, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gresham, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.03.589936</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[DNA replication errors are a major source of adaptive gene amplification]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.04.592499v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transit amplifying cells balance growth and differentiation in above-ground meristems 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.04.592499v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In both animals and plants, stem cell niches balance between cell-renewal and the generation of progeny cells that differentiate into specialized tissues. The multipotent and highly proliferative transit amplifying cells (TACs) integrate signals from stem cells and their differentiating progeny cells. Here we used spatial transcriptomics mapped to individual cells to illustrate the localization of TACs in maize meristems based on transcriptional gradients. Through genetic interactions and fluctuations in the transcriptional gradients we show that the multiplicative cell divisions are independently controlled from the TAC cell divisions. The dynamic nature of transcriptional variation in response to cell state or environment, together with the potential to improve yield by their modulation highlights the importance of finetuned modulation of networks rather than constitutive perturbations for crop improvement.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Joossens, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herwegh, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laureyns, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pevernagie, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Hautegem, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polaris, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>bhattacharya, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Korfhage, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Depuydt, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Demuynck, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vandepoele, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saeys, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whipple, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strable, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nelissen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.04.592499</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transit amplifying cells balance growth and differentiation in above-ground meristems]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.06.592755v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Activity-dependent FosB gene expression negatively regulates mast cell functions. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.06.592755v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mast cells are innate immune cells that regulate physiological processes by releasing pre-stored and newly synthesized mediators in response to allergens, infection, and other stimuli. Dysregulated mast cell activity can lead to multisystemic pathologies, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. We found that FOSB and {Delta}FOSB, transcription factors encoded by the FosB gene, are robustly expressed in mast cells following IgE-antigen stimulation, suggesting a role in modulating stimulus-induced mast cell functions. Using phenotypic, gene binding, and gene expression analyses in wild-type and mast cell-specific FosB knockout male mice, we demonstrate that FOSB/{Delta}FOSB modulates mast cell functions by limiting reactivity to allergen-like stimuli both in vitro and in vivo. These effects seem to be mediated, at least in part, by FOSB/{Delta}FOSB-driven enhanced expression of DUSP4, a dual-specificity phosphatase that attenuates MAPK signaling. These findings highlight FOSB/{Delta}FOSB as critical regulators of mast cell activity and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Graphical Abstract

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=118 SRC="FIGDIR/small/592755v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Duque-Wilckens, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maradiaga, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeh, S.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joseph, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Srinavasan, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thelen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sotomayor, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durga, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nestler, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moeser, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robison, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.06.592755</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Activity-dependent FosB gene expression negatively regulates mast cell functions.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.06.592757v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Proteomic and Lipidomic Plasma Evaluations Reveal Biomarkers for Domoic Acid Toxicosis in California Sea Lions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.06.592757v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Domoic acid is a neurotoxin secreted by the marine diatom genus, Pseudo-nitzschia, during toxic algal bloom events. California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are exposed to domoic acid through ingestion of fish that feed on toxic diatoms, resulting in a domoic acid toxicosis (DAT), which can vary from mild to fatal. Sea lions with mild disease can be treated if toxicosis is detected early after exposure, therefore, rapid diagnosis of DAT is essential but also challenging. In this work, we performed multi-omics analyses, specifically proteomic and lipidomic, on blood samples from 31 California sea lions. Fourteen sea lions were diagnosed with DAT based on clinical signs and postmortem histological examination of brain tissue, and 17 had no evidence of DAT. Proteomic analyses revealed three apolipoproteins with statistically significant lower abundance in the DAT individuals compared to the non-DAT individuals. These proteins are known to transport lipids in the blood. Lipidomic analyses highlighted 29 lipid levels that were statistically different in the DAT versus non-DAT comparison, 28 of which were downregulated while only one was upregulated. Furthermore, of the 28 downregulated lipids, 15 were triglycerides, illustrating their connection with the perturbed apolipoproteins and showing their potential for use in rapid DAT diagnoses.

SYNOPSISMulti-omics evaluations reveal blood apolipoproteins and triglycerides are altered in domoic acid toxicosis in California sea lions.

GRAPHIC ABSTRACT

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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Solosky, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Claudio, I. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chappel, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kirkwood-Donelson, K. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janech, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bland, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gulland, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neely, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.06.592757</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Proteomic and Lipidomic Plasma Evaluations Reveal Biomarkers for Domoic Acid Toxicosis in California Sea Lions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.06.592825v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Into the Void: Cavities and Tunnels are Essential for Functional Protein Design 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.06.592825v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The design of functional proteins is crucial as it enables the creation of tailored proteins with specific capabilities, unlocking the potential solutions to various biomedical and industrial challenges. The exact relationship between structure, sequence, and function in protein design is intricate, however, a consensus has been reached that the function of a protein is mostly decided by its structure, which further decides its sequence. While the integration of biology with artificial intelligence has propelled significant advancements in protein design and engineering, structure-based functional protein design, especially de novo design, the quest for satisfactory outcomes remains elusive. In this work, we use backbone geometry to represent the cavities and tunnels of functional proteins and show that they are essential for functional protein design. Correct cavity enables specific biophysical processes or biochemical reactions, while appropriate tunnels facilitate the transport of biomolecules or ions. We also provide a package called CAvity Investigation Navigator (CAIN) to help to do the analysis, which is available at https://github.com/JiahuiZhangNCSU/CAIN.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.06.592825</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Into the Void: Cavities and Tunnels are Essential for Functional Protein Design]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.07.593003v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Amyloid β Induces Hormetic-Like Effects Through Major Stress Pathways in a C. elegans Model of Alzheimer's Disease 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.07.593003v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Amyloid {beta} (A{beta}) is a peptide known for its characteristic aggregates in Alzheimers Disease and its ability to induce a wide range of detrimental effects in various model systems. However, A{beta} has also been shown to induce some beneficial effects, such as antimicrobial properties against pathogens. In this work, we explore the influence of A{beta} in stress resistance in a C. elegans model of Alzheimers Disease. We found that C. elegans that express human A{beta} exhibit increased resistance to heat and hypoxia, but not to oxidative stress. This beneficial effect of A{beta} was driven from A{beta} in neurons but not muscles, and the abundance of A{beta} in neurons correlated with stress resistance levels. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that this selective stress resistance was mediated by the Heat Shock Protein (HSPs) family of genes. Furthermore, neuropeptide signaling was necessary for A{beta} to induce stress resistance, suggesting neuroendocrine signaling plays a major role in activating organismal stress response pathways. These results highlight the potential beneficial role of A{beta} in cellular function, as well as its complex effects on cellular and organismal physiology that must be considered when using C. elegans as a model for Alzheimers Disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lichty, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.07.593003</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Amyloid β Induces Hormetic-Like Effects Through Major Stress Pathways in a C. elegans Model of Alzheimer's Disease]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.08.593025v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Investigating spatial dynamics in spatial omics data with StarTrail 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.08.593025v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Spatial omics technologies revolutionize our view of biological processes within tissues. However, existing methods fail to capture localized, sharp changes characteristic of critical events (e.g. tumor development). Here, we present StarTrail, a novel gradient based method that powerfully defines rapidly changing regions and detects "cliff genes", genes exhibiting drastic expression changes at highly localized or disjoint boundaries. StarTrail, the first to leverage spatial gradients for spatial omics data, also quantifies directional dynamics. Across multiple datasets, StarTrail accurately delineates boundaries (e.g., brain layers, tumor-immune boundaries), and detects cliff genes that may regulate molecular crosstalk at these biologically relevant boundaries but are missed by existing methods. For instance, StarTrail precisely pinpointed the cancer-immune interface in a HER2+ breast cancer dataset, unveiled key cliff genes including a potential prognostic biomarker IGSF3, highlighting NK-, B-cell mediated immunity, and B cell receptor signaling pathways missed by all spatial variable gene methods attempted. StarTrail, filling important gaps in current literature, enables deeper insights into tissue spatial architecture.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiong, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, G. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gupta, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Halder, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.08.593025</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Investigating spatial dynamics in spatial omics data with StarTrail]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.09.593021v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Fight, Retreat, Repeat: Field observation of male-male agonistic behavior in the wood-feeding cockroach, Panesthia angustipennis spadica (Dictyoptera: Blattodea: Blaberidae) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.09.593021v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Conflict is one of the most critical factors affecting the behavior of animals related to their reproduction and survival, with aggressive interactions being central to acquiring resources or mating partners. This phenomenon is more common among males than females, impacting reproduction strategy and beginning of biparental care. Investigating such interactions in species closely related to social species can be illuminating, offering valuable insights into the factors that influence the emergence and maintenance of more complex social behaviors. In this context, we present a field study of male-male agonistic behavior in the wood-feeding cockroach, Panesthia angustipennis. Panesthia is the closest genus to the subsocial genus Salganea, which is known for its biparental care. Our field observations reveal a characteristic behavior where one male pushes a rival away from a female. The victorious male repeatedly returns to a specific site near the female, suggesting a strategy to minimize unnecessary conflict or protect the female. This behavior provides insights into the potential evolutionary strategies that may have evolved in the common ancestor shared by Salganea and Panesthia. Notably, the displaced males persistently reengage, highlighting the high resource value attributed to females and the consequential intensity of male competition. This study not only sheds light on the aggressive and pacifist tendencies in P. angustipennis but also contributes to understanding the evolutionary development of social structures in Salganea. Further experimental investigations into the aggressive behaviors of P. angustipennis will enhance our comprehension of the factors shaping the evolution of sociality in these species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Osaki, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nakazono, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yabe, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Takata, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mikaelyan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.09.593021</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Fight, Retreat, Repeat: Field observation of male-male agonistic behavior in the wood-feeding cockroach, Panesthia angustipennis spadica (Dictyoptera: Blattodea: Blaberidae)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.09.593198v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Utility of thromboelastography with platelet mapping (TEG-PM) for monitoring platelet transfusion in qualitative platelet disorders 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.09.593198v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Patients with pathogenic variants in RASGRP2 (inherited platelet disorder (IPD)-18) have normal platelet counts but show impaired platelet aggregation due to diminished activation of IIb{beta}3 integrin. This defect results in moderate to severe bleeding episodes, especially following surgical procedures, which require patients to be transfused with platelets and/or pro-hemostatic agents. We recently demonstrated that the hemostatic efficacy of transfused platelets is limited by dysfunctional endogenous platelets in a mouse model of IPD-18 (Rasgrp2-/- mice), as dysfunctional platelets were recruited to the forming hemostatic plug but did not participate in clot contraction. Consequently, higher amounts of transfused platelets were required to outcompete these dysfunctional cells and to reverse bleeding. We here studied the usefulness of thromboelastography with platelet mapping (TEG-PM), a method to evaluate platelet-dependent clot contraction, for ex vivo monitoring of the hemostatic potential in Rasgrp2-/- mice transfused with various amounts of wild-type (WT) platelets. Rasgrp2-/- whole blood samples did not contract in TEG-PM, consistent with a critical role of this protein in IIb{beta}3 activation. Addition of WT platelets improved TEG parameters (K time, -angle, MA) in a ratio dependent manner, consistent with our recent in vivo studies showing impaired hemostasis at a 5:1, but not at a 2:1 ratio of mutant to WT platelets. Interestingly, K and  values were identified as better predictors of transfusion efficacy than MA, the most platelet-dependent TEG parameter. In conclusion, this proof-of-concept study supports the use of TEG-PM to monitor platelet transfusion ratios and hemostatic potential in IPD-18 and potentially other platelet disorders.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lee, R. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rudran, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bergmeier, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.09.593198</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Utility of thromboelastography with platelet mapping (TEG-PM) for monitoring platelet transfusion in qualitative platelet disorders]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.09.593304v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Introgression impacts the evolution of bacteria, but species borders are rarely fuzzy. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.09.593304v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Most bacteria engage in gene flow and that this may act as a force maintaining species cohesiveness like it does in sexual organisms. However, introgression (gene flow between the genomic backbone of distinct species) has been reported in bacteria and is associated with fuzzy species borders in some lineages, but its prevalence and impact on the delimitation of bacterial species has not been systematically characterized. Here, we quantified the patterns of introgression across 50 major bacterial lineages. Our results reveal that bacteria present various levels of introgression, with an average of 2% of introgressed core genes and up to 12% in Campylobacter. Furthermore, our results show that some species are more prone to introgression than others within the same genus and introgression is most frequent between highly related species. We found evidence that the various levels of introgression across lineages are likely related to ecological proximity between species. Introgression can occasionally lead to fuzzy species borders, although many of these cases are likely instances of ongoing speciation. Overall, our results indicate that introgression has substantially shaped the evolution and the diversification of bacteria, but this process does not substantially blur species borders.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bobay, L.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diop, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.09.593304</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Introgression impacts the evolution of bacteria, but species borders are rarely fuzzy.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.10.593581v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Wheat Enhanced Disease Resistance EMS-Mutants Include Lesion-mimics With Adult Plant Resistance to Stripe Rust 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.10.593581v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Tetraploid durum wheat Triticum turgidum subsp. durum cv  Kronos has extensive genetic variation resources, including a sequenced and cataloged ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenized population. To utilize this allelic diversity, we screened over 2,000 mutant lines and identified over 30 enhanced disease resistance (EDR) mutants in a forward genetic field screen against stripe rust. Sixteen of the EDR lines have persistent resistance to stripe rust after four years, and several mutants showed differential disease responses against other fungal pathogens, indicating that the lines possess diverse alleles that affect multiple routes of pathogen suppression. Five of these 16 lines showed spontaneous lesion formation in the absence of pathogens. Only one showed a reduction in kernel weight under pathogen pressure, a testimony to the high mutational density that wheat can tolerate. Phenotypic selection for resistance at the adult stage identified useful EMS alleles for stripe rust resistance. The mutations in the 16 EDR lines were newly mapped to a recently released long-read Kronos genome to enhance their utility in molecular breeding for fungal resistance and for fundamental studies of plant-pathogen interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lunde, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seong, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumar, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deatker, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chhabra, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaur, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Palayur, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davies, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cumberlich, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gill, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rawat, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aoun, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mundt, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Krasileva, K. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.10.593581</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Wheat Enhanced Disease Resistance EMS-Mutants Include Lesion-mimics With Adult Plant Resistance to Stripe Rust]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.10.593607v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Enterococcal quorum-controlled protease alters phage infection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.10.593607v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Increased prevalence of multidrug resistant bacterial infections has sparked interest in alternative antimicrobials, including bacteriophages (phages). Limited understanding of the phage infection process hampers our ability to utilize phages to their full therapeutic potential. To understand phage infection dynamics we performed proteomics on Enterococcus faecalis infected with the phage VPE25. We discovered numerous uncharacterized phage proteins are produced during phage infection of Enterococcus faecalis. Additionally, we identified hundreds of changes in bacterial protein abundances during infection. One such protein, enterococcal gelatinase (GelE), an fsr quorum sensing regulated protease involved in biofilm formation and virulence, was reduced during VPE25 infection. Plaque assays showed that mutation of either the fsrA or gelE resulted in plaques with a "halo" morphology and significantly larger diameters, suggesting decreased protection from phage infection. GelE-associated protection during phage infection is dependent on the murein hydrolase regulator LrgA and antiholin-like protein LrgB, whose expression have been shown to be regulated by GelE. Our work may be leveraged in the development of phage therapies that can modulate the production of GelE thereby altering biofilm formation and decreasing E. faecalis virulence.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sheriff, E. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Salvato, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andersen, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chatterjee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duerkop, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.10.593607</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Enterococcal quorum-controlled protease alters phage infection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.12.593456v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Population origin, body mass, and viral infections influence drone honey bee (Apis mellifera) heat tolerance 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.12.593456v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Extreme temperatures associated with climate change are expected to impact the physiology and fertility of a variety of insects, including honey bees. Most previous work has focused on female honey bees, and comparatively little research has investigated how heat exposure affects males (drones). To address this gap, we tested how body mass, viral infections, Africanization, and geographic origin (including stocks from Australia, California, and Ukraine as well as diverse locations within British Columbia, Canada) influenced drone and sperm heat tolerance. We found that individual body size was highly influential, with heavier drones being more likely to survive a heat challenge than smaller drones. Drones originating from feral colonies in Southern California (which are enriched for African genetics) were also more likely to survive a heat challenge than drones originating from commercially-supplied Californian stock. We found no association between drone mass and thermal tolerance of sperm over time in an in vitro challenge assay, but experimental viral infection decreased the heat tolerance of sperm. Overall, there is ample variation in sperm heat tolerance, with sperm from some groups displaying remarkable heat resilience and sperm from others being highly sensitive, with additional factors influencing heat tolerance of the drones themselves.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Metz, B. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Connor, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Du, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frausto, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swensen, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phillips, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Julien, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baer, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.12.593456</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Population origin, body mass, and viral infections influence drone honey bee (Apis mellifera) heat tolerance]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.15.594357v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Frequencies of house fly proto-Y chromosomes across populations are predicted by temperature heterogeneity within populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.15.594357v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sex chromosomes often differ between closely related species and can even be polymorphic within populations. Species with polygenic sex determination segregate for multiple different sex determining loci within populations, making them uniquely informative of the selection pressures that drive the evolution of sex chromosomes. The house fly (Musca domestica) is a model species for studying polygenic sex determination because male determining genes have been identified on all six of the chromosomes, which means that any chromosome can be a "proto-Y" chromosome. In addition, chromosome IV can carry a female-determining locus, making it a W chromosome. The different proto-Y chromosomes are distributed along latitudinal clines on multiple continents, their distributions can be explained by seasonality in temperature, and they have temperature-dependent effects on physiological and behavioral traits. It is not clear, however, how the clinal distributions interact with the effect of seasonality on the frequencies of house fly proto-Y chromosomes across populations. To address this question, we measured the frequencies of house fly Y and W chromosomes across nine populations in the United States of America. We confirmed the clinal distribution along the eastern coast of North America, but it is limited to the eastern coast. In contrast, annual mean daily temperature range is significantly correlated with proto-Y chromosome frequencies across the entire continent. Our results therefore suggest that temperature heterogeneity can explain the distributions of house fly proto-Y chromosomes in a way that does not depend on the cline. These results contribute to our understanding of how ecological factors affect sex chromosome evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Foy, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loetzerich, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boxler, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burgess, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trout Fryxell, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gerry, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hinkle, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machtinger, E. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olds, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarone, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watson, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meisel, R. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.15.594357</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Frequencies of house fly proto-Y chromosomes across populations are predicted by temperature heterogeneity within populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.24.595216v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Two germ granule eIF4E isoforms reside in different mRNPs to hand off C elegans mRNAs from translational repression to activation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.24.595216v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We studied the function of translation factor eIF4E isoforms in regulating mRNAs in germ cell granules/condensates. Translational control of mRNAs plays an essential role in germ cell gene regulation. Messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes assemble on mRNAs as they move from the nucleus into perinuclear germ granules to exert both positive and negative post-transcriptional regulation in the cytoplasm. In C. elegans, germ granules are surprisingly dynamic mRNP condensates that remodel during development. Two eIF4E isoforms (called IFE-1 and IFE-3), eIF4E-Interacting Proteins (4EIPs), RBPs, DEAD-box helicases, polyadenylated mRNAs, Argonautes and miRNAs all occupy positions in germ granules. Affinity purification of IFE-1 and IFE-3 allowed mass spectrometry and mRNA-Seq to identify the proteins and mRNAs that populate stable eIF4E mRNPs. We find translationally controlled mRNAs (e.g. pos-1, mex-3, spn-4, etc.) enriched in IFE-3 mRNPs, but excluded from IFE-1 mRNPs. These mRNAs also require IFE-1 for efficient translation. The findings support a model in which oocytes and embryos utilize the two eIF4Es for opposite purposes on critically regulated germline mRNAs. Careful colocalization of the eIF4Es with other germ granule components suggests an architecture in which GLH-1, PGL-1 and the IFEs are stratified to facilitate sequential interactions for mRNAs. Biochemical characterization demonstrates opposing yet cooperative roles for IFE-3 and IFE-1 to hand-off of translationally controlled mRNAs from the repressed to the activated state, respectively. The model involves eIF4E mRNPs shuttling mRNAs through nuclear pore-associated granules/condensates to cytoplasmic ribosomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gajjar, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huggins, H. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bonnet, F. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Updike, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keiper, B. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.24.595216</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Two germ granule eIF4E isoforms reside in different mRNPs to hand off C elegans mRNAs from translational repression to activation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.24.595675v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exploring the Effects of Glutathione Supplementation on Liver Enzymes and Serum Electrolyte Levels in Mice Exposed to 850-1900 MHz Mobile Phone Radiation: An Investigation into Radiative Stress and Potential Protective Measures 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.24.595675v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In an era where electronic advancements surge forward at an unprecedented pace, public apprehension surrounding the health ramifications of radio-frequency (RF) radiation intensifies. This study looked into the impact of chronic exposure to mobile phone radiation, coupled with glutathione supplementation, on serum lipid profiles and body weight in mice--a subject vital for understanding potential health risks in humans and animals respectively.

Thirty-five male mice were divided into seven groups, each subjected to various mobile phone modes and glutathione treatments. Over five weeks, these mice were exposed to 300 missed calls daily, simulating real-world exposure scenarios. Different serum lipid parameters--triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)--were monitored and observed throughout the study period.

Remarkably, triglycerides, cholesterol, and LDL levels exhibited no noteworthy statistical variances compared to the control group or among experimental cohorts exposed to diverse range of mobile phone radiation modes or glutathione supplements. However, we noted some little deviations in HDL levels, particularly in the silent and silent+glutathione groups. Moreover, we also noted an unexpected result in weight loss across all groups by week three, which was pronounced by week five, and notably pronounced in the glutathione-administered cohorts. This outcome hints at glutathiones complex role in mitigating some complications of mobile phone radiation exposure.

In conclusion, the study suggests a potential interplay between glutathione supplementation, mobile phone radiation exposure, and HDL levels in mice--an avenue ripe for further exploration into the understanding of cellular response to modern technological exposures.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Binhambali, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ahmed, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Umar, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abdoulie, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mukhtar, A. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pate, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nuhu, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ipinlaiye, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ismail, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kolo, H. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Magaji, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-05-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.24.595675</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exploring the Effects of Glutathione Supplementation on Liver Enzymes and Serum Electrolyte Levels in Mice Exposed to 850-1900 MHz Mobile Phone Radiation: An Investigation into Radiative Stress and Potential Protective Measures]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-05-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.31.596828v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Homologous Recombination Shapes the Architecture and Evolution of Bacterial Genomes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.31.596828v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Homologous recombination is a key evolutionary force that varies considerably across bacterial species. However, how the landscape of homologous recombination varies across genes and within individual genomes has only been studied in a few species. Here, we used Approximate Bayesian Computation to estimate the recombination rate along the genomes of 145 bacterial species. Our results show that homologous recombination varies greatly along bacterial genomes and shapes many aspects of genome architecture and evolution. The genomic landscape of recombination presents several key signatures: rates are highest near the origin of replication in most species, patterns of recombination generally appear symmetrical in both replichores (i.e. replicational halves of circular chromosomes) and most species have genomic hotpots of recombination. Furthermore, many closely related species share conserved landscapes of recombination across orthologs indicating that recombination landscapes are conserved over significant evolutionary distances. We show evidence that recombination drives the evolution of GC-content through increasing the effectiveness of selection and not through biased gene conversion, thereby contributing to an ongoing debate. Finally, we demonstrate that the rate of recombination varies across gene function and that many hotspots of recombination are associated with adaptive and mobile regions often encoding genes involved in pathogenicity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Torrance, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diop, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bobay, L.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.05.31.596828</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Homologous Recombination Shapes the Architecture and Evolution of Bacterial Genomes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.08.598043v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mosquito population dynamics is shaped by the interaction among larval density, season, and land use 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.08.598043v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ABSTRACT (English)Understanding how variation in key abiotic and biotic factors interact at spatial scales relevant for mosquito fitness and population dynamics is crucial for predicting current and future mosquito distributions and abundances, and the transmission potential for human pathogens. However, studies investigating the effects of environmental variation on mosquito traits have investigated environmental factors in isolation or in laboratory experiments that examine constant environmental conditions that often do not occur in the field. To address these limitations, we conducted a semi-field experiment in Athens, Georgia using the invasive Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). We selected nine sites that spanned natural variation in impervious surface and vegetation cover to explore effects of the microclimate (temperature and humidity) on mosquitoes. On these sites, we manipulated conspecific larval density at each site. We repeated the experiment in the summer and fall. We then evaluated the effects of land cover, larval density, and time of season, as well as interactive effects, on the mean proportion of females emerging, juvenile development time, size upon emergence, and predicted per capita population growth (i.e., fitness). We found significant effects of larval density, land cover, and season on all response variables. Of most note, we saw strong interactive effects of season and intra-specific density on each response variable, including a non-intuitive decrease in development time with increasing intra-specific competition in the fall. Our study demonstrates that ignoring the interaction between variation in biotic and abiotic variables could reduce the accuracy and precision of models used to predict mosquito population and pathogen transmission dynamics, especially those inferring dynamics at finer-spatial scales across which transmission and control occur.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Solano, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herring, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hintz, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Newberry, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schatz, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walker, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Osenberg, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murdock, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.08.598043</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mosquito population dynamics is shaped by the interaction among larval density, season, and land use]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.10.598183v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Quantifying the genomic determinants of fitness in E. coli ST131 using phylodynamics 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.10.598183v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Antimicrobial resistant pathogens such as Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) pose a serious threat to public health globally. In the United States, ST131 acquired multiple antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and rapidly grew to its current high prevalence in healthcare settings. Notably, this coincided with the introduction and widespread use of antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, suggesting AMR as the major driver of ST131s expansion. Yet, within ST131, there remains considerable diversity between strains in resistance profiles and their repertoires of virulence factors, stress factors, plasmids, and other accessory elements. Understanding which genomic features contribute to ST131s competitive advantage and their relative effects on population-level fitness therefore poses a considerable challenge. Here we use phylodynamic birth-death models to estimate the relative fitness of different ST131 lineages from bacterial phylogenies. By extending these phylodynamic methods to allow multiple genomic features to shape bacterial fitness, we further quantify the relative contribution of individual AMR genes to ST131s fitness. Our analysis indicates that while many genomic elements, including various AMR genes, virulence factors, and plasmids, have all contributed substantially to ST131s rapid growth, major increases in ST131s fitness are largely attributable to mutations in gyrase A that confer resistance to fluoroquinolones.

Author summaryST131 is a pandemic lineage of E. coli that has spread globally and is now responsible for a large percentage of blood and urinary tract infections that cannot be treated with many common antibiotics. While antibiotic resistance has undoubtedly given ST131 a competitive edge, the relative importance of resistance compared with other factors shaping a pathogens growth or transmission potential (i.e. fitness) is often difficult to measure in natural settings. Here, we present a method that allows us to look at the entire spectrum of factors determining a pathogens fitness and estimate the individual contribution of each component to pathogens overall fitness. Our results suggest that resistance to fluoroquinolones, a widely used class of antibiotics, provides ST131 with a disproportionately large fitness advantage relative to many other factors with more moderate fitness effects. Understanding what determines the fitness of ST131 therefore provides insights that can be used to curb the spread of resistance and monitor for emerging lineages with high pandemic potential due to shared fitness enhancing attributes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kepler, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahmud, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dantas, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dubberke, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lanzas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.10.598183</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Quantifying the genomic determinants of fitness in E. coli ST131 using phylodynamics]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.12.598742v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
SEGS-1 episomes generated during cassava mosaic disease influence disease severity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.12.598742v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cassava is an important root crop that is produced by smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa. Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), which is caused by a complex of cassava mosaic begomoviruses (CMBs), is one of the most devastating diseases of cassava. A previous study showed that SEGS-1 (sequences enhancing geminivirus symptoms), which occurs in both the cassava genome and as an episome during CMD, can increase CMD disease severity and overcome host resistance. In this report, we examined the effects of exogenously applied SEGS-1 on the incidence of CMB infection, symptom severity, and viral DNA copy number in five cassava cultivars that ranged from highly susceptible to highly resistant to CMD. These studies revealed that the effect of SEGS-1 is cultivar dependent. Susceptible cultivars developed severe CMD in the absence or presence of exogenous SEGS-1, while exogenous SEGS-1 increased disease severity in cultivars carrying CMD2 but not CMD1 resistance. Analysis of infected plants in the absence of exogenous SEGS-1 revealed that some, but not all cultivars, form SEGS-1 episomes during CMD. The presence of endogenous SEGS-1 episomes in TME14, a CMD2 resistant cultivar, correlated with CMD severity. In contrast, TME3, a closely related CMD2 cultivar, did not produce endogenous SEGS-1 episomes and showed more resistance than TME14. DNA sequence analysis indicated that the different capacities of TME3 and TME14 to form SEGS-1 episomes is unlikely due to sequence differences in and around their genomic SEGS-1 loci. Because of its inability to form episomes, TME3 was used to map the functional regions of SEGS- 1 to sequences flanking the epsiome junction, but junction itself was not required for activity. Together, these experiments provided insight into the functional form of SEGS-1 in cassava and the effect of cassava genotype on SEGS-1 activity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chiunga, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aimone, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajabu, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dallas, M. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ndunguru, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ascencio-Ibanez, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ateka, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.12.598742</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[SEGS-1 episomes generated during cassava mosaic disease influence disease severity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.12.598335v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
LMNA-Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Single-Cell Transcriptomics during Patient-derived iPSC Differentiation Support Cell type and Lineage-specific Dysregulation of Gene Expression and Development for Cardiomyocytes and Epicardium-Derived Cells with Lamin A/C Haploinsufficiency 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.12.598335v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
LMNA-Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an autosomal-dominant genetic condition with cardiomyocyte and conduction system dysfunction often resulting in heart failure or sudden death. The condition is caused by mutation in the Lamin A/C (LMNA) gene encoding Type-A nuclear lamin proteins involved in nuclear integrity, epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and differentiation. Molecular mechanisms of disease are not completely understood, and there are no definitive treatments to reverse progression or prevent mortality. We investigated possible mechanisms of LMNA-Related DCM using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from a family with a heterozygous LMNA c.357-2A>G splice-site mutation. We differentiated one LMNA mutant iPSC line derived from an affected female (Patient) and two non-mutant iPSC lines derived from her unaffected sister (Control) and conducted single-cell RNA sequencing for 12 samples (4 Patient and 8 Control) across seven time points: Day 0, 2, 4, 9, 16, 19, and 30. Our bioinformatics workflow identified 125,554 cells in raw data and 110,521 (88%) high-quality cells in sequentially processed data. Unsupervised clustering, cell annotation, and trajectory inference found complex heterogeneity: ten main cell types; many possible subtypes; and lineage bifurcation for Cardiac Progenitors to Cardiomyocytes (CM) and Epicardium-Derived Cells (EPDC). Data integration and comparative analyses of Patient and Control cells found cell type and lineage differentially expressed genes (DEG) with enrichment to support pathway dysregulation. Top DEG and enriched pathways included: 10 ZNF genes and RNA polymerase II transcription in Pluripotent cells (PP); BMP4 and TGF Beta/BMP signaling, sarcomere gene subsets and cardiogenesis, CDH2 and EMT in CM; LMNA and epigenetic regulation and DDIT4 and mTORC1 signaling in EPDC. Top DEG also included: XIST and other X-linked genes, six imprinted genes: SNRPN, PWAR6, NDN, PEG10, MEG3, MEG8, and enriched gene sets in metabolism, proliferation, and homeostasis. We confirmed Lamin A/C haploinsufficiency by allelic expression and Western blot. Our complex Patient-derived iPSC model for Lamin A/C haploinsufficiency in PP, CM, and EPDC provided support for dysregulation of genes and pathways, many previously associated with Lamin A/C defects, such as epigenetic gene expression, signaling, and differentiation. Our findings support disruption of epigenomic developmental programs as proposed in other LMNA disease models. We recognized other factors influencing epigenetics and differentiation; thus, our approach needs improvement to further investigate this mechanism in an iPSC-derived model.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zaragoza, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bui, T.-A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Widyastuti, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mehrabi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sha, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grosberg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nie, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.12.598335</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[LMNA-Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Single-Cell Transcriptomics during Patient-derived iPSC Differentiation Support Cell type and Lineage-specific Dysregulation of Gene Expression and Development for Cardiomyocytes and Epicardium-Derived Cells with Lamin A/C Haploinsufficiency]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.13.598926v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
UNVEILING STEM CELL INDUCTION MECHANISMS FROM SPATIOTEMPORAL CELL-TYPE-SPECIFIC GENE REGULATORY NETWORKS IN POSTEMBRYONIC ROOT ORGANOGENSIS 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.13.598926v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plants grow continuously by developing new organs, a complex process that requires the formation of specific and functional tissue patterns. Tap root systems, as observed in Arabidopsis thaliana, undergo lateral root formation, a developmental mechanism that necessitates the establishment of stem cell lineages. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We have reconstructed a spatiotemporal cell-type-specific transcriptional map of early lateral root organogenesis in Arabidopsis, profiling single and double fluorescent markers across 8 different cell types in the root stem cell lineage. Employing dynamic Bayesian network inference, based on time-course experiments and developmental time, alongside tree-based methods, we investigated lineage developmental progression and precursor stem-cell specification. Our results reveal a morphogenic cascade of hierarchical interdependent transcription factors driving stem cell initiation, and identify the QC/Endodermis transitioning cells as root stem cell progenitors. The associated formative program involves a profound transcriptomic re-arrangement, which, remarkably, precedes the activation of known stem-cell transcriptional signatures. Our data support a model in which root-stem-cell networks do not initiate stem formation, although various stem cell regulators are involved. Collectively, our study identifies core transcriptional signatures associated with stem cell induction and elucidates the dynamic regulatory mechanism driving early stem cell lineage establishment.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cabrera, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez-Corrionero, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Serrano-Ron, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>del Barrio, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cubas, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez-Garcia, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moreno-Risueno, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.13.598926</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[UNVEILING STEM CELL INDUCTION MECHANISMS FROM SPATIOTEMPORAL CELL-TYPE-SPECIFIC GENE REGULATORY NETWORKS IN POSTEMBRYONIC ROOT ORGANOGENSIS]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.26.600830v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dietary protein from different sources escapes host digestion and is differentially modified by the microbiota 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.26.600830v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Protein is an essential macronutrient and variations in its source and quantity have been shown to impact long-term health outcomes. Differential health impacts of dietary proteins from various sources are likely driven by differences in their digestibility by the host and subsequent availability to the intestinal microbiota. However, our current understanding regarding the fate of dietary proteins from different sources in the gut, specifically how component proteins within these sources interact with the host and the gut microbiota, is limited. To determine which dietary proteins are efficiently digested by the host, and which proteins escape host digestion and are used by the gut microbiota, we used high-resolution mass spectrometry to quantify proteins that constitute different dietary protein sources before and after digestion in germ-free and conventionally raised mice. We detected proteins from all sources in fecal samples of both germ-free and conventional mice suggesting that even protein sources with high digestive efficiency make it to the colon where they can serve as metabolic substrate for gut microbiota. Additionally, we found that specific component proteins of dietary protein sources were degraded to a greater extent in the presence of the microbiota. We found that specific proteins with functions that could potentially impact host health and physiology were differentially enriched in germ-free or conventionally raised mice. These findings reveal large differences in the fate of dietary protein from various sources in the gut which could explain some of their differential health impacts.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Awan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartlett, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blakeley-Ruiz, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Richie, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.26.600830</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dietary protein from different sources escapes host digestion and is differentially modified by the microbiota]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.26.600876v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Lethal Disruption of the Symbiotic Gut Community in Eastern Subterranean Termite Caused by Boric Acid 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.26.600876v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AbstractThe Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), is a significant pest, causing extensive damage to structures that amount to substantial economic losses. Traditional termite control methods have utilized boric acid, known for its broad-spectrum insecticidal properties, yet its impact on termite gut microbiomes and the implications of such effects remain understudied. Our study evaluates the dose-dependent mortality of R. flavipes upon being provided boric acid treated filter papers and investigates the resulting dysbiosis within the termite gut microbiome. Consistent with reports from other insects, mortality increased in a dose-dependent manner, with the highest boric acid concentration (203.7 {micro}g/cm2 of filter paper) significantly reducing termite survival. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the gut microbiome revealed notable shifts in composition, indicating boric acid-induced dysbiosis. Aside from an overall decrease in microbial diversity, the relative abundance of some symbionts essential for termite nutrition decreased in response to higher boric acid concentrations, while several putative pathogens increased. Our findings extend the understanding of boric acids mode of action in termites, emphasizing its effect beyond direct toxicity to include significant microbiome modulation that can have dire effects on termite biology. Considering its potential to induce dysbiosis and potentially augment the effectiveness of entomopathogens, our study supports the continued use of boric acid and related compounds for termite-resistant treatments for wood.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ashbrook, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwarz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schal, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mikaelyan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-06-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.26.600876</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Lethal Disruption of the Symbiotic Gut Community in Eastern Subterranean Termite Caused by Boric Acid]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-06-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.30.601119v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single-cell analysis of human diversity in circulating immune cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.30.601119v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Lack of diversity and proportionate representation in genomics datasets and databases contributes to inequity in healthcare outcomes globally1,2. The relationships of human diversity with biological and biomedical phenotypes are pervasive3, yet remain understudied, particularly in a single-cell genomics context. Here we present the Asian Immune Diversity Atlas (AIDA), a multi-national single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) healthy reference atlas of human immune cells. AIDA comprises 1,265,624 circulating immune cells from 619 healthy donors and 6 controls, spanning 7 population groups across 5 countries. AIDA is one of the largest healthy blood datasets in terms of number of cells, and also the most diverse in terms of number of population groups. Though population groups are frequently compared at the continental level, we identified a pervasive impact of sub-continental diversity on cellular and molecular properties of immune cells. These included cell populations and genes implicated in disease risk and pathogenesis as well as those relevant for diagnostics. We detected single-cell signatures of human diversity not apparent at the level of cell types, as well as modulation of the effects of age and sex by self-reported ethnicity. We discovered functional genetic variants influencing cell type-specific gene expression, including context-dependent effects, which were under-represented in analyses of non-Asian population groups, and which helped contextualise disease-associated variants. We validated our findings using multiple independent datasets and cohorts. AIDA provides fundamental insights into the relationships of human diversity with immune cell phenotypes, enables analyses of multi-ancestry disease datasets, and facilitates the development of precision medicine efforts in Asia and beyond.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kock, K. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tan, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, K. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ando, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jevapatarakul, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chatterjee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, Q. X. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buyamin, E. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sonthalia, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajagopalan, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tomofuji, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sankaran, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, M.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abe, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chantaraamporn, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Furukawa, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghosh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Inoue, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kojima, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kouno, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lim, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Myouzen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguantad, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oh, J.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rayan, N. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarkar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suzuki, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thungsatianpun, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venkatesh, P. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moody, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nakano, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tian, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tong, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tan, C. T. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tizazu, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>SG10K_Health Consortium,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Loh, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hwang, Y. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ho, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larbi, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ng, T. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Won, H.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.30.601119</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single-cell analysis of human diversity in circulating immune cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.27.600919v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An Autonomous Implantable Device for the Prevention of Death from Opioid Overdose 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.27.600919v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Opioid overdose accounts for nearly 75,000 deaths per year in the United States, representing a leading cause of mortality amongst the prime working age population (25-54 years). At overdose levels, opioid-induced respiratory depression becomes fatal without timely administration of the rescue drug naloxone. Currently, overdose survival relies entirely on bystander intervention, requiring a nearby person to discover and identify the overdosed individual, and have immediate access to naloxone to administer. Government efforts have focused on providing naloxone in abundance but do not address the equally critical component for overdose rescue: a willing and informed bystander. To address this unmet need, we developed the Naloximeter: a class of life-saving implantable devices that autonomously detect and treat overdose, with the ability to simultaneously contact first-responders. We present three Naloximeter platforms, for both fundamental research and clinical translation, all equipped with optical sensors, drug delivery mechanisms, and a supporting ecosystem of technology to counteract opioid-induced respiratory depression. In small and large animal studies, the Naloximeter rescues from otherwise fatal opioid overdose within minutes. This work introduces life-changing, clinically translatable technologies that broadly benefit a susceptible population recovering from opioid use disorder.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ciatti, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vazquez-Guardado, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brings, V. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruyle, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ober, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McLuckie, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Talcott, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carter, E. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burrell, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sponenburg, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trueb, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gupta, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Avila, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seong, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Slivicki, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kaplan, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villalpando, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Massaly, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montana, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pet, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moron, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gereau, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rogers, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.06.27.600919</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An Autonomous Implantable Device for the Prevention of Death from Opioid Overdose]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.02.601705v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Camelina CircRNA Landscape: Implications for Gene Regulation and Fatty Acid Metabolism 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.02.601705v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closed-loop RNAs forming a covalent bond between their 3 and 5 ends, the backsplice junction (BSJ), rendering them resistant to exonucleases and thus more stable compared to linear RNAs. Identification of circRNAs and distinction from its cognate linear RNA is only possible by sequencing the BSJ that is unique to the circRNA. CircRNAs are involved in regulation of their cognate RNAs by increasing transcription rates, RNA stability and alternative splicing. We have identified circRNAs from Camelina sativa that are associated with the regulation of germination, light response, and lipid metabolism. We sequenced light-grown and etiolated seedlings after 5 or 7 days post-germination and identified a total of 3,447 circRNAs from 2,763 genes. Most circRNAs originate from a single homeolog of the three subgenomes from allohexaploid camelina and correlates with higher ratios of alternative splicing of their cognate genes. A network analysis shows the interactions of select miRNA:circRNA:mRNAs for regulation of transcript stabilities where circRNA can act as a competing endogenous RNA. Several key lipid metabolism genes can generate circRNA and we confirmed the presence of KASII circRNA as a true circRNA. CircRNA in camelina can be a novel target for breeding and engineering efforts.

Core ideasO_LIFirst discovery of 3,447 genic and 307 intergenic unique putative circRNAs from Camelina sativa.
C_LIO_LIWe identified circRNAs that were regulated in response to seedling de-etiolation.
C_LIO_LIMost circRNAs originate from only one homeolog of the three subgenomes in this allohexaploid Camelina.
C_LIO_LIAlternative splicing of exon skipping and intron retention positively correlate with circRNA occurrence.
C_LIO_LIValidation of KASII circRNAs as an example of lipid metabolism pathways potentially regulated by circRNA.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Utley, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Budnick, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grotewold, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.02.601705</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Camelina CircRNA Landscape: Implications for Gene Regulation and Fatty Acid Metabolism]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.05.602287v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Divide and conquer: Using RhizoVision Explorer to aggregate data from multiple root scans using image concatenation and statistical methods 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.05.602287v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Roots are important in agricultural and natural systems for determining plant productivity and soil carbon inputs. The collection of root samples from the field and their subsequent cleaning and scanning in a water-filled tray ranging in size from 5 to 20 cm, followed by digital image analysis has been commonly used since the 1990s for measuring root length, volume, area, and diameter. However, one common issue has been neglected. Sometimes, the amount of roots for a sample is too much to fit into a single scanned image, so the sample is divided among several scans. There is no standard method to aggregate the root measurements across the scans of the same sample. Here, we describe and validate two methods for standardizing measurements across multiple scans: image concatenation and statistical aggregation. Both methods rely on standardizing file naming conventions to identify scans that belong to the same sample. Image concatenation refers to combining digital images into a single larger image while maintaining the original resolution. We developed a Python script that identifies which images belong to the same sample and returns a single, larger concatenated image for every set of images in a directory. These concatenated images (combining up to 10 scans) and the original images were processed with RhizoVision Explorer, a free and open-source software developed for estimating root traits from images, with the same settings. An R script was developed that can identify the rows of data belonging to the same sample in RhizoVision Explorer data files and apply correct statistical methods such as summation, weighted average by length, and average to the appropriate measurement types to return a single data row for each sample. These two methods were compared using example images from switchgrass, poplar, and various tree and ericaceous shrub species from a northern peatland and the Arctic. Overall, the new methods accomplished the goal of standardizing measurement aggregation. Most root measurements were nearly identical except median diameter, which can not be accurately computed by statistical aggregation. We believe the availability of these methods will be useful to the root biology community.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Seethepalli, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ottley, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fine, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cope, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lagergren, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iversen, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kalluri, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>York, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.05.602287</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Divide and conquer: Using RhizoVision Explorer to aggregate data from multiple root scans using image concatenation and statistical methods]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.20.604422v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Meta-omics reveals role of photosynthesis in Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation at a CO2-rich Geyser 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.20.604422v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a natural process with potential biotechnological applications to address both carbon sequestration and sustainable construction needs. However, our understanding of the microbial processes involved in MICP is limited to a few well-researched pathways such as ureolytic hydrolysis. To expand our knowledge of MICP, we conducted an omics-based study on sedimentary communities from travertine around the CO2-driven Crystal Geyser near Green River, Utah. Using metagenomics and metaproteomics, we identified the community members and potential metabolic pathways involved in MICP. We found variations in microbial community composition between the two sites we sampled, but Rhodobacterales were consistently the most abundant order, including both chemoheterotrophs and anoxygenic phototrophs. We also identified several highly abundant genera of Cyanobacteriales. The dominance of these community members across both sites and the abundant presence of photosynthesis-related proteins suggest that photosynthesis could play a role in MICP at Crystal Geyser. We also found abundant bacterial proteins involved in phosphorous starvation response at both sites suggesting that P-limitation shapes both composition and function of the microbial community driving MICP. Our study emphasizes the possible involvement of photosynthesis in MICP processes at Crystal Geyser and suggests that P-limitation may either hinder or facilitate MICP within the community.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Violette, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hyland, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burgener, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghosh, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montoya, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.20.604422</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Meta-omics reveals role of photosynthesis in Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation at a CO2-rich Geyser]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.20.604417v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A high-resolution model of gene expression during Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) fiber development 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.20.604417v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cotton fiber development relies on complex and intricate biological processes to transform newly differentiated fiber initials into the mature, extravagantly elongated cellulosic cells that are the foundation of this economically important cash crop. Here we extend previous research into cotton fiber development by employing controlled conditions to minimize variability and utilizing time-series sampling and analyses to capture daily transcriptomic changes from early elongation through the early stages of secondary wall synthesis (6 to 24 days post anthesis; DPA). A majority of genes are expressed in fiber, largely partitioned into two major coexpression modules that represent genes whose expression generally increases or decreases during development. Differential gene expression reveals a massive transcriptomic shift between 16 and 17 DPA, corresponding to the onset of the transition phase that leads to secondary wall synthesis. Subtle gene expression changes are captured by the daily sampling, which are discussed in the context of fiber development. Coexpression and gene regulatory networks are constructed and associated with phenotypic aspects of fiber development, including turgor and cellulose production. Key genes are considered in the broader context of plant secondary wall synthesis, noting their known and putative roles in cotton fiber development. The analyses presented here highlight the importance of fine-scale temporal sampling on understanding developmental processes and offer insight into genes and regulatory networks that may be important in conferring the unique fiber phenotype.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grover, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jareczek, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swaminathan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howell, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rani, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arick, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leach, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiong, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mallery, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peterson, D. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xie, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haigler, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zabotina, O. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Szymanski, D. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wendel, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.20.604417</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A high-resolution model of gene expression during Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) fiber development]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.19.604344v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The LYCOPENE EPSILON CYCLASE untranslated mRNA leader modulates carotenoid feedback and post-transcriptional regulation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.19.604344v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Metabolic feedback is proposed to modulate nuclear gene expression and carotenoid biosynthesis in plastids, however few mechanisms have been identified so far in plants. Utilising mutants, overexpression lines, and chemical inhibitors, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis LYCOPENE EPSILON CYCLASE ({varepsilon}LCY) mRNA levels correlate with changes in {beta}-carotenoid accumulation. Transgenic seedlings harbouring the{varepsilon} LCY 5 leader sequence fused to FIREFLY LUCIFERASE (FiLUC) showed reporter responsiveness to metabolic feedback triggered by norflurazon or loss-of-function in the CAROTENOID ISOMERASE (CRTISO). The{varepsilon} LCY 5UTR harboured three alternative transcription start sites (TSS). The most abundant -133bp sequence generated in dark and light grown seedlings harboured a 5 conserved domain (CD) with other Brassicaceae species and a viral internal ribosome entry site (IRES) proximal to the start codon. In silico modelling predicted the 5UTR formed two energetically separated RNA structural probabilities having a minimal free energy consistent with metabolite-binding RNA riboswitches that was distinguished by hairpin structures within the CD. Site-specific mutations were used to stabilize the 5UTR into a single RNA shape definition having negligible separation between the mountain plot structure prediction curves and a distal terminator-like hairpin structure. Stabilizing the 5UTR shape triggered the posttranscriptional repression of FiLUC activity enabled by the CaMV35S promoter in tobacco transient assays and stable transgenic Arabidopsis lines. The stabilised shape fragment became responsive to metabolic feedback induced by norflurazon and in crtiso mutant etiolated and de-etiolated seedlings. The{varepsilon} LCY 5UTR resembles a conformational RNA regulatory switch harbouring a posttranscriptional expression platform and aptamer domain responsive to carotenoid-mediated feedback signalling.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Alagoz, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nayak, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aryal, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watkins, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tissue, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pogson, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cazzonelli, C. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.19.604344</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The LYCOPENE EPSILON CYCLASE untranslated mRNA leader modulates carotenoid feedback and post-transcriptional regulation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.23.604335v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Biochemical Effects of Carotenoids in Orange Carrots on the Colonic Proteome in a Mouse Model of Diet-induced Obesity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.23.604335v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments in plants and are responsible for the orange, yellow, and red color of fruits and vegetables. Carrots are one of the primary dietary sources of carotenoids. The biological activities of carotenoids in higher organisms are well documented in most tissues but not the large intestine. The gastrointestinal barrier acts as a line of defense against the systemic invasion of pathogenic bacteria, especially at the colonic level. Proteins involved in tight junction assembly between epithelial cells and mucus secretion from goblet cells are essential for maintaining intestinal barrier homeostasis. A high-fat diet can cause gut impairment by inducing barrier permeability, leading to low-grade chronic inflammation via metabolic endotoxemia. Our hypothesis for this study is that the dietary intake of carotenoid-rich foods can alleviate obesity-associated gut inflammation and strengthen the intestinal barrier function. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomized to one of four experimental diets for 20 weeks (n = 20 animals/group): Low-fat diet (LFD, 10% calories from fat), high-fat diet (HFD, 45% calories from fat), HFD with white carrot powder (HFD + WC), or HFD with orange carrot powder (HFD + OC). Colon tissues were harvested to analyze the biochemical effects of carotenoids in carrots. The distal sections were subjected to isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomics in which tryptic peptides were labeled with tandem mass tags, followed by fractionation and LC-MS/MS analysis in an Orbitrap Eclipse Tribrid instrument. High-performance liquid chromatography results revealed that the HFD+WC pellets were carotenoid-deficient, and the HFD+OC pellets contained high concentrations of provitamin A carotenoids, specifically -carotene and {beta}-carotene. As a result of the quantitative proteomics, a total of 4410 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Intestinal barrier-associated proteins were highly upregulated in the HFD+OC group, particularly mucin-2 (MUC-2). Upon closer investigation into mucosal activity, other proteins related to MUC-2 functionality and tight junction management were upregulated by the HFD+OC dietary intervention. Collectively, our findings suggest that carotenoid-rich foods can prevent high-fat diet-induced intestinal barrier disruption by promoting colonic mucus synthesis and secretion in mammalian organisms. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD054150.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Balbuena, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milhem, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kiremitci, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, T. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shu, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eroglu, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.23.604335</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Biochemical Effects of Carotenoids in Orange Carrots on the Colonic Proteome in a Mouse Model of Diet-induced Obesity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.27.605159v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mapping the nuclear landscape with multiplexed super-resolution fluorescence microscopy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.27.605159v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The nucleus coordinates many different processes. Visualizing how these are spatially organized requires imaging protein complexes, epigenetic marks, and DNA across scales from single molecules to the whole nucleus. To accomplish this, we developed a multiplexed imaging protocol to localize 13 different nuclear targets with nanometer precision in single cells. We show that nuclear specification into active and repressive states exists along a spectrum of length scales, emerging below one micron and becoming strengthened at the nanoscale with unique organizational principles in both heterochromatin and euchromatin. HP1- was positively correlated with DNA at the microscale but uncorrelated at the nanoscale. RNA Polymerase II, p300, and CDK9 were positively correlated at the microscale but became partitioned below 300 nm. Perturbing histone acetylation or transcription disrupted nanoscale organization but had less effect at the microscale. We envision that our imaging and analysis pipeline will be useful to reveal the organizational principles not only of the cell nucleus but also other cellular compartments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rahman, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Augoustides, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyler, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daugird, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arthur, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Legant, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.27.605159</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mapping the nuclear landscape with multiplexed super-resolution fluorescence microscopy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.30.605820v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
ALPHA: A High Throughput System for Quantifying Growth In Aquatic Plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.30.605820v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The need for more sustainable agricultural systems is becoming increasingly apparent. The global demand for agricultural products -- food, feed, fuel and fiber -- will continue to increase as the global population continues to grow. This challenge is compounded by climate change. Not only does a changing climate make it difficult to maintain stable yields but current agricultural systems are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and continue to drive the problem further. Therefore, future agricultural systems must not only increase production but also significantly decrease negative environmental impacts. One approach to addressing this is to begin breeding and cultivating new plant species that have fundamental sustainability advantages over our existing crops. The Lemnaceae, a.k.a duckweeds, are one such species that have potential to increase output and reduce the negative environmental impacts of agricultural production. Herein we describe the Automated Lab-scale PHenotyping Apparatus, ALPHA, for high-throughput phenotyping of Lemnaceae. ALPHA is being used for selective breeding of one species, Lemna gibba, toward the goal of creating a new crop for use in sustainable agricultural systems. ALPHA can be used on many small aquatic plant species to assess growth rates in different environmental conditions. A proof of principle use case is demonstrated where ALPHA is used to determine saltwater tolerance of 6 different varieties of L. gibba.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Robinson, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Augoustides, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Madenyika, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sartor, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-07-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.30.605820</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[ALPHA: A High Throughput System for Quantifying Growth In Aquatic Plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-07-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.29.604684v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CoMPHI: A Novel Composite Machine Learning Approach Utilizing Multiple FeatureRepresentation to Predict Hosts of Bacteriophages 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.29.604684v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phage therapy has reemerged as a compelling alternative to antibiotics in treating bacterial infections, especially for superbugs that have developed antibiotic resistance. The challenge in the broader application of phage therapy is identifying host targets for the vast array of uncharacterized phages obtained through next-generation sequencing. To solve this issue, this paper introduces an innovative Composite Model for Phage Host Interaction, CoMPHI, to predict phage-host interactions by combining the accuracy of alignment-based methods with the efficiency and flexibility of machine learning techniques. The model initially generates multiple feature encodings from nucleotide and protein sequences of both phages and hosts to enhance prediction accuracies. It is further enriched by incorporating alignment scores between phage-phage, phage-host, and host-host, creating a composite model. During the 5-fold cross-validation, the composite model exhibited an Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 94%, 96.4%, 96.5%, 96.6%, 96.6%, and 96.7% and accuracy of 92.3%, 93.3%, 93.6%, 94%, 94.9%, and 95.1% at the Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, and Phylum levels, respectively. A comparative analysis revealed a 6-8% increase in model performance due to the inclusion of alignment scores. Additionally, an ablation study highlighted that including both nucleotide and protein sequences from both phages and hosts increased the prediction accuracy of the model. Another ablation study provided evidence that phage-host and host-host alignment scores, combined with phage-phage scores, equally contributed to enhancing the composite models performance. In conclusion, this paper presents a robust and comprehensive composite model advancing the use of phage therapy in modern medicine.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bodaka, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malgonde, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.07.29.604684</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CoMPHI: A Novel Composite Machine Learning Approach Utilizing Multiple FeatureRepresentation to Predict Hosts of Bacteriophages]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.02.604486v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modeling the transmission dynamics of African swine fever virus within commercial swine barns: Quantifying the contribution of multiple transmission pathways 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.02.604486v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Transmission of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) within commercial swine barns occurs through direct and indirect pathways. Identifying and quantifying the roles of ASFV dissemination within barns is crucial for the development of effective disease control strategies. We developed a stochastic transmission model to examine the ASFV dissemination dynamics through eight transmission routes within commercial swine barns. We consider seven transmission routes at three disease dynamics levels: within-pens, between-pens, and within-room transmission, along with the transfer of pigs between pens within the same room. We simulated ASFV spread within barns of various sizes and layouts from rooms with a median of 32 pens (IQR:28-40), where each pen housing a median of 34 pigs (IQR: 29-36). Our model enables the tracking of the viral load in each pen and the monitoring of the disease status at the pen level. Simulation results show that between-pen transmission pathways exhibited the highest contribution to ASFV spread, accounting for 71.4%, where within-pen and within-room pathways account for 20.1% and 8.5%, respectively. Among the direct transmission pathways, nose-to-nose contact between pens was the primary route of dissemination, comprising an average of 49%, while the fecal transmission between pens contributed 21%. On the other hand, aerosol transmission within pens had the lowest contribution, accounting for less than 1%. Furthermore, we show that the daily transfer of pigs between pens did not impact the spread of ASFV. The combination of passive surveillance of daily detection and active surveillance focused on mortality allowed the detection of ASFV within three Days, with peak detection occurring when mortality rates peaked. The model also allows us to pinpoint where the majority of infections and viral load are concentrated during the ASFV spread. This work significantly deepens our understanding of ASFV spread within commercial swine production farms in the U.S. and highlights the main transmission pathways that should be prioritized when implementing ASFV countermeasure actions at the room level.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Deka, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fleming, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Safari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeh, C.-A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.02.604486</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modeling the transmission dynamics of African swine fever virus within commercial swine barns: Quantifying the contribution of multiple transmission pathways]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.12.607382v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Commensal-derived short-chain fatty acids disrupt lipid membrane homeostasis in Staphylococcus aureus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.12.607382v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The role of commensal anaerobic bacteria in chronic respiratory infections is unclear, yet they can exist in abundances comparable to canonical pathogens in vivo. Their contributions to the metabolic landscape of the host environment may influence pathogen behavior by competing for nutrients and creating inhospitable conditions via toxic metabolites. Here, we reveal a mechanism by which the anaerobe-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) propionate and butyrate negatively affect Staphylococcus aureus physiology by disrupting branched chain fatty acid (BCFA) metabolism. In turn, BCFA impairment results in impaired growth, diminished expression of the agr quorum sensing system, as well as increased sensitivity to membrane-targeting antimicrobials. Altered BCFA metabolism also reduces S. aureus fitness in competition with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting that airway microbiome composition and the metabolites they produce and exchange directly impact pathogen succession over time. The pleiotropic effects of these SCFAs on S. aureus fitness and their ubiquity as metabolites in animals also suggests that they may be effective as sensitizers to traditional antimicrobial agents when used in combination.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fletcher, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hansen, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martinez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freeman, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thorns, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Villareal, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Penningroth, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vogt, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tyler, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hines, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunter, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.12.607382</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Commensal-derived short-chain fatty acids disrupt lipid membrane homeostasis in Staphylococcus aureus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.17.608395v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phased chromosome-level genome assembly provides insight into the origin of hexaploid sweetpotato 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.17.608395v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The hexaploid sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) is a globally important stable crop and plays a significant role in biofortification. The high resilience and adaptability of sweetpotato provide it with advantages in addressing food security and climate change issues. Here we report a haplotype-resolved chromosome-level genome assembly of an African cultivar,  Tanzania, which enables ancestry inference along the haplotype-phased chromosomes. Our analyses reveal that the wild tetraploid I. aequatoriensis, currently found in coastal Ecuador, is the closest known relative of sweetpotato and likely a direct descendant of one of the sweetpotato progenitors. The other unknown progenitor(s) of sweetpotato have a closer genetic relationship to the wild tetraploid I. batatas 4x, distributed in Central America, than to I. aequatoriensis. The different ancestral sequences are not distributed in typical subgenomes but are intertwined on the same chromosomes, possibly due to the known non-preferential recombination among haplotypes. Although I. batatas 4x was not involved in the hexaploidization event, introgression from I. batatas 4x to the hexaploid sweetpotato is evident. Our study improves our understanding of sweetpotato origin and provides valuable genomic resources to accelerate sweetpotato breeding.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mollinari, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gesteira, G. D. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kitavi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yan, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yencho, G. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buell, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fei, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.17.608395</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phased chromosome-level genome assembly provides insight into the origin of hexaploid sweetpotato]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.19.608707v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A criterion characterizing accumulated toxicity of Aβ oligomers in Alzheimer's disease 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.19.608707v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The paper develops a criterion to quantify the accumulated neurotoxicity of A{beta} oligomers in Alzheimers disease (AD). Accumulated neurotoxicity is determined by integrating the concentration of A{beta} oligomers within the control volume over time. In the scenario of a low rate of free A{beta} oligomer deposition into senile plaques and dysfunctional degradation machinery, resulting in an infinitely long half-life of A{beta} monomers and aggregates, the obtained analytical solution reveals a quadratic relationship between accumulated neurotoxicity and time. This suggests that initially, neurotoxicity increases slowly but accelerates as time progresses. This could help to understand the prolonged delay in the onset of AD symptoms. Furthermore, as the model indicates that accumulated neurotoxicity increases with the duration of the aggregation process, it implies that if the protein degradation system is compromised, the onset of AD becomes unavoidable. Eventually, neuronal death is only a question of time. The only way to prevent this outcome is to ensure that the degradation machinery for A{beta} peptides and their aggregates remains functional. A threshold value of accumulated neurotoxicity is suggested. The developed theory suggests that if this value is exceeded, nearby neurons will die. The progression of accumulated neurotoxicity over time is analyzed. An S-shaped growth pattern as the half-deposition time of A{beta} aggregates into senile plaques increases is revealed. Additionally, the sensitivity of accumulated neurotoxicity to different parameter values is examined.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.19.608707</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A criterion characterizing accumulated toxicity of Aβ oligomers in Alzheimer's disease]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.20.608123v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Large scale comparative wheat phosphoproteome profiling pinpoints temperature-associated molecular signatures 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.20.608123v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Elevated temperatures resulting from climate change adversely affect natural and crop ecosystems, necessitating the development of heat-tolerant crops. We established a framework to precisely identify wheat protein-phosphorylated sites associated with varying temperature sensitivities. We identified specific kinases primarily associated with a specific temperature, but our results also suggest a striking overlap between cold and heat signaling. We furthermore demonstrated that the phosphorylation state of a specific set of proteins creates a unique signature for heat stress tolerance. These findings can potentially aid in the identification of targets for breeding or genome editing to enhance sub/supra optimal temperature tolerance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fonseca de Lima, C. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van den Broeck, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van De Cotte, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Locke, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Smet, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.20.608123</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Large scale comparative wheat phosphoproteome profiling pinpoints temperature-associated molecular signatures]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.25.609458v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A single-cell atlas of spatial and temporal gene expression in the mouse cranial neural plate 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.25.609458v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The formation of the mammalian brain requires regionalization and morphogenesis of the cranial neural plate, which transforms from an epithelial sheet into a closed tube that provides the structural foundation for neural patterning and circuit formation. Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling is important for cranial neural plate patterning and closure, but the transcriptional changes that give rise to the spatially regulated cell fates and behaviors that build the cranial neural tube have not been systematically analyzed. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing to generate an atlas of gene expression at six consecutive stages of cranial neural tube closure in the mouse embryo. Ordering transcriptional profiles relative to the major axes of gene expression predicted spatially regulated expression of 870 genes along the anterior-posterior and mediolateral axes of the cranial neural plate and reproduced known expression patterns with over 85% accuracy. Single-cell RNA sequencing of embryos with activated SHH signaling revealed distinct SHH-regulated transcriptional programs in the developing forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, suggesting a complex interplay between anterior-posterior and mediolateral patterning systems. These results define a spatiotemporally resolved map of gene expression during cranial neural tube closure and provide a resource for investigating the transcriptional events that drive early mammalian brain development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brooks, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moorman, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhattacharya, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prudhomme, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Land, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alcorn, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pe'er, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zallen, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.25.609458</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A single-cell atlas of spatial and temporal gene expression in the mouse cranial neural plate]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.28.610037v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Phylodynamics beyond neutrality: The impact ofincomplete purifying selection on viral phylogeniesand inference 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.28.610037v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Viral phylodynamics focuses on using sequence data to make inferences about the population dynamics of viral infectious diseases. These inferences commonly include estimation of the viral growth rate, the reproduction number, and the time of most recent common ancestor. With few exceptions, existing phylodynamic inference approaches assume that all observed and ancestral viral genetic variation is fitness-neutral. This assumption is violated more often than not, with a large body of analyses indicating that fitness varies substantially among genotypes circulating viral populations. Here, we focus specifically on fitness variation arising from deleterious mutations, asking whether incomplete purifying selection of deleterious mutations has the potential to bias phylodynamic inference. We use simulations of an exponentially growing population to explore how incomplete purifying selection distorts tree shape as well as how it shifts the distribution of non-neutral mutations over trees. Consistent with previous results, we find that incomplete purifying selection strongly shapes the distribution of mutations while only weakly impacting tree shape. Despite incomplete purifying selection shifting the distribution of mutations, we find little discernible bias in estimates of the viral growth rate and times of the most recent common ancestor. Our results reassuringly indicate that existing phylodynamic inference approaches may not yield biased epidemiological parameter estimates in the face of incomplete purifying selection, although more work is needed to assess the generalizability of these findings.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Koelle, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.28.610037</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Phylodynamics beyond neutrality: The impact ofincomplete purifying selection on viral phylogeniesand inference]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.28.610152v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Temperature affects recombination rate plasticity and meiotic success between thermotolerant and cold tolerant yeast species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.28.610152v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Meiosis is required for the formation of gametes in all sexually reproducing species and the process is well conserved across the tree of life. However, meiosis is sensitive to a variety of external factors, which can impact chromosome pairing, recombination, and fertility. For example, the optimal temperature for successful meiosis varies between species of plants and animals. This suggests that meiosis is temperature sensitive, and that natural selection may act on variation in meiotic success as organisms adapt to different environmental conditions. To understand how temperature alters the successful completion of meiosis, we utilized two species of the budding yeast Saccharomyces with different temperature preferences: thermotolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae and cold tolerant Saccharomyces uvarum. We surveyed three metrics of meiosis: sporulation efficiency, spore viability, and recombination rate in multiple strains of each species. As per our predictions, the proportion of cells that complete meiosis and form spores is temperature sensitive, with thermotolerant S. cerevisiae having a higher temperature threshold for successful meiosis than cold tolerant S. uvarum. We confirmed previous observations that S. cerevisiae recombination rate varies between strains and across genomic regions, and add new results that S. uvarum has higher recombination rates than S. cerevisiae. We find that temperature significantly influences recombination rate plasticity in S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum, in agreement with studies in animals and plants. Overall, these results suggest that meiotic thermal sensitivity is associated with organismal thermal tolerance, and may even result in temporal reproductive isolation as populations diverge in thermal profiles.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McNeill, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brandt, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwarzkopf, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jimenez Gallardo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smukowski Heil, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.28.610152</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Temperature affects recombination rate plasticity and meiotic success between thermotolerant and cold tolerant yeast species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.610278v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Systematic Analysis of Read-Across Adaptations in Testing Proposal Evaluations by the European Chemicals Agency 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.610278v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An important element of the European Unions "Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals" (REACH) regulation is the evaluation by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) of testing proposals submitted by the registrants to address data gaps in standard REACH information requirements. The registrants may propose adaptations, and ECHA evaluates the reasoning and issues a written decision. Read-across is a common adaptation type, yet it is widely assumed that ECHA often does not agree that the justifications are adequate to waive standard testing requirements. From 2008 to August 2023, a total of 2,630 Testing Proposals were submitted to ECHA; of these, 1,538 had published decisions that were systematically evaluated in this study. Each document was manually reviewed, and information extracted for further analyses. Read-across hypotheses were standardized into 17 assessment elements (AEs); each submission was classified as to the AEs relied upon by the registrants and by ECHA. Data was analyzed for patterns and associations. Testing Proposal Evaluations (TPEs) with adaptations comprised 23% (353) of the total; analogue (168) or group (136) read-across adaptations were most common. Of 304 read-across-containing TPEs, 49% were accepted; the odds of acceptance were significantly greater for group read-across submissions. The data was analyzed by Annex (i.e., tonnage), test guideline study, read-across hypothesis AEs, as well as target and source substance types and their structural similarity. While most ECHA decisions with both positive and negative decisions on whether the proposed read-across was adequate were context-specific, a number of significant associations were identified that influence the odds of acceptance. Overall, this analysis provides an unbiased overview of 15 years of experience with testing proposal-specific read-across adaptations by both registrants and ECHA. These data will inform future submissions as they identify most critical AEs to increase the odds of read-across acceptance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Roe, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tsai, H.-H. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ball, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wright, F. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rusyn, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.29.610278</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Systematic Analysis of Read-Across Adaptations in Testing Proposal Evaluations by the European Chemicals Agency]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.610383v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Highly dynamic mechanical transitions in embryonic cell populations during Drosophila gastrulation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.610383v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
During animal development, the acquisition of three-dimensional morphology is a direct consequence of the dynamic interaction between cellular forces and the mechanical properties of cells and their environment. While the generation and transmission of cellular forces has been widely explored, less is known about the dynamic changes in cell mechanical properties during morphogenesis. Here, we characterise and spatially map in three dimensions the dynamics of cell mechanical properties during Drosophila gastrulation utilising line-scan Brillouin microscopy. We find that cells in the embryo undergo rapid and spatially varying changes in their mechanical properties and that these differ in cell populations with different fates and behaviours. We identify microtubules as potential effectors of cell mechanics in this system, and corroborate our experimental findings with a physical model that underscores the role of localised and dynamic changes in mechanical properties to facilitate tissue folding. Our work provides the first spatio-temporal description of the evolving mechanical properties of cell populations during morphogenesis, and highlights the potential of Brillouin microscopy in studying the dynamic changes in cell shape behaviours and cell mechanical properties simultaneously in different cell populations in an intact organism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gomez, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bevilacqua, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thayambath, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leptin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prevedel, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.29.610383</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Highly dynamic mechanical transitions in embryonic cell populations during Drosophila gastrulation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.30.610151v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Fluralaner treatment of chickens kills the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.30.610151v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The control of zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens is challenging due to the limited availability of intervention tools. West Nile virus (WNV) is an example of globally distributed zoonotic arbovirus that circulates between Culex species mosquitoes and avian hosts, with spillover transmission to humans, resulting in disease cases. Interventions delivering systemic insecticides to vertebrate hosts used by vector species, known as xenointoxication, are potential tools for managing vector populations by creating toxic bloodmeals. In this study, we evaluated the impact of three systemic insecticides on the mortality of Cx. quinquefasciatus: fenbendazole (Safe-Guard(R) Aquasol), ivermectin (Ivomec(R) Pour-On), and fluralaner (Bravecto(R)). We found no significant difference in the feeding rates of mosquitoes that fed on treated chickens compared to those fed on untreated chickens, suggesting that the treatment did not repel mosquitoes. The mortality of Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes feeding on fluralaner-treated chickens was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those fed on control chickens at 3 and 7 days post-treatment, but this effect was not observed in mosquitoes fed on chickens treated with fenbendazole or ivermectin. No differences in mortality were observed among the groups at 14, 26, or 56 days post-treatment. These data support fluralaner as a xenointoxication tool to control Cx. quinquefasciatus populations and decrease the risk of human exposure to their associated pathogens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Knape, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tian, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Durden, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adams, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garza, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carey, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamer, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamer, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-08-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.30.610151</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Fluralaner treatment of chickens kills the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-08-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.30.610574v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The interaction between abiotic and biotic soil factors drive heterosis expression in maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.30.610574v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Heterosis or hybrid vigor refers to the superior phenotypes of hybrids relative to their parental inbred lines. Recently, soil microbes were identified as an environmental driver of maize heterosis. While manipulation of the soil microbial community consistently altered heterosis, the direction of the effect appeared to be dependent on the microbiome composition, environment, or both. Abiotic factors are well-known modifiers of heterosis expression, however, how the interactive effects between the soil microbial community and abiotic factors contribute to heterosis are poorly understood. To disentangle the proposed mechanisms by which microbes influence heterosis, we characterize the variation in heterosis expression when maize was grown in soil inocula derived from active maize farms or prairies. While we did not observe consistent differences in heterosis among plants grown in these inocula, our observations reaffirm that microbial effects on heterosis are likely specific to the local microbial community. The introduction of a nutrient amendment resulted in greater heterosis expression in the presence of an agricultural inoculum but not a prairie inoculum. We also observed an effect of soil inocula and nutrient treatment on the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the root endosphere. In addition, the interaction between soil and nutrient treatment significantly affected bacterial community composition, whereas fungal community composition was only marginally affected by this interaction. These results further suggest that the soil microbial community plays a role in maize heterosis expression but that the abiotic environment is likely a larger driver.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clouse, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ellis, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hostetler, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balint-Kurti, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.08.30.610574</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The interaction between abiotic and biotic soil factors drive heterosis expression in maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.02.610853v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Methods for high throughput discovery of fluoroprobes that recognize tau fibril polymorphs 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.02.610853v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aggregation of microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT/tau) into conformationally distinct fibrils underpins neurodegenerative tauopathies. Fluorescent probes (fluoroprobes), such as thioflavin T (ThT), have been essential tools for studying tau aggregation; however, most of them do not discriminate between amyloid fibril conformations (polymorphs). This gap is due, in part, to a lack of high-throughput methods for screening large, diverse chemical collections. Here, we leverage advances in protein adaptive differential scanning fluorimetry (paDSF) to screen the Aurora collection of 300+ fluorescent dyes against multiple synthetic tau fibril polymorphs. This screen, coupled with orthogonal secondary assays, revealed pan-fibril binding chemotypes, as well as fluoroprobes selective for subsets of fibrils. One fluoroprobe recognized tau pathology in ex vivo brain slices from Alzheimers disease patients. We propose that these scaffolds represent entry points for development of selective fibril ligands and, more broadly, that high throughput, fluorescence-based dye screening is a platform for their discovery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Carroll, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, H. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oehler, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charvat, A. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montgomery, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yung, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Millbern, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vinueza, N. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Degrado, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mordes, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Condello, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gestwicki, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.02.610853</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Methods for high throughput discovery of fluoroprobes that recognize tau fibril polymorphs]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.16.613311v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Adaptation to climate in the native and introduced ranges of a cosmopolitan plant 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.16.613311v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Climate change and the global spread of non-native species are two of the most significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Both these phenomena subject populations to novel conditions, either in space (species introductions) or in time (climate change), yet the role of adaptation in how populations respond to these rapid environmental shifts is poorly understood. We conducted a large-scale trans-continental common garden experiment using white clover (Trifolium repens, Fabaceae) to test whether adaptive evolution to spatiotemporal variation in climate could contribute to the ecological success of one of the most widespread plant species in the world. Individuals from 96 populations of Trifolium repens (white clover) from both its native (Europe) and introduced (North America) ranges were planted into four experimental common gardens located in northern (Uppsala, Sweden) and southern (Montpellier, France) Europe, and northern (Mississauga, Canada) and southern (Lafayette, USA) North America. We recorded plant sexual and clonal fitness in each common garden and assessed whether the strength of local adaptation differed between the native and introduced ranges and whether populations are rapidly adapting to climate change. Results show that local adaptation was only evident when populations were transplanted into common gardens located in the same range (native or introduced) from which they originated and was driven by stronger selection (due to climatic factors rather than herbivory) at lower latitudes in both ranges. Our results indicate rapid local adaptation across a large latitudinal gradient in introduced T. repens populations, along with an associated adaptation cost when transplanted back into the native range. We also find evidence of an adaptation lag in the northern common garden in the introduced range, with plants from historically warmer climates exhibiting the greatest fitness. These findings support two major conclusions: 1) white clover can rapidly adapt to spatial variation in climate in its introduced range as well as the native range, and 2) despite rapid adaptation to novel environments, introduced white clover populations are not keeping pace with rapid climate change. Overall, our results provide insight into the role of adaptation in facilitating the ecological success of non-native species in a rapidly changing world.

Open Research StatementData are provided for peer review. All data involved in this study is available on the GitHub page for LJA (https://github.com/ljalbano/transcontinental_common_garden).
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Albano, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bastias, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Estarague, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hendrickson, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Innes, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>King, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patterson, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tudoran, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasseur, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Puentes, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Violle, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kooyers, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, M. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.16.613311</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Adaptation to climate in the native and introduced ranges of a cosmopolitan plant]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.13.612969v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Global Genotype by Environment Prediction Competition Reveals That Diverse Modeling Strategies Can Deliver Satisfactory Maize Yield Estimates 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.13.612969v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Predicting phenotypes from a combination of genetic and environmental factors is a grand challenge of modern biology. Slight improvements in this area have the potential to save lives, improve food and fuel security, permit better care of the planet, and create other positive outcomes. In 2022 and 2023 the first open-to-the-public Genomes to Fields (G2F) initiative Genotype by Environment (GxE) prediction competition was held using a large dataset including genomic variation, phenotype and weather measurements and field management notes, gathered by the project over nine years. The competition attracted registrants from around the world with representation from academic, government, industry, and non-profit institutions as well as unaffiliated. These participants came from diverse disciplines include plant science, animal science, breeding, statistics, computational biology and others. Some participants had no formal genetics or plant-related training, and some were just beginning their graduate education. The teams applied varied methods and strategies, providing a wealth of modeling knowledge based on a common dataset. The winners strategy involved two models combining machine learning and traditional breeding tools: one model emphasized environment using features extracted by Random Forest, Ridge Regression and Least-squares, and one focused on genetics. Other high-performing teams methods included quantitative genetics, classical machine learning/deep learning, mechanistic models, and model ensembles. The dataset factors used, such as genetics; weather; and management data, were also diverse, demonstrating that no single model or strategy is far superior to all others within the context of this competition.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Washburn, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Varela, J. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xavier, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ertl, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gage, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lima, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romay, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopez-Cruz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de los Campos, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barber, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zimmer, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trucillo Silva, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rocha, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rincent, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ali, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gusev, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Slabodkin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bax, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aubert, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gangloff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mary-Huard, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vanrenterghem, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quesada-Traver, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yates, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ariza-Suarez, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ulrich, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wyler, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kick, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bellis, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Causey, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soriano Chavez, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piyush, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernando, G. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumar, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Timon, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venkatesh, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Segura Aba, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.13.612969</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Global Genotype by Environment Prediction Competition Reveals That Diverse Modeling Strategies Can Deliver Satisfactory Maize Yield Estimates]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.20.613966v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Patterned wireless transcranial optogenetics generates artificial perception 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.20.613966v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Synthesizing perceivable artificial neural inputs independent of typical sensory channels remains a fundamental challenge in the development of next-generation brain-machine interfaces. Establishing a minimally invasive, wirelessly effective, and miniaturized platform with long-term stability is crucial for creating a clinically meaningful interface capable of mediating artificial perceptual feedback. In this study, we demonstrate a miniaturized fully implantable wireless transcranial optogenetic encoder designed to generate artificial perceptions through digitized optogenetic manipulation of large cortical ensembles. This platform enables the spatiotemporal orchestration of large-scale cortical activity for remote perception genesis via real-time wireless communication and control, with optimized device performance achieved by simulation-guided methods addressing light and heat propagation during operation. Cue discrimination during operant learning demonstrates the wireless genesis of artificial percepts sensed by mice, where spatial distance across large cortical networks and sequential order-based analyses of discrimination performance reveal principles that adhere to general perceptual rules. These conceptual and technical advancements expand our understanding of artificial neural syntax and its perception by the brain, guiding the evolution of next-generation brain-machine communication.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Efimov, A. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vazquez-Guardado, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riahi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoon, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ting, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banks, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Good, C. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cox, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pinto, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kozorovitskiy, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rogers, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.20.613966</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Patterned wireless transcranial optogenetics generates artificial perception]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.21.614125v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Histone deacetylase 5 in prelimbic prefrontal cortex limits context-associated cocaine seeking 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.21.614125v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundRepeated cocaine use produces neuroadaptations that support drug craving and relapse in substance use disorders (SUDs). Powerful associations formed with drug-use environments can promote a return to active drug use in SUD patients, but the molecular mechanisms that control the formation of these prepotent drug-context associations remain unclear.

MethodsIn the rat intravenous cocaine self-administration (SA) model, we examined the role and regulation of histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) in the prelimbic (PrL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices in context-associated drug seeking. To this end, we employed viral molecular tools, chemogenetics, RNA-sequencing, electrophysiology, and immunohistochemistry.

ResultsIn the PrL, reduction of endogenous HDAC5 augmented context-associated, but not cue-or drug prime-reinstated cocaine seeking, whereas overexpression of HDAC5 in PrL, but not IL, reduced context-associated cocaine seeking, but it had no effects on sucrose seeking. In contrast, PrL HDAC5 overexpression following acquisition of cocaine SA had no effects on future cocaine seeking. We found that HDAC5 and cocaine SA altered the expression of numerous PrL genes, including many synapse-associated genes. HDAC5 significantly increased inhibitory synaptic transmission onto PrL deep-layer pyramidal neurons, and it reduced the induction of FOS-positive neurons in the cocaine SA environment.

ConclusionsOur findings reveal an essential and selective role for PrL HDAC5 to limit associations formed in cocaine, but not sucrose, SA environments, and that it alters the PrL excitatory/inhibitory balance, possibly through epigenetic regulation of synaptic genes. These results further position HDAC5 as a key factor regulating reward-circuit neuroadaptations that underlie common relapse triggers in SUD.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Barry, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huebschman, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeVries, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCue, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tsvetkov, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siemsen, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scofield, M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taniguchi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Penrod, R. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cowan, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.21.614125</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Histone deacetylase 5 in prelimbic prefrontal cortex limits context-associated cocaine seeking]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.18.613707v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Data-Independent Acquisition Mass Spectrometry as a Tool for Metaproteomics: Interlaboratory Comparison Using a Model Microbiome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.18.613707v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mass spectrometry (MS)-based metaproteomics is used to identify and quantify proteins in microbiome samples, with the frequently used methodology being Data-Dependent Acquisition mass spectrometry (DDA-MS). However, DDA-MS is limited in its ability to reproducibly identify and quantify lower abundant peptides and proteins. To address DDA-MS deficiencies, proteomics researchers have started using Data-Independent Acquisition Mass Spectrometry (DIA-MS) for reproducible detection and quantification of peptides and proteins. We sought to evaluate the reproducibility and accuracy of DIA-MS metaproteomic measurements relative to DDA-MS using a mock community of known taxonomic composition. Artificial microbial communities of known composition were analyzed independently in three laboratories using DDA- and DIA-MS acquisition methods. DIA-MS yielded more protein and peptide identifications than DDA-MS in each laboratory. In addition, the protein and peptide identifications were more reproducible in all laboratories and provided an accurate quantification of proteins and taxonomic groups in the samples. We also identified some limitations of current DIA tools when applied to metaproteomic data, highlighting specific needs to improve DIA tools enabling analysis of metaproteomic datasets from complex microbiomes. Ultimately, DIA-MS represents a promising strategy for MS-based metaproteomics due to its large number of detected proteins and peptides, reproducibility, deep sequencing capabilities, and accurate quantitation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rajczewski, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blakeley-Ruiz, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meyer, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mcilvin, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Den Bossche, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Searle, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffin, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saito, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagtap, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.18.613707</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Data-Independent Acquisition Mass Spectrometry as a Tool for Metaproteomics: Interlaboratory Comparison Using a Model Microbiome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.19.613351v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The utility of environmental data from traditionalvarieties for climate-adaptive maize breeding 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.19.613351v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Maintaining crop yields in the face of climate change is a major challenge facing plant breeding today. Considerable genetic variation exists in ex-situ collections of traditional crop varieties, but identifying adaptive loci and testing their agronomic performance in large populations in field trials is costly.

Here, we study the utility of climate and genomic data for identifying promising traditional varieties to incorporate into maize breeding programs. To do so, we use phenotypic data from more than 4,000 traditional maize varieties grown in 13 trial environments. First, we used genotype data to predict environmental characteristics of germplasm collections to identify varieties that may be locally adapted to target environments. Second, we used environmental GWAS (envGWAS) to identify genetic loci associated with historical divergence along climatic gradients, such as the putative heat shock protein hsftf9 and the large-scale adaptive inversion Inv4m.

Finally, we compared the value of environmental data and envGWAS-prioritized loci to genomic data for prioritizing traditional varieties. We find that maize yield traits are best predicted by genomic data, and that envGWAS-identified variants provide little direct predictive information over patterns of population structure. We also find that adding environment-of-origin variables does not improve yield component prediction over kinship or population structure alone, but could be a useful selection proxy in the absence of sequencing data. While our results suggest little utility of environmental data for selecting traditional varieties to incorporate in breeding programs, environmental GWAS is nonetheless a potentially powerful approach to identify individual novel loci for maize improvement, especially when coupled with high density genotyping.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gates, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hufford, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janzen, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Zapata, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Navarro, J. A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snodgrass, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sonder, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willcox, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hearne, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.19.613351</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The utility of environmental data from traditionalvarieties for climate-adaptive maize breeding]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.23.614502v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
GRAS Family Transcription Factor Binding Behaviors in Sorghum bicolor, Oyrza, and Maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.23.614502v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Identifying non-coding regions that control gene expression has become an essential aspect of understanding gene regulatory networks that can play a role in crop improvements such as crop manipulation, stress response, and plant evolution. Transcription Factor (TF)-binding approaches can provide additional valuable insights and targets for reverse genetic approaches such as EMS-induced or natural SNP variant screens or CRISPR editing techniques (e.g. promoter bashing). Here, we present the first ever DAP-seq profiles of three GRAS family TFs (SHR, SCL23, and SCL3) in the crop Sorghum bicolor, Oryza sativa japonica, and Zea mays. The binding behaviors of the three GRAS TFs display unique and shared gene targets and categories of previously characterized DNA-binding motifs as well as novel sequences that could potentially be GRAS family-specific recognition motifs. Additional transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility data further facilitates the identification of root-specific GRAS regulatory targets corresponding to previous studies. These results provide unique insights into the GRAS family of TFs and novel regulatory targets for further molecular characterization.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gladman, N. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumari, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fahey, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Regulski, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ware, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.23.614502</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[GRAS Family Transcription Factor Binding Behaviors in Sorghum bicolor, Oyrza, and Maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.23.614584v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Criterion for assessing accumulated neurotoxicity of alpha-synuclein oligomers in Parkinson's disease 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.23.614584v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The paper introduces a parameter called "accumulated neurotoxicity" of -syn oligomers, which measures the cumulative damage these toxic species inflict on neurons over time, given the years it typically takes for such damage to manifest. A threshold value for accumulated neurotoxicity is estimated, beyond which neuron death is likely. Numerical results suggest that rapid deposition of -syn oligomers into fibrils minimizes toxicity, indicating that the formation of Lewy bodies might play a neuroprotective role. Strategies such as reducing -syn monomer production or enhancing degradation can decrease accumulated toxicity. In contrast, slower degradation (reflected by longer half-lives of monomers and free aggregates) increases toxicity, supporting the idea that impaired protein degradation may contribute to Parkinsons disease progression. The study also examines the sensitivity of accumulated toxicity to different model parameters.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.23.614584</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Criterion for assessing accumulated neurotoxicity of alpha-synuclein oligomers in Parkinson's disease]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.26.615206v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estimating sampling and laboratory capacity for a simulated African swine fever outbreak in the United States 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.26.615206v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The introduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV) into uninfected countries can impact economic and animal welfare. Rapid detection and control of the outbreak contribute to successful eradication and promote business continuity. We developed a model to determine the number of samples, sample collectors, laboratory capacity, and processing times following an ASFV introduction into the U.S. We simulated the spread of ASFV in one densely populated swine region, generating a median of 27 (range = 1-68) outbreaks in 150 days, resulting 616 (range = 1-15,011) sampling events with a total of 3,068 barns (range = 7-69,118) sampled. We calculated the total sample collectors needed, considering daily working hours, sampling and driving time, and laboratory capabilities with and without blood sample pooling. Samples included 31 blood samples and five oral fluid samples per barn, which equal 84,830 (range = 52-2,066,831) and 14,195 (range = 10-345,590) blood and oral fluid samples, respectively. The median number of sample collectors needed to prevent sampling delay varied from 136 to 367 and, in the worst epidemic scenarios, from 833 to 3,115. Notably, excluding downtime-which prevented the sampler from visiting additional farms for 24 or 72 hours-reduced the number of sample collectors needed between 28% and 75%, while switching from blood to oral fluid samples reduced this number between 47% and 75%. At a laboratory processing daily capacity of 1,000 samples, the median days for sample processing without pooling were 92 days, with a maximum of 5.7 years. We demonstrated a need to redistribute 10,062 (range = 2-67,940) unprocessed samples daily to other laboratories to prevent processing delays. Our study addresses the challenge of efficiently organizing resources for managing a potential ASFV outbreak, providing information about the number of sample collectors and laboratory capacity needed for one densely populated swine region in the U.S.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Satici, M. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sykes, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>OHara, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rochette, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-09-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.26.615206</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estimating sampling and laboratory capacity for a simulated African swine fever outbreak in the United States]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-09-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.30.614878v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Directed evolution of a plant immune receptor for broad spectrum recognition of pathogen effectors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.30.614878v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Rapid development of immune receptors that protect crops from emerging pathogens is a critical challenge 1,2. While novel immune receptors that recognize previously undetected pathogen effectors could provide protection against a wider range of pathogens, engineering such receptors has been constrained by the low throughput and speed of in planta testing. We established yeast surface display as a high throughput platform to recapitulate plant immune receptor-ligand interactions and evolve new binding capabilities. Using this directed evolution platform, we engineered the ligand binding domain of the rice immune receptor Pik-1 to recognize diverse effectors from the fast-evolving fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. Our approach yielded Pik-1 ligand binding domains with affinity for variants of the M. oryzae effector Avr-Pik that previously escaped detection by known rice alleles of Pik-1, with in planta assays confirming functional recognition of these effectors. Additional rounds of mutagenesis and selection led to a Pik-1 domain that binds all tested Avr-Pik variants as well as the evolutionarily divergent effector AvrPiz-t. These results demonstrate the potential of directed evolution to engineer immune receptors with new-to-nature recognition of a wide range of pathogen-derived ligands and accelerate development of broad spectrum resistance in crops.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rim, E. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Garrett, O. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Howard, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shim, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Van Dyke, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Packer, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ho, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jain, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stewart, V. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinesh-Kumar, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Notwell, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ronald, P. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.09.30.614878</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Directed evolution of a plant immune receptor for broad spectrum recognition of pathogen effectors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.04.616653v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Scaling laws of plasmids across the microbial tree of life 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.04.616653v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plasmids play a critical role in shaping the dynamics and evolution of microbial communities. The capacity of a plasmid to express genes is constrained by two parameters: length and copy number. However, the interplay between these parameters and their constraints on plasmid evolution have remained elusive due to the absence of comprehensive quantitative analyses. To address this gap, we developed Probabilistic Iterative Read Assignment (PIRA), a new computational method that overcomes previous computational bottlenecks, enabling rapid and accurate determination of plasmid copy numbers at an unprecedented scale. Applying PIRA to all microbial genomes in the NCBI RefSeq database with linked short-read sequencing data in the Sequencing Read Archive (SRA), we analyzed 4,317 bacterial and archaeal genomes encompassing 11,338 plasmids, spanning the microbial tree of life. Our analysis reveals three scaling laws of plasmids: first, an inverse power-law correlation between plasmid copy number and plasmid length; second, a positive linear correlation between protein-coding genes and plasmid length; and third, a positive correlation between metabolic genes per plasmid and plasmid length, particularly for large plasmids. These scaling laws imply fundamental constraints on plasmid evolution and functional organization, indicating that as plasmids increase in length, they converge toward chromosomal characteristics in copy number and functional content. Our findings not only advance the understanding of plasmid dynamics but also have implications for microbial evolution, biotechnology, and the design of synthetic plasmids.

SignificanceBy discovering universal scaling laws and developing a new computational method to compute plasmid copy numbers across the microbial tree of life, we show that as plasmids increase in length, they converge to chromosomes in their copy number and their coding and metabolic properties. This insight reveals fundamental principles governing plasmid evolution and has implications for biotechnology and medicine.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Maddamsetti, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Son, H.-I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>You, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.04.616653</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Scaling laws of plasmids across the microbial tree of life]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.04.616710v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Prevalence and Dynamics of Genome Rearrangements in Bacteria and Archaea 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.04.616710v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The genetic material of bacteria and archaea is organized into various structures and set-ups, attesting that genome architecture is dynamic in these organisms. However, strong selective pressures are also acting to preserve genome organization, and it remains unclear how frequently genomes experience rearrangements and what mechanisms lead to these processes. Here, we assessed the dynamics and the drivers of genomic rearrangements across 121 microbial species. We show that synteny is highly conserved within most species, although several species present exceptionally flexible genomic layouts. Our results show a rather variable pace at which genomic rearrangements occur across bacteria and archaea, pointing to different selective constraints driving the accumulation of genomic changes across species. Importantly, we found that not only inversions but also translocations are highly enriched near the origin of replication (Ori), which suggests that many rearrangements may confer an adaptive advantage to the cell through the relocation of genes that benefit from gene dosage effects. Finally, our results support the view that mobile genetic elements--in particular transposable elements--are the main drivers of genomic translocations and inversions. Overall, our study shows that microbial species present largely stable genomic layouts and identifies key patterns and drivers of genome rearrangements in prokaryotes.

Significance statementBacterial and archaeal genomes display stable architectures which ensures the preservation of fundamental cellular processes. However, large genomic rearrangements occasionally occur. Although most of these events are thought to be highly deleterious, they have the potential to lead to adaptive events. Here, we examined the general trends of the dynamic of prokaryotic genomes by exploring the occurrence of genome rearrangements across a broad diversity of bacterial and archaeal species. We find that genomes remain highly syntenic in most species over short evolutionary timescales, although some species appear particularly dynamic. Rearrangements are strongly biased, and most gene blocks are relocated near the origin of replication. We also measured remarkably variables rates at which genome rearrangements occur across species, and transposons and other mobile genetic elements appear to be the main drivers of these variations. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive picture of the dynamic of genome architecture across many microbial species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Martinez-Gutierrez, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bobay, L.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.04.616710</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Prevalence and Dynamics of Genome Rearrangements in Bacteria and Archaea]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.11.617935v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Connected Chromatin Amplifies Acetylation-modulated Nucleosome Interactions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.11.617935v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Histone acetylation is a key regulatory post-translational modification closely as-sociated with gene transcription. In particular, H4K16 acetylation (H4K16ac) is a crucial gene activation marker that induces an open chromatin configuration. While previous studies have explored the effects of H4K16ac on nucleosome interactions, how this local modification affects higher-order chromatin organization remains un-clear. To bridge the chemical modifications of these histone tail lysine residues to global chromatin structure, we utilized a residue-resolution coarse-grained chromatin model and enhanced sampling techniques to simulate charge-neutralization effects of histone acetylation on nucleosome stability, inter-nucleosome interactions, and higher-order chromatin structure. Our simulations reveal that H4K16ac stabilizes a single nucleosome due to the reduced entropic contribution of histone tails during DNA unwrapping. In addition, acetylation modestly weakens inter-nucleosome interactions by diminishing contacts between histone tails, DNA, and nucleosome acidic patches. These weakened interactions are amplified when nucleosomes are connected by linker DNA, whose fluctuation causes significant chromatin destacking and decompaction, exposing nucleosomes for transcriptional activity. Our findings suggest that the geometric constraint imposed by chromatin DNA plays a critical role in driving chromatin structural reorganization upon post-translational modifications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.11.617935</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Connected Chromatin Amplifies Acetylation-modulated Nucleosome Interactions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.14.618153v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Caging of membrane-to-cortex attachment proteins can trigger cellular symmetry breaking 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.14.618153v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
To migrate, divide, and change shape, cells must regulate the mechanics of their periphery. The cell surface is a complex structure that consists of a thin, contractile cortical actin network tethered to the plasma membrane by specialized membrane-to-cortex attachment (MCA) proteins. This active and constantly fluctuating system maintains a delicate mechanochemical state which permits spontaneous polarization and shape change when needed. Combining in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments we show how membrane viscosity and MCA protein length regulate cortical dynamics. We reveal a novel mechanism whereby caging of linker proteins in the actin cortex allows for the amplification of small changes in these key parameters, leading to major alterations of cortical contractility. In cells, this mechanism alone gives rise to symmetry breaking phenomena, suggesting that local changes in lipid composition, in combination with the choice of MCA proteins, contribute to the regulation of cellular morphogenesis and function.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dar, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moreno, R. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Palaia, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gopalan, A. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, Z. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strauss, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Springer, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murrell, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ejsing, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saric, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leptin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diz-Munoz, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.14.618153</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Caging of membrane-to-cortex attachment proteins can trigger cellular symmetry breaking]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.21.619412v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A novel dataset of 2,362 equine fecal microbiomes from eight veterinary teaching hospital on three continents reveals dominant effects of geography, breed, and disease 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.21.619412v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Horses and other equids are reliant on the gut microbiome for health, and studies have reported associations between certain clinical conditions and features of the fecal microbiome. However, research to date on the equine fecal microbiome has often relied on small sample sizes collected from single and relatively localized geographic regions. Previous work largely employs single timepoint analyses, or horses selected based on limited health criteria. To address these issues and expand our understanding of the core microbiome in health, and the changes associated with adverse outcomes, the Equine Gut Group (EGG) has collected and performed 16S rRNA sequencing on 2,362 fecal samples from 1,190 healthy and affected horses. Here we present the EGG database and demonstrate its utility in characterizing the equine microbiome in health and acute gastrointestinal disease. The EGG 16S rRNA database is a valuable resource to study the equine microbiome and its role in equine health.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAdams, Z. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campbell, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorfmeyer, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shaffer, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lawson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Terry, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raju, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coghill, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cresci, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lascola, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pridgen, T. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blikslager, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrell, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Banse, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paul, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nott, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>VandeCandelaere, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Galen, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Townsend, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ericsson, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.21.619412</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A novel dataset of 2,362 equine fecal microbiomes from eight veterinary teaching hospital on three continents reveals dominant effects of geography, breed, and disease]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.21.619461v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Defining Cellular Diversity at the Swine Maternal-Fetal Interface Using Spatial Transcriptomics and Organoids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.21.619461v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The placenta is a dynamic, embryo-derived organ essential for fetal growth and development. While all eutherian mammals have placentas composed of fetal-derived trophoblasts that mediate maternal-fetal exchange, their anatomical and histological structures vary across species due to evolutionary divergence. Despite the cellular heterogeneity of porcine trophoblasts in vivo, understanding the mechanisms driving porcine placental development has been limited by the lack of in vitro models replicating this heterogeneity. In this study, we derived swine trophoblast organoids (sTOs) from full-term porcine placentas, retaining key transcriptional signatures of in vivo trophoblasts. To identify conserved cell populations, we integrated Visium spatial transcriptomics from mid-gestation porcine placentas with single-cell transcriptomics from sTOs. Spatial transcriptomics revealed novel markers of the porcine uterus and placenta, enabling precise separation of histological structures at the maternal-fetal interface. The integration of tissue and sTO transcriptomics showed that sTOs spontaneously differentiate into distinct trophoblast populations, with conserved gene expression and cell communication programs. These findings demonstrate that sTOs recapitulate porcine placental trophoblast populations, offering a powerful model for advancing placentation research. Our work also provides a spatially resolved whole-transcriptome dataset of the porcine maternal-fetal interface, opening new avenues for discoveries in placental development, evolution, and health across mammals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McCutcheon, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caldwell, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crisci, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pasternak, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coyne, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.21.619461</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Defining Cellular Diversity at the Swine Maternal-Fetal Interface Using Spatial Transcriptomics and Organoids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.24.619808v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evolutionary rescue during extreme drought 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.24.619808v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Populations declining due to climate change may need to evolve to persist. While evolutionary rescue has been demonstrated in theory and the lab, its relevance to natural populations facing climate change remains unknown. Here we link rapid evolution and population dynamics in scarlet monkeyflower, Mimulus cardinalis, during an exceptional drought. We leverage whole-genome sequencing across 55 populations to identify climate-associated loci. Simultaneously we track demography and allele frequency change throughout the drought. We establish range-wide population decline during the drought, geographically variable rapid evolution, and variable population recovery that is predictable by standing genetic variation in and rapid evolution at climate-associated loci. These findings demonstrate evolutionary rescue in the wild, showing that genetic variation at adaptive, but not neutral loci, predicts population recovery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Anstett, D. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anstett, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moxley, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jahani, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Todesco, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jordan, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lazaro-Guevara, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rieseberg, L. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Angert, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.24.619808</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evolutionary rescue during extreme drought]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.22.619524v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CRISPR knockout of winter-biased SUT4 alters phenology, biomass accrual, and fertility of field-grown hybrid poplar 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.22.619524v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Climate uncertainty is intensifying the need for greater plasticity in carbohydrate reserve utilization to support winter survival and spring growth in woody perennials. In poplar, the single-copy SUT4, which encodes a tonoplast-localized sucrose transporter, and the SUT5/SUT6 genome duplicates, which encode plasma membrane-localized transporters, are expressed year-round, with SUT4 showing highest expression during cool seasons. Given its role in vacuolar sucrose efflux and winter-predominant expression, SUT4 may play a key role in modulating seasonal carbohydrate dynamics. While SUT4-knockdown and knockout effects have been studied under greenhouse conditions, their impact under field conditions remains unexplored. Here, we report a field-based study comparing CRISPR knockout mutants of winter-expressed SUT4 and SUT5/SUT6 in Populus tremula x alba. We show that sut4, but not sut56, mutants exhibited earlier autumn leaf senescence, delayed spring bud flush, reduced stem growth, and altered sugar partitioning in winter xylem and bark relative to controls. After two years in the field, all genotypes flowered before leaf flush in early spring; however, sut4 mutants produced sterile ovules despite developing normal-looking catkins. Metabolic profiling revealed disrupted sucrose and raffinose dynamics in elongating sut4 catkins, accompanied by transcriptomic signatures of elevated stress and downregulation of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis and circadian clock genes. These findings highlight the critical role of SUT4 in coordinating sugar allocation, stress responses, and seasonal development in poplar.

Significance statementThis field study demonstrates that loss of SUT4, the most highly expressed sucrose transporter during cool seasons, disrupts phenology, growth, and fertility in poplar. Altered sugar and raffinose dynamics and transcriptomic signatures of stress and circadian clock gene dysregulation in the mutants underscore SUT4s role in coordinating sugar allocation and seasonal developmental transitions under natural environmental conditions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tuma, T. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McInnes, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pham, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bewg, W. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deguchi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Surber, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lipzen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barry, K. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lieb, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weber Wyneken, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harman-Ware, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dahlen, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harding, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tsai, C.-J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-10-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.22.619524</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CRISPR knockout of winter-biased SUT4 alters phenology, biomass accrual, and fertility of field-grown hybrid poplar]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-10-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.30.621166v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A mathematical model informs optimal fungicide use against Sclerotinia stem rot to maximize profits in soybean production 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.30.621166v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the causative agent of stem rot (SR), is a significant yield-limiting disease affecting soybean crops in the temperate climates around the globe. Effective disease management practices rely on fungicides to mitigate the growth and spread of the disease. To infer optimal, profit-maximizing fungicide application rates, this study develops a mathematical model of mold and soybean growth with a requisite profit function. Sensitivity of the optimal fungicide application rate was computed against profit parameters (fungicide cost and soybean bushel price), and model parameters (mold growth rate, maximal SR damage to crops and fungicide efficiency). Expectantly, higher soybean bushel prices, rates of mold growth, and maximal mold damage to crops return elevated optimal fungicide rates. In contrast, higher levels of fungicide efficiency motivate lower optimal fungicide rates. The model also reveals a discontinuity in the optimal fungicide application rates for elevated fungicide costs; in this economic context, it becomes more profitable to apply no fungicide rather than low, ineffectual amounts that still allow mold to reach near-maximal outbreak levels in a finite time period. Future refinements of the model will incorporate variable mold growth rates modeled on annual weather patterns, crop rotation practices, and further exploring the relationships that soybean densities and row spacing have on mold growth, in order to build a more robust system to analyze the long-term effect of disease behavior on soybean crop yield.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Byer, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hatfield, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kadelka, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.10.30.621166</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A mathematical model informs optimal fungicide use against Sclerotinia stem rot to maximize profits in soybean production]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.06.622220v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomes of Poaceae sisters reveal key metabolic innovations preceding the emergence of grasses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.06.622220v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The grass family (Poaceae, Poales) holds immense economic and ecological significance, exhibiting unique metabolic traits, including dual starch and lignin biosynthetic pathways. To investigate when and how the metabolic innovations known in grasses evolved, we sequenced the genomes of four Poales species, including Joinvillea ascendens and Ecdeiocolea monostachya representing the sister clade to Poaceae. The rho whole genome duplication ({rho}WGD) in the ancestral lineage for all grasses contributed to the gene family expansions underlying cytosolic starch biosynthesis, whereas an earlier tandem duplication of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gave rise to phenylalanine/tyrosine ammonia lyase (PTAL) responsible for the dual lignin biosynthesis. Integrated functional genomic and biochemical analyses of grass relatives further revealed the molecular basis of key metabolic innovations predating the evolution of grasses.



O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=149 SRC="FIGDIR/small/622220v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Takeda-Kimura, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holden, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deb, S. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrett, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorence, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Oliveira, M. V. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grimwood, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boston, L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jenkins, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Plott, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barry, K. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goodstein, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmutz, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moscou, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McKain, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leebens-Mack, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maeda, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.06.622220</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomes of Poaceae sisters reveal key metabolic innovations preceding the emergence of grasses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.622534v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Fishnet mesh of centrin-Sfi1 drives ultrafast calcium-activated contraction of the giant cell Spirostomum ambiguum 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.622534v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Spirostomum is a giant unicellular ciliate that contracts to a quarter of its body length in less than five milliseconds, achieving an order of magnitude higher fractional shortening rate than actomyosin-based systems. This ultrafast contraction is powered by myonemes, calcium-activated protein networks at the cortex whose biochemical mechanism remain unclear. We quantify changes in cortical microtubules, membrane ruffles, and the fishnet-like myoneme mesh during contraction, and develop multiscale models that connect local myoneme shortening to whole-cell shape change. Centrin and an Sfi1 homolog co-localize with the myoneme by immunofluorescence and localize to the myoneme by immunogold electron microscopy. Coarse-grained mesh simulations reproduce the measured deformations and show that fishnet geometry, together with volume conservation, leads to uniform contraction. Finally, we reconstitute a Spirostomum centrin-Sfi1 repeat complex in vitro and measure calcium-dependent compaction and self-association, supporting a molecular basis for myoneme contractility. Together, these results support a multiscale model in which calcium-responsive centrin- Sfi1 structures are the central contractile element in Spirostomum and suggest design principles for fast, calcium-triggered, chemomechanical contractile networks that operate without actomyosin or ATP.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMany cells change shape using actomyosin, but some protists contract using calcium-activated protein networks called myonemes. We combine quantitative imaging, electron microscopy, multiscale modeling, and in vitro reconstitution to link molecular-scale mechanisms to the millisecond shortening of the giant ciliate Spirostomum. Centrin and an Sfi1 homolog co-localize in a fishnet-like cortical mesh, and simulations show that this geometry can reproduce the observed whole-cell shape change under volume conservation. Purified centrin-Sfi1 complexes undergo calcium-dependent compaction and self-association, supporting a protein-scale switch that can drive myoneme contraction. These results connect calcium signaling to whole-cell mechanics and suggest principles for designing fast, ATP-independent bioin-spired actuators and synthetic cellular machinery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lannan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Floyd, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, L. X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marshall, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaikuntanathan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinner, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Honts, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhamla, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.07.622534</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Fishnet mesh of centrin-Sfi1 drives ultrafast calcium-activated contraction of the giant cell Spirostomum ambiguum]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.08.622719v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
How population control of pests is modulated by density dependence: The perspective of genetic biocontrol 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.08.622719v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Managing pest species relies critically on mechanisms that regulate population dynamics, particularly those factors that change with population size. These density-dependent factors can help or hinder control efforts and are especially relevant considering recent advances in genetic techniques that allow for precise manipulation of the timing and sex-specificity of a control. Despite this importance, density dependence is often poorly characterized owing to limited data and an incomplete understanding of developmental ecology. To address this issue, we construct and analyze a mathematical model of a pest population with a general control under a wide range of density dependence scenarios. Using this model, we investigate how control performance is affected by the strength of density dependence. By modifying the timing and sex-specificity of the control, we tailor our analysis to simulate different pest control strategies, including conventional and genetic biocontrol methods. We pay particular attention to the latter as case studies by extending the baseline model to include genetic dynamics. Finally, we clarify past work on the dynamics of mechanistic models with density dependence. As expected, we find substantial differences in control performance for differing strengths of density dependence, with populations exhibiting strong density dependence being most resilient to suppression. However, these results change with the size and timing of the control load, as well as the target sex. Interestingly, we also find that population invasion by certain genetic biocontrol strategies is affected by the strength of density dependence. While the model is parameterized using the life history traits of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, the principles developed here apply to many pest species. We conclude by discussing what this means for pest population suppression moving forward.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Butler, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.08.622719</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[How population control of pests is modulated by density dependence: The perspective of genetic biocontrol]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.09.621137v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ecological synchrony in human-modified landscapes under a changing climate 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.09.621137v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Different aspects of ecological systems, biotic or abiotic, often fluctuate in coordinated patterns over space and time. Such high concordance between ecological processes is often referred to as ecological synchrony. Anthropogenic activities, including and beyond climate change, have the potential to alter ecological synchrony by disrupting or enhancing existing synchrony. Despite many local studies, we have a limited systematic understanding of how ecological synchrony is shaped by management in human-dominated landscapes at regional to continental scales. From a macrosystems perspective, we review how anthropogenic activities, particularly beyond climate change, alter ecological synchrony across levels of ecological organization, from the ecosystem level to the population level. For each level, we use a large-scale case study to demonstrate ways to quantify the impacts of human modifications on synchrony using big data from remote sensing, surveys, and observatory networks. For example, we detected possible homogenization of population dynamics of bird species in North America. These changes in ecological synchrony, although in different forms, often represent challenges to ecological and social systems. Collaborative research efforts that integrate emerging open data streams moving forward will be able to provide insights into the effects of different anthropogenic drivers and the consequences of changes in synchrony.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Song, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barnes, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Browning, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bybee-Finley, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dahlin, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munch, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ponce-Campos, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Youngflesh, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zuckerberg, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.09.621137</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ecological synchrony in human-modified landscapes under a changing climate]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.14.623603v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identification and characterization of substrate- and product-selective nylon hydrolases 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.14.623603v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Enzymes have evolved to rapidly and selectively hydrolyze diverse natural and anthropogenic polymers, but only a limited group of related enzymes have been shown to hydrolyze synthetic polyamides. In this work, we synthesized and characterized a panel of 95 diverse enzymes from the N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase superfamily with 30-50% pairwise amino acid identity. We found that nearly 40% of the enzymes had substantial nylon hydrolase activity, in many cases comparable to that of the best-characterized nylon hydrolase, NylC. There was no relationship between phylogeny and activity, nor any evidence of prior selection for nylon hydrolase activity. Several newly-identified hydrolases showed significant substrate selectivity, generating up to 20-fold higher product titers with Nylon 6,6 versus Nylon 6. Finally, we determined the crystal structure and oligomerization state of a Nylon 6,6-selective hydrolase to elucidate structural factors that could affect activity and selectivity. These new enzymes provide insights into the widespread potential for nylon hydrolase evolution and opportunities for analysis and engineering of improved hydrolases.

SignificanceNylons are common industrial polyamides with few recycling options. As an alternative to mechanical or chemical recycling, enzymes may provide a selective and energy-efficient route to deconstruct nylons from mixed waste. Several nylon hydrolases have been identified, most notably NylC, but these enzymes are all closely related and demonstrated similar activity and substrate range. In this work, we investigated a diverse set of enzymes and showed that nylon hydrolase activity is common, providing new insights into the evolution of microbial nylon hydrolysis. Unlike NylC, several enzymes demonstrated unprecedented substrate selectivity, preferentially hydrolyzing Nylon 6,6 compared to Nylon 6. These enzymes can be used to understand substrate selectivity in nylon hydrolysis and to engineer enzymes for nylon recycling from mixed waste.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Drufva, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cahill, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saint-Vincent, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bocharova, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Capra, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meilleur, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carper, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bourgery, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miyazaki, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yonemura, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shiraishi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parks, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dishner, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koehler, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Valentino, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sedova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kertesz, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vasileva, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hochanadel, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Figg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Negoro, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kato, D.-i.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michener, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.14.623603</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identification and characterization of substrate- and product-selective nylon hydrolases]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.13.620707v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Minus the Error: Estimating dN/dS and Testing for Natural Selection in the Presence of Residual Alignment Errors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.13.620707v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Positive selection is an evolutionary process which increases the frequency of advantageous mutations because they confer a fitness benefit. Inferring the past action of positive selection on protein-coding sequences is fundamental for deciphering phenotypic diversity and the emergence of novel traits. With the advent of genome-wide comparative genomic datasets, researchers can analyze selection not only at the level of individual genes but also globally, delivering systems-level insights into evolutionary dynamics. However, genome-scale datasets are generated with automated pipelines and imperfect curation that does not eliminate all sequencing, annotation, and alignment errors. Positive selection inference methods are highly sensitive to such errors. We present BUSTED-E: a method designed to detect positive selection for amino acid diversification while concurrently identifying some alignment errors. This method builds on the flexible branch-site random effects model (BUSTED) for fitting distributions of dN/dS, with a critical modification: it incorporates an "error-sink" component to represent an abiological evolutionary regime. Using several genome-scale biological datasets that were extensively filtered using state-of-the art automated alignment tools, we show that BUSTED-E identifies pervasive residual alignment errors, produces more realistic estimates of positive selection, reduces bias, and improves biological interpretation. The BUSTED-E model promises to be a more stringent filter to identify positive selection in genome-wide contexts, thus enabling further characterization and validation of the most biologically relevant cases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Selberg, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chikina, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sackton, T. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muse, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lucaci, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weaver, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nekrutenko, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Clark, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pond, S. L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.13.620707</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Minus the Error: Estimating dN/dS and Testing for Natural Selection in the Presence of Residual Alignment Errors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.17.623984v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Targeted DNA ADP-ribosylation triggers templated repair in bacteria and base mutagenesis in eukaryotes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.17.623984v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Base editors create precise genomic edits by directing nucleobase deamination or removal without inducing double-stranded DNA breaks. However, a vast chemical space of other DNA modifications remains to be explored for genome editing. Here, we harness the bacterial anti-phage toxin DarT2 to append ADP-ribosyl moieties to DNA, unlocking distinct editing outcomes in bacteria versus eukaryotes. Fusing an attenuated DarT2 to a Cas9 nickase, we program site-specific ADP-ribosylation of thymines within a target DNA sequence. In tested bacteria, targeting drives efficient homologous recombination in tested bacteria, offering flexible and scar-free genome editing without base replacement nor counterselection. In tested eukaryotes including yeast, plants and human cells, targeting drives substitution of the modified thymine to adenine or a mixture of adenine and cytosine with limited insertions or deletions, offering edits inaccessible to current base editors. Altogether, our approach, called append editing, leverages the addition of a chemical moiety to DNA to expand current modalities for precision gene editing.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Patinios, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gupta, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bassett, H. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Collins, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kamm, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kibe, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vollen, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toussaint, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polkoff, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calvin, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Migur, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Al'Abri, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Achmedov, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>del Re, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saliba, A.-E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stepanova, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beisel, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.17.623984</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Targeted DNA ADP-ribosylation triggers templated repair in bacteria and base mutagenesis in eukaryotes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.17.624012v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Adaptations in gut Bacteroidales facilitate stable co-existence with their lytic bacteriophages 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.17.624012v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundBacteriophages (phages) and bacteria within the gut microbiome persist in long-term stable coexistence. These interactions are driven by eco-evolutionary dynamics, where bacteria employ a variety of mechanisms to evade phage infection, while phages rely on counterstrategies to overcome these defences. Among the most abundant phages in the gut are the crAss-like phages that infect members of the Bacteroidales, in particular Bacteroides. In this study, we explored some of the mechanisms enabling the co-existence of four phage-Bacteroidales host pairs in vitro using a multi-omics approach (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics). These included three Bacteroides species paired with three crAss-like phages (Bacteroides intestinalis and {phi}crAss001, Bacteroides xylanisolvens and {phi}crAss002, and an acapsular mutant of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron with DAC15), and Parabacteroides distasonis paired with the siphovirus {phi}PDS1.

ResultsWe show that phase variation of individual capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) is the primary mechanism promoting phage co-existence in Bacteroidales, but this is not the only strategy. Alternative resistance mechanisms, while potentially less efficient than CPS phase variation, can be activated to support bacterial survival by regulating gene expression and resulting in metabolic adaptations, particularly in amino acid degradation pathways. These mechanisms, also likely regulated by phase variation, enable bacterial populations to persist in the presence of phages, and vice versa. An acapsular variant of B. thetaiotaomicron demonstrated broader transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes, supporting the involvement of additional resistance mechanisms beyond CPS variation.

ConclusionsThis study advances our understanding of long-term phage-host interaction, offering insights into the long-term persistence of crAss-like phages and extending these observations to other phages, such as {phi}PDS1. Knowledge of the complexities of phage-bacteria interactions is essential for designing effective phage therapies and improving human health through targeted microbiome interventions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cortes-Martin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buttimer, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tobin, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Draper, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross, R. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hill, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shkoporov, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.17.624012</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Adaptations in gut Bacteroidales facilitate stable co-existence with their lytic bacteriophages]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.23.624995v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Measuring regulatory network inheritance in dividing yeast cells using ordinary differential equations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.23.624995v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Quantifying the inheritance of protein regulation during asymmetric cell division remains a challenge due to the complexity of these systems and the lack of a formal mathematical definition. We introduce ODEinherit, a new statistical framework leveraging ordinary differential equations (ODEs) to measure how much a mother cells regulatory network is passed on to its daughters, addressing this gap. ODEin-herit first estimates cell-specific regulatory networks through ODE systems, incorporating novel adjustments for non-oscillatory trajectories. Then, inheritance is quantified by evaluating how well a mothers regulatory network explains its daughters trajectories. We demonstrate that precise quantification of this inheritance relies on pruning and adjustment for the network density. We benchmark ODEinherit on simulated data and apply it to live-cell, time-lapse microscopy data, where we track the expression dynamics of six proteins across 85 dividing S. cerevisiae cells over eight hours. Our results reveal substantial heterogeneity in inheritance rates among mother-daughter pairs, paving the way for applications in cellular stress response and cell-fate prediction studies across generations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arguello-Miranda, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, K. Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.23.624995</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Measuring regulatory network inheritance in dividing yeast cells using ordinary differential equations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.23.624994v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CNV-Profile Regression: A New Approach for Copy Number Variant Association Analysis in Whole Genome Sequencing Data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.23.624994v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Copy number variants (CNVs) are DNA gains or losses involving >50 base pairs. Assessing CNV effects on disease risk requires consideration of several factors. First, there are no natural definitions for CNV loci. Second, CNV effects can depend on dosage and length. Third, CNV effects can be more accurately estimated when all CNV events in a genomic region are analyzed together to assess their joint effects. We propose a new framework for association analysis that directly models an individuals entire CNV profile within a genomic region. This framework represents an individuals CNVs using a CNV profile curve to capture variations in CNV length and dosage and to bypass the need to predefine CNV loci. CNV effects are estimated at each genome position, making the results comparable across different studies. To jointly estimate the effects of all CNVs, we use a Lasso penalty to select CNVs associated with the trait and integrate a weighted L2-fusion penalty to encourage similar effects of adjacent CNVs when supported by the data. Simulations show that the proposed model can more effectively identify causal CNVs while maintaining false positive rates comparable to baseline methods and yield more precise effect-size estimates across different settings. When applied to CNV derived from whole genome sequencing data of the Alzheimers Disease Sequencing Project, the proposed methods identify additional CNVs associated with Alzheimers Disease (AD). These identified CNVs overlap with several known AD-risk genes and are significantly enriched by biological processes related to neuron structures and functions crucial in AD development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Si, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holloway, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tucci, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brucker, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, L.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schellenberg, G. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, W.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tzeng, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.23.624994</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CNV-Profile Regression: A New Approach for Copy Number Variant Association Analysis in Whole Genome Sequencing Data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.26.625070v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cervicovaginal microbial features predicts Chlamydia trachomatis spread to the upper genital tract of infected women 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.26.625070v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
IntroductionChlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and other reproductive sequelae when it ascends to the upper genital tract. Factors including chlamydial burden, co-infection with other sexually-transmitted bacterial pathogens and oral contraceptive use influence risk for upper genital tract spread. Cervicovaginal microbiome composition influences CT susceptibility and we investigated if it contributes to spread by analyzing amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) derived from the V4 region of 16S rRNA genes in vaginal samples collected from women at high risk for CT infection and for whom endometrial infection had been determined.

ResultsParticipants were classified as CT negative (CT-, n=77), CT positive at the cervix (Endo-, n=77), or CT positive at both cervix and endometrium (Endo+, n=66). Although we were unable to identify many significant differences between CT infected and uninfected women, differences in abundance of ASVs representing Lactobacillus iners and L. crispatus subspecies but not dominant lactobacilli were detected. Twelve informative ASVs predicted endometrial chlamydial infection (AUC=0.74), with CT ASV abundance emerging as a key predictor. We also observed a positive correlation between levels of cervically secreted cytokines previously associated with CT ascension and abundance of the informative ASVs.

ConclusionOur findings suggest that vaginal microbial community members may influence chlamydial spread directly by nutrient limitation and/or disrupting endocervical epithelial integrity and indirectly by modulating pro-inflammatory signaling and/or homeostasis of adaptive immunity. Further investigation of these predictive microbial factors may lead to cervicovaginal microbiome biomarkers useful for identifying women at increased risk for disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jeong, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollison, T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brochu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huntress, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yount, K. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Darville, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Connell, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-11-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.11.26.625070</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cervicovaginal microbial features predicts Chlamydia trachomatis spread to the upper genital tract of infected women]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-11-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.06.627229v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Establishing reliable blood biomarkers for trimethylamine N-oxide status in rodents: effects of oral choline challenge, dietary choline and fasting conditions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.06.627229v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Circulating concentrations of the gut microbial-mammalian metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is linked to atherosclerosis risk. TMAO biosynthesis begins when dietary choline is converted to trimethylamine (TMA) by gut microbial TMA lyase. TMA is transported to the liver, where flavin-containing monooxygenases convert it to TMAO. While dietary modifications regulate TMAO production, the impact of different intake methods, including oral gavage, dietary supplementation, and conditions such as fasting versus non-fasting, has not been fully explored. Twelve female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three diet groups (n = 4 per group): no-choline (0% choline), low-choline (0.08% choline), and high-choline (1% choline). Choline and TMAO fasting and non-fasting blood concentrations, and their kinetics following an acute choline challenge, were assessed before and after a 2-week dietary intervention with the distinct choline dietary levels. Fasting choline was under tight control, with little effect of dietary choline. Non-fasting choline was more variable, with high dietary choline reflected in higher blood choline. Greater levels of dietary choline were reflected in significantly greater levels of TMAO, particularly for non-fasting levels. Kinetic profiling demonstrated additional information regarding the appearance and clearance of these compounds from blood. These results suggest that acute oral choline gavage is likely most suitable for studies targeting acute (direct) inhibitors, whereas a choline-rich diet with assessment of fasting and non-fasting blood levels is more suitable for studying alterations to TMAO production capacity. Future research should examine the impact on atherosclerosis biomarkers and microbiome diversity to deepen the understanding of TMAO regulation and its cardiovascular implications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Din, A. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sweet, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McAmis, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ratliff, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pon Velayutham, A. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neilson, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.06.627229</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Establishing reliable blood biomarkers for trimethylamine N-oxide status in rodents: effects of oral choline challenge, dietary choline and fasting conditions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.09.627601v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Trophic level associated gut length divergence evolved under sexual conflict in Lake Malawi cichlids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.09.627601v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Variation in gastrointestinal morphology is associated with dietary specialization across the animal kingdom. Gut length generally correlates with trophic level, and increased gut length in herbivores is a classic example of adaptation to cope with diets with lower nutrient content and a higher proportion of refractory material. However, the genetic basis of gut length variation remains largely unstudied, partly due to the inaccessibility and plasticity of the gut tissue, as well as the lack of dietary diversity within traditional model organisms relative to that observed among species belonging to different trophic levels. Here, we confirm the genetic basis of gut length variation among recently evolved Lake Malawi cichlid fish species with different dietary adaptations. We then produce interspecific, inter-trophic-level hybrids to map evolved differences in intestinal length in an F2 mapping cross between Metriaclima mbenjii, an omnivore with a relatively long gut, and Aulonocara koningsi, a carnivore with a relatively short gut. We identify numerous candidate quantitative trait loci for evolved differences in intestinal length. These quantitative trait loci are predominantly sex-specific, supporting an evolutionary history of sexual conflicts for the gut. We also identify epistatic interactions potentially associated with canalization and the maintenance of cryptic variation in the cichlid adaptive radiation. Overall, our results suggest a complex, polygenic evolution of gut length variation associated with trophic level differences among cichlids, as well as conflicts and interactions that may be involved in evolutionary processes underlying other traits in cichlids.

SummaryThis study examines the genetic basis of gut length variation in Lake Malawi cichlids, which exhibit different dietary adaptations. It highlights how cichlids recapitulate a broad taxonomic trend: gut length correlates with trophic level, with herbivores and omnivores having longer intestines than carnivores. By creating hybrids of Metriaclima mbenjii (omnivore) and Aulonocara koningsi (carnivore), we identify several quantitative trait loci and epistatic interactions underlying gut length differences. These genetic associations are predominantly sex-specific, suggesting historical sexual conflicts. The results indicate complex, polygenic evolution of gut morphology in these fish, and suggest evolutionary interactions and processes shaping dietary traits across species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Carmona Baez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ciccotto, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moore, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peterson, E. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lamm, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, N. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coyle, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, M. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dickson, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cass, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>da Silva Pereira, G. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, Z.-B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.09.627601</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Trophic level associated gut length divergence evolved under sexual conflict in Lake Malawi cichlids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.09.627636v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.09.627636v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sex chromosomes in cannabis and hop were identified a century ago because of their obvious visible differences in size (heteromorphy). However, we know little about the genes they contain that control the development of the inflorescences. Here we assembled genomes, with phased sex chromosomes, for hop and cannabis. The XY chromosomes share an origin prior to the divergence between the genera >36 MYA. Due to the inheritance patterns of the XYs, the male-specific region of the Y is highly-degenerated, with substantial gene loss, while the X shows faster rates of molecular evolution. Consistent with the theory that these species lack an active-Y system, no clear sex-determining genes reside on the Y. Instead, an X-linked homolog of aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS), that is involved in the ethylene biosynthesis pathway, determines the fate of the female inflorescence. Beyond sex determination, the sex chromosomes contribute to the sexual dimorphism in ecology and physiology and have played a role in the domestication and breeding of these species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Carey, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bentz, P. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lovell, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akozbek, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Havill, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Padgitt-Cobb, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lynch, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allsing, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Osmanski, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Easterling, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Orozco, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hale, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCoy, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meharg, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McKay, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grimwood, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vergara, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kane, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michael, T. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muehlbauer, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harkess, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.09.627636</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.10.627769v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Stable isotope fingerprinting can directly link intestinal microorganisms with their carbon source and captures diet-induced substrate switching in vivo 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.10.627769v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Diet has strong impacts on the composition and function of the gut microbiota with implications for host health. Therefore, it is critical to identify the dietary components that support growth of specific microorganisms in vivo. We used protein-based stable isotope fingerprinting (Protein-SIF) to link microbial species in gut microbiota to their carbon sources by measuring each microbes natural 13C content ({delta}13C) and matching it to the 13C content of available substrates. We fed gnotobiotic mice, inoculated with a 13 member microbiota, diets in which the 13C content of all components was known. We varied the source of protein, fiber or fat to observe 13C signature changes in microbial consumers of these substrates. We observed significant changes in the {delta}13C values and abundances of specific microbiota species, as well as host proteins, in response to changes in 13C signature or type of protein, fiber, and fat sources.

Using this approach we were able to show that upon switching dietary source of protein, fiber, or fat (1) some microbial species continued to obtain their carbon from the same dietary component (e.g., protein); (2) some species switched their main substrate type (e.g., from protein to carbohydrates); and (3) some species might derive their carbon through foraging on host compounds. Our results demonstrate that Protein-SIF can be used to identify the dietary-derived substrates assimilated into proteins by microbes in the intestinal tract; this approach holds promise for the analysis of microbiome substrate usage in humans without the need of substrate labeling.

SignificanceThe gut microbiota plays a critical role in the health of animals including humans, influencing metabolism, the immune system, and even behavior. Diet is one of the most significant factors in determining the function and composition of the gut microbiota, but our understanding of how specific dietary components directly impact individual microbes remains limited. We present the application of an approach that measures the carbon isotope "fingerprint" of proteins in biological samples. This fingerprint is similar to the fingerprint of the substrate used to make the proteins. We describe how we used this approach in mice to determine which dietary components specific intestinal microbes use as carbon sources to make their proteins. This approach can directly identify components of an animals diet that are consumed by gut microbes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mordant, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blakeley-Ruiz, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.10.627769</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Stable isotope fingerprinting can directly link intestinal microorganisms with their carbon source and captures diet-induced substrate switching in vivo]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.12.628229v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Dual-Functional Needle-Based VOC Sensing Platform for Rapid Vegetable Quality Examination 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.12.628229v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are common constituents of fruits, vegetables, and crops, and are closely associated with their quality attributes, such as firmness, sugar level, ripeness, translucency, and pungency levels. While VOCs are vital for assessing vegetable quality, traditional detection methods, such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) are limited by expensive equipment, complex sample preparation, and slow turnaround time. Additionally, the transient nature of VOCs complicates their detection using these methods. Here, we developed a paper-based colorimetric sensor array combined with needles that could induce vegetable VOC release in a minimally invasive fashion and analyze VOCs in situ with a smartphone reader device. The colorimetric sensor array was optimized using sulfur compounds as main targets and classified fourteen different vegetable VOCs, including sulfoxides, sulfides, mercaptans, thiophenes, and aldehydes. By combining principal components analysis (PCA) analysis, the integrated sensor platform proficiently discriminated between four vegetable subtypes originating from two major categories within 2 min of testing time. This rapid and minimally invasive sensing technology holds great promise for conducting field-based vegetable quality monitoring.

Graphical abstract

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=133 SRC="FIGDIR/small/628229v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hossain, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jamalzadegan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohammad, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alireza, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poonam, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.12.628229</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Dual-Functional Needle-Based VOC Sensing Platform for Rapid Vegetable Quality Examination]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.16.628400v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Maize inbreds show allelic variation for diel transcription patterns 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.16.628400v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Circadian entrainment and external cues can cause gene transcript abundance to oscillate throughout the day, and these patterns of diel transcript oscillation vary across genes and plant species. Less is known about within-species allelic variation for diel patterns of transcript oscillation, or about how regulatory sequence variation influences diel transcription patterns. In this study, we evaluated diel transcript abundance for 24 diverse maize inbred lines. We observed extensive natural variation in diel transcription patterns, with two-fold variation in the number of genes that oscillate over the course of the day. A convolutional neural network trained to predict oscillation from promoter sequence identified sequences previously reported as binding motifs for known circadian clock genes in other plant systems. Genes showing diel transcription patterns that cosegregate with promoter sequence haplotypes are enriched for associations with photoperiod sensitivity and may have been indirect targets of selection as maize was adapted to longer day lengths at higher latitudes. These findings support the idea that cis-regulatory sequence variation influences patterns of gene expression, which in turn can have effects on phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gage, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romay, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.16.628400</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Maize inbreds show allelic variation for diel transcription patterns]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.19.629501v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Wnt pathway modulation is required to correctly execute multiple independent cellular dynamic programs during cranial neural tube closure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.19.629501v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Defects in cranial neural tube closure are among the most common and deleterious human structural birth defects. Correct cranial closure requires the coordination of multiple cell dynamic programs including cell proliferation and cell shape change. Mutations that impact Wnt signaling, including loss of the pathway co-receptor LRP6, lead to defects in cranial neural tube closure, but the cellular dynamics under control of the Wnt pathway during this critical morphogenetic process remain unclear. Here, we use mice mutant for LRP6 to examine the consequences of conditional and global reduction in Wnt signaling and mutants with conditional inactivation of APC to examine the consequences of pathway hyperactivation. Strikingly, we find that regulated Wnt signaling is required for two independent events during cranial neural tube closure. First, global reduction of Wnt leads to a surprising hyperplasia of the cranial neural folds driven by excessive cell proliferation at early pre-elevation stages, with the increased tissue volume creating a mechanical blockade to efficient closure despite normal apical constriction and cell polarization at later stages. Conversely, conditional hyperactivation of the pathway at later elevation stages prevents correct actin organization, blocking apical constriction and neural fold elevation without impacting tissue scaling. Together these data reveal that Wnt signaling levels must be modulated to restrict proliferation at early stages and promote apical constriction at later elevation stages to drive efficient closure of the cranial neural tube.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bogart, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brooks, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.19.629501</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Wnt pathway modulation is required to correctly execute multiple independent cellular dynamic programs during cranial neural tube closure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.19.629422v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An injectable chitosan hydrogel localizes and tunably releases immunotherapeutics intratumorally eliminating both treated and abscopal murine triple negative breast tumors 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.19.629422v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Systemic delivery of immunotherapy is dose-limited and often causes serious immune-related adverse events. Intratumoral injections can reduce systemic immunotoxicities and increase immunotherapy concentrations within a tumor. However, high pressures associated with direct tumor injection limits injectate retention, as low viscosity, saline-based solutions rapidly leak out of tumors. Viscoelastic solids, such as hydrogels, can improve local retention of co-formulated immunotherapies and provide sustained delivery. Prior work demonstrated that a chitosan-based hydrogel, XCSgel, was shear-thinning, self-healing, injectable, biocompatible, and clinically imageable. Here, we investigated XCSgel as a localized intratumoral delivery platform in the context of murine models of orthotopic triple-negative breast cancer. The intratumoral retention of immunotherapeutics co-formulated in XCSgel was characterized both ex vivo and in vivo via fluorescence imaging. Histopathological responses to intratumoral injections of XCSgel alone were scored by a veterinary pathologist. Initial antitumor studies evaluated a range of antitumor cytokines co-formulated with XCSgel. Subsequent antitumor and rechallenge studies evaluated the efficacy of a single intratumoral injection of interleukin-12 (IL-12) co-formulated in XCSgel (XCSgel-IL12) to control the growth of primary and abscopal tumors while inducing protective immunity. Pharmacokinetics studies quantified the systemic dissemination of IL-12 and consequent production of interferon-gamma following intratumoral injection with XCSgel co-formulation. Spectral flow cytometry was used to document changes in the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME). XCSgel resisted tumor leakage and slowly released three model cytokines. XCSgel could be tuned for faster or slower release of embedded therapeutics. XCSgel-IL12 outperformed XCSgel formulations with other commonly used antitumor cytokines. A single injection of XCSgel-IL12 eliminated 86% E0771 and 20% mWnt orthotopic primary TNBC tumors. Mice rendered tumor-free resisted a live tumor challenge. XCSgel-IL12 also eliminated 67% untreated abscopal E0771 tumors. XCSgel-IL12 induced profound changes to the TIME, including a 3-fold reduction in the frequency of exhausted CD8+ T cells and a 3.2-fold increase in activated, proliferating CD8+ T cells. XCSgel is a promising localized delivery platform well-suited to enhance the retention and antitumor activity of potent immunotherapeutics. A single injection of XCSgel-IL12 can eliminate both primary and abscopal solid tumors, indicating that systemic immunotherapy may not be required for systemic control of cancer.

SynopsisA novel injectable hydrogel, XCSgel, can localize and slowly release immunotherapies to eliminate primary and abscopal murine triple negative breast cancer tumors with a single injection.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mantooth, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Green, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Green, W. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, K. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mantooth, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meritet, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milner, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zaharoff, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.19.629422</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An injectable chitosan hydrogel localizes and tunably releases immunotherapeutics intratumorally eliminating both treated and abscopal murine triple negative breast tumors]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.20.629795v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic analyses suggest that larval and adult stages of Lucilia cuprina employ different sensory systems 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.20.629795v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundThe blowfly Lucilia cuprina is a destructive parasite of sheep that causes flystrike or myiasis. Larvae consume the animals living flesh, producing large wounds that can lead to death. Growing resistance to conventional control methods has prompted the analysis of alternative strategies.

MethodsAn RNA-Seq analysis was used to identify sensory receptors and other genes relevant to the physiology of L. cuprina larvae. Adult females and larvae of the same species carrying a loss-of-function mutation for the L. cuprina odorant coreceptor gene (LcupOrco) were obtained by gene editing. Their response to fresh and rotten meat at different temperatures was evaluated.

ResultsThe RNA-Seq analysis of whole larvae at different stages and third instar head and gut tissues, suggested that odorant (OR), gustatory, ionotropic and pickpocket receptors may not play a central role in the L. cuprina larval sensory signaling and digestive systems. Rather, ATP-binding cassettes (ABCs) were highly enriched in head and gut RNA, and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) only in the head. To confirm that ORs are not essential for larval detection of rotten beef, diet-choice assays were performed including larvae and adults homozygous for a null mutation in LcupOrco. While the attraction of adult females to rotten beef was fully disrupted, LcupOrco mutant larvae showed no change in diet preference.

ConclusionsThe expression pattern of the ABC and OBP gene families suggests a central role in the sensory system of the L. cuprina larva for these receptors. Behavioral assays showed that ORs are essential for the adult female response to rotten beef, but not for larval behavior. These findings are consistent with high levels of expression of LcupOrco in the adult female antenna but very low expression in larvae.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wulff, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laminack, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.20.629795</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic analyses suggest that larval and adult stages of Lucilia cuprina employ different sensory systems]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.22.629782v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Acoustic tumor paint for real-time imaging, surgical guidance and recurrence monitoring of brain tumors with ultrasound 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.22.629782v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The rapid growth, invasiveness, and resistance to treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) underscore the urgent need for improved diagnostics and therapies. Current surgical practice is limited by challenges with intraoperative imaging, while recurrence monitoring requires expensive magnetic resonance or nuclear imaging scans. Here we introduce "acoustic tumor paint", an approach to labeling brain tumors for ultrasound imaging - a widely accessible imaging modality. We show that gas vesicles (GVs), natural air-filled protein nanostructures, preferentially accumulate in brain tumors following systemic administration in syngeneic and xenograft mouse models of GBM. This enables real-time tumor visualization during surgery and postoperative monitoring of recurrence. We characterize GV uptake and breakdown by tumors and their resident cells and support clinical translatability by documenting non-toxic repeated administration. We also demonstrate the potential for post-operative monitoring in humans by imaging GVs through a human skull and an FDA-approved skull prosthesis. Acoustic tumor paint has the potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, improve surgical outcomes, make monitoring more accessible, and extend survival in GBM patients.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rabut, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daghlian, G. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barturen-Larrea, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, H. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vorder Bruegge, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malounda, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pinton, G. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shapiro, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.22.629782</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Acoustic tumor paint for real-time imaging, surgical guidance and recurrence monitoring of brain tumors with ultrasound]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.27.630494v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mixed DAMP/MAMP oligosaccharides promote both growth and defense against fungal pathogens of cucumber 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.27.630494v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plants recognize a variety of environmental molecules, thereby triggering appropriate responses to biotic or abiotic stresses. Substances containing microbes-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are representative inducers of pathogen resistance and damage repair, thus treatment of healthy plants with such substances can pre-activate plant immunity and cell repair functions. In this study, the effects of DAMP/MAMP oligosaccharides mixture (Oligo-Mix) derived from plant cell wall (cello-oligosaccharide and xylo-oligosaccharide), and fungal cell wall (chitin-oligosaccharide) were examined in cucumber. Treatment of cucumber with Oligo-Mix promoted root germination and plant growth, along with increased chlorophyll contents in the leaves. Oligo-Mix treatment also induced typical defense responses such as MAP kinase activation and callose deposition in leaves. Pretreatment of Oligo-Mix enhanced disease resistance of cucumber leaves against pathogenic fungi Podosphaera xanthii (powdery mildew) and Colletotrichum orbiculare (anthracnose). Oligo-Mix treatment increased the induction of hypersensitive cell death around the infection site of pathogens, which inhibited further infection and the conidial formation of pathogens on the cucumber leaves. RNA-seq analysis revealed that Oligo-Mix treatment upregulated genes associated with plant structural reinforcement, responses to abiotic stresses and plant defense. These results suggested that Oligo-Mix has beneficial effects on growth and disease resistance in cucumber, making it a promising biostimulant for agricultural application.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pring, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kato, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taniuchi, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Camagna, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saito, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tanaka, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Merritt, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arguello-Miranda, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sato, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chiba, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Takemoto, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2024-12-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.27.630494</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mixed DAMP/MAMP oligosaccharides promote both growth and defense against fungal pathogens of cucumber]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2024-12-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.31.630838v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
CD44 and Ezrin restrict EGF receptor mobility to generate a novel spatial arrangement of cytoskeletal signaling modules driving bleb-based migration 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.31.630838v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cells under high confinement form highly polarized hydrostatic pressure-driven, stable leader blebs that enable efficient migration in low adhesion, environments. Here we investigated the basis of the polarized bleb morphology of metastatic melanoma cells migrating in non-adhesive confinement. Using high-resolution time-lapse imaging and specific molecular perturbations, we found that EGF signaling via PI3K stabilizes and maintains a polarized leader bleb. Protein activity biosensors revealed a unique EGFR/PI3K activity gradient decreasing from rear-to-front, promoting PIP3 and Rac1-GTP accumulation at the bleb rear, with its antagonists PIP2 and RhoA-GTP concentrated at the bleb tip, opposite to the front-to-rear organization of these signaling modules in integrin-mediated mesenchymal migration. Optogenetic experiments showed that disrupting this gradient caused bleb retraction, underscoring the role of this signaling gradient in bleb stability. Mathematical modeling and experiments identified a mechanism where, as the bleb initiates, CD44 and ERM proteins restrict EGFR mobility in a membrane-apposed cortical actin meshwork in the bleb rear, establishing a rear-to-front EGFR-PI3K-Rac activity gradient. Thus, our study reveals the biophysical and molecular underpinnings of cell polarity in bleb-based migration of metastatic cells in non-adhesive confinement, and underscores how alternative spatial arrangements of migration signaling modules can mediate different migration modes according to the local microenvironment.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Jha, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chandra, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farahani, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Toettcher, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haugh, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Waterman, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.31.630838</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[CD44 and Ezrin restrict EGF receptor mobility to generate a novel spatial arrangement of cytoskeletal signaling modules driving bleb-based migration]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.17.628884v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identifying control strategies to eliminate African swine fever from the United States swine industry in under 12 months 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.17.628884v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
With the rising risk of African swine fever (ASF) introduction into the U.S., there is substantial emphasis on preparation for an epidemic to mitigate the economic and societal impacts. Mathematical models represent a vital tool for simulating future epidemics and examining the effectiveness of response strategies. This study expands on our spatially explicit stochastic compartmental farm-level transmission model, PigSpread-ASF, to identify the control strategies necessary to eliminate ASF from domestic swine populations in three, six, nine, and twelve months. We achieved this by incrementally increasing the intensity of the control actions detailed in the USDAs national response plan, which consists of i) quarantine and depopulation of detected farms; ii) a 72-hour movement standstill; iii) contact tracing with subsequent diagnostic testing; and iv) the implementation of control areas (infected and buffer zone) and surveillance zones (including routine diagnostic testing, pre-permit testing and movement restrictions). For this model, ASF was deemed eliminated after three consecutive months of no new ASF cases following each time period, as determined by WOAH.

Our results indicate that the current national response plan would need to i) increase radii and duration of control areas and surveillance zones, ii) extend the traceback and quarantine for contact farms; iii) extend the movement standstill; iv) prohibit repopulation of depopulated farms; and v) quicker baseline detection of ASF, at varying intensities, to eliminate ASF within three, six, nine and twelve months. The elimination of ASF in 12-months required extension of the buffer zone radius to 5 km and maintenance of the control areas and surveillance zones for 60 days, a traceback and quarantine of 60 and 30 days for the contact tracing, and a standstill of 30 days. In contrast, the three-month scenario required extension of the infected zone, buffer zone and surveillance zone radii to 20 km each and maintenance of the control area and surveillance zones for 90 days, a traceback and quarantine of 90 days for contact tracing, and a standstill of 90 days. By intensifying the current national response plan, ASF would likely be eliminated within 12-months of its introduction. However, it is pertinent to consider the limitations posed by resource capacities and the impact that intensifying control may have on business continuity. Nevertheless, our study provides beneficial guidance to aid preparation for a future ASF introduction and estimates the infrastructure and personnel required to bring an epidemic under control promptly.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sykes, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galvis, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Hara, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmstrom, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Corzo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2024.12.17.628884</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identifying control strategies to eliminate African swine fever from the United States swine industry in under 12 months]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.05.631408v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A High Sensitivity Assay of UBE3A Ubiquitin Ligase Activity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.05.631408v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
UBE3A is an E3 ubiquitin ligase associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders. The development of several preclinical therapeutic approaches involving UBE3A, such as gene therapy, enzyme replacement therapy, and epigenetic reactivation, require the detection of its ubiquitin ligase activity. Prior commercial assays leveraged Western Blotting to detect shifts in substrate size due to ubiquitination, but these suffered from long assay times and have also been discontinued. Here we develop a new assay that quantifies UBE3A activity. It measures the fluorescence intensity of ubiquitinated p53 substrates with a microplate reader, eliminating the need for Western Blot antibodies and instruments, and enables detection in just 1 hour. The assay is fast, cost-effective, low noise, and uses components with long shelf lives. Importantly, it is also highly sensitive, detecting UBE3A levels as low as 1nM, similar to that observed in human and mouse cerebrospinal fluid. It also differentiates the activity of wild-type UBE3A and catalytic mutants. We also design a p53 substrate with a triple-epitope tag HIS-HA-CMYC on the N terminus, which allows for versatile detection of UBE3A activity from diverse natural and engineered sources. This new assay provides a timely solution for growing needs in preclinical validation, quality control, endpoint measurements for clinical trials, and downstream manufacturing testing and validation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Han, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yagci, Z. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.05.631408</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A High Sensitivity Assay of UBE3A Ubiquitin Ligase Activity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.07.631589v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Nondestructive Detection and Quantification of Dysprosium in Plant Tissues 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.07.631589v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundThe growing demand for rare-earth elements (REEs), particularly dysprosium (Dy), in part driven by clean energy technologies, underscores the need for sustainable extraction methods. Recovery of Dy, particularly from geographically distributed waste sources is challenging. This gap positions phytomining--a technique using plants to accumulate metals-- as a promising alternative. However, plant species differ in their ability to accumulate metals in high concentrations, necessitating efficient screening methods. In this study, we developed a high-throughput fluorescence-based assay to detect and quantify Dy uptake in plant tissues.

ResultsOur Dy detection method exploits Dys unique spectroscopic properties for sensitive and efficient analysis, enabling detection of concentrations as low as 0.3 {micro}M. By incorporating sodium tungstate (Na WO) as a fluorescence enhancer, we achieved robust emissions at 480 and 580 nm, facilitating Dy quantification in complex plant matrices. Additionally, time-resolved fluorescence techniques reduced background autofluorescence from plant tissues, enhancing signal specificity. Validation against Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) demonstrated strong correlation. Greenhouse trials confirmed the methods utility for screening Dy accumulation in living plants and highlight the potential for rapid standoff detection.

ConclusionsThis fluorescence-based approach offers a scalable, efficient tool for identifying Dy-accumulating plants, advancing phytomining as a sustainable strategy for REE recovery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hernandez-Pagan, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laosuntisuk, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haynes, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buitrago, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajabu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kudenov, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doherty, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.07.631589</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Nondestructive Detection and Quantification of Dysprosium in Plant Tissues]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.08.631980v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Influence of Sequencing Technology on Pangenome-level Analysis and Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in ESKAPE Pathogens 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.08.631980v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
As sequencing costs decrease, short-read and long-read technologies are indispensable tools for uncovering the genetic drivers behind bacterial pathogen resistance. This study explores the differences between the use of short-read (Illumina) and long-read (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ONT) sequencing in detecting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae). Utilizing a dataset of 1,385 whole genome sequences and applying commonly used bioinformatic methods in bacterial genomics, we assessed the differences in genomic completeness, pangenome structure, and AMR gene and point mutation identification. Illumina presented higher genome completeness, while ONT identified a broader pangenome. Hybrid assembly outperformed both Illumina and ONT at identifying key AMR genetic determinants, presented results closer to Illuminas completeness, and revealed ONT-like pangenomic content. Notably, Illumina consistently detected more AMR-related point mutations than its counterparts. This highlights the importance of method selection based on research goals. Differences were also observed for specific gene classes and bacterial species, underscoring the need for a nuanced understanding of technology limitations. Overall, this study reveals the strengths and limitations of each approach, advocating for the use of Illumina for common AMR analysis; ONT for studying complex genomes and novel species, and hybrid assembly for a more comprehensive characterization, leveraging the benefits of both technologies.

Impact StatementThis study provides a comprehensive comparison of short-read (Illumina) and long-read (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ONT) sequencing technologies in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection in ESKAPE pathogens. By analyzing a large dataset of 1,385 whole genome sequences, the research offers valuable insights into the strengths and limitations of each approach, as well as the benefits of the novel approach of hybrid assembly. These findings have broad utility across microbiology, genomics, and infectious disease research. In particular, they apply to the work of researchers and clinicians dealing with AMR surveillance, investigation into outbreaks, and bacterial genome analysis. Given the nuance with which technological differences in genomic completeness, pangenome structure, and AMR determinant detection have been explored in this study, it is a good basis for informed method selection for future research. While the output represents an incremental advance, its significance lies in its practical implications. It thus enables researchers to take more reasonable decisions in designing genomic studies of bacterial pathogens by showing the complementarity of various sequencing approaches and their specific strengths. This could lead to more accurate and comprehensive detection of AMR, which would contribute ultimately to improved antibiotic stewardship and public health strategies.

Data SummaryThe authors confirm all supporting data, code and protocols have been provided within the article or through supplementary data files.

RepositoriesAll the sequences used for this study are publicly accessible from GenBank, and their individual IDs are disclosed in Supplementary Table 1.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Frias-De-Diego, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lanzas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.08.631980</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Influence of Sequencing Technology on Pangenome-level Analysis and Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in ESKAPE Pathogens]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.14.633089v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Modeling of ATP Transport in an Axon: Effects of Spontaneous Neuron Firing and Mitochondrial Transfer via Tunneling Nanotubes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.14.633089v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
While electrical activity in neurons has been extensively studied, the transport and distribution of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary cellular energy carrier, remain less understood, particularly in relation to metabolic processes in axons. ATP is primarily generated in mitochondria and consumed at synapses, the primary sites of energy demand. Even in healthy axons, approximately half of synaptic boutons lack stationary mitochondria, raising questions about ATP transport between boutons with and without mitochondrial ATP production. This study addresses two key questions: the role of spontaneous neuronal firing in maintaining ATP levels during periods of low energy demand and the ability of a single bouton with a donated mitochondrion to supply ATP to neighboring boutons lacking mitochondria. Using computational simulations, the study examines ATP transport under various firing patterns and mitochondrial distributions, incorporating factors such as quiescent periods, duty cycles, and ATP diffusivity. Spontaneous neuronal firing stabilizes ATP levels during periods of low energy demand, preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) release from mitochondria. Simulations reveal that in neurons damaged by neurodegeneration, a single bouton containing a donated mitochondrion can support ATP levels in multiple empty boutons. However, as the number of empty boutons increases, ATP concentration declines, potentially falling below the critical threshold required for synaptic transmission.

Nomenclaturea0 kinetic constant characterizing the rate of ATP consumption in a bouton

Ac cross-sectional area of the axon

C ATP concentration per unit length of the axon

C0 typical value of ATP concentration per unit length of the axon

Cmin minimum ATP concentration required to sustain synaptic transmission

duty duty cycle

D ATP diffusivity in the cytosol

f frequency at which neuron fires during the active phase

iactive number of action potentials that occur during the active phase

itotal total number of action potentials that propagate down the axon during the active phase plus the number of action potentials that were missed during the quiescent phase

L distance between boutons

m ATP production rate per unit length of a mitochondrion

 [Formula]ATP production rate per unit mass of tissue

Nempty number of boutons in the CV that lack stationary mitochondria

t time

x position along the axon

xm half-length of a mitochondrion

Greek symbols{gamma} percentage of tissue volume occupied by mitochondria

{delta}half the width of an axonal varicosity

{varpi}mass of an individual mitochondrion

 {Lambda}homeostatic portion of energy expended on homeostatic maintenance of a bouton
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.14.633089</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Modeling of ATP Transport in an Axon: Effects of Spontaneous Neuron Firing and Mitochondrial Transfer via Tunneling Nanotubes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.17.633640v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mammal niches are not conserved over continental scales 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.17.633640v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Summary paragraphThe niche conservatism hypothesis states that a species relationships to habitat and climate conditions are maintained across space and time1-6. Niche stationarity is assumed when ecologists estimate species habitat needs or transfer findings across geographic regions7,8. Recent studies show that some species associations with climate and habitat vary spatially, contradicting the niche conservatism hypothesis9-18. The sources of this nonstationarity are unknown and potential mechanisms remain untested. Here we show that the environmental niches of 36 common North American mammals vary spatially across dimensions of human influence, climate, and landscape. Spatial variation is not explained by known genetic subspecies lineages. Instead, niches vary at a relatively fine spatial scale consistent with adaptations by animals to local conditions, which may be explained by genetic or behavioral changes or by unmodeled interactions with unobserved variables. Spatially varying ecology means that static niche models are not appropriate at large scales and extrapolating species niches to novel contexts may be impossible19. This complicates management decisions based on transferring findings across space and projecting species current environmental associations to responses to future change, but may provide optimism if nonstationarity represents potential for rapid evolutionary rescue.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Goldstein, B. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pacifici, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jensen, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reich, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cove, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McShea, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rooney, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kierepka, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roberts, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kays, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.17.633640</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mammal niches are not conserved over continental scales]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.22.634355v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Warming disrupts plant-fungal endophyte symbiosis more strongly in leaves than roots 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.22.634355v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Disruptions to species interactions from global change will negatively impact plant primary production, with broader consequences for species abundances, distribution, and community composition. Fungal endophytes that live inside plant leaves and roots could potentially mitigate plant heat stress from global warming. Conversely, disruptions of these symbioses could exacerbate the negative impacts of warming. To better understand the consistency and strength of warming-induced changes to fungal endophytes, we examined fungal leaf and root endophytes in three grassland warming experiments in the US ranging from 2 to 25 years and spanning 2000 km, 12 {degrees}C of mean annual temperature, and 600 mm of precipitation. We found that experimental warming disrupted symbiosis between plants and fungal endophytes. Colonization of plant tissues by septate fungi decreased in response to warming by 90% in plant leaves and 35% in roots. Warming also reduced fungal diversity and changed community composition in plant leaves but not roots. The strength, but not direction, of warming effects on fungal endophytes varied by up to 75% among warming experiments. Finally, warming decoupled fungal endophytes from host metabolism. Overall, warming-driven disruption of fungal endophyte community structure and function suggests that this symbiosis may not be a reliable mechanism to promote plant resilience and ameliorate stress responses under global change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Edwards, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kazenel, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luo, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lynn, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCulley, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Souza, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Young, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rudgers, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kivlin, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.22.634355</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Warming disrupts plant-fungal endophyte symbiosis more strongly in leaves than roots]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.24.634714v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus RNA contamination on swine industry transportation vehicles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.24.634714v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is one of the most devastating pathogens of global swine health and welfare. It is well known that contaminated fomites and vehicle movements play an important role in farm-to-farm PEDV spread, but the efficacy of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) protocols on the reduction in dissemination risk via vehicles and trailers remains unclear. This study used swine industry data to determine how frequently vehicles and trailers were contaminated with PEDV RNA before and after C&D. Environmental RNA samples were collected at three eastern North Carolina C&D sites from four different vehicle types: crew trucks, feed trucks, pigs-to-farm trucks and trailers, and pigs-to-market trucks and trailers. A total of 2,004 samples were collected from truck cabins, trailers, and tires before and after C&D with two commercial disinfectants at two different concentrations. An in-house RT-qPCR assay was used to detect the presence of PEDV RNA only (not infectivity status). Results suggest that pigs-to-market trucks hauling live pigs were the most likely to be contaminated with PEDV (82.06% of trucks tested positive before C&D and 89.55% tested positive after C&D), while feed trucks were the least likely contaminated (11.73% of trucks testing positive before C&D and 11.25% testing positive after C&D). Based on PEDV RNA detection, we demonstrated that quaternary ammonium and glutaraldehyde is a more effective disinfectant compared to advanced hydrogen peroxide in eliminating detectable PEDV RNA. Results also show that truck cabins are just as contaminated as the exterior of their vehicles. Based on these results, vehicle biosecurity measures should be evaluated and modified to prevent the spread of PEDV.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Parker, T. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meiklejohn, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Machado, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahe, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Darrow, B. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferreira, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.24.634714</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus RNA contamination on swine industry transportation vehicles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.23.634475v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) beehives have no impact on honey bee (Apis mellifera) overwintering colony survival or detoxification enzyme expression 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.23.634475v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In North America, wooden honey bee hives are most often constructed from pine, but some companies also produce and sell boxes made of western red cedar (Thuja plicata) as a result of its local availability and desirable properties. However, there is debate within the beekeeping community about whether cedar is a safe hive material for bees, since resins within the wood are known to be insecticidal or insect deterrents. There is very little empirical evidence to support or refute these arguments. Here, we recorded health metrics of honey bee nucleus colonies hived in western red cedar and pine boxes (n = 10 each) to determine if the type of wood affects colony outcomes. Colonies were produced and introduced into these boxes in late July, with monitoring continued until the following spring. We found no significant differences in adult bee populations, brood areas, or Varroa mite prevalence among colonies hived in cedar versus pine boxes at either the end of summer (September 1st) or spring (April 1st) assessments. Overwintering survival was identical in the two groups at 90%. Hemolymph detoxification enzyme expression differed strongly between callow (day-old) workers and foragers but did not differ with hive material. Overall, we did not find evidence that hiving honey bee colonies in boxes constructed of western red cedar has any negative or positive effect on bee physiology or colony outcomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>McAfee, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tarpy, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foster, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.23.634475</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) beehives have no impact on honey bee (Apis mellifera) overwintering colony survival or detoxification enzyme expression]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.26.634793v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.26.634793v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. Here we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipiens form molestus, also known as the London Underground Mosquito. Population genomic analysis of [~]350 contemporary and historical samples counter the popular hypothesis that molestus originated belowground in London less than 200 years ago. Instead, we show that molestus first adapted to human environments aboveground in the Middle East over the course of >1000 years, likely in concert with the rise of agricultural civilizations. Our results highlight the role of early human society in priming taxa for contemporary urban evolution and have important implications for understanding arbovirus transmission.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Haba, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aardema, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Afonso, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Agramonte, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Albright, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alho, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Almeida, A. P. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alout, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alten, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Altinli, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amara Korba, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andreadis, S. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anghel, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arich, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arsenault-Benoit, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Atyame, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aubry, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Avila, F. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ayala, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Azrag, R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Babayan, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bear, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Becker, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bega, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bejarano, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ben-Avi, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benoit, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boubidi, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradshaw, W. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bravo-Barriga, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bueno-Mari, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Busic, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cabanova, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cabeje, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caputo, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cardo, M. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carpenter, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carreton, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chouaibou, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Christian, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coetzee, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conner, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cornel,</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.26.634793</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.30.635136v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Three-dimensional cellularization in chytrid fungi uses distinct mechanisms from those driving one- and two-dimensional cytokinesis in animals and yeast 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.30.635136v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chytrid fungi provide a model for studying foam-like cellularization, where nuclei that are dispersed throughout the cytoplasm are synchronously compartmentalized into daughter cells. This organization poses geometric challenges not faced by cells undergoing conventional cytokinesis or Drosophila monolayer cellularization, where nuclei are organized in linear or planar arrangements with ready-access to the plasma membrane. We use the chytrid Spizellomyces punctatus to show that chytrid cellularization begins with migration of nuclei and their attached centrosomes to the plasma membrane, where centrosome-associated vesicles mark sites of membrane invagination. These vesicles then extend inwards, resulting in tubular furrows that branch and merge to create a honeycomb of polyhedral membrane compartments-a cellularization foam-each with a nucleus and cilium. Using inhibitors and laser ablation, we show that tensile forces produced by actomyosin networks drive aphrogenesis (foam-generation), while microtubules are important for foam patterning and ciliogenesis but are not essential for cellularization. Finally, we suggest that chytrids may have incorporated ancestral mechanisms associated with ciliogenesis to coordinate the association of internal nuclei with membrane furrows to solve the unique geometric challenges associated with aphrogenic cellularization.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Medina, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fritz-Laylin, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-01-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.30.635136</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Three-dimensional cellularization in chytrid fungi uses distinct mechanisms from those driving one- and two-dimensional cytokinesis in animals and yeast]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-01-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.29.635337v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A maize near-isogenic line population designed for gene discovery and characterization of allelic effects 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.29.635337v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In this study we characterized a panel of 1,264 maize near-isogenic lines (NILs), developed from crosses between 18 diverse inbred lines and the recurrent parent B73, referred to as nested NILs (nNILs). 884 of the nNILs were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Subsequently, 24 of these nNILs, and all the parental lines, were re-genotyped using a high-density SNP chip. A novel pipeline for calling introgressions, which does not rely on knowing the donor parent of each nNIL, was developed based on a hidden Markov model (HMM) algorithm. By comparing the introgressions detected using GBS data with those identified using chip data, we optimized the HMM parameters for analyzing the entire nNIL population. A total of 2,972 introgressions were identified across the 884 nNILs. Individual introgression blocks ranged from 21 bp to 204 Mbp, with an average size of 17 Mbp. By comparing SNP genotypes within introgressed segments to the known genotypes of the donor lines we determined that in about one third of the lines, the identity of the donors did not match expectation based on their pedigrees.

We characterized the entire nNIL population for three foliar diseases. Using these data, we mapped a number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for disease resistance in the nNIL population and observed extensive variation in effects among the alleles from different donor parents at most QTL identified. This population will be of significant utility for dissecting complex agronomic traits and allelic series in maize.

Significance StatementThe study reports the characterization of a publicly available population of 1,264 maize near-isogenic lines largely derived from a single recurrent parent and 18 donor lines. This population is likely to be of significant utility for the characterization of allelic series at loci of interest.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhong, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mullens, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morales, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swarts, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stafstrom, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sermons, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopez-Zuniga, L. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rucker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thomason, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nelson, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jamann, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balint-Kurti, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-02-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.01.29.635337</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A maize near-isogenic line population designed for gene discovery and characterization of allelic effects]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-02-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.05.636547v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TaWUS2D regulates the number of grains per spikelet by enhancing the number of fertile ovaries in Multi-Ovary Wheat 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.05.636547v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Innovative genetic improvements in the staple crop Triticum aestivum (bread wheat) are urgently needed to address the growing global food security crisis. Here, we report the map-based cloning of TaWUS2D, the gene responsible for the dominant multi-ovary phenotype in wheat. Multi-ovary lines are characterized by the development of three fertile ovaries per floret that results in three grains, as opposed to wildtype single ovary wheat. We used HiFi long-reads to assemble a 14.48 Gbp genome scaffold assembly in the background of mutli-ovary wheat line MOV. Using high-resolution genetic mapping, combined with additional genomic resources, we defined the Mov-1 locus to a 135 Kbp region containing two genes. Using five independent deletion mutants and eight TILLING mutants, we demonstrate that a functional WUSCHEL-like protein, TaWUS2D, is required for the multi-ovary phenotype. TaWUS2D is upregulated in the MOV genetic background. This research lays the groundwork for developing new approaches to improve wheat production potential and sustainability in the face of current and future global food challenges.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schoen, A. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahlandt, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kochian, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xiang, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Quilichini, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venglat, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yadav, I. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodriguez-Leal, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luo, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Qi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meier, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kajla, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown-Guedira, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Youngblood, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hulse-Kemp, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gill, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Uauy, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Datla, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rawat, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiwari, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-02-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.02.05.636547</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TaWUS2D regulates the number of grains per spikelet by enhancing the number of fertile ovaries in Multi-Ovary Wheat]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-02-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.05.636682v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Development of ferret immune repertoire reference resources and single-cell-based high-throughput profiling assays 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.05.636682v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are important for modeling human respiratory diseases. However, ferret B and T cell receptors have not been completely identified or annotated, limiting immune repertoire studies. Here we performed long read transcriptome sequencing of ferret splenocyte and lymph node samples to obtain over 120,000 high-quality full-length immunoglobin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) transcripts. We constructed a complete reference set of the constant regions of ferret Ig and TCR isotypes and chain types. We also systematically annotated germline Ig and TCR variable (V), diversity (D), joining (J), and constant (C) genes on a recent ferret reference genome assembly. We designed new ferret-specific immune repertoire profiling assays by targeting positions in constant regions without allelic diversity across 11 ferret genome assemblies, and experimentally validated them using a commercially compatible single-cell-based platform. These improved resources and assays will enable future studies to fully capture ferret immune repertoire diversity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Walsh, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollison, T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seenu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adams, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeitoun, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sideri, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Folch, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brochu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chou, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kossida, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>York, I. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-02-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.02.05.636682</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Development of ferret immune repertoire reference resources and single-cell-based high-throughput profiling assays]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-02-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.17.638464v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Which plant traits increase soil carbon sequestration? Empirical evidence from a long-term poplar genetic diversity trial 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.17.638464v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Breeding or engineering crops to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) storage is a potential route to land-based carbon dioxide removal on working agricultural lands. However, due to limited observational datasets plus shifting paradigms of SOC stabilization, there is a lack of understanding of which plant traits to target for SOC enhancement or the ultimate sequestration potential of such measures. Existing long-term common gardens of genetically diverse plant populations may provide an opportunity to evaluate biological controls on SOC outcomes, separate from environmental or management variability. Here we report on soil carbon and root chemical data collected for 24 genotypes within a 13-year-old common garden in northwestern Oregon planted with over a thousand natural variants of Populus trichocarpa. Fractionating surface soil (0-15 cm) revealed substantial variation in stocks of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM; 18-67 tonnes C/ha) and particulate organic matter (POM; 2-22 tonnes C/ha). Tree genotype explained 24 and 26% of the MAOM and POM stock variability, respectively, after controlling for background variability. We found minimal association between SOC concentration and either aboveground tree productivity or conventional metrics of root biomass recalcitrance (C/N ratios and lignin content). However, root elemental content appeared influential for MAOM-C, which showed a strong positive association with root aluminum (Al), and strong negative association with root boron (B) and magnesium (Mg). Furthermore, root concentrations of these elements were highly heritable (57-78%) and not simply a reflection of background variation in bulk soil elemental concentrations. We estimate that surface SOC stocks under these 24 genotypes have diverged at rates of up to 1.2-4.3 tonnes C/ha/yr. These results suggest that genetic diversity trials have value for elucidating biological controls on SOC dynamics, and that traits associated with root elemental content may be an important target for enhancing SOC.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Field, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sloan, B. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Craig, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Calloway, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ottinger, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mead, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abramoff, R. Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Venegas, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chhetri, H. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haiby, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kalluri, U. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muchero, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schadt, C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mayes, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-02-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.02.17.638464</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Which plant traits increase soil carbon sequestration? Empirical evidence from a long-term poplar genetic diversity trial]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-02-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.21.639507v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Dirt floors and domestic animals are associated with soilborne exposure to antimicrobial resistant E. coli in rural Bangladeshi households 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.21.639507v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Soil can harbor enteropathogens and antimicrobial-resistant organisms in settings with domestic animals. We enrolled 49 households with young children (28 soil floors, 21 concrete floors) in Bangladesh and recorded animal ownership/management. Staff swabbed the floor of childrens sleeping area with a sterile sponge and collected floor dust and a child hand rinse. We used IDEXX QuantiTray/2000 with and without cefotaxime supplementation to enumerate cefotaxime-resistant and generic E. coli. There was 8.0 g/m2 of dust on soil floors vs. 0.2 g/m2 on concrete floors (p-value=0.005). We detected E. coli on 100% of soil vs. 86% of concrete floors and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli on 89% of soil vs. 43% of concrete floors (p-values<0.05). Cefotaxime-resistant E. coli prevalence on floors was 36% in compounds without animals, 79% in compounds with animals and 100% if animals stayed indoors overnight or the floor had animal feces; associations were strongest for chickens. In multivariable models, generic and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli counts were 1.5-2 log higher on soil vs. concrete floors, and counts on floors and child hands were 0.17-0.24 log higher for every 10 additional chickens owned (p-values<0.05). Efforts to mitigate infections and antimicrobial resistance in low-income countries should test flooring improvements and hygienic animal management.

SynopsisIn rural Bangladeshi households, generic and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli were more common on soil floors than concrete floors and among households with higher cohabitation intensity with domestic animals, especially chickens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ercumen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hossain, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tabassum, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haque, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tazin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanif, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barratt Heitmann, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miah, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeamin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jahan, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shoab, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahmud, Z. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benjamin-Chung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.02.21.639507</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Dirt floors and domestic animals are associated with soilborne exposure to antimicrobial resistant E. coli in rural Bangladeshi households]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.28.640920v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Predicting Biological Age Using an Accumulated Neurotoxicity Biomarker for Amyloid Beta Oligomers 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.28.640920v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study proposes using accumulated neurotoxicity, defined as the time integral of A{beta} oligomer concentration, as a biomarker for neuronal aging. A relationship between biological age and accumulated neurotoxicity is proposed. Numerical analysis guided the development of a new analytical solution linking the biological and calendar ages of neurons. The effects of A{beta} monomer and oligomer half-lives--key indicators of proteolytic efficiency--on biological age are examined. Both constant and age-dependent (exponentially increasing) half-life scenarios are considered. The findings indicate that increasing the half-life of A{beta} monomers and oligomers with age accelerates biological aging. Reducing A{beta} monomer production is shown to slow biological aging, with a linear relationship established between these two quantities. Additionally, biological age is found to depend linearly on the half-deposition time of A{beta} oligomers into senile plaques. The model demonstrates that biological age is irreversible, providing a theoretical explanation for why plaque-clearing therapies cannot reverse established cognitive impairment. The model also demonstrates that biological age is path-dependent rather than state-dependent.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.02.28.640920</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Predicting Biological Age Using an Accumulated Neurotoxicity Biomarker for Amyloid Beta Oligomers]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.04.641457v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
DASH: A versatile and high-capacity gene stacking system for plant synthetic biology 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.04.641457v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
DNA assembly systems based on the Golden Gate method are popular in synthetic biology but have several limitations: small insert size, incompatibility with other cloning platforms, DNA domestication requirement, generation of fusion scars, and lack of post-assembly modification. To address these obstacles, we present the DASH assembly toolset, which combines features of Golden Gate-based cloning, recombineering, and site-specific recombinase systems. We developed (1) a set of donor vectors based on the GoldenBraid platform, (2) an acceptor vector derived from the plant transformation-competent artificial chromosome (TAC) vector, pYLTAC17, and (3) a re-engineered recombineering-ready E. coli strain, CZ105, based on SW105. The initial assembly steps are carried out using the donor vectors following standard GoldenBraid assembly procedures. Importantly, existing parts and transcriptional units created using compatible Golden Gate-based systems can be transferred to the DASH donor vectors using standard single-tube restriction/ligation reactions. The cargo DNA from a DASH donor vector is then efficiently transferred in vivo in E. coli into the acceptor vector by the sequential action of a rhamnose-inducible phage-derived PhiC31 integrase and arabinose-inducible yeast-derived Flippase (FLP) recombinase using CZ105. Furthermore, recombineering-based post-assembly modification, including the removal of undesirable scars, is greatly simplified. To demonstrate the utility of the DASH system, a 116 kb DNA construct harboring a 97 kb cargo consisting of 35 transcriptional units was generated. One of the CDSs in the final assembly was replaced through recombineering, and the in planta functionality of the entire construct was tested in both transient and stable transformants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhao, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stepanova, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.04.641457</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[DASH: A versatile and high-capacity gene stacking system for plant synthetic biology]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.04.641215v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A preclinical pig model of Angelman syndrome mirrors the early developmental trajectory of the human condition 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.04.641215v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Angelman syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe motor and cognitive deficits. It is caused by the loss of the maternally inherited allele of the imprinted ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene. Rodent models of Angelman syndrome do not fully recapitulate all the symptoms associated with the condition and are limited as a preclinical model for therapeutic development. Here, we show that pigs (Sus scrofa) with a maternally inherited deletion of UBE3A (UBE3A-/+) have altered postnatal behaviors, impaired vocalizations, reduced brain growth, motor incoordination, and ataxia. Neonatal UBE3A-/+ pigs exhibited several symptoms observed in infants with Angelman syndrome, including hypotonia, suckling deficits, and failure to thrive. Collectively, these findings are consistent with the pathophysiology and developmental trajectory observed in individuals with Angelman syndrome. We anticipate that this pig model will advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of Angelman syndrome and be used as a preclinical large animal model for therapeutic development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Myers, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Christian, S. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simpson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sper, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Montes, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jepp, T. B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramos, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schuller, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Konganti, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Friedeck, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Habib, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodge, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taylor, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coffell, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schlafer, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matt, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Revell, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Knight, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrena, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>FAST Integrative Research Environment (FIRE) Initiative,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, W. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Piedrahita, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dindot, S. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.04.641215</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A preclinical pig model of Angelman syndrome mirrors the early developmental trajectory of the human condition]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.21.644594v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Clostridioides difficile Toxins Alter Host Metabolic Pathway and Bile Acid Homeostasis Gene Expression In Colonic Epithelium 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.21.644594v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A major risk factor for acquiring Clostridioides difficile is antibiotic usage that disrupts a healthy microbial gut community facilitating establishment of infection. Once established, C. difficile secretes endotoxins (TcdA and TcdB) that are internalized into host colonic epithelial cells where they disrupt gut barrier function and induce hyper inflammation resulting in severe diarrhea and possibly leading to death. We employed three different platforms to explore gene expression of cells in the gut when exposed to C. difficile or its toxins, TcdA and TcdB. An antibiotic treated mouse model of C. difficile infection (CDI) was used to identify differential gene expression with a NanoString Technologies mouse inflammatory gene panel consisting of 770 genes including a subset of bile acid (BA) homeostasis and nuclear receptor genes. In the cecal tissue of mice with CDI, significant down expression was observed for genes involved in PPAR signaling, cholesterol and glucose metabolism, while a significant increase in expression was observed for IL-17 related inflammatory genes. Similarly, Caco-2 cell culture and primary human colonocytes (hCE) exposed to toxins for 24 hours showed altered expression in several PPAR regulated and cholesterol metabolic genes similar to those found in mice. These cell culture experiments also revealed significant alterations in gene expression of the FXR BA regulatory pathway. Together these data suggest that exposure to C. difficile and its toxins may alter host cholesterol metabolic processes, including BA transport and synthesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thomas, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pike, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkins, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, S. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Espinoza Jaen, X. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McMillan, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.21.644594</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Clostridioides difficile Toxins Alter Host Metabolic Pathway and Bile Acid Homeostasis Gene Expression In Colonic Epithelium]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.21.644606v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Contextual Science and Genome Analysis for Air-Gapped AI Research 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.21.644606v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Provided here is a study of large language models (LLMs) and retrieval augmented generation (RAG) frameworks in air-gapped environments for genome research on small grain crops. We developed two main applications: (1) a RAG-based system for contextual analysis of scientific literature, collecting over 5,000 PDFs on wheat pathogens, and (2) a GFF3 file analysis tool called Genoma that enables exploration of genome annotation through an interactive interface. Using the open-source framework Ollama, we compared the performance of multiple LLMs including Llama3.1, Deepseek-r1, and Qwen2.5 for biological data analysis. A LightRAG approach provided semantic visualization of document relationships, while the Genoma tool offered chromosome-level insights into genome annotations. These tools demonstrate the viability of powerful AI assistance for sensitive research environments, with potential applications for pangenome analysis and gene discovery. The code provides researchers with practical solutions for implementing AI in secure settings without sacrificing analytical power.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lazo, G. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ayyappan, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tiwari, V. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.21.644606</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Contextual Science and Genome Analysis for Air-Gapped AI Research]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.24.644982v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Adaptive pangenomic remodeling in the Azolla cyanobiont amid a transient microbiome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.24.644982v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plants fix nitrogen in concert with diverse microbial symbionts, often recruiting them from the surrounding environment each generation. Vertical transmission of a microbial symbiont from parent to offspring can produce extreme evolutionary consequences, including metabolic codependence, genome reduction, and synchronized life cycles. One of the few examples of vertical transmission of N-fixing symbionts occurs in Azolla ferns, which maintain an obligate mutualism with the cyanobacterium Trichormus azollae--but the genomic consequences of this interaction, and whether the symbiosis involves other vertically transmitted microbial partners, are currently unknown. We generated high-coverage metagenomes across the genus Azolla and reconstructed metagenome assembled genomes to investigate whether a core microbiome exists within Azolla leaf cavities, and how the genomes of T. azollae diverged from their free-living relatives. Our results suggest that T. azollae is the only consistent symbiont across all Azolla accessions, and that other bacterial groups are transient or facultative associates. Pangenomic analyses of T. azollae indicate extreme pseudogenization and gene loss compared to free-living relatives--especially in defensive, stress-tolerance, and secondary metabolite pathways--yet the key functions of nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis remain intact. Additionally, differential codon bias and intensified (rather than relaxed) selection on photosynthesis, intracellular transport, and carbohydrate metabolism genes suggest ongoing evolution in response to the unique conditions within Azolla leaf cavities. These findings highlight how genome erosion and shifting selection pressures jointly drive the evolution of this unique mutualism, while broadening the taxonomic scope of genomic studies on vertically transmitted symbioses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Armitage, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso-Sanchez, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coy, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hagenbeek, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lopez-Martinez, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phua, Y. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sears, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.24.644982</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Adaptive pangenomic remodeling in the Azolla cyanobiont amid a transient microbiome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.20.644452v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Novel PFAS in Alligator Blood Discovered with Non-Targeted Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.20.644452v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large and growing class of chemicals gaining global attention due to their persistence, mobility, and toxicity. Given the diverse chemical properties of PFAS and their varying distributions in water and tissue, monitoring of different matrices is critical to determine their presence and accumulation. Here, we used a platform combining liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, and high-resolution mass spectrometry for non-targeted analysis to detect and identify PFAS in alligator plasma from North Carolina (5 years, 2018-2022) and Florida (2021 only). Structures for 12 PFAS were elucidated, including 2 novel structures, and an additional 34 known PFAS were detected. Three of these compounds were previously unreported in environmental media. More PFAS were detected in North Carolina alligators and no novel PFAS were detected in Florida gators. Quantitative analysis of 21 of the known PFAS revealed that plasma concentrations did not change over the 5-year study.

HighlightsO_LI46 PFAS were detected in blood plasma from North Carolina and Florida alligators using LC-IMS-HRMS
C_LIO_LIStructures for 12 previously unreported PFAS were elucidated, including 2 novel structures
C_LIO_LICape Fear River alligators had the most types and highest concentrations of PFAS
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Boatman, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kudzin, G. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rock, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guillette, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robb, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belcher, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.20.644452</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Novel PFAS in Alligator Blood Discovered with Non-Targeted Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.23.644838v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Generative frame interpolation enhances tracking of biological objects in time-lapse microscopy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.23.644838v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Object tracking in microscopy videos is crucial for understanding biological processes. While existing methods often require fine-tuning tracking algorithms to fit the image dataset, here we explored an alternative paradigm: augmenting the image time-lapse dataset to fit the tracking algorithm. To test this approach, we evaluated whether generative video frame interpolation can augment the temporal resolution of time-lapse microscopy and facilitate object tracking in multiple biological contexts. We systematically compared the capacity of Latent Diffusion Model for Video Frame Interpolation (LDMVFI), Real-time Intermediate Flow Estimation (RIFE), Compression-Driven Frame Interpolation (CDFI), and Frame Interpolation for Large Motion (FILM) to generate synthetic microscopy images derived from interpolating real images. Our testing image time series ranged from fluorescently labeled nuclei to bacteria, yeast, cancer cells, and organoids. We showed that the off-the-shelf frame interpolation algorithms produced bio-realistic image interpolation even without dataset-specific retraining, as judged by high structural image similarity and the capacity to produce segmentations that closely resemble results from real images. Using a simple tracking algorithm based on mask overlap, we confirmed that frame interpolation significantly improved tracking across several datasets without requiring extensive parameter tuning and capturing complex trajectories that were difficult to resolve in the original image time series. Taken together, our findings highlight the potential of generative frame interpolation to improve tracking in time-lapse microscopy across diverse scenarios, suggesting that a generalist tracking algorithm for microscopy could be developed by combining deep learning segmentation models with generative frame interpolation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kaondal, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taassob, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jeon, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nunez, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akindipe, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joo, S. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oliveira, S. M. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arguello-Miranda, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.23.644838</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Generative frame interpolation enhances tracking of biological objects in time-lapse microscopy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.25.645238v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Co-occurrence drives horizontal gene transfer among marine prokaryotes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.25.645238v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding the drivers and consequences of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a key goal of microbial evolution research. Although co-occurring taxa have long been appreciated to undergo HGT more often, this association is confounded with other factors, most notably their phylogenetic relatedness. To disentangle these factors, we analyzed 15,339 marine prokaryotic genomes (mainly bacteria) and their distribution in the global ocean. We identified HGT events across these genomes and enrichments for functions previously shown to be prone to HGT. By mapping metagenomic reads from 1,862 ocean samples to these genomes, we also identified co-occurrence patterns and environmental associations. Although we observed an expected negative association between HGT rates and phylogenetic distance, we only detected an association between co-occurrence and phylogenetic distance for closely related taxa. This observation refines the previously reported trend to closely related taxa, rather than a consistent pattern across all taxonomic levels, at least here within marine environments. In addition, we identified a significant association between co-occurrence and HGT, which remains even after controlling for phylogenetic distance and measured environmental variables. In a subset of samples with extended environmental data, we identified higher HGT levels associated with particle-attached bacteria and associations of varying directions with specific environmental variables, such as chlorophyll a and photosynthetically available radiation. Overall, our findings demonstrate the significant influence of ecological associations in shaping marine bacterial evolution through HGT.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Douglas, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tromas, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaudin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lypaczewski, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bobay, L.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shapiro, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chaffron, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-03-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.25.645238</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Co-occurrence drives horizontal gene transfer among marine prokaryotes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-03-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.27.645572v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Designed Peptides as Affinity Ligands for Extracellular-Vesicle-based Cancer Biomarker Detection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.27.645572v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Assays for cancer diagnosis via the analysis of tumor biomarkers on circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) have shown great potential. Single EV imaging that can measure the abundance of protein biomarkers in EVs can help in detecting the presence, stage, and progression of disease. Antibodies are typically used to detect EV proteins. Controlling the quality of antibody-based immunoassays can, however, be challenging, as they may exhibit unintended cross-reactivity with non-target proteins or variability in binding affinity across different batches, even for monoclonal antibodies. Here, we report short peptides that are a promising alternative to antibodies for detecting protein biomarkers in EVs. We describe an effort that combines a Peptide Binding Design (PepBD) algorithm and molecular-level simulations to identify peptides that can recognize (1) the extracellular domain of EpCAM (a known cancer biomarker) and (2) the extracellular domain of tetraspanin CD81(a protein commonly expressed on the surface of EVs). The peptides designed for EpCAM and CD81 were labeled with a fluorescent dye and their binding to the target protein was evaluated using fluorescence ELISA. The results demonstrated that one of the computationally designed peptides EP-2.1 exhibited an affinity for the target EpCAM protein comparable to that of an antibody. Further testing involved single EV imaging to gauge the peptides affinity towards EVs. Designed peptides for both the target proteins showed similar affinity as antibodies to EVs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sarma, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cho, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tapdiya, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, C. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.27.645572</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Designed Peptides as Affinity Ligands for Extracellular-Vesicle-based Cancer Biomarker Detection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.31.646491v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Integrating affinity chromatography in the platform process for Adenovirus purification 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.31.646491v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adenoviral vectors (AdVs) are gaining prominence in cancer therapy and vaccine development, posing the need for a modern AdV manufacturing platform. Current AdV purification by ion-exchange chromatography indeed struggles to achieve the products yield and purity of processes that employ affinity technologies. Addressing these challenges, this study presents the first affinity-based process that delivers high product yield and clearance of host cell proteins and DNA (HCPs and hcDNA) in two chromatography steps. The affinity capture utilizes resins functionalized with peptide ligands that target AdV hexon proteins (AEFFIWNA and TNDGPDYSSPLTGSG), and provide high capacity (>5{middle dot}1010 vp per mL of resin) and yield under mild elution conditions ([~]50% at pH 8.0). Peptide-functionalized adsorbents prepared using different matrices (polymethylmethacrylate vs. agarose) were initially tested to compare the purification performance. AEFFIWNA-SulfoLink resin was selected for its yield of cell- transducing AdVs ([~]50%) and removal of HCPs and hcDNA (144-fold and 56-fold). Similarly, TNDGPDYSSPLTGSG-Toyopearl(R) resin afforded [~]50% yield and >50-fold reduction of con- taminants. Additional gains in product purity were achieved by optimizing the washing step, which removed free hexon proteins and additional HCPs. All peptide-functionalized resins maintained their purification performance for ten cycles upon regeneration at pH [~]2.0. The purification process was assembled to include clarification, affinity capture in bind-and-elute mode using AEFFIWNA-SulfoLink resin, and polishing in flow-through mode using mixed- mode resins. The optimized process provided a yield [~]50% of cell-infecting units (IFU) and a product titer [~]107 IFU/mL, along with residual HCP and hcDNA levels ([~]10 ng/mL and 44 ng per dose, respectively) that meet clinical requirements.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wu, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barbieri, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Minzoni, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kilgore, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniele, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Menegatti, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.03.31.646491</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Integrating affinity chromatography in the platform process for Adenovirus purification]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.02.646880v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Real-Time Quantitative PCR Method for Assessing Wheat Cultivars for Resistance to Zymoseptoria tritici 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.02.646880v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Septoria tritici blotch, caused by Zymoseptoria tritici (formerly Mycosphaerella graminicola), is an economically significant disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum) worldwide. However, there is little understanding of the fungus growth dynamics during the 14- to 18-day latent period between penetration and symptom expression, making it challenging to develop wheat cultivars resistant to Z. tritici Furthermore, environmental factors and variations in disease-scoring systems among evaluators add to the complexity. To address these issues and quantify the fungus growth during the initial stages of infection, we developed a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) method to monitor the T. aestivum - Z. tritici pathosystem. The assay used specific primers designed from {beta}-tubulin gene sequences of Z. tritici to quantify fungal DNA in susceptible and resistant wheat cultivars and segregating recombinant-inbred lines (RILs) that were inoculated at seedling and adult-plant stages with low or high concentrations of inoculum. The real-time PCR method was compared with visual disease assessment for 0 to 27 days after inoculation (DAI). The results showed that fungal DNA increased more quickly in two susceptible cultivars than in resistant cultivars with the Stb4 or Stb8 genes for resistance. In the susceptible cultivars, the amount of fungal DNA remained low until symptoms became visible at around 18 DAI. Disease severity and fungal DNA in the two resistant cultivars were less than in either susceptible cultivar, starting at 12 DAI. The differences in fungal DNA between resistant and susceptible cultivars were more significant in adult plant tests that used a higher concentration of inoculum. The data analyses showed that the fungus was not eliminated during resistant interactions but could persist throughout the 27 days. Our results suggest that the real-time PCR method can distinguish between resistant and susceptible cultivars starting at 12 DAI and can be used to evaluate early-stage breeding materials for both quantitative and qualitative resistance to Z. tritici.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adhikari, T. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balaji, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goodwin, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.02.646880</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Real-Time Quantitative PCR Method for Assessing Wheat Cultivars for Resistance to Zymoseptoria tritici]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.09.647996v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Trophic Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in a Periphyton-Mayfly-Zebrafish Food Chain 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.09.647996v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous contaminants in freshwater ecosystems. Many PFAS are incorporated into food webs, with potential effects on ecological and human health. However, PFAS incorporation into the base of aquatic food webs remains poorly understood. The goal of this study was to quantify the uptake and trophic transfer of both legacy and current use PFAS compounds using a simulated freshwater food chain in a lab setting. Natural periphytic biofilms were placed into trays containing equimolar binary aqueous PFAS mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations for five days. Following the initial exposure period, newly hatched mayfly larvae were introduced into each tray to feed on periphyton for most of their larval development. The mature larvae were then fed to zebrafish. All water and biota samples contained detectable levels of the tested PFAS. All PFAS were more concentrated in periphyton than in water, and four of six PFAS were further concentrated in mayfly larvae relative to periphyton. PFDA was the most accumulative in all biota. PFAS concentrations in zebrafish were significantly correlated with those in larval mayflies. Assimilation efficiencies in zebrafish were high (>70%) for all compounds. Bioaccumulation of PFAS in periphyton and mayflies was positively correlated with log KOW and number of carbons.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Farrell, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buchwalter, D. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weed, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Enders, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Planchart, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.09.647996</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Trophic Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in a Periphyton-Mayfly-Zebrafish Food Chain]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.14.648838v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
American black bear (Ursus americanus) as a potential host for Campylobacter jejuni 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.14.648838v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Gram-negative bacterium Campylobacter jejuni is part of the commensal gut microbiota of numerous animal species and a leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in humans. Most complete genomes of C. jejuni are from strains isolated from human clinical, poultry, and ruminant samples. Here, we characterized and compared the genomes of C. jejuni that were isolated from American black bears in three states in the southeastern United States. Despite the limited sample size (n=9), the isolates displayed substantial genotypic variability, including eight distinct sequence types (STs) and variable gene content encoding surface glycan structures such as capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and lipooligosaccharides (LOS). Phylogenetic analysis identified several C. jejuni host generalist strains among the isolates from bears that clustered with isolates from domestic poultry, cattle, and environmental sources. Three isolates (SKBC94, SKBC3, SKBC5) clustered with wildlife-associated strains, exhibiting mutations or deletions in loci associated with cytolethal distending toxin production and oxidative stress resistance, potentially influencing host-specific colonization. Additionally, strains SKBC3 and SKBC5 harbored distinct Entner-Doudoroff (E-D) loci, suggesting a potential evolutionary fitness advantage. This study provides the first evidence of C. jejuni colonization in American black bears, highlighting their potential role as reservoirs for diverse C. jejuni lineages from both anthropogenic and environmental sources. Further research is needed to determine the prevalence and host specificity of C. jejuni strains in black bears and their potential implications for public and wildlife health.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Parker, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kathariou, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, W. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huynh, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pascoe, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cooper, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.14.648838</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[American black bear (Ursus americanus) as a potential host for Campylobacter jejuni]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.20.649709v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Feedforward Extraction of Behaviorally Significant Information by Neocortical Columns 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.20.649709v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Neurons throughout the neocortex exhibit selective sensitivity to particular features of sensory input patterns. According to the prevailing views, cortical strategy is to choose features that exhibit predictable relationship to their spatial and/or temporal context. Such contextually predictable features likely make explicit the causal factors operating in the environment and thus they are likely to have perceptual/behavioral utility. The known details of functional architecture of cortical columns suggest that cortical extraction of such features is a modular nonlinear operation, in which the input layer, layer 4, performs initial nonlinear input transform generating proto-features, followed by their linear integration into output features by the basal dendrites of pyramidal cells in the upper layers. Tuning of pyramidal cells to contextually predictable features is guided by the contextual inputs their apical dendrites receive from other cortical columns via long-range horizontal or feedback connections. Our implementation of this strategy in a model of prototypical V1 cortical column, trained on natural images, reveals the presence of a limited number of contextually predictable orthogonal basis features in the image patterns appearing in the columns receptive field. Upper-layer cells generate an overcomplete Hadamard-like representation of these basis features: i.e., each cell carries information about all basis features, but with each basis feature contributing either positively or negatively in the pattern unique to that cell. In tuning selectively to contextually predictable features, upper layers perform selective filtering of the information they receive from layer 4, emphasizing information about orderly aspects of the sensed environment and downplaying local, likely to be insignificant or distracting, information. Altogether, the upper-layer output preserves fine discrimination capabilities while acquiring novel higher-order categorization abilities to cluster together input patterns that are different but, in some way, environmentally related. We find that to be fully effective, our feature tuning operation requires collective participation of cells across 7 minicolumns, together making up a functionally defined 150m diameter "mesocolumn." Similarly to real V1 cortex, 80% of model upper-layer cells acquire complex-cell receptive field properties while 20% acquire simple-cell properties. Overall, the design of the model and its emergent properties are fully consistent with the known properties of cortical organization. Thus, in conclusion, our feature-extracting circuit might capture the core operation performed by cortical columns in their feedforward extraction of perceptually and behaviorally significant information.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Favorov, O. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kursun, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.20.649709</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Feedforward Extraction of Behaviorally Significant Information by Neocortical Columns]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.21.649824v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Early-Life Environmental Exposures Reprogram Epigenomic Aging to Alter Gene Expression Trajectories 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.21.649824v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
To understand how early-life environmental exposures shape health and disease risk across the lifecourse, the TaRGET II Consortium exposed mice to diverse toxicants from pre-conception through weaning, and followed individual animals into adulthood, generating over 800 epigenomic and transcriptomic profiles. These profiles revealed that early-life exposures induced persistent epigenomic reprogramming and significantly disrupted the adult transcriptome. Notably, despite their diverse mechanisms of action, the exposure signatures of the xenoestrogen BPA, obesogen TBT, dioxin TCDD, and air pollutant PM2.5, were all largely comprised of genes normally differentially expressed during liver aging. Epigenetic histone modifications at enhancers--and, to a lesser extent, promoters--emerged as key targets for this reprogramming. Despite differing mechanisms of action, these four toxicants imparted similar "fingerprints" on the adult liver, characterized by direction-and cell type-specific polarization of the transcriptome. Hepatocyte genes that typically increase with age, particularly those in metabolic pathways, were downregulated, while conversely, non-parenchymal cell genes that typically decrease with age, such as those involved in extracellular matrix production, were upregulated. A similar signature of anti-correlation with programmed aging aging was also found in the transcriptome of patients with liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and was effective at distinguishing healthy from diseased human livers. These findings demonstrate that the plasticity of epigenomic aging is vulnerable to early-life environmental exposures, which can reprogram the epigenome with lasting impacts on the transcriptome, and disease risk, later in life.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grimm, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jangid, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartolomei, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dolinoy, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mutlu, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Biswal, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>TaRGET II Consortium,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coarfa, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walker, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.21.649824</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Early-Life Environmental Exposures Reprogram Epigenomic Aging to Alter Gene Expression Trajectories]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.23.650177v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
SARS-CoV-2 causes chronic lung inflammation and impaired respiratory capacity in aged Roborovski dwarf hamsters 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.23.650177v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Roborovski dwarf hamsters are permissive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and progress to acute viral pneumonia with profound lung tissue injury, recapitulating hallmarks of severe COVID-19 in vulnerable patient groups such as older adults. In this study, we established dwarf hamster whole body plethysmography and assessed disease severity and propensity for long-term compromise of lung recovery from severe COVID-19-like disease in young, adult, and aged animals. Aged dwarf hamsters infected intranasally with variant of concern (VOC) omicron BA.4 experienced more severe clinical signs, carried a higher lung virus load, and had a greater risk of succumbing to infection. Resting airway hypersensitivity was transiently increased in aged, but not young, dwarf hamsters 3-4 days post infection (dpi). Pharmacologically induced respiratory distress revealed compromised lung capacity in animals of both age groups at peak disease. Aged animals showed impaired respiratory function for 45 days, mounted a weaker antiviral response, and developed chronic pneumonia with lasting tissue damage. Treatment of acute disease with approved antivirals, paxlovid-like nirmatrelvir+ritonavir or molnupiravir, prevented long-term respiratory sequelae in aged animals. Nirmatrelvir+ritonavir fully suppressed transient respiratory distress and mediated complete survival of aged animals. This study shows a high positive correlation between host age and SARS-CoV-2 disease severity in dwarf hamsters, establishes a model for chronic pneumonia with impaired respiratory capacity in at-risk hosts, and demonstrates benefit of antiviral therapy of acute disease for long-term respiratory health.

Author SummaryIn the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of chronic respiratory insufficiency after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection was positively linked to patient age. Roborovski dwarf hamsters recapitulate hallmarks of life-threatening COVID-19 in at-risk patients that present with acute respiratory failure and prolonged respiratory incapacitation. In this study, we monitored disease progression and lung function in young and aged dwarf hamsters infected with a VOC omicron isolate and assessed the effect of antiviral treatment on long-term lung function. We established a strong correlation between host age and SARS-CoV-2 disease severity in dwarf hamsters, identified a high propensity of aged animals to develop chronic lung inflammation, and demonstrated a long-term loss of respiratory capacity in the subset of aged animals that survived the acute infection. Antiviral treatment suppressed the development of late sequelae and preserved lung function. These results have important implications for effective SARS-CoV-2 management in aged hosts at high risk of developing severe viral pneumonia with long-term impaired lung function.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Karimi, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lieber, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakamoto, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Plemper, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.23.650177</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[SARS-CoV-2 causes chronic lung inflammation and impaired respiratory capacity in aged Roborovski dwarf hamsters]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.18.649493v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Identifiability of Phylogenetic Level-2 Networks under the Jukes-Cantor Model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.18.649493v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWWe investigate which evolutionary histories can potentially be reconstructed from sufficiently long DNA sequences by studying the identifiability of phylogenetic networks from sequence data generated under site independent models of molecular evolution. While previous work in the field has established the identifiability of phylogenetic trees and level-1 networks, networks with non-overlapping reticulation cycles, less is known about more complex network structures. In this work, we extend identifiability results to network classes that include pairs of tangled reticulations.

Our main result shows that binary semi-directed level-2 phylogenetic networks are generically identifiable under the Jukes-Cantor model, provided they are triangle-free and strongly tree-child. We also strengthen existing identifiability results for level-1 networks, showing that the number of reticulation nodes is generically identifiable under the Jukes-Cantor model.

In addition, we present more general identifiability results that do not restrict the network level at all and hold for the Jukes-Cantor as well as for the Kimura-2-Parameter model. Specifically, we demonstrate that any two binary semi-directed networks that display different sets of 4-leaf subtrees (quartets) are distinguishable. This has direct implications for the identifiability of a networks reticulated components (blobs). We show that the tree-of-blobs of a network, the global branching structure of the network, is identifiable, as well as the circular ordering of the subnetworks around each blob, for networks in which edges do not cross and taxa are on the outside.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Englander, A. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frohn, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gross, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holtgrefe, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van Iersel, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sullivant, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.18.649493</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Identifiability of Phylogenetic Level-2 Networks under the Jukes-Cantor Model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.19.649662v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TARRAGON: Therapeutic Target Applicability Ranking and Retrieval-Augmented Generation Over Networks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.19.649662v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The identification of therapeutic protein targets is fundamental to the success of drug development and repurposing. Traditional approaches for target selection require extensive preclinical evaluation for toxicity and efficacy, making the process time-intensive and resource-heavy. Computational tools that efficiently prioritize and validate novel targets are needed to streamline drug discovery workflows. To address this gap, we developed TARRAGON: Therapeutic Target Applicability Ranking and Retrieval-Augmented Generation Over Networks, a computational framework that integrates data mining and machine learning to identify, rank, and assess target-disease relationships to nominate new therapeutic targets. TARRAGON mines knowledge graphs to uncover meta-paths, or rules of graph traversal, linking potential therapeutic targets to diseases. It employs a classification model to rank target-disease hypotheses based on evidence patterns and utilizes a retrieval-augmented generation workflow to prompt a large language model for generating feasibility reports on prioritized targets. Using TARRAGON, we prioritized potential drug targets for non-muscle invasive urinary bladder cancer. Top-ranked candidates were validated using CRISPR gene effect and expression data from the Broad Institute DepMap portal. We further proposed chemical modulators for these targets to inform combination drug screening alongside approved bladder cancer therapeutics. TARRAGON introduces a novel, interpretable computational pipeline for therapeutic target discovery and pharmaceutical candidate nomination, offering the potential to accelerate drug development across diverse disease areas.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Beasley, J.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schatz, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ding, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeLuca, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abu Zaid, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tucker, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chirkova, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crona, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tropsha, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muratov, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.19.649662</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TARRAGON: Therapeutic Target Applicability Ranking and Retrieval-Augmented Generation Over Networks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.21.649439v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Wild raccoons are more innovative but not bolder than another ecological generalist, the Virginia opossum, on a pull-string task 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.21.649439v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Humans are altering natural environments at unprecedented rates. Ecological generalism is one of the strongest predictors of survival in light of these changes which, in animals, may be shaped by bold and innovative behaviours. Species with greater habitat generalism are proposed to behave more boldly (e.g., touching and ingesting novel food). Species with greater dietary generalism are proposed to behave more innovatively (e.g., novel problem-solving to access food). Support for both hypotheses exists but remains largely restricted to broad comparisons between generalists and specialists. Further comparative data are needed to understand the extent to which these behavioural patterns might shape more nuanced ecological variation between species, such as species with finer-scale niche differences. We compared bold and innovative behaviour in two wild sympatric generalists, the Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), using a pull-string task with strings and wires attached to vertical cups containing high-value food. Although both species are broadly classified as generalists, raccoons show relatively greater habitat and dietary flexibility than opossums. Because they live sympatrically, it offers a unique opportunity to test - at the same time and locations - whether these finer-scale niche differences are reflective of differences in their bold and innovative behaviour. We predicted that raccoons would display bolder behaviour (in terms of touching our novel task) and more innovative behaviour (in terms of solving it). We found that both species were equally likely to acknowledge and touch the task, but raccoons were more likely to display innovation to access the food. Raccoons propensity for using innovation to solve novel foraging challenges may contribute to their greater ecological flexibility compared to opossums. More broadly, our findings may help explain differences in how each species adapts to environmental changes.

HighlightsO_LIBold and innovative behaviour may help some species adapt to environmental changes
C_LIO_LIWe administered a novel pull-string task to wild raccoons and opossums
C_LIO_LIRaccoons displayed more innovative, not bolder, behaviour than opossums
C_LIO_LIBoth species are generalists, but raccoons are more flexible than opossums
C_LIO_LIDifferences in innovation may shape their finer-scale niche differences
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Adaway, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snider, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vinciguerra, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kupferman, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beasley, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morton, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.21.649439</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Wild raccoons are more innovative but not bolder than another ecological generalist, the Virginia opossum, on a pull-string task]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.22.650021v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single cell omics extends metabolic regulon via orthologous transcription factors from a pair of medicinal plant species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.22.650021v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Camptotheca acuminata Decne is a woody medicinal tree that produces over a hundred bioactive compounds, including camptothecin, which has been used as the starting material to semi-synthesize many leading anticancer drugs (Lorence and Nessler 2004). Camptothecin and its derivatives are potent inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase I and are widely used for the treatment of lung, cervical, ovarian, and colon cancers. Camptothecin biosynthesis in C. acuminata involves complex catalytic steps, most of which remain undeciphered. In this pathway, tryptamine and secologanic acid are coupled, leading to strictosidinic acid. The formation of strictosidinic acid is catalyzed by strictosidine/strictosidine acid syn-thase enzymes (STR) (Fig. 1A). While a biosynthetic route for the conversion of the indole ring to the quinoline ring has been proposed, most of the underlying biosynthetic genes have yet to be identified (Fig. 1A) (Sadre et al. 2016). In addition, the cell type specificity of this pathway also remains undescribed. Here, we generated a single cell multiome (RNA-seq and Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin by sequencing [ATAC-seq] from the same nuclei) to probe the cell type specificity of camptothecin biosyn-thetic genes.

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=149 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/650021v2_fig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
View larger version (38K):
org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@81dcf0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d03ae1org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c9b0a9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6d5238_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP  M_FIG O_FLOATNOFig. 1.C_FLOATNO Single cell multi-ome of Camptotheca acuminata leaf. (A) The proposed biosynthetic pathway for camptotheci . Solid arrows indicate previously characterized enzymatic steps. Dashed arrows indicate proposed enzymatic steps (see Table S7 for gene name abbreviations). (B) Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) of nuclei of the single nuclei RNA-seq dataset (n = 4,012), color coded by cell clusters. (C) Gene expression heatmap of MIA biosynthetic genes across cell clusters. Rows are expressed biosynthetic genes, which are ordered from upstream to downstream. Color scale shows the average scaled expression of each gene at each cell cluster. Cell clusters are sorted by cell types. Dot size indicates the percentage of cells where a given gene is detected. The predicted cell type for each cell cluster is annotated by the color strip below the x-axis. Box highlights expression of STR genes. (D) Heat map showing accessibility of cell type marker peaks across cell clusters. Each row is an ATAC-seq peak. Each column is a cell cluster. Color scale is maxed out at 90th percentile of normalized ATAC-seq signal. The predicted cell type for each cell cluster is annotated by the color strip below the x-axis, with the same color palette as (B). (E) Heatmap showing gene expression across cell clusters. Each row is a gene within 2-kb of a STR+ marker peak. Each column is a cell cluster. The predicted cell type for each cell cluster is annotated by the color strip below the x-axis, with the same color palette as (B). (F) DNA motif enriched in STR+ marker peaks, as well as a reference MYB motif.

C_FIG
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bui, V.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wood, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vaillancourt, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamilton, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carlton, L. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vu, A. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buell, C. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Caputi, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dang, T.-T. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.22.650021</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single cell omics extends metabolic regulon via orthologous transcription factors from a pair of medicinal plant species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.26.650803v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Optimizing canine T cell activation, expansion, and transduction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.26.650803v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Dogs are becoming an important model for human cancers, and successfully troubleshooting issues with genetically modified T cell immunotherapy for round cell and solid neoplasms in dogs provides a unique opportunity to improve efficacy, safety, and affordability for humans as well. Unfortunately, T cell activation in dogs for optimal viral transduction has not been determined, restricting advancements in canine T cell immunotherapy. Two CD3 and two CD28 antibody clones for canine T cell stimulation have been described in the literature, but no studies have been undertaken to evaluate which CD3/CD28 combination is most effective, nor has anyone directly compared the efficacy of the two most popular antibody presentation strategies: antibody-coated plates and antibody-conjugated beads. In evaluating the effects of plate- or bead-bound CD3 stimulation alone versus CD3/CD28 in combination, we tested 12 possible antibody stimulation strategies in addition to evaluating two largely unexplored mitogens in canine T cell transduction, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) with ionomycin and concanavalin A (ConA). We investigated the impact of these stimulation strategies on canine T cell activation, expansion, and transduction. For stimulation strategies producing the best results, we also examined how each strategy affected the proportions of CD4/CD8 T cell subsets and regulatory T cell (Treg) prevalence. We determined that, in general, plate-bound antibodies were far superior to bead-bound antibodies for canine T cell stimulation, and that plate-bound CD3 clone CA17.6F9 in combination with CD28 clone 5B8 or the mitogen PMA with ionomycin produced better activation and expansion profiles, better transduction, and more desirable T cell subsets that are more likely to improve patient outcomes in dogs suffering from round cell and solid tumors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Davis, T. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holmes, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hess, P. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mariani, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brudno, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.26.650803</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Optimizing canine T cell activation, expansion, and transduction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.29.651225v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Passive muscle forces in Drosophila are large but insufficient to support a flys weight 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.29.651225v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Movement of a limb is shaped by active forces generated by muscle contraction but also by passive forces within individual muscles and joints. In small animals such as insects, the contribution of passive forces to limb movement can match the active forces. However, most measurements of passive forces are limited to the femur-tibia joint in large insects. Here we take advantage of genetic tools in Drosophila to measure passive torques at multiple joints in the flys leg. We genetically inactivate all the motor neurons to assess passive forces. We find that the passive torques are well approximated by a linear spring, i.e., the passive torques linearly increase with angular deviation from the rest angle. The torques are much larger than the gravitational torque due to the leg itself. We estimate that the passive torques are seventy times smaller than necessary to support the weight of the animal. We also inactivated all the motor neurons in a freely standing fly and found that, as predicted from the model, the fly falls when the motor neurons are inactivated. We found that the height at which a fly stands, and, therefore the active forces vary. The flys height affects the time to initiate a fall. The time it takes for the fall is consistent with the active forces decaying with a time constant of [~]100 ms. Thus, although passive forces are strong and will have a large effect on limb kinematics, they are not strong enough to support the weight of the fly.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Babski, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perdomo, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McMahan, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramakrishnan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Biswas, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhandawat, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-04-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.04.29.651225</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Passive muscle forces in Drosophila are large but insufficient to support a flys weight]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-04-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.01.651703v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Range-wide responses to an extreme heat event in Mimulus cardinalis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.01.651703v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
PremiseExtreme events are an understudied aspect of ongoing anthropogenic climate change that could play a disproportionate role in the threat that rapid environmental shifts pose to natural populations.

MethodsWe used a short-term heatwave treatment in controlled growth chamber environments to study evolutionary responses in Mimulus cardinalis populations to a recent repeated extreme heat event. Individuals from before (ancestors) and after (descendants) this extreme heat event were resurrected from seeds harvested from six populations across the range of M. cardinalis, and their physiological, performance, and functional responses (stomatal conductance, leaf temperature difference, photosystem II efficiency, relative growth rate, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content) to the heatwave treatment were assessed.

Key ResultsOur results allow for two main conclusions: 1) plants responded favorably to the heatwave treatment in terms of their overall performance and the magnitude of response was generally greatest among trailing-edge populations, and 2) despite some evidence of divergent evolutionary responses among regions to the recent natural extreme heat event, we did not find adaptive evolution that affected how M. cardinalis populations responded to the heatwave treatment.

ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that many M. cardinalis populations may be residing in natural environments that are below their optimum average temperature, indicating that M. cardinalis populations could exhibit resiliency to future warming. However, limited evolutionary responses in M. cardinalis to the recent extreme heatwave could still indicate that there is potential for future vulnerability to extreme climate events of increased intensity, frequency, and duration in the future.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Albano, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bingham, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Correa, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laufenberg, C. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Payst, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muir, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.01.651703</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Range-wide responses to an extreme heat event in Mimulus cardinalis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.05.650505v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Unraveling Cross-Cellular Communication in Cannabis sativa Sex Determination: A Network Ontology Transcript Annotation (Nota) Analysis. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.05.650505v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cannabis sativa L. (marijuana, hemp, cannabis) is an angiosperm species currently evolving sex chromosomes. Genetic mechanisms, primarily an XY chromosome system, dictate cannabis sex expression in dioecious populations. However, sexual expression is also governed by the interplay of hormone regulatory gene networks, influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Within the species, some populations exhibit dioecy, monoecy, or a gradient of both. Dioecious individuals produce exclusively male or female flowers, while monoecious plants bear both male and female flowers. Remarkably, through interruption of phytohormone signal transduction via abiotic stressors, genetically male or female cannabis are able to produce flowers of the opposite sex. Previous transcriptomic analysis have identified genes associated with masculinization through the application of phytohormone signal disruption using silver thiosulfate treatment. We analyzed transcriptomic data from cannabis treated with colloidal silver to similarly induce masculinization. Using Nota (Network Ontology Transcript Annotation), a multilayer network analysis (random walk with restart) tool, we identified candidate genes involved in sex-determination. Nota and a companion program Jack facilitate multi-layer network analyses, enabling discovery and annotation of gene-trait associations. Our findings highlight Notas robust application to enrich the genetic architecture of complex traits, particularly in non-model systems like cannabis, and complex traits such as sex determination. Our analyses identified genes associated with cell wall morphogenesis and embryogenic tissue homeostasis, indicating that silver ion treatment perturbs phytohormone signal transduction through metal ion imbalance. In this reproductive strategy, cannabis is able to make use of its widely investigated sex-determining genetic architecture to navigate transient changes in co-expression and cross-cellular signaling driving embryogenic cell wall re-patterning.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Orozco, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weaver, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pauli, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grassa, C. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vergara, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baptista, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Emery, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castro, N. R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keegan, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kane, N. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.05.650505</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Unraveling Cross-Cellular Communication in Cannabis sativa Sex Determination: A Network Ontology Transcript Annotation (Nota) Analysis.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.07.652756v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Associations between floor material and E. coli contamination in rural Bangladeshi households 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.07.652756v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Soil floors are common in low-income countries and can harbor contamination from unsafely managed human and animal fecal waste. Soil/dust ingestion directly from floors or indirectly via hands, drinking water and food can significantly contribute to childrens ingestion of fecal organisms. We assessed if finished (e.g., concrete) floors are associated with lower E. coli contamination in the domestic environment in rural Bangladesh. We collected samples from 1864 households over 3.5 years, including stored drinking water, child and caregiver hand rinses, courtyard soil, food, and flies (n=24,118 samples), and enumerated E. coli using IDEXX Quanti-Tray/2000. Controlling for potential confounders (socio-demographics, water/sanitation status, animal ownership), households with finished floors had slightly lower log10-transformed E. coli counts ({Delta}log10= -0.10 (-0.20, 0.00)) and prevalence (prevalence ratio=0.90 (0.83, 0.98)) on child hands than households with soil floors; floor material was not associated with contamination levels in other sample types. Finished floors were associated with lower E. coli contamination of child hands, food and stored drinking water following periods of higher rainfall and temperature, and lower E. coli contamination of child hands in households with more domestic animals. Measures to control enteric infections in low-income countries should test flooring improvements to reduce exposure to fecal contamination.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tazin, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Islam, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pickering, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kwong, L. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mertens, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niven, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arnold, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hubbard, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alam, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Islam, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Unicomb, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luby, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Benjamin-Chung, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ercumen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.07.652756</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Associations between floor material and E. coli contamination in rural Bangladeshi households]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.08.652813v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rhs-toxin Abundance, Diversity, and Function in Four Genera of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Xanthomonas, Ralstonia, Pectobacterium, and Dickeya. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.08.652813v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Rearrangement hotspot (Rhs) toxins are polymorphic bacterial toxins that inhibit competitor microbes, playing a critical role in interbacterial competition. Each toxin comprises a conserved N-terminal region for translocation and a hypervariable C-terminal domain harboring toxic activity, with a cognate immunity gene positioned downstream to prevent self-killing. The ubiquity and variability of Rhs toxins across bacterial genera suggest they contribute significantly to microbial fitness and niche exclusion. However, their distribution, diversity, and functional roles remain poorly understood in plant-pathogenic bacteria. Here, we used a profile Hidden Markov Model to systematically mine genomes from four agriculturally important plant-pathogenic genera: Xanthomonas, Ralstonia, Pectobacterium, and Dickeya, identifying 604, 294, 255, and 113 Rhs homologs, respectively, across 343 genomes. N-terminal sequence classification revealed multiple distinct families, including lineage-specific groups exclusive to Xanthomonas and Ralstonia. Notably, these were linked to the type II secretion system, diverging from the canonical association with type VI secretion. C-terminal domain analyses via sequence similarity networks revealed both conserved and lineage-specific toxic variants. Xanthomonas strains encoded the most diverse repertoire, including predicted DNases, RNases, proteases, and deaminases. However, the functions of 69.6% of C-terminal domains remain uncharacterized. Contrary to our initial hypothesis that soilborne bacterial pathogens would encode more abundant and diverse Rhs toxins due to intense microbial competition in soil, foliar pathogens exhibited greater Rhs diversity. This suggests that aboveground plant environments may impose stronger selective pressures for Rhs toxin diversification. These findings highlight the unexplored potential of Rhs toxins in shaping microbial ecology and underscore the need for functional characterization to elucidate their roles in bacteria-microbiome interactions.

Author SummaryBacteria constantly interact and compete for resources with other microbial agents in plant-associated microbiomes. One way they can enhance their competitive fitness is by producing proteinaceous toxins that can harm or kill rival cells. One group of toxins used for intraspecies competition is the Rhs toxins, which have a unique structure and diversity of enzymatic actions encoded in their hypervariable protein tip. To better understand the diversity and abundance of Rhs toxins in plant pathogenic bacteria, a computational pipeline was developed and used to analyze publicly available genomes from four major bacterial plant pathogenic genera. Results confirm the ubiquity of Rhs toxins in bacterial genomes and show the lack of Rhs toxins in genomes from unique species. Furthermore, some Rhs toxin enzymatic functions were unique to a particular genus. The data presented here suggest that some Rhs toxins may be secreted through alternative pathways beyond the well-known Type VI secretion system. Together, this study on the abundance and diversity of Rhs toxins in plant pathogenic bacterial genera highlights the complexity and predicted functional diversity of Rhs toxins and provides fundamental knowledge to test hypotheses on the role Rhs toxins play in microbial ecology, community structure, and evolution in the context of plant disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gomez Cabrera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ameen, Y. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DAmico-Willman, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joglekar, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huguet-Tapia, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huerta Vazquez, A. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.08.652813</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rhs-toxin Abundance, Diversity, and Function in Four Genera of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Xanthomonas, Ralstonia, Pectobacterium, and Dickeya.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.08.652837v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Customized and rapid observational delimiting surveys for plant pests based on transect data and scouting 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.08.652837v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We have created a complete, standard methodology for designing customized observation-based delimiting surveys for localized incursions of non-endemic plant pests. We propose using transects customized for the species and situation to do the following: O_LICollect data for [~]120 detections
C_LIO_LIFit an exponential function to the histogram using an extreme values analysis peaks-over-threshold (EVA POT) technique
C_LIO_LICalculate a percentile-based boundary distance that accounts for two-dimensional (radial) spread
C_LIO_LIUse field scouting for verification
C_LI We call the approach "Delimitation via Transect Data and Scouting," or DTDS. In simulations we compared DTDS plans to published survey plans for the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB; Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky)), the fungus Phyllosticta citricarpa (Guigci), and the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (TBRFV; Tobamovirus). The EVA POT method avoided problems with highly skewed data, and ninety-ninth percentile boundary estimates from it that accounted for radial dispersal always contained the adventive populations. Based on sample sizes, time required, and success (containment) rates the DTDS surveys were efficient and effective. For ALB and TBRFV, DTDS surveys reduced sample sizes and durations by 77 percent or more. For P. citricarpa, the DTDS design greatly increased the sample area, but eliminated 6% (scenario 1) and 68% (scenario 2) failure rates in the original plan. The DTDS methodology synthesizes established techniques in a novel way, providing a standardized, clear, and often rapid process for designing customized, transect-based observation-based delimitation surveys that are both efficient and effective. The approach has clear management and financial benefits, and should facilitate quicker, improved decision making.

Key messagesO_LIDTDS is a customizable delimitation survey design method based on transect sampling and scouting
C_LIO_LITransects designed to produce [~]120 positives facilitate efficient sampling of incursion areas
C_LIO_LIBoundaries can be accurately determined with uncertainty using extreme values analysis of the distance data
C_LIO_LICase studies demonstrated that using DTDS always contained incursions and often greatly reduced survey effort
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Caton, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pallipparambil, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.08.652837</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Customized and rapid observational delimiting surveys for plant pests based on transect data and scouting]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.08.652919v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Seasonal assembly of the phyllosphere fungal microbiome of a perennial grass is robust to nutrient addition 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.08.652919v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The leaf microbiome plays an important role in plant health and defense. Despite its importance, how the assembly of the leaf microbial community is modified by environmental conditions such as nutrient availability remains relatively uninvestigated. Soil nutrient availability may shift the outcome of microbial interactions within a host individual or influence the pool of microbes across the plant community. We hypothesized that leaf microbial diversity would increase across the season as leaves collect additional taxa, and that this seasonal assembly would be sensitive to nutrient addition. To assess this, we tracked the assembly of the fungal phyllosphere microbiome of the grass tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) in old-field vegetation over the growing season and experimentally tested whether the seasonality of the microbiome was modified by experimental addition of soil nutrients. Fungal diversity (Shannon diversity index, richness, and evenness) increased early in the season, with most metrics saturating before the end of the season. Community composition as measured by Bray-Curtis dissimilarity also shifted over the early and mid-growing season. Phylogeny-based machine-learning identified fungal lineages that were abundant in different seasons, linking seasonal community shifts to their evolutionary context. Nutrient addition was less important than time of season, but still significantly altered community composition and interacted with time to influence richness, with lowest richness in the low nutrient addition plots early in the season. The clear seasonality of the microbiome provides support for a dynamic phyllosphere microbiome, suggesting further studies manipulating fungal recruitment over the season. Furthermore, it highlights the robustness of seasonal assembly to variation in nutrient availability.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Green, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mitchell, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carbone, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.08.652919</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Seasonal assembly of the phyllosphere fungal microbiome of a perennial grass is robust to nutrient addition]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.652260v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Spring ephemeral Erythronium umbilicatum may not be vulnerable to phenological mismatch with overstory trees 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.652260v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
PremiseThe defining life history strategy of spring ephemeral wildflowers is their avoidance of shading by trees during the brief, high-light period before canopy leaf-out. Studies suggest that spring ephemerals will experience increased light competition because canopy leaf-out is more sensitive to warming than is the phenology of spring ephemerals. However, it remains unclear how longer durations of shade will alter the population dynamics of spring ephemerals and whether all populations are at risk.

MethodsWe experimentally shaded Erythronium umbilicatum for one to six additional weeks prior to canopy leaf-out to test for immediate and lagged effects of early shading on the timing of senescence and the probability of survival and flowering. To predict the potential for earlier shading, we combined long-term time series of spring air temperature, remotely-sensed tree leaf-out, and E. umbilicatum flowering phenology in North Carolina, USA.

Key resultsEarly shading did not alter E. umbilicatum until the following year, when more-shaded plants senesced later. We found no change in year-to-year survival, and a reduction in the probability of flowering only when plants experienced extremely early shading. Moreover, E. umbilicatum phenology was more sensitive than tree leaf-out to warming temperatures. Under climate warming, we project that E. umbilicatum is unlikely to experience shortened periods of high light.

ConclusionsOur findings show that a plant species defining life history strategy does not necessarily predict their sensitivity to phenological mismatches. This complicates, but also underscores the importance of identifying the most vulnerable species and directing our research efforts accordingly.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schopler, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simha, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dalton, R. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilson, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Redick, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Youngsteadt, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petry, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.14.652260</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Spring ephemeral Erythronium umbilicatum may not be vulnerable to phenological mismatch with overstory trees]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.15.654287v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Arabidopsis lines with modified ascorbate concentrations reveal a link between ascorbate and auxin biosynthesis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.15.654287v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ascorbate is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in plants, and it is an essential molecule for normal plant development. It is present in all green plants, with very different concentrations in different plant species. While ascorbate accumulation is a trait of nutritional, and therefore, agronomical interest, the impact of different concentrations over cellular homeostasis remains elusive. In order to shed light over this question, we leveraged Arabidopsis lines with very low ascorbate (vtc2 mutant with 20% of WT ascorbate levels), and low ascorbate concentration (vtc4 mutant with 65% of WT levels), and we generated a line that accumulates 165% of WT levels (vtc2/OE-VTC2). An 80% reduction of ascorbate increased the expression of genes implicated in defense against pathogens, but repressed genes associated with abiotic stress responses. Unexpectedly, lines with increased (165% of WT) and decreased (65% of WT) ascorbate levels shared 85% of induced transcription factors and the GO terms associated with their transcriptional programs. Among the group of genes whose expression is positively correlated with ascorbate content, we identified TAA1/WEI8, a gene encoding a tryptophan aminotransferase that catalyzes the first step of auxin biosynthesis. Using a combination of genetic and pharmacological approaches in fluorescent and histochemical reporter lines for auxin biosynthesis and signaling activity, we revealed that TAA1- and TAA1-RELATED2 (TAR2)-mediated auxin biosynthesis is necessary for plants to cope with increased ascorbate concentration in a light-dependent manner, revealing a new layer of complexity in the regulatory landscape of redox homeostasis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fenech, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zulian, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moya-Cuevas, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arnaud, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morilla, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smirnoff, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Botella, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stepanova, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin-Pizarro, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amorim-Silva, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.15.654287</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Arabidopsis lines with modified ascorbate concentrations reveal a link between ascorbate and auxin biosynthesis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.15.654320v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Benchmarking Spectral Library and Database Search Approaches for Metaproteomics Using a Ground-Truth Microbiome Dataset 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.15.654320v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mass spectrometry-based metaproteomics, the identification and quantification of thousands of proteins expressed by complex microbial communities, has become pivotal for unraveling functional interactions within microbiomes. However, metaproteomics data analysis encounters many challenges, including the search of tandem mass spectra against a protein sequence database using proteomics database search algorithms. We used a ground-truth dataset to assess a spectral library searching method against established database searching approaches. Mass spectrometry data collected by data-dependent acquisition (DDA-MS) was analyzed using database searching approaches (MaxQuant and FragPipe), as well as using Scribe with Prosit predicted spectral libraries. We used FASTA databases that included protein sequences from microbial species present in the ground-truth dataset along with background protein sequences, to estimate error rates and assess the effects on detection, peptide-spectral match quality, and quantification. Using the Scribe search engine resulted in more proteins detected at a 1% false discovery rate (FDR) compared to MaxQuant or FragPipe, while FragPipe detected more peptides verified by PepQuery. Scribe was able to detect more low-abundance proteins in the microbiome dataset and was more accurate in quantifying the microbial community composition. This research provides insights and guidance for metaproteomics researchers aiming to optimize results in their analysis of DDA-MS data.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rajczewski, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mehta, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gabriel, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Do, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vintila, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wilhelm, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Searle, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffin, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagtap, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.15.654320</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Benchmarking Spectral Library and Database Search Approaches for Metaproteomics Using a Ground-Truth Microbiome Dataset]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.22.655580v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Brachial Plexus Birth Injury Causes Location-Dependent Detriments in Glenohumeral Trabecular Bone Microstructure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.22.655580v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) is caused during a difficult childbirth when the head and neck are excessively stretched, and the brachial plexus nerve bundle is damaged. Injury causes lifelong arm impairment in 30-40% of those affected, but the extent to which bone microstructure is affected and how that relates to bone morphology alterations is unclear. Additionally, how injury location impacts trabecular bone, and the role limb disuse plays in these differential effects are unknown. Using two rat models of BPBI (postganglionic and preganglionic) and a disuse model (disarticulation), trabecular bone microstructure and glenohumeral morphology were characterized in the proximal humerus and distal scapula. For bone microstructure, the regions closest to the joint articulating surface incurred the greatest detriments with the least robust trabecular bone. These trabecular bone deficits in the humeral epiphysis and scapular neck were greater following preganglionic injury than postganglionic injury. The effects in the disarticulation group tended to align more with those in the postganglionic group, and greater detriments were observed in the scapula than in the humerus. Bone morphology metrics were explained mainly by quantity and architecture of trabecular bone but were not explained by the same metrics across all groups. Combining results with changes in bone morphology, data suggest differential effects with injury location and the effects of limb disuse to be most prominent in the postganglionic injury group and the distal scapula. In addition, the differences in results between postganglionic and preganglionic and macrostructural and microstructural deformity, suggest different drivers for postganglionic and preganglionic injuries and different factors causing macrostructural and microstructural alterations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fawcett, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dixit, N. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saul, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.22.655580</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Brachial Plexus Birth Injury Causes Location-Dependent Detriments in Glenohumeral Trabecular Bone Microstructure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.22.655603v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Bone Mineralization and Metabolism are Altered in a Rat Model of Brachial Plexus Birth Injury 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.22.655603v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) is a common nerve injury incurred during a difficult childbirth when the brachial plexus nerve bundle is excessively stretched, resulting in functional arm impairment in 30-40% of those affected. Injury can present in two different locations, modeled in rats as postganglionic and preganglionic neurectomies. Osseous deformities are present following both injury types. However, the underlying factors behind these deformities are not fully understood. While past studies have explored muscle structure and altered mechanical joint loading as factors, bone metabolism, muscle composition, and muscle-bone crosstalk have not been fully explored. Using postganglionic and preganglionic BPBI rat models and a disuse model, bone metabolism, muscle composition, and muscle-bone crosstalk were explored. Dynamic histomorphometry and similar methods were used to characterize humeral growth and humeral growth plate activity to understand bone metabolism, muscle fibrosis was analyzed to assess muscle composition, and FGF-2 quantification was performed to assess muscle-bone crosstalk. Postganglionic injury portrayed more changes in the humeral diaphyseal region than preganglionic and displayed reduced bone metabolism on the endosteal surface while preganglionic displayed reduced bone metabolism on the periosteal surface. However, only preganglionic showed significantly lower growth plate activity. In regards to fibrosis, both injury types showed fibrosis in the biceps but only preganglionic showed fibrosis in the subscapularis. The limb disuse model did not show fibrosis. Additionally, preganglionic had an increased production of FGF-2 signaling more so in the subscapularis. Overall, deformities from postganglionic injury may be from bone formation and bone resorption while deformities from preganglionic injury are likely from an overall reduction in bone growth that is not solely from limb disuse. The fibrosis and FGF-2 signaling alterations seen are not likely to be the direct cause of osseous deformity and the drivers behind the alterations are likely different between postganglionic and preganglionic injuries.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fawcett, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Potts, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dixit, N. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saul, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.22.655603</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Bone Mineralization and Metabolism are Altered in a Rat Model of Brachial Plexus Birth Injury]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.23.655144v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
EBSn, a robust synthetic reporter for monitoring ethylene responses in plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.23.655144v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Ethylene is a gaseous plant hormone that controls a wide array of physiologically relevant processes, including plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress, and induces ripening in climacteric fruits. To monitor ethylene in plants, analytical methods, phenotypic assays, gene expression analysis, and transcriptional or translational reporters are typically employed. In the model plant Arabidopsis, two ethylene-sensitive synthetic transcriptional reporters have been described, 5xEBS:GUS and 10x2EBS-S10:GUS. These reporters harbor a different type, arrangement, and number of homotypic cis-elements in their promoters and thus may recruit the ethylene master regulator EIN3 in the context of alternative transcriptional complexes. Accordingly, the patterns of GUS activity in these transgenic lines differ and neither of them encompasses all plant tissues even in the presence of saturating levels of exogenous ethylene. Herein, we set out to develop and test a more sensitive version of the ethylene-inducible promoter that we refer to as EBSnew (abbreviated as EBSn). EBSn leverages a tandem of ten non-identical, natural copies of a novel, dual, everted, 11bp-long EIN3-binding site, 2EBS(-1). We show that in Arabidopsis, EBSn outperforms its predecessors in terms of its ethylene sensitivity, having the capacity to monitor endogenous levels of ethylene and displaying more ubiquitous expression in response to the exogenous hormone. We demonstrate that the EBSn promoter is also functional in tomato, opening new avenues to manipulating ethylene-regulated processes, such as ripening and senescence, in crops.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fernandez-Moreno, J.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fenech, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yaschenko, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neubauer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, H. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marchi, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Concannon, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keren-Keiserman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reuveni, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levitsky, V. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oshchepkov, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dolgikh, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Goldshmidt, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ascencio-Ibanez, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zemlyanskaya, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stepanova, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.23.655144</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[EBSn, a robust synthetic reporter for monitoring ethylene responses in plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.26.655839v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Start Small: A Model for Tissue-wide Planar Cell Polarity without Morphogens 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.26.655839v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Planar cell polarity (PCP) is an important patterning mechanism in both vertebrates and invertebrates by which cells coherently polarize along the apical surface of the epithelium. This patterning mechanism acts upstream of many developmental processes, such as oriented growth, division, cell movements and orientation of body hairs. While various models have been proposed to explain PCP patterning, all rely on persistent global cues/gradients to obtain global orientation of large tissues. However, recent experimental work has shown that this process can happen independently of such global cues, challenging the current paradigm. In this work, we developed a new model for PCP using the Cellular Potts modelling framework to investigate the conditions under which global tissue orientation can be achieved without a tissue spanning morphogen. We found that a combination of a local boundary signal, a small initial tissue size and uniform proliferation can effectively establish long-range polarity without the need for global cues. We also investigated the impact of cell division planes and growth rates on final patterning. Finally, we compared the cell-autonomous and cell non-autonomous versions of our PCP model, as found in flies and mice, and found that the latter offers more robust patterning outcomes in the absence of gradients.

Author summaryCells must coordinate the spatial organization of certain proteins inside them to produce aligned structures like body hairs and cilia across large distances in various organisms. This polarity of cells is also important to provide directionality for several key events during animal development. It was widely assumed that a graded signal acting across the tissue provides the global cue for the cells to attain this long-range alignment. However, the identity and existence of this global cue have recently been challenged by new experimental findings. In this work we developed a new computational model showing how coherent tissue polarity can emerge from simple, local rules in the absence of a global tissue-spanning signal. Our model proposes a mechanism where local signals polarize a small initial group of cells, and their subsequent proliferation extend this initial alignment across large scales. We extensively tested our model under different conditions and show that this proposed mechanism provides a reliable recipe for the generation of large-scale tissue polarity without the need for global signals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thayambath, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-05-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.05.26.655839</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Start Small: A Model for Tissue-wide Planar Cell Polarity without Morphogens]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-05-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.02.657423v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Differential metaproteomics of bacteria grown in vitro and in planta reveals functions used during growth on maize roots 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.02.657423v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microbes are ubiquitous in the rhizosphere and play crucial roles in plant health, yet the metabolisms and physiologies of individual species in planta remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined microbial gene expression in response to the maize root environment for seven bacterial species originally isolated from maize roots. We grew each species individually, both in vitro in a minimal medium and in planta, and used differential metaproteomics to identify functions upregulated specifically when bacteria are grown on maize roots. We identified between 1,500 and 2,100 proteins from each species, with approximately 30-70% of these proteins being differentially abundant between the two conditions. While we found that transporter proteins were upregulated in all species in planta, all other differentially abundant functions varied greatly between species, suggesting niche specialization in root-associated microbes. Indeed, in vitro assays confirmed that Curtobacterium pusillum likely degrades plant hemicellulose, Enterobacter ludwigii may benefit the plant by phosphate solubilization, and Herbaspirillum robiniae colonizes maize roots more effectively when both of its Type VI Secretion Systems are functional. Together, our findings highlight both conserved and species-specific bacterial strategies for growth in the root environment and lay a foundation for future work investigating the mechanisms underlying plant-microbiota interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Garrell, A.-K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheadle, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crook, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pal, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Septer, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beck, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.02.657423</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Differential metaproteomics of bacteria grown in vitro and in planta reveals functions used during growth on maize roots]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.01.657287v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Neuromuscular system of Chironomus vitellinus (Diptera: Chironomidae) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.01.657287v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Chironomids are important laboratory model organisms used to assess toxicity in freshwater environments. Cell and tissue features are not commonly used as chironomid markers to detect toxicity, but they could be extremely helpful in identifying acute and chronic effects of pollutants. The nervous system is an excellent cellular candidate since it is reactive to toxic substances. However, a detailed description of the chironomid nervous system is required prior to considering it as a candidate for a cellular toxicity marker. The present study describes the central ganglia, nerves, axons, and the neuromuscular system of Chironomus vitellinus (Freeman, 1961) to facilitate its use as a model organism in environmental studies. We find that the structure of the C. vitellinus central nervous system is identical to that observed in other Chironomus larvae. We then focused our study on the first abdominal segment and labeled the 31 hemi-segmental muscles according to a nomenclature based on their position and orientation. We also characterized their innervation and assigned the nerves a nomenclature based on their terminals location in the muscle tissue. Finally, we investigated the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) throughout this segment and defined four types of NMJs illustrating their great variability in size and shape. We selected a model NMJ, VEL 2, and quantified its mean bouton number and muscle size. Together with documenting a neurobiological system that could be informative to insects comparative biology, these results could help establish the Chironomus NMJ as an aquatic toxicity marker.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Reyes-Maldonado, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramirez, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marie, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.01.657287</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Neuromuscular system of Chironomus vitellinus (Diptera: Chironomidae)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.04.657704v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Microneedle-based precision payload delivery in plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.04.657704v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Traditional crop delivery methods, such as foliar spray and soil application, face significant limitations, including nutrient loss, environmental impacts, and low delivery efficiency. Recent advances in nanomaterials have offered novel molecular delivery platforms, but challenges such as synthesis complexity, long-term stability, and compliance with rigorous biosafety regulations persist. To provide a simpler, lower-cost, and safer alternative, we developed a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based microneedle (MN) delivery system that can be precisely applied to various plant tissues (e.g., stem, lateral branch, or petiole), which demonstrates high delivery efficiency compared to the conventional methods (3.5x higher tissue accumulation) while reducing application dose (>90% less). This MN system facilitates the delivery of diverse small molecules, ranging from fluorescent dyes, growth promoters, to antiviral hormones, into plant tissues, on the other hand showing limited wounding stress to the plant. By applying fluorescent dye-loaded MNs onto tomato stems, we demonstrated effective molecular diffusion through vascular tissues. Additionally, MNs loaded with gibberellic acid (GA3) enhanced stem and branch growth in tomatoes and restored the lateral flowering phenotype in Arabidopsis ft-10 mutants, with significant upregulation of GA receptor gene expression. Lastly, salicylic acid (SA) injections with MNs induced resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in Nicotiana benthamiana, comparable to conventional spray and infiltration-based approaches. This easily fabricated and cost-effective MN system offers a promising tool for precision agriculture, enhancing plant health and productivity while significantly reducing the use of agrochemicals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poonam, A. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Singh, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Whitfield, A. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.04.657704</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Microneedle-based precision payload delivery in plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.04.657974v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
In vivo investigation of STN1 downregulation in melanoma formation in adult mice following UV irradiation 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.04.657974v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genome instability is a major force driving tumorigenesis. The ssDNA-binding protein complex CTC1-STN1-TEN1 (CST) plays a pivotal role in maintaining genome stability by countering replication stress, modulating DNA damage repair, and maintaining telomere integrity. Despite its well-documented role in genome maintenance, the involvement of CST in skin cancer development has yet to be investigated. We recently found that CST localizes at stalled DNA replication sites after UV exposure and may suppress the unwanted repriming activity, suggesting a potential role of CST in suppressing genome instability caused by UV damage. In this study, we first analyzed CST expression and alterations in cutaneous melanoma database and found that the CST genes are frequently altered in cutaneous melanoma and their expression is significantly downregulated in melanoma samples compared to normal tissues. We then generated a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model with STN1 deficiency specifically in melanocytes to investigate its role in skin cancer formation. Upon chronic exposure to UV irradiation, STN1-deficient mice exhibit no obvious difference in melanoma incidence compared to control littermates, suggesting that STN1 downregulation in mature melanocytes has no significant effect on UV-induced skin cancer development in lab mice.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Knowles, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bosland, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaddameedhi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chai, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.04.657974</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[In vivo investigation of STN1 downregulation in melanoma formation in adult mice following UV irradiation]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.10.658978v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of Ambient Temperature During Pregnancy on Newborn Birthweight 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.10.658978v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study evaluates the association between ambient temperature exposure during pregnancy and newborn birthweight, using a penalized generalized additive model (GAM) framework with distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) to identify sensitive windows of exposure. The analysis includes 238 participants from the SHIP study with complete temperature exposure and birthweight data. Weekly maximum temperatures during pregnancy were estimated using Daymet data, and the impact of temperature on birthweight was assessed, adjusting for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational age, race, smoking, diabetes status, and infant biological sex. The model incorporated a crossbasis function for temperature exposure across 42 gestational weeks and allowed penalization for smoother, data-driven lag estimation. Results from the combined-sex model indicated that higher ambient temperatures during the third trimester, particularly in the final weeks of pregnancy, were associated with increased birthweight. Stratified analyses suggested that this association was more pronounced in male infants. These findings highlight the importance of considering prenatal temperature exposures and timing when evaluating determinants of newborn health.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nargund, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marchesoni, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bareja, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>W. Sosnowski, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hoyo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>K. Murphy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.10.658978</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of Ambient Temperature During Pregnancy on Newborn Birthweight]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.13.659586v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Topologically-based parameter inference for agent-based model selection from spatiotemporal cellular data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.13.659586v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Advances in spatiotemporal single-cell imaging have enabled detailed observations of cell population dynamics and intercellular interactions. However, translating these rich data sets into mechanistic insight remains a significant challenge. Agent-based models (ABMs) are a bottom-up computational framework for investigating the emergent behavior of cell populations that can arise from rules defining the interactions between individual neighboring cells, while topological data analysis (TDA) provides robust descriptors of spatial organization. We present TOPAZ (TOpologically-based Parameter inference for Agent-based model optimiZation), a computational pipeline that integrates TDA with approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), approximate approximate Bayesian computation (AABC), and Bayesian model selection to identify biologically plausible ABMs from spatiotemporal cellular data. TOPAZ uses persistent homology to quantify spatial features of cell trajectories and combines this topological information with parameter inference via ABC and AABC and model comparison using the Bayesian information criterion. We validate TOPAZ using simulations of collective fibroblast movement, demonstrating its ability to accurately recover model parameters and distinguish between a baseline ABM and an extended model that incorporates alignment interactions. Our results and open-source code demonstrate the utility of TOPAZ as a extensible framework for mechanistic inference and model discrimination in spatial single-cell analysis.

Author summaryUnderstanding how individual cells coordinate to produce complex collective behaviors is a major challenge in computational biology, especially with the increasing availability of high-resolution, spatiotemporal single-cell data. While agent-based models (ABMs) offer a flexible framework for simulating cell behaviors and interactions, they are often difficult to calibrate and compare. Topological data analysis (TDA), on the other hand, captures spatial organization in a robust and scale-invariant way but lacks mechanistic interpretability. In this work, we present TOPAZ (TOpologically-based Parameter inference for Agent-based model optimiZation), a novel computational pipeline that integrates TDA with approximate Bayesian computation, approximate approximate Bayesian computation, and Bayesian model selection to infer biologically meaningful parameters and identify the most plausible ABM from spatiotemporal cellular data. We benchmark TOPAZ using synthetic data from ABMs of collective cell movement in dense fibroblast populations. Our results show that TOPAZ can distinguish between competing mechanistic hypotheses, namely the presence or absence of alignment interactions among neighboring cells. This approach provides a powerful and extensible framework for model inference and selection with the potential to enable deeper insights into the mechanisms driving complex emergent behaviors in cell populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wenzel, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haughey, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nguyen, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nardini, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haugh, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flores, K. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.13.659586</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Topologically-based parameter inference for agent-based model selection from spatiotemporal cellular data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.12.659219v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Connectivity and Contraction in Cytoskeletal Networks 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.12.659219v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The cytoskeleton"s ability to contract and propagate forces is the fundamental mechanism behind cell morphology, division and migration. This can only occur if the network is sufficiently connected, yet a rigorous description of the connectivity requirements has never been provided. In this work we focused on the polarity-sorting contraction mechanism and showed that connectivity is not determined by the spatial distribution of filaments alone, but by the interconnectivity between the dual network of filaments and motors. We developed a method to quantify filament-motor connectivity as a function of motor length, filament length distributions, and the densities of each component. Using this framework, we derived a general theory that predicts when a network is sufficiently connected to allow global or local contraction. We validated our predictions with computer simulations and introduced a novel metric to distinguish between these outcomes. Our findings show that the conditions for local and global contraction in the presence of fiber dynamics correspond, respectively, to the pulsatile and steady-state contraction behaviors observed in vivo. All results are independent of filament rigidity, making our conclusions applicable to both actin and microtubule networks. Lastly, we discuss how those outcomes are affected by the introduction of crosslinking proteins, which - despite not actively generating forces of their own - can promote global contractility at small concentrations even in networks made of short and/or rigid filaments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Norman, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leske, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belmonte, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.12.659219</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Connectivity and Contraction in Cytoskeletal Networks]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.12.659237v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Non-Thermal Plasma Activated Water is an Effective Nitrogen Fertilizer Alternative for Arabidopsis thaliana 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.12.659237v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Nitrogen (N) fixation with non-thermal plasmas has been proposed as a sustainable alternative to meet growing N fertilizer demands for agriculture. This technology generates Plasma Activated Water (PAW) with a range of chemical compositions, including different concentrations of nitrate (NO-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), among other compounds. Potential use of PAW as an effective crop fertilizer necessitates a robust understanding of the underlying biology of the plant, which is not yet available. The lack of a unified standard in PAW production and the varying chemical make-up that results from different devices and protocols hampers comparative studies and adoption of this technology. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of two PAW solutions with differing concentrations of H2O2 produced from a Radio Frequency (RF) glow discharge plasma source. The effect of these solutions on plant growth, ROS accumulation, gene expression and heat stress response were compared to N-equivalent controls in the model plant Arabidopsis to assess their potential as an alternative N fertilizer. While PAW solutions lacking detectable H2O2 enhanced seedling growth, those containing approximately 0.3 {micro}M of H2O2 did not. ROS accumulation in root tissues was similar between PAW and chemically equivalent solutions, suggesting H2O2 is the primary ROS present in the PAW at the time of treatment. Gene expression studies showed induction of genes involved in N uptake and assimilation in PAW-treated seedlings. Pre- treatment of seedlings with PAW solutions containing H2O2 improved root growth under heat stress which indicates that this treatment may induce plant stress response pathways. Finally, mature plants showed similar growth when fertilized with PAW lacking H2O2 or NO3- control regimes for over 5 weeks indicating equivalency in chemical composition, plant nutrient uptake and utilization. Overall, these results demonstrate that PAW is an effective alternative to NO3- fertilizers for plant cultivation but the levels of H2O2 need to be carefully controlled.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kizer, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robinson, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lucas, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shannon, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hernandez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stapelmann, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas-Pierce, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.12.659237</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Non-Thermal Plasma Activated Water is an Effective Nitrogen Fertilizer Alternative for Arabidopsis thaliana]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.15.659809v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Attomolar Detection of HIV-1 with Label-Free RCA-rCRISPR on Smartphone 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.15.659809v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV) remains a major global public health challenge, having led to over 42.3 million deaths since its discovery in the early 1980s. Despite progress in prevention and treatment, around 60% of people with HIV (PWH) remain undiagnosed in resource-limited regions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations and underserved communities across the world. This illustrates the critical need for accessible, accurate, and equipment-free diagnostic tools to enhance detection and thus provide opportunities to curb its spread. Here, we developed a low-cost, robust, and label-free rolling circle amplification (RCA)-rCRISPR diagnostic platform for detecting HIV viral load with minimal instrumentation. Our strategy, combining the integration of RNA-detecting RCA reaction with plasmid reporter-based ratiometric CRISPR (rCRISPR), enables sensitive detection of unprocessed RNA targets without the need for intensive sample pre-treatment. This label-free RCA-rCRISPR diagnostic platform detected HIV RNA down to single-digit aM sensitivity (~3000 copies/mL) from PWH-derived HIV samples ex vivo. Unlike typical RCA, which requires sample fragmentations to break long RNA target sequences, our design harnesses the triple functions of the phi29 DNA polymerase (namely exonuclease activity, polymerization, and strand displacement), enabling the detection of the entire HIV genome without pre-fragmentation. For point-of-care (POC) applications, we constructed an all-in-one smartphone-based minigel electrophoresis device to facilitate equipment-free HIV viral load testing, making it accessible to resource-limited communities. Additionally, the assay has demonstrated the ability for point mutation detection (BRAF mutation in canine urothelial carcinoma), showcasing the robustness of our strategy for broad disease diagnostic applications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mohammad, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Steksova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Velayati, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dey Poonam, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jamalzadegan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Breen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.15.659809</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Attomolar Detection of HIV-1 with Label-Free RCA-rCRISPR on Smartphone]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.16.659841v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Study of changes in brain dynamics during sleep cycles in dogs under effect of trazodone 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.16.659841v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sleep is a fundamental biological process essential for cognitive function, memory consolidation, and overall health in both humans and animals. Dogs, in particular, share many physiological and neurological similarities with humans, making them a valuable model for sleep research. Similar to humans, dogs can experience sleep disorders that disrupt sleep cycles and impair cognitive function. While serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs), like trazodone, have been shown to alleviate these conditions in dogs, their underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of trazodone on brain dynamics in healthy dogs using electroencephalographic (EEG) analysis. We compared treated subjects with a control group by characterizing EEG activity across wakefulness, drowsiness, Non-REM (NREM), and REM sleep states. Hypnogram analysis was used to assess sleep architecture, including alterations in cycle patterns and time spent in each stage. Additionally, we examined linear and non-linear EEG dynamics using Power Spectral Density (PSD), Permutation Entropy (PE), and Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZC), as well as connectivity changes through Phase Lag Index (PLI) and coherence analysis. Our findings indicate that trazodone significantly alters sleep structure by modifying sleep cycles, reducing power in lower frequency bands across most sleep stages, and increasing power in frequencies above 13 Hz during Drowsiness and NREM. Furthermore, treated dogs exhibited increased signal entropy and complexity in lower frequency bands across all sleep stages, along with a reduction in brain connectivity in most stages and frequency bands. These results provide new insights into the short-term effects of trazodone on brain activity during sleep, with potential implications for its clinical use as a sleep aid in dogs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Catanzariti, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mondino, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torterolo, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aimar, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Olby, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mateos, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.16.659841</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Study of changes in brain dynamics during sleep cycles in dogs under effect of trazodone]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.18.660387v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cross-feeding interactions between Fusobacterium nucleatum and the glycan forager Segatella oris 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.18.660387v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a common member of the oral microbiota frequently associated with extra-oral infections and diverse polymicrobial environments, including chronic airway diseases and colorectal tumors. Yet, its interactions with co-colonizing microbiota remain poorly defined. Here, we investigate cross-feeding interspecies dynamics between F. nucleatum and Segatella oris, a glycan-foraging anaerobe enriched in airways and gastrointestinal tumors. Using broth cultures, cell-free supernatants, and co-culture on primary human airway epithelial cells, we identify bidirectional interactions that shape nutrient acquisition, biofilm formation, gene expression, and host responses. While mucin or S. oris supernatants modestly enhanced F. nucleatum growth, both conditions triggered transcriptional remodeling, including induction of the nan operon for sialic acid catabolism, suggesting reliance on glycan degradation by S. oris. Conversely, S. oris exhibited differential expression of multiple polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) when exposed to F. nucleatum or its metabolites. Biofilm formation by F. nucleatum was strongly inhibited by S. oris, indicative of antagonistic interactions. Dual and triple RNA-seq revealed that epithelial responses were predominately shaped by F. nucleatum, with enrichment of inflammatory and cancer-associated pathways; however, co-colonization with S. oris modulated the magnitude and specificity of host gene expression. These findings demonstrate that glycan-mediated cross-feeding and microbial interactions shape the physiology and pathogenic potential of F. nucleatum in mucosal environments. This work underscores the importance of modeling polymicrobial communities under host-relevant conditions to better understand pathobiont behavior at the epithelial interface.

ImportanceFusobacterium nucleatum is increasingly recognized as a pathobiont in mucosal diseases, including colorectal cancers and chronic airway infections, yet its functional interactions with co-colonizing microbiota remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that F. nucleatum engages in bidirectional interactions with Segatella oris, a glycan-foraging anaerobe also enriched in mucin-rich environments. Through nutrient cross-feeding, antagonism, and transcriptional modulation, these interactions shape bacterial behavior and the host epithelial response. Notably, glycan degradation by S. oris enables F. nucleatum access to sialic acids, while F. nucleatum suppresses expression of multiple polysaccharide utilization loci in S. oris, revealing a reciprocal ecological influence. Co-colonization of the airway epithelial surface also modulates gene expression linked to inflammation and cancer. These findings advance our understanding of polymicrobial dynamics at mucosal interfaces and highlight the importance of incorporating microbe-microbe-host interactions into reductionist models of infection and disease.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fletcher, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunter, R. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.18.660387</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cross-feeding interactions between Fusobacterium nucleatum and the glycan forager Segatella oris]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.16.659612v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Impacts of sea level rise on an endemic butterfly and its freshwater wetland habitat in the Florida Keys 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.16.659612v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Coastal and island ecosystems are disproportionately vulnerable to sea level rise and other impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Using monitoring data collected between 2013 and 2024, we explore habitat shifts, population dynamics, and phenology of an endemic butterfly in the Florida Keys, Klots sawgrass skipper (Euphyes pilatka klotsi). Range-wide surveys of the butterfly and its associated habitat demonstrated that the butterflys sole host plant is decreasing in abundance at lower elevations, likely due to increased salinization. We also find declines in butterfly population size over an eleven-year period using distance sampling. Despite these declines, we find that Klots sawgrass skippers range has not contracted significantly over the study period.

This study demonstrates that monitoring a single taxon and its host is useful for understanding how sea level rise impacts a keystone plant species in freshwater wetlands which are vital for the continued survival of a suite of rare and endemic species found in the Florida Keys. Projections of near-future sea level rise indicate that most or all of this habitat will be lost within several decades; the continued study of low-lying islands is critical to gain insight into the global phenomenon of sea level rise.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cabrera, S. R. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sarabia, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Henry, E. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, C. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Daniels, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.16.659612</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Impacts of sea level rise on an endemic butterfly and its freshwater wetland habitat in the Florida Keys]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.23.661035v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An atlas of cell type specific regulatory effects in cattle 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.23.661035v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding the genetic and molecular architecture of complex traits and artificial selection is crucial for advancing sustainable precision breeding in cattle and other livestock. Yet, how genetic variation affects cellular gene expression remains elusive in cattle. Here, by integrating 8,866 bulk RNA-seq samples and 999,192 single cells of 81 cell types in 22 bovine tissues, we presented a comprehensive atlas of regulatory variants at the cell type resolution in cattle. By colocalizing with bulk-tissue expression quantitative trait loci (beQTL), we detected 57,043 novel cell-type stratified eQTL and cell-type/state interaction eQTL in 18,153 genes, which also exhibited a stronger tissue/cell-type specificity than beQTL. By examining genome-wide associations (GWAS) of 44 complex traits, these cell-resolved eQTL were colocalized with 505 (24%) additional GWAS loci compared to beQTL. Through integrating this resource with selection signatures between dairy and beef cattle, we provided tissue/cell-specific regulatory insights into cattle breeding. Overall, the current atlas of cell-type-specific regulatory variants will serve as an invaluable resource for cattle genomics and selective breeding.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shi, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.-N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, J.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>O'Grady, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacHugh, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lv, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, M.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akter, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhowmik, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baldwin VI, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maltecca, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gong, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xi, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teng, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>GUAN, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>An, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ren, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hou, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frantz, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Larson, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cai, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sahana, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-06-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.23.661035</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An atlas of cell type specific regulatory effects in cattle]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-06-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.30.662264v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Optimizing genomic sampling for demographic and epidemiological inference with Markov decision processes 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.30.662264v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Inferences from population genomic data provide valuable insights into the demographic history of a population. Likewise, in genomic epidemiology, pathogen genomic data provide key insights into epidemic dynamics and potential sources of transmission. Yet predicting what information will be gained from genomic data about variables of interest and how different sampling strategies will impact the quality of downstream inferences remains challenging. As a result, population genomics largely lacks theory to guide decisions on how best to sample individuals for genomic sequencing. By adopting a sequential decision making framework, we show how Markov decision processes (MDPs) can be applied to jointly model a populations dynamics along with the sampling process. Critically, these MDPs allow us to compute the expected long-term value of sampling in terms of information gained about estimated variables. This in turn allows us to very efficiently explore and identify optimal sampling strategies. To illustrate our framework, we develop MDPs for three common demographic and epidemiological inference problems: estimating population growth rates, minimizing the transmission distance between sampled individuals and estimating migration rates between subpopulations. In each case, the MDP allows us to identify optimal sampling strategies that maximize the information gained from genomic data while minimizing costs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rasmussen, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bursell, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burkhart, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.30.662264</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Optimizing genomic sampling for demographic and epidemiological inference with Markov decision processes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.30.662396v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Rapid spread of knockdown resistance allele frequencies in a suburban population of Aedes albopictus 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.30.662396v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Aedes albopictus is a major vector of arboviral diseases and is often targeted by pyrethroid-based mosquito control in residential areas. While knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations are well documented in Ae. aegypti, their emergence in Ae. albopictus has been less studied, particularly in suburban environments where insecticide application is often uncoordinated. Understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of resistance evolution in this context is critical for preserving the effectiveness of public health interventions. We conducted longitudinal sampling of Ae. albopictus populations in Wake County, North Carolina, from 2016 to 2024. Using a novel allele-specific PCR melt curve assay, we genotyped 2,273 mosquitoes at the F1534S locus in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene. Resistance allele frequencies were calculated annually and mapped across the county for three key years--2016, 2018, and 2023-- representing the pre-emergence, initial detection, and widespread phases of resistance development. Selection and dominance were estimated using the Wright-Fisher Approximate Bayesian Computation algorithm for locus F1534S. The F1534S resistance allele was first detected in 2018 at a central, affluent neighborhood. By 2023, the allele had spread throughout the sampling region, with the highest frequencies near the site of first detection. Resistance allele frequency peaked at 0.36 in 2023, accompanied by an increase in heterozygous and homozygous resistance genotypes. Temporally sampled sites showed consistent trends in rising resistance, with all temporally-sampled locations harboring resistance genotypes by 2022. The resistance allele was found to be under high selection pressure and partially recessive in this population.

Our findings reveal rapid emergence and spatial expansion of the F1534S kdr allele in Ae. albopictus populations in a suburban setting. The pattern of spread suggests strong local selection pressure, likely driven by residential pyrethroid use. These results highlight the need for proactive resistance monitoring and integrated management strategies that address private-sector contributions to insecticide selection pressure.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Baltzegar, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Butler, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beeson, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reed, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ding, J. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiskind, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiskind, M. O. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.06.30.662396</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Rapid spread of knockdown resistance allele frequencies in a suburban population of Aedes albopictus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.01.662680v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Socioeconomic predictors of knockdown resistance in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.01.662680v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Knockdown resistance (kdr) in the mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) jeopardizes the effectiveness of insecticidal control. This is a pressing issue given the expanding range of the species and its role as vector to harmful viruses. Effectively preventing the emergence of resistance or removing the conditions that positively select for kdr mutations requires us first to understand how these conditions arise. Here, we investigate the association between wealth and the frequency of kdr in Ae. albopictus populations in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. We hypothesized that kdr frequency correlates with wealth, measured by total property value. We speculate that wealthier neighborhoods apply chemical insecticides more frequently, leading to higher kdr frequencies. We tested this hypothesis by sampling mosquito populations from 31 different residential blocks across the city and along a property value gradient. We found a high frequency of 39.0% for mutations at locus F1534S of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (vgsc). Kdr mutations were found at 84% of the blocks we sampled. Our statistical analysis indicates strong evidence for an association between wealth and F1534S frequency. We discuss these and other findings, and what this means for suburban mosquito control going forward.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Butler, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ding, J. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baltzegar, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, Z. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burford Reiskind, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiskind, M. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.01.662680</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Socioeconomic predictors of knockdown resistance in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.12.664539v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Human Angelman Syndrome Class II Pluripotent Stem Cell line with Fluorescent Paternal UBE3A Reporter 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.12.664539v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
IntroductionAngelman Syndrome (AS) is characterized in large part by the loss of functional UBE3A protein in mature neurons. A majority of AS etiologies is linked to deletion of the maternal copy of the UBE3A gene and epigenetic silencing of the paternal copy. A common therapeutic strategy is to unsilence the intact paternal copy thereby restoring UBE3A levels. Identifying novel therapies has been aided by a UBE3A-YFP reporter mouse model. This study presents an analogous fluorescent UBE3A reporter system in human cells.

MethodsPreviously derived induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) with a Class II large deletion at the UBE3A locus are used in this study. mGL and eGFP are integrated downstream of the endogenous UBE3A using CRISPR/Cas9. These reporter iPSCs are differentiated into 2D and 3D neural cultures to monitor long-term neuronal maturation. Green fluorescence dynamics are analyzed by immunostaining and flow cytometry.

ResultsThe reporter is successfully integrated into the genome and reports paternal UBE3A expression. Fluorescence expression gradually reduces with UBE3A silencing in neurons as they mature. Expression patterns also reflect expected responses to molecules known to reactivate paternal UBE3A.

DiscussionThis human-cell-based model can be used to screen novel therapeutic candidates, facilitate tracking of UBE3A expression in time and space, and study human-specific responses. However, its ability to restore UBE3A function cannot be studied using this model. Further research in human cells is needed to engineer systems with functional UBE3A to fully capture the therapeutic capabilities of novel candidates.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kelkar, G. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stuppy, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sen, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yagci, Z. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Han, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Land, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hartman, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.12.664539</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Human Angelman Syndrome Class II Pluripotent Stem Cell line with Fluorescent Paternal UBE3A Reporter]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.09.663985v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A network perspective on the evolution of hybrid incompatibilities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.09.663985v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Theory predicts that hybrid incompatibilities accumulate faster than linearly with genetic divergence, a phenomenon known as the snowball effect. While this prediction is mathematically robust under simplifying assumptions, accumulating evidence suggests that the structure of gene interaction networks can alter both the rate and organization of incompatibility evolution. Here, we extend classic DMI models with a network approach, equating the assumptions of the Orr model with a complete graph of gene interactions. We simulate the evolution of hybrid incompatibilities under different gene interaction networks and evaluate the effects of network density, topology, and substitution model. We find that network density strongly governs the rate of DMI accumulation, particularly under models permitting multiple substitutions per locus, while network topology shapes the agglomeration of incompatibilities into large, connected clusters. Substitution rate heterogeneity, especially when anti-correlated with node degree, further suppresses both accumulation and clustering. These results highlight that while the snowball effect remains qualitatively valid, the structure and evolution of the incompatibility network exhibit nontrivial departures from previous expectations, with implications for observable quantities in empirical systems. Our findings underscore the importance of incorporating genomic architecture and network constraints into models of speciation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brud, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.09.663985</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A network perspective on the evolution of hybrid incompatibilities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.11.664370v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Single-cell transcriptomics reveal alveolar macrophages-specific responses in single-hit ozone exposure model in mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.11.664370v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Alveolar macrophages (AMs), a highly plastic immune cell population, are among the first responders to the inhaled ozone (O3) and ozonized products in the lung airspaces. However, the complete understanding of how AMs respond to O3, particularly to different concentrations, remains elusive. Accordingly, we exposed C57BL/6J male adult mice to filtered air (FA), 1 ppm O3, or 1.5 ppm O3 for 3 hours. As compared to FA-exposed mice, O3-exposed mice exhibited increased recruitment of alveolar macrophages and neutrophils in the lung airspaces, which was consistent with the elevated levels of macrophage- and neutrophil-specific chemokines, i.e., MIP-2, MCP-3, and MCP-5. Next, to profile AM transcriptome from O3-exposed mice and understand the relevance of these transcriptomic changes in relation to their population heterogeneity and functionality, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analyses on AM population identified significant changes in 1 ppm-exposed and 1.5 ppm O3-exposed mice. As compared to AMs from FA-exposed group, AMs from 1 ppm O3- and 1.5 ppm O3-exposed groups displayed enrichment of pathways including oxidative phosphorylation, EIF2 signaling, and non-canonical NF-kB signaling. Furthermore, AMs from 1 ppm O3-exposed mice showed enrichment of IL-10 signaling pathway. On the other hand, AMs from 1.5 ppm O3-exposed mice were uniquely enriched in DNA damage bypass and repair pathways. Interestingly, UMAP analyses on annotated AMs resulted in five distinct subclusters. DEGs and ingenuity pathways (IP) analyses on each subcluster revealed O3 concentration-dependent enrichment of pathways relevant to protein translation, cholesterol biosynthesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. Further analyses revealed that O3 exposure results in cluster-specific alterations to the expression of gene signatures associated with macrophage activation. Finally, AMs from 1.5 ppm O3-exposed mice displayed elevated expression of proliferation-associated gene signatures. Taken together, this study identifies O3 concentration-dependent alterations in AMs transcriptome and associated functional modulations at a single-cell resolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Vo, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Choudhary, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patial, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saini, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.11.664370</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Single-cell transcriptomics reveal alveolar macrophages-specific responses in single-hit ozone exposure model in mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.11.664491v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Replication Timing Uncovers a Two-Compartment Nuclear Architecture of Interphase Euchromatin in Maize 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.11.664491v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genome replication is temporally regulated during S phase, with specific genomic regions replicating at defined times in a process that is known as replication timing (RT). Based on 3D cytology in replicating nuclei, we previously proposed a "mini-domain chromatin fiber RT model" for maize euchromatin that suggested it is subdivided into early-S and middle-S compartments distinguished by chromatin condensation and RT. However, whether this compartmentalization reflects a general nuclear architecture that persists throughout the cell cycle was unclear. To test this model, we conducted two orthogonal assays - Hi-C for genome-wide interaction data and 3D FISH for direct visualization of chromatin organization. Hi-C eigenvalues and insulation scores revealed distinct patterns of early-S regions having negative insulation scores with long-range contacts while middle-S regions showed the opposite. Early-S regions correlated more strongly with epigenomic signatures of open, transcriptionally active chromatin than middle-S regions. 3D oligo FISH painting confirmed that early-S and middle-S regions occupy adjacent but largely non-overlapping nucleoplasmic spaces during all interphase stages, including G1. Our findings redefine the maize euchromatin "A" compartment as having two distinct, closely interspersed subcompartments, early-S and middle-S, underscoring the importance of replication timing (RT) as a defining feature of chromatin architecture and genome organization.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Akram, H. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wear, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mickelson-Young, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turpin, Z. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hanley-Bowdoin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thompson, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenzo, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bass, H. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.11.664491</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Replication Timing Uncovers a Two-Compartment Nuclear Architecture of Interphase Euchromatin in Maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.665186v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Way Through the Trees: Molecular Phylogenies Consistently Recover Two Clades of Aedes Mosquitoes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.665186v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phylogenetic analyses of molecular data have been critical in resolving deep and shallow relationships across the tree of life. Such analyses have provided clarity where traditional morphological analyses may not have, and have been instrumental in a range of evolutionary, systematic, and taxonomic studies for providing clarity to evolutionary relationships. One such case where evolutionary relationships are poorly understood is in the mosquito genus Aedes. Although this medically important genus of insects has received significant study, the majority of research has focused on those relatively few species that are invasive and transmit pathogens which cause disease. As a result, evolutionary relationships between Aedes mosquitoes are poorly understood, and the classification of the genus has been contentious, with numerous taxonomic changes over the last two decades being undertaken and reversed based entirely on analyses of somewhat limited morphological data. As a result, we conducted a literature review of molecular phylogenies and evaluated classificatory hypotheses under a framework based on observations of frequently occurring relationships among mosquito genera and subgenera. We found that molecular phylogenies consistently reflect two distinct clades of Aedes mosquitoes, each with other Aedini genera within them. We discuss these results in the context of ongoing debates over Aedes nomenclature. Our review demonstrates the ability for molecular phylogenies to aid in resolving long-standing debates on nomenclature.

HighlightsO_LIThe genus Aedes, in the tribe Aedini, contains many of the worlds most important disease vector mosquitoes, such as the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti.
C_LIO_LIThe phylogeny of the genus Aedes remains contentious, leading to repeated and often confusing changes in taxonomy and nomenclature.
C_LIO_LINo comprehensive molecular phylogenies of the genus Aedes have been published the, but Aedes species have been included in many phylogenetic analyses.
C_LIO_LIMolecular phylogenies demonstrate consistent results: There are two major clades of Aedes mosquitoes, neither of which are monophyletic.
C_LI

Graphical Abstract
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yeo, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morinaga, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiegmann, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soghigian, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.16.665186</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Way Through the Trees: Molecular Phylogenies Consistently Recover Two Clades of Aedes Mosquitoes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.21.665926v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Self-medicating behavior in bumble bees has cascading consequences for pollination and plant reproduction 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.21.665926v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The sublethal effects of parasites can profoundly influence host traits and propagate to other trophic levels via indirect effects. To date, research on such trait-mediated indirect effects of parasites has focused on non-adaptive changes to host behavior, but adaptive sickness behaviors, such as self-medication, could also indirectly affect community composition and even the evolution of  medicinal traits in lower trophic levels. Here, we used interactions among the parasite Crithidia bombi, the bumble bee host Bombus impatiens, and Monarda fistulosa, a bee-pollinated plant with multiple chemotypes (genetically determined chemical phenotypes), to experimentally test whether parasite infection influences pollinator foraging, pollination success, and female plant reproduction differentially for medicinal vs. non-medicinal chemotypes.

Compounds from three Monarda chemotypes reduced Crithidia infection intensity in bees (thymol, carvacrol, and 1,8-cineole; hereafter medicinal chemotypes), while two others did not ((R)-(-)-linalool and geraniol; hereafter non-medicinal chemotypes), compared to control sucrose solutions. We found evidence for self-medication in tent foraging choice assays: infected bees preferred medicinal chemotypes while uninfected bees foraged indiscriminately, leading to differences in pollen receipt. Crithidia infection had weak but compounding chemotype-specific effects on seed production, germination rate, and offspring chemotype, such that pollination by infected bees resulted in a 57% increase in the proportion of medicinal plants in the F1 generation compared to pollination by uninfected bees. Self-medicating behavior can have differential effects on the reproduction of medicinal vs. non-medicinal plants, suggesting that pollinator parasites may act as agents of selection on the phytochemistry of floral rewards.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTParasite infection can alter host behavior in multiple ways, including by inducing self-medication. Self-medication has been documented in diverse animal taxa, yet we know very little about the broader ecological or evolutionary consequences of this response to infection. Here, we demonstrate that bumble bees infected with a common parasite show a preference for plant genotypes whose nectar contains antiparasitic compounds, and that this results in differential pollination and reproductive success for medicinal vs. non-medicinal individuals of a chemically polymorphic plant species. Our findings highlight self-medication as a previously understudied mechanism by which parasite infection could initiate cascading effects across trophic levels, and suggest that parasites may indirectly influence the evolution of plant traits via pollinator self-medication behaviors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fitch, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Donzelli, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Irwin, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keefover-Ring, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adler, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.21.665926</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Self-medicating behavior in bumble bees has cascading consequences for pollination and plant reproduction]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.22.665995v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Precision Ultrasound-Localized Sonoporation-Equipment (PULSE) Enabling Intratumoral Delivery for Cancer Immunotherapy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.22.665995v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cancer immunotherapy offers a promising long-term treatment for solid tumors by activating the immune system, but side effects and systemic toxicity limit its broad clinical translation. While intratumoral delivery addresses these limitations, elevated stiffness within solid tumors continues to hinder both intracellular and extracellular delivery. Here, a novel therapeutic platform, the Precision Ultrasound-Localized Sonoporation-Equipment (PULSE), is presented to enable spatiotemporally controlled, ultrasound-mediated gene and drug delivery for intratumoral immunotherapy. The PULSE incorporates forward and sideward-looking miniaturized ultrasound transducers, integrated into either a 7-French catheter (cPULSE) or a 16-gauge needle (nPULSE), to minimally invasively sonicate a centimeter-sized tumor. Following the design, prototyping, and characterization of PULSE, its dual capability for intracellular and extracellular delivery is demonstrated through comprehensive in vitro cell-based sonoporation tests and phantom-based drug penetration tests. Luciferase assays (activity: ~104 RLU/g level) in the cell studies confirm significantly enhanced gene transfection with cPULSE, while increased dye diffusion (width: ~1 cm level) in the phantom tests validates improved perfusion with nPULSE. The reported PULSE shows promise for spatiotemporally precise, controlled, and localized therapeutic delivery in early-stage tumors for intratumoral immunotherapy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kreager, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moon, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wu, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crosby, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Osada, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyerly, H. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.22.665995</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Precision Ultrasound-Localized Sonoporation-Equipment (PULSE) Enabling Intratumoral Delivery for Cancer Immunotherapy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.24.665638v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inertial sensing of water content in tumor spheroids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.24.665638v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cellular water content governs the concentration of all biomolecules inside a cell, thereby influencing the physical and functional properties of the cell. However, measurements of water content in physiologically relevant cell culture models remain largely unavailable, particularly in 3D models such as tumor spheroids and organoids. Here, we achieve such measurements using a commercially available, industrial-grade, steel tube. The steel tube functions as a mechanical resonator that inertially senses the buoyant mass of particles. For microgram-scale particles [&ge;]400 {micro}m in diameter, we achieve <1% precision error in buoyant mass with a 5-minute acquisition interval. By sequentially measuring the buoyant mass of individual, glioblastoma patient-derived tumor spheroids in media of different densities and cell permeabilities, we determine the absolute and fractional (v/v) water content of the spheroids, along with their dry mass, volume, and density properties. We achieve ~0.4% precision error in fractional water content with a throughput of 3 spheroids per hour. This enables us to detect both inter-spheroid variability in fractional water content and acute responses to kinase inhibition. Overall, we establish a simple and accessible technique for quantifying water content in living 3D cell culture models, opening new avenues for studying biophysical regulation in multicellular systems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Katsikis, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yoon, J. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Usherwood, T. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Malinowski, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Son, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sutton, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ligon, K. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miettinen, T. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manalis, S. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.24.665638</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inertial sensing of water content in tumor spheroids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.28.666396v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multi-omic analyses identify molecular targets of Chd7 that mediate CHARGE syndrome model phenotypes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.28.666396v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
CHARGE syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects 1 in 10,000 births, and patients exhibit both physical and behavioral characteristics. De novo mutations in CHD7 (chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 7) cause 67% of CHARGE syndrome cases. CHD7 is a DNA-binding chromatin remodeler with thousands of predicted binding sites in the genome, making it challenging to define molecular pathways linking loss of CHD7 to CHARGE phenotypes. To address this problem, here we used a previously characterized zebrafish CHARGE model to generate transcriptomic and proteomic datasets from larval zebrafish head tissue at two developmental time points. By integrating these datasets with differential expression, pathway, and upstream regulator analyses, we identified multiple consistently dysregulated pathways and defined a set of candidate genes that link loss of chd7 with disease-related phenotypes. Finally, to functionally validate the roles of these genes, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockdown of capgb, nefla, or rdh5 phenocopies behavioral defects seen in chd7 mutants. Our data provide a resource for further investigation of molecular mediators of CHD7 and a template to reveal functionally relevant therapeutic targets to alleviate specific aspects of CHARGE syndrome.

Summary StatementWe have identified Chd7 target genes capgb, nefla, and rdh5 that mediate CHARGE model phenotypes from transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of chd7 wild type, heterozygous, and homozygous mutant zebrafish brain tissue at two developmental time points.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hancock, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruby, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bieler, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-29</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.28.666396</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multi-omic analyses identify molecular targets of Chd7 that mediate CHARGE syndrome model phenotypes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-29</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.27.667050v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Two decades of resurrection studies: What have we learned about contemporary evolution of plant species? 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.27.667050v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Global change has profoundly altered the eco-evolutionary trajectories of plant species. Longitudinal studies often document phenotypic shifts in response to climate change, such as earlier flowering in the spring, but it remains challenging to disentangle the contributions of phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution to shifted phenotypic distributions. The resurrection approach has emerged as a powerful method to study genetic and plastic responses to novel selection imposed by global change by contrasting ancestral and descendant lineages from the same population under common conditions. Here, we compiled a database of 52 resurrection studies to examine key hypotheses about plant evolutionary responses to global change using a meta-analysis (40 of the studies) and quantitative review (all 52 studies). We found evidence for rapid, contemporary evolution, which often appeared adaptive, in over half of the cases, including some of the fastest cases of evolution in natural populations ever observed. Annual plants evolved earlier reproduction, and leaf economic traits associated with stress escape strategies. We also found evolution of increased plasticity for annual plants in phenology and physiology traits, and a reduction of plasticity in traits related to the leaf economic spectrum. We found less evidence for evolution in perennial species. Overall, our findings demonstrate the key role of drought escape in plant responses to a warming world. However, the lack of evolution in other traits and species indicates that constraints may dampen evolutionary responses in some scenarios. Our review also suggests promising avenues of future research for resurrection studies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pennington, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheth, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Franks, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamann, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-07-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.27.667050</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Two decades of resurrection studies: What have we learned about contemporary evolution of plant species?]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-07-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.29.667417v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Does Human Transthyretin Aggregate in Blood Plasma or in Cardiac Tissue? A Mathematical Modeling Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.29.667417v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is a progressive disease characterized by the destabilization of TTR tetramers, leading to monomer dissociation, oligomer formation, and fibril deposition in cardiac tissue. This study presents a mathematical model that captures the kinetics of TTR aggregation and deposition, integrating clinically relevant parameters to distinguish between scenarios of TTR aggregation in blood plasma and cardiac tissue. The governing equations are derived by applying conservation principles to the number of TTR tetramers, monomers, and oligomers within defined control volumes, such as the blood plasma or heart. The model predicts that the scenario with fibril accumulation within cardiac tissue better reflects the clinical progression of wild-type TTR amyloidosis, aligning with observed patient survival times and measured tetramer concentrations. In this scenario, the model successfully recapitulates published physiological data, accurately predicting a total plasma TTR concentration of approximately 25 mg/dL. Sensitivity analyses reveal that the rate of tetramer dissociation and the half-deposition time of TTR oligomers are key regulators of disease progression. Lower tetramer dissociation rates, mimicking the stabilizing effect of tafamidis, reduce fibril accumulation and biological aging. Conversely, faster oligomer deposition into fibrils leads to reduced oligomer concentrations but accelerated tissue fibril accumulation. The model predicts that, after five years of disease progression, the volumetric ratio of deposited TTR fibrils to baseline myocardial volume may reach 58% in the tissue aggregation scenario, compared to 10% when aggregation occurs in plasma. These predictions are consistent with clinical observations that link higher amyloid burden to increased mortality. Overall, the findings support a pathogenic mechanism in which TTR aggregation predominantly occurs in cardiac tissue, highlighting potential therapeutic targets to modulate disease progression. A correlation is proposed for estimating biological age in humans, which incorporates both calendar age and the volumetric ratio of deposited TTR fibrils to baseline myocardial volume.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.29.667417</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Does Human Transthyretin Aggregate in Blood Plasma or in Cardiac Tissue? A Mathematical Modeling Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.28.667191v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comprehensive Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Insights into Environmental Toxicant Exposures: The TaRGET II Resource 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.28.667191v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Environmental exposures to toxic chemicals can profoundly alter the transcriptome and epigenome in both humans and animals, contributing to disease development across the lifespan. To elucidate how early-life exposure to toxicants exerts such persistent effects, the Toxicant Exposures and Responses by Genomic and Epigenomic Regulators of Transcription II (TaRGET II) Consortium generated a landmark resource comprising 2,564 epigenomes and 1,043 transcriptomes from longitudinal studies in mice. All data are publicly available through the TaRGET II data portal and the WashU Epigenome Browser. This resource from target (liver, brain, lung, heart) and surrogate (blood) tissues at weaning (3 weeks) and two adult time-points (5 and 10 months) characterized the molecular response to arsenic (As), lead (Pb), bisphenol-A (BPA), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate(DEHP), tributyltin (TBT), tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and particulate matter with a diameter of <2.5m (PM2.5). The findings revealed persistent, toxicant-specific, sex-dependent epigenomic and transcriptomic perturbations, resulting in disrupted expression of 14,908 genes, altered chromatin accessibility at 87,409 regulatory elements, DNA methylation changes at 113,186 genomic regions, and chromatin state switching of histone modifications. The resulting high-resolution map of how environmental exposures reprogram the epigenome and transcriptome is broadly accessible via ToxiTaRGET database, offering unparalleled opportunities for the scientific community to investigate the molecular underpinnings of environmental toxicant exposures and their contributions to disease pathogenesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miao, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Coarfa, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumar, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuntala, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Park, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Colacino, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Svobada, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shao, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xing, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hamanaka, R. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lalancette, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sartor, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Krapp, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crawford, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patisaul, H. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiltshire, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Biswal, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mutlu, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajagopalan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, W.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dolinoy, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bartolomei, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walker, C. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grimm, S. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ruiz-Echartea, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Katz, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jangid, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.07.28.667191</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comprehensive Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Insights into Environmental Toxicant Exposures: The TaRGET II Resource]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.01.668050v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomics of sable (Martes zibellina) x pine marten (Martes martes) hybridization 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.01.668050v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The sable (Martes zibellina) and pine marten (Martes martes) are two Palearctic mustelids with long-recognized hybrids (kidases), whose fertility was controversial for years. Early genetic studies confirmed hybrids beyond F1, but details remained unclear due to low-resolution methods. Both species were hunted for centuries, but anthropogenic pressures during the 20th-century caused severe bottlenecks in the sable followed by hunting bans and large-scale reintroduction programs across much of its range, including the sympatric zone, potentially affecting hybridization. We resequenced 30 individuals from most of the sables range and Eastern part of pine martens. Among samples, we found a broad spectrum of hybrid types with mosaic recombinant chromosomes that confirm hybrid fertility and indicate crossover is not suppressed in kidases. This necessitates re-evaluation of previous research, as we detected notable discrepancies between STR-based ancestry and whole-genome analysis. In pine martens, we revealed mitochondrial DNA introgression from sables, indicating displacement of native pine marten mitochondrial sequences. Pine marten heterozygosity is relatively low ([~]0.5-0.6 hetSNPs/kbp) while sable diversity ([~]1.5-1.8 hetSNPs/kbp) is unexpectedly high for a species with its demographic history, likely reflecting successful reintroduction programs. We dated species divergence at 1.52 (CI: 1.05-2.06) Mya and identified candidate genes associated with ecological, morphological, and dietary differences, as well as hybrid fertility issues. This study is the first to elucidate marten hybridization at the whole-genome level, opening new research directions for understanding hybridization among Holarctic martens, the genetic consequences of reintroduction programs, and comparative adaptomics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tomarovsky, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Totikov, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bulyonkova, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perelman, P. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abramov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Serdyukova, N. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yakupova, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Prokopov, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beklemisheva, V. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sinding, M.-H. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davletshina, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pobedintseva, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Krasheninnikova, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foerster, D. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mukhacheva, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mironova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sidorov, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nie, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romanenko, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Proskuryakova, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferguson-Smith, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cherkasov, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Balanovskaya, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gilbert, M. T. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okhlopkov, I. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhuk, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graphodatsky, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powell, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koepfli, K.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kliver, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.01.668050</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomics of sable (Martes zibellina) x pine marten (Martes martes) hybridization]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.01.668251v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Early-Life Poultry-Derived Lactobacilli Drive Microbial Succession and Gut Immune Modulation in Broiler Chickens 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.01.668251v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Probiotic supplementation supports poultry gut health by modulating microbiome and promoting immune development, yet limited information is known about the effects of early, particularly embryonic, supplementation. In this study, we investigated the effects of administering a lactobacilli cocktail in ovo (embryonic day 18), post-hatch, or both on gut immunity and the succession of the cecal microbiota in broilers over five weeks. 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing of cecal contents revealed a steady increase in Shannon diversity during the first three weeks (PERMANOVA, p < 0.005), with community structure stabilizing by week 3 across all groups. In ovo lactobacilli administration improved early hatch rates and modulated microbial composition during early succession, including reductions in Klebsiella and Enterococcus, and enrichment of Lactobacillus, during the first two weeks (MaAsLin2, q < 0.25). These microbiome shifts were accompanied by a reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-{gamma}, IL-1{beta}, and IL-8) in cecal tonsils. These findings highlight the transient yet critical role of early-life probiotic interventions in shaping gut microbial colonization and immune response in broiler chickens. More importantly, a single in ovo lactobacilli dose yielded effects comparable to weekly oral or combined administration.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Abdelaziz, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seekatz, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alizadeh, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hassan, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yitbarek, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pratt, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.01.668251</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Early-Life Poultry-Derived Lactobacilli Drive Microbial Succession and Gut Immune Modulation in Broiler Chickens]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.03.668226v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Oxytocin neurons in the anterior and posterior paraventricular nucleus have distinct behavioral functions and electrophysiological profiles 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.03.668226v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that can promote or inhibit affiliative social behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that these diverse effects are mediated by distinct oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons. An outstanding question is whether these behavioral effects are also driven by distinct or overlapping populations of oxytocin-producing neurons. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is a major source of oxytocin and sends projections to the mesolimbic dopamine system and extended amygdala. Previous work found that social defeat increased oxytocin neuron activity in the anterior PVN (aPVN) but not posterior PVN (pPVN). We reduced oxytocin synthesis with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides in either anterior or posterior PVN in California mice (Peromyscus californicus), a strong model system for studying effects of social stress on brain function and behavior. Antisense morpholinos in aPVN had no effect on behavior in unstressed females but increased social approach and reduced social vigilance in females exposed to social defeat stress. In pPVN, antisense morpholinos reduced social approach in unstressed male and female California mice. We then used OxtCre mice to compare electrophysiological profiles of oxytocin in aPVN and pPVN with a population of oxytocin neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Oxytocin neurons in aPVN and BNST had higher post-synaptic events and responded more strongly to current injections than oxytocin neurons in pPVN, though they had similar excitatory and inhibitory input balance at the observed resting membrane potential. These findings shed light onto functional and physiological heterogeneity of PVN oxytocin neurons. Our results suggest that context dependent effects of oxytocin are mediated by different populations of oxytocin neurons.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chrisman, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sugimoto, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Butler-Struben, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Minie, V. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anderson, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eagle, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duque-Wilckens, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramos, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lewis, Y. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Archdeacon, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robison, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Trainor, B. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-04</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.03.668226</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Oxytocin neurons in the anterior and posterior paraventricular nucleus have distinct behavioral functions and electrophysiological profiles]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-04</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.04.668483v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Two mutations in the same MYC-bHLH transcription factor cause segregation of purple coloration of stolons and seed heads in Zoysia japonica x Zoysia matrella F2 and F1 populations 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.04.668483v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anthocyanins play diverse roles in plants, including attracting pollinators and protecting cells from oxidative damage. In zoysiagrass, a warm season turfgrass, their accumulation in seed heads and stolons can decrease the aesthetic appeal. In this study, a high-density genetic map with [~]8000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers organized into 20 linkage groups was generated in a Zoysia japonica acc. Meyer x Zoysia matrella acc. PI 231146 F2 population. Using this genetic map, a large-effect quantitative trait locus (QTL) for anthocyanin variation in stolons and seed heads was mapped to chromosome 12 (PP locus). Variant analysis of a candidate gene for PP, Zjn_sc00004.1.g07010.1.sm.mk, which encodes a MYC-bHLH transcription factor that regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis, revealed a SNP at an exon-intron boundary in Meyer that led to intron retention. Interestingly, an F1 population derived from the same parents segregated for seed head color but uniformly displayed purple stolons. Seed head color in the F1 population co-mapped with the PP locus which, combined with genotypic and yeast two-hybrid analyses, revealed that a SNP in PI 231146 leading to an Ala163Ser substitution in the MYB-interacting N-terminal domain of the same MYC-bHLH transcription factor was likely causal. The Ala163Ser substitution affected interaction of MYC-bHLH with MYB in a MYB-dependent manner. The identified mutations can be exploited to develop cultivars with green seed heads and stolons. The high-marker-density interspecific Z. japonica x Z. matrella F2 genetic map also provides a robust tool for identifying genomic regions and genes of agronomic interest that differentiate the two species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pradhan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spiekerman, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bennetzen, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khanal, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milla-Lewis, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Conner, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schwartz, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Devos, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.04.668483</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Two mutations in the same MYC-bHLH transcription factor cause segregation of purple coloration of stolons and seed heads in Zoysia japonica x Zoysia matrella F2 and F1 populations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.04.668530v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mapping of genotype-by-environment interaction loci for Metabolic Syndrome-like traits using the multi-parent Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource determines that main genetic effects are distinct from environment dependent plastic loci 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.04.668530v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) risk, driven by genotype-environment interactions like diet, is rising globally. Due to its genetic and environmental complexity, the genetic architecture and interconnected traits underlying MetS is poorly understood. In Drosophila, genotype-by-diet interactions significantly influence MetS-like traits. This study used the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource to dissect the genetic architecture of both genotypic and genotype-by-diet interaction effects underlying trait variation. The study hypotheses were: 1) Loci responsible for metabolic phenotypic variation should be shared across traits. 2) Genetic loci responsible for plasticity and epistatic interactions for metabolic traits should also be the loci responsible for the main effects. 3) Genes responsible for variation in metabolic traits should share common functions. Using a round-robin crossing scheme and novel analyses, we mapped additive, dominance, and epistatic loci--some diet-specific, others diet-independent. Main-effect and plastic loci were largely distinct, as were epistatic loci from main-effect loci, highlighting that main genetic effects alone will not explain how genetic variants interact with the environment or the genome to influence disease risk. gene-by-diet or gene-by-gene interactions influencing MetS risk. Further, tremendous cryptic genetic variation for metabolic traits is lurking in natural populations. We explored the function of candidate genes from our study empirically and with bioinformatics. While some of the candidate genes might have been expected, most would not have been identified a priori, thus with this study we have identified many new candidate mechanisms contributing to the genetic and genotype-by-diet interaction effects on MetS variance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dew-Budd, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mathur, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Roy, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jarnigan, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moss, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bombin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oza, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rele, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Adams, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mendez, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bray, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Davis, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kieffer, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leonard, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hubickey, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paiva, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Izor, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nadella, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkins, L. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zeng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Motsinger-Reif, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reed, L. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-06</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.04.668530</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mapping of genotype-by-environment interaction loci for Metabolic Syndrome-like traits using the multi-parent Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource determines that main genetic effects are distinct from environment dependent plastic loci]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-06</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.07.669165v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
KeySDL: Sparse Dictionary Learning for Keystone Microbe Identification 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.07.669165v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Identification of microbes with large impacts on their microbial communities, known as keystone microbes, is a topic of long-standing interest in microbiome research. However, many approaches to identify keystone microbes are limited by the inherent nonlinearity and state-dependence of microbial dynamics. Machine learning approaches have been applied to address these shortcomings but often require more data than is available for a given microbial system. We propose a keystone identification approach called KeySDL which reduces the amount of data required by incorporating assumptions about the type of microbial dynamics present in the experimental system. The data are modeled as originating from a Generalized Lotka-Volterra (GLV) model, an architecture commonly used to simulate microbial systems. The parameters of this model are then estimated using Sparse Dictionary Learning (SDL) Compared to existing methods, this approach allows accurate prediction of keystone microbes from small numbers of samples and provides an output interpretable as reconstructed system dynamics. We also propose a self-consistency score to help evaluate whether the assumption of GLV dynamics is reasonable for a given dataset, either through the application of KeySDL or other analysis tools validated using GLV simulation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gordon, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akyol, T. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Amos, B. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Andersen, S. U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.07.669165</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[KeySDL: Sparse Dictionary Learning for Keystone Microbe Identification]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.13.670166v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Evaluation of Parallel Accumulation-Serial Fragmentation methods for metaproteomics using a model microbiome 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.13.670166v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mass spectrometry-based metaproteomics allows for the identification and quantification of thousands of proteins from clinical and environmental samples and is rapidly gaining importance in microbiome sciences. Metaproteomics researchers can measure taxonomic and functional abundances of microbiomes, shedding light on mechanistic details of microbiome interactions with their environment. However, metaproteomic analysis suffers from limited depth of coverage due to the presence of millions of peptides at lower abundance levels. Recent advances in data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry coupled with Parallel Accumulation-Serial Fragmentation (PASEF) technology offer improved depth of coverage. PASEF technology enables simultaneous accumulation of ions from multiple co-eluting peptides by combining ion mobility separation with dynamic quadrupole isolation, allowing efficient and selective fragmentation in a single scan. This boosts ion sampling efficiency and resolves overlapping signals with high sensitivity. In this study, we assessed proteome coverage, quantitative precision, and accuracy of Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and Data-independent acquisition (DIA) methods coupled with the PASEF method. For this, we used a ground-truth mock community containing 28 species (30 strains) from all three domains of life and bacteriophages with a 400-fold dynamic range of organism abundance. Our results showed that diaPASEF demonstrated superior performance, identifying 168% more peptide precursors, 155% more peptides, and 66% more protein groups compared to ddaPASEF. Quantitative measurements showed improved precision with diaPASEF, with 26 out of 28 organisms exhibiting coefficient of variation values below 20%, compared to 24 organisms with ddaPASEF. Both ddaPASEF and diaPASEF methods accurately quantified the 22 most abundant organisms, while measurements of low-abundance bacteriophages showed significant deviation from expected values. Our findings demonstrate that diaPASEF provides enhanced depth of coverage and quantitative reliability for metaproteomics analysis, particularly beneficial for clinical and environmental microbiome studies where deeper functional characterization is essential. This study provides valuable benchmark data to facilitate the development of advanced bioinformatic methods for quantitative metaproteomics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shrestha, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajczewski, A. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Do, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Willetts, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Griffin, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jagtap, P. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.13.670166</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Evaluation of Parallel Accumulation-Serial Fragmentation methods for metaproteomics using a model microbiome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.18.670784v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
VILMIR is a trans-acting long noncoding RNA that enhances the host interferon response in human epithelial cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.18.670784v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to play significant regulatory roles within antiviral and immune responses. We previously identified the novel lncRNA virus-inducible lncRNA modulator of interferon response (VILMIR), that was found to broadly regulate the host transcriptional response to interferon-beta (IFN-{beta}) treatment in A549 human lung epithelial cells. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which VILMIR regulates the host interferon response in trans by identifying interacting proteins and gene regulatory networks of VILMIR. Through an RNA pull-down assay, we found that VILMIR interacted with both nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins in vitro, including the transcriptional regulators FUBP1 and PUF60 in the nucleus, as well as the antiviral proteins IFIT1 and IFIT3 and the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases QARS1 and KARS1 in the cytoplasm. In addition, we found that overexpression of VILMIR in A549 cells resulted in an overall enhancement of host interferon response genes and identified a core set of interferon-stimulated genes that were consistently regulated by VILMIR knockdown and overexpression. Finally, we proposed several possible mechanisms by which VILMIR may interact with the identified proteins to regulate the interferon response, such as by interacting with FUBP1 and PUF60 in the nucleus to regulate host transcription in trans or by interacting with the IFIT proteins and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in the cytoplasm to regulate translation.

IMPORTANCEDespite thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) being differentially expressed after immune responses and viral infections, there is very limited knowledge on their individual functions in these contexts. We previously identified a novel lncRNA, VILMIR, that was found to be an interferon-stimulated gene that regulated the host transcriptional response to interferon-beta treatment in human epithelial cells. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which VILMIR regulates the interferon response in trans. Through in vitro studies, we identified several nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins that interact with VILMIR, including proteins involved in transcriptional and translational regulation. In addition, we demonstrated that the overexpression of VILMIR results in an enhancement of host interferon response genes, supporting our hypothesis that VILMIR plays an activating role in the host interferon response. Finally, we propose several potential models for the mechanism of VILMIR, providing a foundation for the investigation of VILMIR as a novel therapeutic target in antiviral immunity.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>John, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Istishin, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahmood, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diveley, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tollison, T. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carpenter, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peng, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-08-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.18.670784</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[VILMIR is a trans-acting long noncoding RNA that enhances the host interferon response in human epithelial cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-08-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.27.672726v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Integrated Genomic and Methylome Profiling Reveals Promoter Repression and Age-Linked CpGs in the California Mussel 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.27.672726v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
While most knowledge of animal DNA methylation comes from vertebrates, this epigenetic mark remains poorly understood in invertebrates, which comprise the majority of animal diversity. For instance, how promoter and gene body methylation contribute to gene regulation, and how methylation relates to aging, are still relatively unknown in most invertebrates. Focusing on the California mussel (Mytilus californianus), we paired whole-genome resequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing from the same individuals and evaluated relationships among promoter methylation, gene body methylation, gene expression, and age. Using seven individuals spanning a range of body sizes from the Santa Barbara Channel, California, we found standing genetic variation levels similar to related species and a relatively small effective population size. CpG methylation was enriched in gene bodies, and gene body methylation was positively associated with expression. Promoter methylation was less frequent but showed a strong negative association with expression and remained the best predictor of repression after accounting for gene body methylation, aligning with patterns widely documented in vertebrates and adding to the limited evidence in invertebrates that promoter methylation can be regulatory. We identified thousands of age-associated differentially methylated loci with directional changes across age classes, providing candidate sites for epigenetic clocks that could enable assessment of biological age, health, and stress resilience in wild and cultured populations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hiebert, L. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Soesbe, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cui, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi, S. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.27.672726</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Integrated Genomic and Methylome Profiling Reveals Promoter Repression and Age-Linked CpGs in the California Mussel]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.27.672727v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Ambient temperature, clutch size, and daylight are the main drivers of incubation behavior in two neotropical swallows breeding 8,000 km apart 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.27.672727v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The central dilemma in incubation behaviour is how to allocate time between warming up the clutch and self-preservation activities outside the nest. It is assumed that incubating birds follow a classical framework in which the environmental temperature, the main variable influencing incubation behaviour, and bout duration show a non-linear relationship. In this context, incubating birds would maximize bout duration for most of the temperature range in which they breed. To determine whether this theoretical framework applies to species breeding at different latitudes under extremely different environmental conditions, we collected incubation data from two distant but breeding populations of Tachycineta swallows. T. leucopyga (Chillean swallow) breeds in Ushuaia, Argentina, and T. meyeni (mangrove swallow) breeds in Hill Bank, Belize. These populations do not overlap in terms of ambient temperature; they are exposed to different daylight conditions and the latitudinal differences influence life-history traits such as clutch size. Tachycineta swallows showed similar incubation consistency over 24 hours ([~]75% of nest attendance) but followed different behavioral strategies to achieve this consistency. Daylight duration limited incubation activity in mangrove swallows, but longer nocturnal incubation compensated for shorter days. Larger clutches only took their toll on the Chilean swallows, by shortening their incubation bouts and lengthening their foraging bouts, which affected the length of their daily activity. Overall, both swallow species showed incubation patterns adapted to the local conditions. They responded differently to increasing temperatures, but both species reduced their incubation effort whenever possible. Our results contrast with previous work where maximizing incubation effort was the rule. In our populations, females reduced their incubation effort as soon as weather conditions improved (i.e., increasing temperatures), changing the paradigm of incubation behaviour.

Lay summary- In species where only the male or female incubates, they need to find a balance between the time they spend incubating in the nest and the time they spend foraging out of the nest.
- The ambient temperature is the most important factor influencing the duration of both behaviours, and birds are thought to respond similarly to the same range of temperatures.
- We studied the incubation behaviour of two species of swallows breeding in Belize and Argentina, respectively.
- Both species incubated for a similar length of time in 24 hours, but each followed a different strategy depending on clutch size and daylight duration.
- Their incubation behaviour was also related to ambient temperature, but differed between populations, suggesting adaptations to local conditions.
- We cannot expect different species to show similar responses to ambient temperature under different conditions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Diez-Mendez, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liljeström, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cooper, C. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ardia, D. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Winkler, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.27.672727</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Ambient temperature, clutch size, and daylight are the main drivers of incubation behavior in two neotropical swallows breeding 8,000 km apart]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.28.672498v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Circular RNAs in Lotus japonicus Responses to Nutrient Supply and Symbiotic Interactions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.28.672498v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Symbiotic relationships, such as those formed between legumes and rhizobia or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, function by enhancing the nutrient uptake into the plant. The establishment and coordination of the symbiotic interactions requires changes in gene expression in the host and microbe. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) can function through sponging of microRNAs (miRNAs), resulting in changes in transcript abundances. We identified 15,252 unique nuclear circRNAs in Lotus japonicus under different nutrient conditions and symbiotic interactions with rhizobia or AMF. Our results revealed treatment-specific circRNAs and circRNAs originating from key genes in the Common Symbiosis Pathway, suggesting their potential role in the establishment of these symbioses. We validated select circRNAs potentially involved in the regulation of symbiosis and predicted miRNA recognition elements (MREs) that were only created by the backsplice junction of circRNAs. Backsplice-generated MREs represent an additional mechanism through which circRNAs may modulate abundances and translation of mRNAs. Our sequencing approach using random hexamer primers also enabled us to simultaneously characterize the transcriptome of the symbionts and host.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Utley, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Budnick, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Radutoiu, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sederoff, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.08.28.672498</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Circular RNAs in Lotus japonicus Responses to Nutrient Supply and Symbiotic Interactions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.02.673432v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Coaxially Electrospun Myocardial dECM-based Nanofibrous Scaffolds Demonstrate Enhanced Cardiomyocyte Adhesion and Function 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.02.673432v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Abstract textLimited regenerative capability of mature cardiomyocytes (CMs) makes myocardial repair more challenging, requiring effective and viable alternatives to conventional heart transplants. Cardiac tissue engineering is a substitutionary approach combining cells, scaffolds, and growth factors to develop functional heart tissues in vitro. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represent a significant advancement in cardiac regenerative medicine, offering a continuous supply of CMs, however, the limited understanding of their microenvironment hinders translational research. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) derived from myocardium is a highly promising natural scaffold for CTE, given its tissue-specific composition, mechanical properties, and biochemical cues that promote cellular regeneration. This study investigates myocardial dECM-based fibrous scaffolds for iPSC-derived CM use. Coaxially electrospun nanofibers comprising a polyurethane core and a blend of polycaprolactone and myocardial dECM as the sheath were optimized. Morphological analysis confirms the resemblance of the nanofibers to fibrillar collagen in the native dECM. ATR-FTIR and immunostaining results confirm the presence of dECM which enhanced their hydrophilicity and enzymatic degradation. Biocompatibility results show higher phenotypic retention of iPSC-CMs due to microenvironments enriched with native proteins. On the contrary, the scaffolds without myocardial proteins exhibit higher dedifferentiation of iPSC-CMs, proving that ECM proteins provide a suitable microenvironment for iPSC-CMs.

O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=128 SRC="FIGDIR/small/673432v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@31a497org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@12cee05org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@beca77org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1de5337_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP  M_FIG C_FIG
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rajapakse, D. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ali, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khodadadi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Proctor, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Upadhyay, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zha, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cook, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gluck, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.02.673432</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Coaxially Electrospun Myocardial dECM-based Nanofibrous Scaffolds Demonstrate Enhanced Cardiomyocyte Adhesion and Function]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.10.675359v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Lipid Nanoparticles with Aptamers Enable Targeted mRNA Delivery to CD4⁺ T Cells 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.10.675359v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In vivo genetic engineering of T cells could overcome the logistical, biological, and safety challenges of ex vivo modification, but effective and safe delivery systems remain limited by a lack of cellular specificity. Here, we developed aptamer-functionalized lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for targeted mRNA delivery to CD4+ T cells, employing both a validated CD4-binding aptamer (Apt62) and novel aptamers generated using our proprietary transformer-based AI language model, AptaBLE. LNPs formulated with ionizable lipid SM102 or MC3 and conjugated with aptamers at controlled densities were physiochemically characterized and assessed for binding, in vitro transfection, in vivo biodistribution, and safety evaluation. Aptamer-functionalized LNPs demonstrated selective nanomolar binding to recombinant CD4, achieved enhanced transfection of CD4+ versus CD4- T cells in vitro, and significantly enriched mRNA delivery to immune-rich tissues in vivo, achieving up to 70-fold spleen signal enhancement with SM102 formulations compared to non-targeted controls, while maintaining suitable safety profiles. Overall, these findings demonstrate aptamer-functionalized LNPs, augmented by AI-guided aptamer design, as a tunable, non-immunogenic platform for in vivo T cell engineering.

HighlightsO_LIAptamer-functionalized LNPs enable selective mRNA delivery to CD4+ immune cells rich organs.
C_LIO_LIAptamer-functionalized LNPs maintain a favorable systemic safety profile in vivo.
C_LIO_LIAI-guided AptaBLE platform generated functional aptamers validated in nanoparticle delivery.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Shah, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ranasinghe, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Decker, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fraser, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Friedman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kinlaw, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barker, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patel, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yao, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.10.675359</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Lipid Nanoparticles with Aptamers Enable Targeted mRNA Delivery to CD4⁺ T Cells]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.10.675247v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
IRIS Integrates Sparse Sequence, Experimental, and AI-Predicted Structures for Protein-RNA Affinity Prediction and Motif Discovery 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.10.675247v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Protein-RNA interactions are fundamental to numerous cellular processes, yet quantitatively characterizing their binding specificity remains a major challenge. We present IRIS (Integrative RNA-protein interaction prediction Informed by Structure and sequence), a biophysical framework that combines residue-level sequence and structural features to predict binding affinities and identify binding motifs. Applied across different protein-RNA systems, IRIS accurately predicts the effects of multiple RNA mutations, with performance further improved by incorporating additional high-affinity binders into training. By integrating predicted structural complexes, IRIS reveals alternative binding modes not observed in experimental structures, extends applicability to systems lacking experimental protein-RNA complexes, and generates a library of favorable RNA-binding motifs at protein-RNA interfaces. Collectively, these results establish IRIS as a versatile framework that leverages increasingly accurate structural predictions to enable quantitative modeling and rational engineering of protein-RNA interactions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cisneros de la Rosa, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.10.675247</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[IRIS Integrates Sparse Sequence, Experimental, and AI-Predicted Structures for Protein-RNA Affinity Prediction and Motif Discovery]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.16.676522v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Natural history museums are missing an opportunity to present research and collections on YouTube 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.16.676522v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
There have been repeated calls in the US for scientists to communicate the importance of biological collections to both a general public audience and to policy makers. Natural history museums that house both collections and research staff while maintaining online media presences, are well positioned to communicate that value. Our study aims to understand how these museums present themselves and their research and collections via YouTube. We created a standardized and repeatable 15-question codebook to categorize content and production choices in museum account YouTube posts. In total, we analyzed 437 videos posted by 28 natural history museums in the US in 2019 and 2023, showing that messages featuring museum science are uncommon. Instead, YouTube users are likely to encounter live event recordings or promotional content related to museum or exhibit information. Research and collections themed content represents an opportunity gap for museums to engage YouTube audiences in science. If natural history museums that maintain both collections and research staff want to answer the repeated calls of communicating the importance of collections in research, then we recommend either (1) incorporating research and collections into their other video types, and/or (2) looking to other YouTube channels, some of which are subsidiary to museum institutional accounts, as a model for research and collections content strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ruzi, S. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Galvez, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dinh, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.16.676522</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Natural history museums are missing an opportunity to present research and collections on YouTube]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.18.677237v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Nicotinamide opposes ET-1's adverse effect on uterine decidualization via EDNRB 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.18.677237v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Endothelin-1 is involved in pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Mice (Edn1H/+) having excess endothelin-1 developed preeclampsia-like phenotypes during pregnancy in a maternal genotype-dependent manner. Here, we investigate whether decidualization is impaired in Edn1H/+ dams, and whether nicotinamide (a potent inhibitor of endothelin-1) exerts beneficial effect. We compared implantation sites between wild type (WT) and Edn1H/+ dams with or without nicotinamide treatment. Implantation sites of Edn1H/+ dams exhibited abnormal ectoplacental cone and sinusoids with reduced vascular density in mesometrial regions of deciduae. There was more VEGF in decidua of Edn1H/+ dams than WT dams. Markers of decidualization were decreased in Edn1H/+ dams. Nicotinamide supplementation corrected this abnormality. During differentiation (decidualization) of cultured human endometrial stomal cells, endothelin-1 impaired the upregulated expression of decidualization markers. The endothelin-1s effect was reversed by nicotinamide. These results show nicotinamide counteracts ET-1s detrimental effects on endometrial decidualization and has potential to improve embryo implantation and subsequent pregnancy outcomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ma, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kayashima, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bowser, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yi, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maeda-Smithies, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.18.677237</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Nicotinamide opposes ET-1's adverse effect on uterine decidualization via EDNRB]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.22.677873v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
RNAi Gene knockdown of R-opsin and F-actin in the marineannelid Streblospio benedicti by delivering dsRNA 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.22.677873v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundRNA interference (RNAi) is a genetic tool to disrupt the expression of selected genes by delivering dsRNA into a specific tissue of an organism, resulting in a gene knockdown. We apply RNAi methods to the marine polychaete Streblospio benedicti, which is a model system for studying evolutionary and developmental biology, which currently has no established methods for gene expression manipulation.

ResultsHere we describe a RNAi gene knockdown methodology using two different approaches depending on developmental stage. We feed bacteria expressing dsRNA to early swimming larvae and microinject in vitro transcribed dsRNA in juveniles. We used two genes for testing: R-opsin and F-actin. For both developmental stages, gene knockdown was validated using qPCR (quantitative Real-Time PCR). For larvae, we also visualized reduction in RNA expression using Hybridization Chain Reaction (HCR) in situ hybridization.

ConclusionsWe show that both larval feeding and juvenile microinjections are sufficient delivery mechanisms for dsRNA to result in a RNAi gene knockdown. The efficiency can vary depending on the gene and timing, but this is typical for RNAi based approaches.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Aguilar-Camacho, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zakas, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.22.677873</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[RNAi Gene knockdown of R-opsin and F-actin in the marineannelid Streblospio benedicti by delivering dsRNA]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.22.677678v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Novel chromosome-length genome assemblies of three distinct subspecies of pine marten, sable, and yellow-throated marten (genus Martes, family Mustelidae) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.22.677678v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The genus Martes consists of medium-sized carnivores within the family Mustelidae that are commonly known as martens, many of which exhibit extensive geographic variation and taxonomic uncertainty. Here, we report chromosome-length genome assemblies for three subspecies, each representing a different marten species: the Tobol sable (M. zibellina zibellina), the Ural pine marten (M. martes uralensis), and the Far East yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula aterrima). Using linked-read sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding, we generated assemblies with total lengths of 2.39-2.45 Gbp, N50 values of 137-145 Mbp, and high BUSCO scores (93.6-96.4%). We identified 19 chromosomal scaffolds for sable and pine marten, and 20 for yellow-throated marten, which agrees with the known karyotypes of these species (2n=38 and 2n=40, respectively). Annotation predicted ~20,000 protein-coding genes per genome, of which >90% were assigned functional names. Repeats encompass 36.9-40.4% of the assemblies, with a prevalence of LINEs and SINEs, and is conservative across the genus. Synteny analysis of our generated and available marten genome assemblies revealed assembly artifacts in previously published assemblies, which we confirmed through investigation of Hi-C contact maps. Among other rearrangements, we verified a sable-specific inversion on chromosome 11 using the published cytogenetic data. Our assemblies broaden the genomic resources available for Martes, extending coverage to geographically distant and taxonomically significant subspecies. Together, they provide a robust framework for assessing intraspecific genetic diversity, identifying signatures of hybridization, and refining the complex taxonomy of the genus. Beyond conservation and evolutionary applications, these references will facilitate comparative genomics across Mustelidae and other carnivorans.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tomarovsky, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Khan, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dudchenko, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Beklemisheva, V. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perelman, P. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Totikov, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Serdyukova, N. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bulyonkova, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pobedintseva, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abramov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weisz, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yakupova, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhuk, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graphodatsky, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Powell, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aiden, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koepfli, K.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kliver, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.22.677678</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Novel chromosome-length genome assemblies of three distinct subspecies of pine marten, sable, and yellow-throated marten (genus Martes, family Mustelidae)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.23.677068v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing contamination in DNA extraction kits commonly used for microbiome research 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.23.677068v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sequencing-based measurements are now routinely used to investigate the microbial world, however, contamination by DNA outside the intended sample remains a problem. Contaminants obscure the true microbial signal and can lead to misleading scientific interpretations. Much work has been done to address the effects of these contaminants including best practices as outlined in Eisenhofer et al. and Fierer et al. Yet, even with best practices in place, the current literature consensus is that contaminants remain impactful, at least in low biomass environments (5, 7, 11, 13, 16). One well-known source of contaminants are those found within DNA extraction kits, as was shown clearly in the pioneering work of Salter et al. 2012 and Karstens et al. 2019. However, given the rapid evolution of DNA sequencing methods, it would be worthwhile to revisit the issue of contaminants in contemporary DNA extraction kits (the "kitome"). Here we provide an updated characterization of the  kitomes of DNA extraction kits commonly used for microbiome research.

ImportanceMicrobial contamination in commonly used DNA extraction kits has not been recently assessed. Here we evaluate the contamination in DNA extraction kits commonly used in microbiome studies over the past several years, and provide actionable guidance on appropriate DNA extraction kits for low biomass microbiome measurements.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Rabasco, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kisthardt, S. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.23.677068</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing contamination in DNA extraction kits commonly used for microbiome research]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.23.674044v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Neurodegeneration Associated with Repeated High-Frequency Transcranial Focused Ultrasound 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.23.674044v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS) is a popular tool for non-invasive neuromodulation which prior testing paradigms have suggested is benign. However, emerging use cases such as clinical therapies and brain-machine interfaces will likely require repeated or long-duration exposures with novel combinations of stimulus parameters (e.g., frequency, focal volume), and the safety of these conditions has not yet been rigorously validated. Therefore, as an initial study we delivered 1.8 MHz tFUS stimulation to the cortex of 4 non-human primates in 4 sessions each of approximately 90 min over 2 weeks. Motor skills were measured daily with a food pellet picking task. Animals were euthanized and the brain sections were processed for histological markers of neurodegeneration (Fluoro-Jade C). While the animals did not show disruption on the behavioral task, there was clear evidence of neurodegeneration in regions associated with short, intermediate, and extended-duration stimulation, but not with unstimulated control tissues in deeper brain areas. Additional neurodegeneration was observed at locations distant from but functionally connected to stimulated regions, consistent with retrograde damage propagated from neuron processes. We discuss alternative causes for the neurodegeneration, and we recommend the use of additional animal studies to understand this phenomenon, especially for novel stimulation paradigms or parameters and applications where extended or repeated exposures are planned.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brna, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Favorov, O. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Challener, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Biliroglu, A. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yamaner, F. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kemal, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Annayev, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Oralkan, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Eidum, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Simons, S. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weisend, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Connolly, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.23.674044</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Neurodegeneration Associated with Repeated High-Frequency Transcranial Focused Ultrasound]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.24.678290v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Birds that don't exist: niche pre-emption as a constraint on morphological evolution in the Passeroidea 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.24.678290v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding why some viable body forms never evolve can reveal how ecological and evolutionary forces shape biodiversity. We investigate this question in the Passeroidea, a large group of songbirds, by analyzing their morphological trait space using topological data analysis and ancestral state reconstruction. We identify a long-standing morphological gap densely surrounded by extant species but unoccupied throughout passeroid diversification. The gap patterns deviate from neutral expectations and show no evidence of past occupation, rendering neutral evolution and extinction unlikely. Similar morphologies exist in other bird lineages, ruling out intrinsic constraints or niche absence. Geographic distributions and traits of passeroids versus non-passeroid gap occupants point to competitive exclusion as the plausible explanation: early-colonizing territorial specialists outside the Passeroidea may have preemptively occupied key habitats, limiting evolutionary opportunities for later-arriving lineages. We demonstrate how historical contingency can shape macroevolutionary outcomes, and introduce a generalizable framework for investigating structural gaps in trait evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chia, S. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swain, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Josephs, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fagan, W. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.24.678290</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Birds that don't exist: niche pre-emption as a constraint on morphological evolution in the Passeroidea]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.24.678328v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Exploring the genetic basis of cluster architecture-related traits in grapevine through a Genome-wide Association Study 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.24.678328v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Berry and cluster size are pivotal determinants of grapevine productivity and consumer preferences and remain major targets in grapevine breeding. However, given their complexity as quantitative traits under polygenic control, a deeper understanding of their genetic determinants is needed. The gene pool of the Brazilian grapevine has made a significant contribution to enhancing grapevine performance in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a diverse panel of 288 Vitis spp. accessions from the Instituto Agronomico Germplasm Bank, Brazil. This panel was phenotyped for six cluster architecture traits over 12 years and genotyped using the Vitis18kSNP array. Using two different algorithms, the GWAS identified 56 significant SNPs distributed across 17 chromosomes, validating previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and revealing novel associations. Four closely spaced markers on Chr1 suggest the presence of a QTL influencing five traits simultaneously. A strong association signal, with phenotypic variance explained (PVE) values of approximately 29-35%, indicated a major QTL for berry length (BL) and width (BWi) on Chr14. Additionally, major-effect SNP loci were identified for cluster weight (CW) on Chr1, cluster length (CL) on Chr7 and 14, cluster width (CWi) on Chr6 and 18, and berry weight (BW) on Chr4, with PVE values ranging from 18-27%. Furthermore, 80 genes associated with berry traits and 52 genes associated with cluster traits were identified as putative candidate genes in the genomic regions associated with significant SNPs. These candidate genes are involved in the regulation of growth and development, hormone regulation, protein synthesis, stress response, and other physiological processes essential for cell health and functionality. Our results provide valuable insights into the genetic determinants of grape berry size and cluster architecture, offering critical data to support future functional studies and enhance the efficiency of related breeding programs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>de Oliveira, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Francisco, F. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Moura, Y. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niederauer, G. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fritsche-Neto, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Souza, A. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Furlan, M. F. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.24.678328</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Exploring the genetic basis of cluster architecture-related traits in grapevine through a Genome-wide Association Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.26.678928v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A co-evolved peptide-GPCR system senses host entry to drive fungal infection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.26.678928v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A successful infection requires pathogens to recognize the specific host environment in order to reprogram their physiology accordingly. One major way in which eukaryotic cells sense their surroundings is via G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs), which share a seven-transmembrane architecture and G-protein-mediated downstream signaling. While mammalian GPCRs are well-characterized and represent important drug targets, their fungal counterparts remain poorly understood. In the corn pathogen Ustilago maydis, we now uncover a GPCR-based mechanism that allows the fungus to scout the host environment to sense whether it has entered into the plant tissue. During infection, the fungus secretes the protein Pit2, which is cleaved by host apoplastic-cysteine proteases, releasing a peptide ligand  hidden within Pit2. This ligand activates the fungal GPCR Gpe1 strongly promoting fungal proliferation after initial host penetration. Comparative analyses reveal conservation of the Gpe1/Pit2 system, with co-evolutionary signatures preserving receptor-ligand specificity. Furthermore, this GPCR system recognizing  hidden peptide ligands shows conceptual similarities to the fungal pheromone mating system, without sharing sequence similarity. Our findings reveal a co-evolved mechanism between fungus and host that encodes environmental context into a protein scaffold, establishing a novel paradigm for host-dependent signaling with implications for inter-organismic communication.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mendoza-Rojas, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nakonz, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Postma, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shtakser, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heinen, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patel, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arguello-Miranda, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Billerbeck, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Altegoer, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-09-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.26.678928</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A co-evolved peptide-GPCR system senses host entry to drive fungal infection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-09-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.29.679342v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Antibacterial wound dressing enables reliable detection of uric acid in exudates. 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.29.679342v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Through the successful grafting of epoxypropyl dimethyl dodecyl ammonium chloride (EDDAC) onto bacterial cellulose (BC) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) surfaces, a novel and stable antibacterial wound dressing (BC-CNTs-EDDAC) was fabricated. Compared with bare BC membranes, BC-EDDAC exhibited significantly enhanced antibacterial activity. Furthermore, a non-enzymatic uric acid sensor was constructed on the membrane surface via the self-assembly of AuNps, resulting in an antibacterial wound dressing with integrated UA-sensing capability. This design provides a new strategy for both promoting wound healing and real-time assessment of wound recovery status.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>lv, m.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, b.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.09.29.679342</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Antibacterial wound dressing enables reliable detection of uric acid in exudates.]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.02.680005v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Regulation of Vacuole Fusion in Stomata by Dephosphorylation of the HOPS subunit VPS39 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.02.680005v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Understanding how plants regulate water loss is important for improving crop productivity. Tight control of stomatal opening and closing is essential for the uptake of CO2 while mitigating water vapor loss. The opening of stomata is regulated in part by homotypic vacuole fusion, which is mediated by conserved homotypic vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) and vacuolar SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) complexes. HOPS tethers apposing vacuole membranes and promotes the formation of trans-SNARE complexes to mediate fusion. In yeast, HOPS dissociates from the assembled SNARE complex to complete vacuole fusion, but little is known about this process in plants. HOPS-specific subunits VACUOLE PROTEIN SORTING39 (VPS39) and VPS41 are required for homotypic plant vacuole fusion, and a computational model predicted that post-translational modifications of HOPS may be needed for plant stomatal vacuole fusion. Here, we characterized a viable T-DNA insertion allele of VPS39 which demonstrated a critical role of VPS39 in stomatal vacuole fusion. We found that VPS39 has increased levels of phosphorylation when stomata are closed versus open, and that VPS39 function in stomata and embryonic development requires dynamic changes in phosphorylation. Our data are consistent with VPS39 phosphorylation altering vacuole dynamics in response to environmental cues, similar to well-established phosphorylation cascades that regulate ion transport during stomatal opening.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTVacuole fusion is important for stomata opening but how it is regulated in response of stomata opening signals is not characterized. This research demonstrated the role of the HOPS complex in vacuole fusion in stomata, and it identified phosphorylation sites in the HOPS subunit VPS39 that are critical for vacuole fusion. One Ser residue was enriched in closed stomata and represents a putative site for control of vacuole fusion downstream of stomata opening signals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pullen, A.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Billings, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodgens, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>White, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akpa, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas-Pierce, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-02</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.02.680005</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Regulation of Vacuole Fusion in Stomata by Dephosphorylation of the HOPS subunit VPS39]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-02</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.02.680109v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Glucose levels impact the morphology and cell-type composition of human cerebral organoids 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.02.680109v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Human cerebral organoids, derived from pluripotent stem cells, are powerful models for studying human brain development. The understanding of how morphogens can be used to guide patterning and differentiation has matured rapidly, however, the influence of basal media components on organoid development remains unclear. Standard organoid media frequently contain non- physiological concentrations of nutrients, including glucose, a central regulator of cellular metabolism and signaling. Here, we examine how glucose availability shapes cerebral organoid growth, morphology, and cell-type composition by comparing conventional hyperglycemic media to media with glucose levels more closely resembling physiological conditions. We find that organoids derived from multiple human pluripotent stem cell lines can grow in physiological glucose, but exhibit altered growth rates, structural features, and lineage distributions. In H9 embryonic stem cell-derived organoids, inhibition of the mTOR pathway under physiological glucose restores neurodevelopmental cell types otherwise diminished in these conditions. These findings highlight glucose as a key determinant of organoid lineage specification and cellular signaling. Importantly, however, glucose modulation does not reduce variability across organoids or cell lines, underscoring the need to better understand and control sources of heterogeneity to improve organoid models.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kelkar, G. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Keung, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.02.680109</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Glucose levels impact the morphology and cell-type composition of human cerebral organoids]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.09.681424v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Best practices and challenges for urban tree detection, classification, and geolocation with street-level images across North American cities 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.09.681424v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Accurate, up-to-date catalogs of urban tree populations are crucial for quantifying ecosystem services and enhancing the quality of life in cities. However, mapping tree species cost-effectively remains challenging. In response, remote sensing researchers are developing general-purpose tools to survey plant populations across broad spatial scales. In this study, we developed computer vision models to detect, classify, and map 100 tree genera across 23 cities in North America using Google Street View (GSV) and iNaturalist images. We validated our predictions in independent portions of each city. We then compared our predictions to existing street tree records to evaluate the spatial context of errors using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Our computer vision models identified most ground-truthed street trees (67.1%). Performance varied across the 23 cities (67.4% {+/-} 9.3%) and 100 genera (50.9% {+/-} 23.0%) and improved denser street-view coverage, simpler stand structure, and greater training representation, particularly from the focal city. We found that genus classification performed better in continental cities with lower relative diversity, and that seasonal changes in the appearance of trees provided visual cues that moderate classification rates. Using widely available street-level imagery is a generalizable and promising avenue for mapping tree distributions across urban environments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lake, T. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Laginhas, B. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Farrell, B. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meentemeyer, R. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.09.681424</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Best practices and challenges for urban tree detection, classification, and geolocation with street-level images across North American cities]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.09.681531v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Optogenetic control of PLC-γ1 activity polarizes cell motility 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.09.681531v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Phospholipase C-{gamma}1 (PLC-{gamma}1) signaling is required for mesenchymal chemotaxis, but is it sufficient to bias motility? PLC-{gamma}1 enzyme activity is basally autoinhibited, and light-controlled membrane recruitment of wild-type PLC-{gamma}1 (OptoPLC-{gamma}1) in Plcg1-null fibroblasts does not trigger lipid hydrolysis, complicating efforts to isolate its contribution. Utilizing cancer-associated mutations to investigate the regulatory logic of PLC-{gamma}1, we demonstrate that a hallmark of enzyme activity, phosphorylated Tyr783 (pTyr783), is not a proxy for activity level, but is rather a marker of dysregulated autoinhibition. Accordingly, OptoPLC-{gamma}1 with a deregulating mutation (P867R, S345F, or D1165H) exhibits elevated phosphorylation, and membrane localization of such is sufficient to activate substrate hydrolysis and concomitant motility responses. In particular, local recruitment of OptoPLC-{gamma}1 S345F polarizes cell motility and migration on demand. This response is spatially dose-sensitive and only partially reduced by blocking canonical PLC-{gamma}1 signaling yet is lipase-dependent. Our findings reframe the interpretation of PLC-{gamma}1 regulation and demonstrate that local activation of PLC-{gamma}1 is sufficient to direct cell motility.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Appalabhotla, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siesser, P. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Truscott, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hajicek, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sondek, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bear, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haugh, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.09.681531</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Optogenetic control of PLC-γ1 activity polarizes cell motility]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682262v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TGA family of transcription factors are nitric oxide sensors in the root stem cell niche 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682262v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant root development is tightly regulated and depends on the coordination among different cell types located in the root stem cell niche (SCN). A complex network of regulators includes the gasotransmitter nitric oxide (NO) known to inhibit primary root growth, modify root architecture and alter meristem organisation. However, little is known about the molecular targets and the mechanistic insights of this signalling molecule during root SCN homeostasis. Here, genetic, molecular and physiological evidence support that TGA transcription factors of the bZIP family, and specifically PERIANTHIA (PAN), contribute to NO-mediated root stem cell regulation. NO induces reversible S-nitrosylation of PAN, thereby inhibiting its binding to DNA and associated transcriptional activation. In turn, the protein-SNO reductase activity of TRXh5 is able to denitrosylate PAN. This switch on and off mechanism of PAN activation modulates WOX5 expression and quiescent centre activity, which alters columella stem cell maintenance through a NO-dependent mechanism. Different TGA members interact with PAN and are also S-nitrosylated, whose expression in the root SCN together with their accumulated mutations contribute to NO sensing during root apical meristem development. Collectively, these findings reveal a molecular framework where NO controls the ability of PAN to bind to its targets as a master regulator of the root SCN.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Fernandez-Espinosa, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gomez-Jimenez, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mata-Perez, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanchez-Corrionero, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>de Luis Balaguer, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sozzani, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gutsche, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zachgo, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leene, J. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Jaeger, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spoel, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenzo, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.14.682262</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TGA family of transcription factors are nitric oxide sensors in the root stem cell niche]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682295v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The microbial landscape: soil microbiome properties predict plant species distributions 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682295v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant species distributions are shaped by interactions with the abiotic and biotic environment. Despite the known importance of soil microbiomes in shaping plant diversity and function, no study has explicitly determined the ability of the soil microbiome to predict plant species distributions at large scales. We employed paired above- and belowground surveys of plant occurrence and soil microbial taxa and functions across habitat patches (n = 676), applying machine-learning-based distribution modeling to identify the relative influence of the soil microbiome and environmental attributes in predicting plant species (n = 50) distributions across the landscape. We discovered that while abiotic gradients of known importance in this ecosystem were the strongest predictors of many plant species distributions, microbial predictors could have similar or greater influence. Microbiome predictors were collectively more important than abiotic environmental variables for 38% of plant species in this study and explained >70% of the predicted distribution for one species. We identified four microbiome attributes of landscape-scale importance for predicting plant species distributions including prokaryotic richness, fungal richness, the abundance of fungal pathogens, and the abundance of prokaryotic phosphate transport genes in soil. Our findings reveal a previously underappreciated role of the soil microbiome in shaping plant species distributions at a landscape scale, with implications for plant community structure in the context of both ecosystem restoration and future global change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Revillini, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mothes, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Almeida, B. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Charton, K. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koontz, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Afkhami, M. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Searcy, C. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.14.682295</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The microbial landscape: soil microbiome properties predict plant species distributions]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.15.682576v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The Effect of Plasma Activated Water on the Rhizosphere Composition of Arabidopsis and Solanum lycopersicum 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.15.682576v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The emerging field of plasma agriculture investigates the potential benefit of non-thermal plasma (NTP) for agricultural practices. NTP-treated water, referred to as plasma activated water (PAW), has been proposed as a sustainable alternative to conventional nitrogen (N) fertilizers. Growing demand for N fertilizer is concomitant with increased global food demands. PAW contains nitrate (NO3-) and reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which are fixed from atmospheric molecules via NTP. While early studies report positive effects of PAW on plant growth, its influence on plant-associated microbial communities remains poorly understood. Here, we compared the impacts of PAW or NO3- solutions on the rhizosphere microbial community of Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum. PAW was generated by a radio frequency (RF) glow discharge plasma source and contained no measurable ROS, while the control solution contained an equivalent concentration of NO3-. No significant differences in alpha diversity were detected in either plant species microbiome after 5 weeks of treatment when grown in non-commercial potting substrate. Significant dissimilarity was found in terms of beta diversity, but the relative abundance of the sequenced genera suggested no functional differences in rhizosphere communities. Overall, PAW treatment did not adversely impact the rhizosphere microbiome in either Arabidopsis or tomato. These results support the use of PAW as an alternative N-fertilizer, though outcomes may differ for PAW solutions containing ROS.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kizer, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robinson, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grunden, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stapelmann, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas-Pierce, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.15.682576</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The Effect of Plasma Activated Water on the Rhizosphere Composition of Arabidopsis and Solanum lycopersicum]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.15.682613v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Guard Cell-Enriched Phosphoproteome Reveals Phosphorylation of Endomembrane Proteins in Closed Stomata 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.15.682613v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Control of the stomatal aperture is multifaceted, involving a complex interplay of environmental cues and intracellular signaling pathways. It is well established that changes in ion gradients drive water movement into and out of the guard cell, thereby altering cell volume and modulating the opening or closing of the stomatal pore. These rapid responses are often regulated by phosphorylation cascades to efficiently transmit environmental status and either reduce water loss or enhance carbon assimilation. The role of endomembrane trafficking networks in stomatal dynamics is not well characterized. Here, we investigated the regulation of stomatal opening and closing by generating a proteome and phosphoproteome of guard cell-enriched tissue. This deep proteome captured a protein profile that was similar to previously characterized guard cell proteomes. The guard cell-enriched tissue with closed stomata showed greater levels of phosphorylation of proteins related to endomembrane trafficking and vacuoles when compared to both whole leaf tissue with closed stomata and guard cell-enriched tissue with open stomata. These results support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of endomembrane proteins may contribute to the regulation of stomatal movements.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pullen, A.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lyons, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mordant, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herring, L. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Akpa, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rojas-Pierce, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.15.682613</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Guard Cell-Enriched Phosphoproteome Reveals Phosphorylation of Endomembrane Proteins in Closed Stomata]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.17.683152v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Nectar yeast scent additions fail to impact overall bouquet composition and bumble bee visitation in a montane herb 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.17.683152v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Premise of researchThe factors that mediate how foragers locate food supplies are of vital importance in understanding their energy acquisition and survival. Microbes that inhabit floral nectar can play outsized roles in altering nectar chemistry and nutrition, thereby affecting floral visitors.

MethodologyHere, we consider one such nectar microbe, the cosmopolitan, specialist nectar yeast, Metschnikowia reukaufii (Metschnikowiaceae), by inoculating a nectar analog of the subalpine wildflower, Corydalis caseana ssp. brandegeei (Fumariaceae), and then characterizing the yeasts impacts on floral scent composition and the foraging behavior of its main pollinator, Bombus appositus (Apidae). We assessed foraging behavior of B. appositus in a flower array near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (Colorado, USA) to test the hypothesis that foragers preferentially visit yeast-inoculated flowers over sterile controls. Additionally, we assessed whether bees spent more time at, and fed more quickly on, yeast-inoculated flowers. In a separate experiment, we tested whether Corydalis inflorescences inoculated with M. reukaufii had different scent bouquets than sterile inflorescences.

Pivotal resultsWe found that bumble bee pollinators showed no preference for the focal yeast species, with inoculated nectar having no effect on number of flowers visited, time spent on individual flowers, or time spent accessing nectar. Further, the overall scent bouquet compositions of yeast-inoculated Corydalis inflorescences were not statistically significantly different than those of sterile inflorescences, despite increased emissions of several volatiles that are known to be produced by M. reukaufii.

ConclusionsOur findings suggest that B. appositus does not respond to the presence of M. reukaufii in the nectar of Corydalis, and instead, yeast-associated volatile emissions may serve as a reliable cue of a nectar reward that is unused by these pollinators. These findings suggest a few avenues for future research, particularly how morphologically complex, highly scented flowers interact with VOCs produced by nectar-inhabiting microbes, and how floral visitors interpret these signals.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dabagia, N. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Martin, V. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Souto-Vilaros, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schaeffer, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Irwin, R. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-17</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.17.683152</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Nectar yeast scent additions fail to impact overall bouquet composition and bumble bee visitation in a montane herb]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-17</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.20.683517v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The influence of captivity on cardiac structure and function across age, in rhesus macaques 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.20.683517v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundCaptive non-human primates are widely used as models of human aging, yet the conditions they live in differ markedly from their naturalistic environment. Differences between captive and free-ranging environments may impact how the cardiovascular system adapts with age, potentially confounding studies of natural aging. This study characterized age-related cardiac phenotypes in free-ranging rhesus macaques and compared these patterns with their captive-housed counterparts to assess the influence of living environment on cardiac health across the lifespan.

MethodologyWe performed transthoracic echocardiography in a cross-sectional cohort of 133 free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta, aged 7 - 25 years, 41 % female) living on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. First, we compared structural and functional cardiac parameters between young (7 - 12 years; n = 48, 60% female) and old (18-26 years, n = 33, 42% female) free-ranging macaques. We then performed an ANCOVA, with age as a covariate, to compare cardiac structural and functional parameters between free-ranging and captive-housed macaques (n = 347, aged 7 - 32 years, 71% female).

ResultsIn our free-ranging cohort, older macaques had greater interventricular septal thickness and relative wall thickness (RWT) than young. Males exhibited larger left ventricular (LV) internal dimensions, wall thickness, LV mass, and LV volumes than females, but these differences were attenuated when indexed to body mass. Diastolic function was lower with advanced age in both sexes, reflected by a lower E/A ratio, reduced myocardial tissue velocities during early diastole (e') and greater myocardial tissue velocities during atrial contraction (a). Compared with captive macaques, free-ranging animals exhibited better diastolic function, including a significantly higher E/A ratio, greater e, and lower a. Captive macaques also had significantly greater relative wall thickness across age and between sexes.

Conclusions and implicationsOur study provides the first comprehensive characterization of age-related cardiac differences in free-ranging rhesus macaques, which show structural and functional cardiac differences similar to those observed with human aging. Captive macaques exhibited a more pronounced age-related cardiac phenotype than their free-ranging counterparts, including thicker left ventricular walls and lower diastolic function for a given age. These findings highlight the importance of considering the ecological context when interpreting animal models of cardiovascular aging.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dawkins, T. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Curry, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Drane, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rivas, V. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ueda, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stern, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Phillips, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Negron-Del Valle, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cayo Biobank Research Unit,</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Higham, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Snyder-Mackler, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brent, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shave, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.20.683517</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The influence of captivity on cardiac structure and function across age, in rhesus macaques]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.21.683694v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gonadal Transcriptome Differences Between the Sexes in Wild Caught Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) During a Critical Development Period 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.21.683694v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Flounder in the genus Paralichthys exhibit a unique sex determination system that combines genotypic and temperature-dependent mechanisms. In southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma), XY individuals develop as males, while XX individuals sex is influenced by juvenile developmental temperatures. Little is known about the genes involved in this process. This study uses pooled RNA sequencing to create a de novo gonadal transcriptome and identify genes related to sex determination and differentiation in wild-caught juvenile southern flounder from two North Carolina locations with differing sex ratios. The transcriptome assembly revealed 68,331 uniquely annotated genes with high functional specificity. Nine genes were linked to sex determination, including five novel to southern flounder and associated with epigenetic mechanisms like m6a methylation and alternative splicing, suggesting epigenetic influence in male development. Additionally, genes in the TGF-{beta} signaling pathway were differentially expressed, supporting this pathways role in sex differentiation. This study provides a valuable transcriptome resource for future research on southern flounder.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harned, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mankiewicz, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Borski, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burford Reiskind, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godwin, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.21.683694</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gonadal Transcriptome Differences Between the Sexes in Wild Caught Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) During a Critical Development Period]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684197v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cover crop microbiomes affect legume cash crop growth but not consistently through enriching nitrogen-fixing rhizobia 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684197v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Harnessing plant-microbe interactions offers a promising path toward reducing chemical inputs and enhancing crop resilience in agricultural systems. However, microbial inoculants often fail to persist or function consistently across soils, which limits their broad utility. Here, we explore whether legume cover crops can be used to manipulate and enrich for rhizobial bacteria that improve nodulation and nitrogen fixation in downstream legume cash crops. In a greenhouse experiment, we inoculated cash crops with rhizosphere and nodule microbiomes derived from different legume cover crops. We found that bacterial communities were markedly different between the rhizosphere and nodules of cover crops, indicating strong habitat differentiation. Interestingly, the cover crop inoculum did not substantially alter the taxonomic composition of cash crop nodule communities, suggesting strong partner selectivity by the cash crop host. However, cover crop identity strongly affected nodule formation and, to a lesser extent, total biomass of cash crops. For alfalfa and soybean, a higher abundance of their respective rhizobial partners in cover crop nodule inocula increased total biomass and nodule number for these cash crop species, respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting cover crops that foster the availability of effective microbial partners to support more sustainable legume cropping systems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Clouse, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paillan, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Depew, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harris, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jason, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mercurio, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swartley, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bingham, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burghardt, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.23.684197</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cover crop microbiomes affect legume cash crop growth but not consistently through enriching nitrogen-fixing rhizobia]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684267v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Temperature modulates PFAS accumulation and energy allocation in sheepshead minnows 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684267v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Climate warming and chemical pollution shape aquatic ecosystems, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying their combined effects remain unclear. We investigated how projected increases in mean summer surface water temperature alter per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxicokinetics and their effects on sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) physiological performance. Adult fish were chronically exposed to an environmentally relevant PFAS mixture (perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) + perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)) under current and projected mean-temperature scenarios. Tissue PFAS concentrations, whole-organism metabolic rates, swimming performance, reproductive parameters, somatic indices were assessed. Temperature modified PFAS tissue concentrations in a compound- and tissue-specific manner, promoting PFOA redistribution to eggs. Metabolic responses were temperature-dependent: at 26 {degrees}C, higher tissue PFAS concentrations were associated with elevated standard and maximum metabolic rates (SMR and MMR), maintaining aerobic scope (AS). At 28.5 {degrees}C, SMR remained stable while MMR and AS declined with rising PFAS, indicating less oxygen for energetically demanding activities. Despite unchanged swimming and reproductive outputs, an increased hepatosomatic index with increasing tissue PFAS concentrations and altered PFAS distribution suggest detoxification costs. These findings indicate that increases in mean water temperature are likely to exacerbate contaminant stress, with consequences for coastal fish population resilience and offspring development. PFAS risk assessment should consider co-stressors under projected warming.

SynopsisLimited research addresses how temperature affects PFAS toxicokinetics and toxicity. This study shows that warming reshapes tissue PFAS concentrations and distribution, and influences fish energy-allocation trade-offs.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Grimmelpont, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rodgers, M. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levin, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Guise, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Agrawal, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baron, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bolnick, D. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Milligan-McClellan, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Provotas, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brandt, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.23.684267</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Temperature modulates PFAS accumulation and energy allocation in sheepshead minnows]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.24.684285v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Direct and diffuse cross-kingdom interactions in plant microbiome assembly 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.24.684285v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Studies of plant-associated microbial communities consistently indicate a role for classic assembly mechanisms, such as environmental and host filters, but often leave substantial unexplained variation. Biotic interactions within microbial communities may help to fill this gap, specifically cross-kingdom interactions between fungi and bacteria, as these are increasingly found to be important to both assembly and function. We hypothesized that direct interactions between bacteria and fungi are an important driver of composition in low-diversity leaf habitats, where pairwise interactions are more likely. In high-diversity root habitats, we expected diffuse, indirect interactions to be more relevant to composition. To test these hypotheses, we characterized bacterial and fungal communities of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) leaves and roots at 14 sites spanning mountain to coastal ecoregions of North Carolina, USA. We analyzed putative direct and diffuse interactions using ecological network inference and partitioned variance explained in microbial community composition by spatial, environmental, and biotic interactions. We found that cross-kingdom biotic interactions contributed to microbial community structure. The largest improvements to variance explained (5-11%) were from direct interactions, except for root fungal communities where diffuse interactions (7.5%) explained more than double that of direct interactions (2.8%). These contributions were comparable to those from environmental and spatial factors. The joint effects of putative biotic interactions and environmental conditions also contributed to the explained variation, highlighting the importance of environmental tracking in microbes. These findings suggest that using network inference for identifying cross-kingdom ecological interactions can improve our fundamental understanding of how plant-associated microbiomes assemble, which is also directly relevant to applied efforts such as the effective development of synthetic communities.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hammer, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lee, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kimbrel, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stuart, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hawkes, C. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.24.684285</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Direct and diffuse cross-kingdom interactions in plant microbiome assembly]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.27.684485v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Nodule branching, size, and symbiosis outcomes are shaped by natural genetic variation in rhizobial bacteria and alfalfa hosts 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.27.684485v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In many host-microbe symbioses, hosts develop specialized organs that house microbial symbionts. In the legume-rhizobium symbiosis, these organs are called root nodules. While many studies have focused on host traits like plant growth, nodule number, and their structural changes, nodule morphology may also influence rhizobial benefits (e.g., bacterial population size). Here, we investigated how variation in alfalfa nodule morphologies influences the fitness outcome of both partners. Specifically, we measured how host and strain genetic variation influenced 1) nodule branch number, area, and rhizobial fitness at the individual nodule level and 2) the proportion of branched nodules, nodule number, and plant benefits at the whole plant level. From the rhizobial perspective, host identity had a stronger effect on rhizobial fitness, and larger or more branched nodules tend to release more rhizobia. From the host perspective, the proportion of branched nodules was strongly negatively correlated with the total nodule number and positively correlated with host benefit across multiple alfalfa genotypes. However, the strength of the relationship differed among hosts. Together, these results provide insight into the host and rhizobial genetic contributions to nodule morphology and symbiotic outcomes, suggesting a novel direction for further research in legume-rhizobium mutualism.

HighlightPlant and bacterial symbiotic effectiveness can be gauged by the number of nodule branches formed in indeterminant legumes-rhizobium systems along with traditional metrics such as nodule count.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Paillan, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gil-Polo, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guha, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swartley, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Burghardt, L. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.27.684485</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Nodule branching, size, and symbiosis outcomes are shaped by natural genetic variation in rhizobial bacteria and alfalfa hosts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.28.684891v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Hi-C informed kernel association test: integrating 3-dimensional genome structure into variant-set association for whole-genome sequencing data 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.28.684891v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Variant-set association analysis is a powerful strategy for genetic studies of whole genome sequence (WGS) data, especially for rare variants. By aggregating variant signals, variant-set analysis can improve statistical power, result interpretability, and study replicability. Motivated by evidence that three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture plays a critical role in regulating gene transcription, several works have incorporated 3D genome architecture into gene-based association tests and demonstrated great promise. In this work, we extend the idea of 3D-genome guided test from gene-centric to gene-agnostic, whole-genome testing by introducing a Hi-C informed kernel association test. We present a principled procedure that converts Hi-C contact confidence into borrowing weights and integrates these weights into genetic similarity kernels so that higher-confidence interacting loci contribute more to the association test of the target variant set. We use a controlling parameter to adaptively determine the appropriate degree of information borrowing from its interacting loci during association testing. We assess the performance of the Hi-C informed test using simulations and illustrate its advantage in detecting rare-variant sets using WGS data from the ARIC study in the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Basu, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tzeng, J. Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holloway, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-30</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.28.684891</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Hi-C informed kernel association test: integrating 3-dimensional genome structure into variant-set association for whole-genome sequencing data]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-30</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.29.685396v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Meta-analyses reveal no clear demographic consequences of phenological change across taxa 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.29.685396v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The timing of life-cycle events (phenology) is key to organism ecology and success. Climate change is shifting phenology to earlier dates globally, but generalizable trends of how phenological change impacts demography are still unknown. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the effects of interannual phenological variation and phenological shifts on demographic vital rates (survival, growth, and reproduction). Our dataset includes 138 taxa from 83 studies, representing different study approaches (observational and experimental) for plants and animals. Using these data, we asked three primary questions: 1). How does phenological variation affect demographic vital rates? 2). Are directional shifts in phenology predictive of changes in demographic vital rates? 3.) Do relationships between phenology and demography depend on taxa, vital rate, and study type? For studies of phenological variation, earlier events conferred demographic benefits whereas later events were associated with demographic costs, with most of the evidence coming from bird and reproduction-focused studies. In contrast, directional phenological shifts were not predictive of demographic responses over time or in experiments. While there was evidence that phenological events shifted earlier through time, there was not significant change in demographic vital rates over those same time periods. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that organisms may be able to track environmental conditions to maintain demographic performance by shifting their phenology to earlier dates under climate change. Critically, our meta-analysis clarifies that while earlier phenological events tend to confer demographic benefits in the context of phenological variation, directional phenological shifts to earlier timing did not show demographic benefits.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Godtfredsen, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>CaraDonna, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Foxx, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bain, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Connolly, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dawdy, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Doucet, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fitzgerald, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kirschke, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ogilvie, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rigby, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scholl, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sandacz, D. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rosa, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zink, A. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iler, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-10-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.29.685396</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Meta-analyses reveal no clear demographic consequences of phenological change across taxa]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-10-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.30.685705v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mathematical modeling of light chain aggregation and cardiac damage in AL amyloidosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.30.685705v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AL amyloidosis is a rapidly progressive disorder characterized by clonal plasma cell expansion, excessive production of light chains (LCs), and their misfolding into aggregation-prone monomers. These monomers assemble into oligomers and ultimately deposit as amyloid fibrils, particularly within cardiac tissue, where they contribute to myocardial stiffening and direct cardiotoxicity. A mechanistic model was developed to quantify the interplay between these two pathogenic processes and to examine the kinetics of LC aggregation in different compartments. Simulations reveal that LC aggregation exhibits pronounced nonlinearity: oligomer concentrations remain low during early disease stages, followed by exponential growth driven by autocatalytic conversion. When aggregation is assumed to occur within cardiac tissue, fibril deposition is approximately 25 times greater, and oligomer-induced cardiotoxicity is about five times higher, compared with aggregation occurring in the blood plasma. These differences stem from the smaller cardiac volume, which accelerates autocatalytic oligomer formation. A combined cardiac damage criterion, integrating both oligomer-induced cardiotoxicity and fibril-associated myocardial stiffening, was introduced and found to reach values approximately tenfold higher when LC aggregation occurs within cardiac tissue compared with aggregation in the blood plasma. This parameter may serve as a quantitative measure of cardiac aging or disease severity. The model also predicts that therapeutic intervention markedly reduces, but does not eliminate cardiac injury, highlighting the importance of early treatment initiation in AL amyloidosis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.10.30.685705</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mathematical modeling of light chain aggregation and cardiac damage in AL amyloidosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.08.686247v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
First study of an aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) mother's anxiety behaviors peripartum 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.08.686247v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anxiety is a negative psychological state induced by stress triggers that can be examined in animals which exhibit repetitive, self-directed behaviors. Primate mothers face anxiety due to birthing, infant health, and social relations. In this study, a mother aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) was observed to assess anxiety behaviors. It was hypothesized that the behaviors would change over time. With Duke IACUC approval, Pelco IMM12027-1S cameras were placed in the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) aye-aye mothers enclosure to record her activity. Over three days peripartum, full 24-hour footage and continuous focal animal sampling were used to note the time, duration, and type of repetitive scratching, grooming, etc. Data were then analyzed using Chi-square, Fishers Exact, and Kruskal Wallis tests. The results showed that the day before birth, the mother repeatedly constructed and deconstructed nests eight times more than engaging in any other behavior (n=212x), while on the day of birth, the mother scratched (n=87x) and groomed (n=60x) herself a lot. The day after birth, the mother was hyper-vigilant (n=32x). Thus, the hypothesis was supported as the mother exhibited signs of anxiety by engaging in different anxiety-related behaviors over the three-day period. While limitations such as a small sample size (n=1) and possible abnormal parturition behavior are evident, this study is the first to examine maternal anxiety in aye-ayes. The results can help husbandry staff create more comfortable environments for the rare and difficult-to-see captive aye-ayes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Olson, R. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watts, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paciulli, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.08.686247</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[First study of an aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) mother's anxiety behaviors peripartum]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.10.687737v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Postoperative Automated Platelet Count and Its Predictive Factors in Dogs Undergoing Mitral Valve Repair 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.10.687737v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe early postoperative changes in automated platelet counts (PLT) after mitral valve repair (MVR) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and to identify factors associated with these changes.

DesignSingle-center retrospective cohort study.

AnimalsDogs with MMVD that underwent MVR from July 2022 to July 2023. After data extraction, the ten most common breeds were selected, and mixed breeds as well as breeds known for inherent platelet abnormalities (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Norfolk Terriers) were excluded.

Measurements and Main ResultsA total of 313 dogs representing seven breeds met the inclusion criteria. PLT levels were assessed preoperatively (Day 0) and daily for 4 days postoperatively (Days 1-4). Mean (standard deviation) PLT values were 393{+/-}127 x103/{micro}L on Day 0, 159{+/-}72 on Day 1, 137{+/-}67 on Day 2, 157{+/-}87 on Day 3, and 187{+/-}104 on Day 4. Postoperative thrombocytopenia (<100 x103/{micro}L) occurred in 124 of 313 dogs during Days 1-4. In a multivariable mixed-effects model, PLT declined significantly after surgery (Day 0 to 1; {beta} = -207.17 [x103/{micro}L per day], P < 0.001) and showed a postoperative upward trend (Day 1 to 4; {beta} = 20.62 [x103/{micro}L per day], P = 0.079). Older age was associated with higher PLT; Toy Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers demonstrated lower PLT than Chihuahuas; dogs with ACVIM Stages C- D had higher PLT compared with Stage B2; lower body weight correlated with lower PLT; and intact dogs tended to have higher PLT than neutered dogs.

ConclusionsPLT decreased sharply following MVR and demonstrated partial recovery within 5 days. Age, breed, clinical stage, body weight, and neuter status were associated with postoperative PLT patterns, indicating their importance for perioperative assessment and monitoring.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kurogochi, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Furusato, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nii, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ueda, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mizuno, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Uechi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.10.687737</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Postoperative Automated Platelet Count and Its Predictive Factors in Dogs Undergoing Mitral Valve Repair]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.11.687413v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Topological data analysis identifies PURPL as a prognostic gene in breast cancer Luminal A patients 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.11.687413v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Luminal A is the most common breast cancer molecular subtype and it is associated with favorable five-year prognosis. Many patients, however, relapse within 10 years from the time of the initial diagnosis, suggesting underlying heterogeneity of the disease. Using topological data analysis, we previously identified a copy number change in the region 5p14.3-p12 associated to Luminal A patients. In this paper, we further investigate this region and identify the gene p53 Upregulated Regulator of p53 Levels (PURPL), a lncRNA not previously associated with breast cancer. We show that PURPL amplification and overexpression are associated with poor survival in Luminal A patients. To study possible mechanisms of action of PURPL, we test whether the low survival of patients with overexpression of PURPL is observed when the data are stratified according to the mutation status of relevant genes or pathways. We find that while the survival differences remain in the subset of patients with no mutations in either TP53 or PIK3CA, they disappear when mutations in both TP53 and PIK3CA are present. These results suggest that the PURPL transcript interacts with the products of both TP53 and PIK3CA and that these interactions determine the different survival outcomes of Luminal A patients with high expression of PURPL.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ochoa Zavalza, S. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pouokam, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kruse, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gonzalez-Isunza, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sazdanovic, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arsuaga, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.11.687413</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Topological data analysis identifies PURPL as a prognostic gene in breast cancer Luminal A patients]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.14.688575v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
mIDEA: An Interpretable Structure-Sequence Model for Methylation-Dependent Protein-DNA Binding Sensitivity 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.14.688575v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
DNA methylation dynamically reshapes protein-DNA interaction landscapes, yet the mechanistic principles governing methylation-dependent recognition remain incompletely understood. Currently, there is no predictive framework that integrates methylation-aware binding specificity with 3D structure-based residue interactions for quantitatively assessing the impact of DNA methylation on protein-DNA interactions. To bridge this gap, we introduce mIDEA (Methylation-informed Interpretable protein-DNA Energy Associative model), a structure-aware, residue-level biophysical framework that predicts and interprets protein-methylated-DNA interactions by optimizing an amino acid-nucleotide energy matrix explicitly accounting for the modulatory effect of 5-methylcytosine. We validate mIDEA across diverse human transcription factors with distinct CpG methylation preferences. Using only structural templates and prior biochemical knowledge, mIDEA accurately recapitulates both "methyl-plus" and "methyl-minus" effects of DNA methylation on protein-DNA binding. Incorporating quantitative methylation-sensitive binding data further enables mIDEA to capture position-specific methylation effects. When integrated with whole-genome methylation profiles, the model enhances in vivo binding-site prediction by reducing false positives while preserving sensitivity compared to models trained on unmethylated sequences. Overall, mIDEA provides a principled framework for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying methylation-modulated protein-DNA recognition. The mIDEA source code is available at: https://github.com/LinResearchGroup-NCSU/IDEA_DNA_Methylation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhong, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.14.688575</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[mIDEA: An Interpretable Structure-Sequence Model for Methylation-Dependent Protein-DNA Binding Sensitivity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.19.689271v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
PlantCV v4: Image analysis software for high-throughput plant phenotyping 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.19.689271v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
PlantCV is an open-source Python project aimed at developing tools to address a range of image-based, plant phenotyping questions. PlantCV has been used for more than 10 years to automate trait collection from image data and the newest release, PlantCV version 4, continues to lower the barrier to entry for users without substantial coding experience through extensive example use-case tutorials and simplified installation. In addition to usability, we document added functionality since the release of PlantCV v2, including support for more image types such as fluorescence, thermal, and hyperspectral data. Finally, we describe the development of a new subpackage focused on morphological trait measurements like leaf angle, and demonstrate its utility as compared to more manual methods of data collection.

CORE IDEASO_LIPlantCV is an open-source, open-development, Python-based software package that has a new release for improved functionality and usability to make image analysis flexible and easier for researchers without a coding background.
C_LIO_LIPlantCV is now capable of handling new data types that are relevant to researchers, such as thermal and hyperspectral, and has built in functionality for extracting information from these image types.
C_LIO_LIThe software project aims to lower the barrier to entry into image analysis for researchers by providing numerous, versioned, interactive tutorials that cover most common use cases, particularly in plant science.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schuhl, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, K. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sheng, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhatt, P. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gutierrez, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schneider, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Casto, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Acosta-Gamboa, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ballenger, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barbero, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Braley, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chavez, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cunningham, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dilhara, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dimech, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duenwald, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fischer, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gordon, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hendrikse, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hernandez, G. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hodge, J. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huber, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hurr, B. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jarolmasjed, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Medina Jimenez, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kenney, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Konkel, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kutschera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lama, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lohbihler, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorence, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luebbert, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ly, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Manching, H. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marrano, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meerdink, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miklave, N. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mudrageda, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Murphy, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Peery, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pierik, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polyd</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.19.689271</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[PlantCV v4: Image analysis software for high-throughput plant phenotyping]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.21.689785v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Comparative genomics and interactions of vector thysanopterans and transmitted viruses 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.21.689785v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We analyzed the genomes of nine thysanopteran (thrips) species, with one newly generated, and examined their relationships with 23 representative orthotospoviruses from the family Tospoviridae (order Bunyavirales). Thrips can be agricultural pests, contributing to measurable yield reductions in economically valuable crops and ornamentals. Some thrips species are confirmed orthotospovirus vectors, while most of the [~]7,000 identified species are unknown in their vector status. We conducted in silico protein-protein interaction predictions for several thrips proteins, including an endocuticle protein previously reported to bind to orthotospovirus glycoproteins. In most ecologically observed vector-virus pairs, the predicted protein-protein interactions were confirmed, and additional plausible vector-virus transmission interactions emerged from our analyses. These results expand our understanding of vector-virus co-evolution and highlight candidate molecular interfaces that could be targeted to disrupt virus transmission in agricultural systems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Catto, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Labadie, P. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kennedy, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jacobson, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hunt, B. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Srinivasan, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.21.689785</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Comparative genomics and interactions of vector thysanopterans and transmitted viruses]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.690264v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Effects of environmental setting and diet on the gut microbial ecology of eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.690264v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundEastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) have undergone substantial population declines throughout their range, leading them to become the focus of increased conservation efforts, including care in zoo and university settings. However, effective implementation of such conservation strategies often relies on a comprehensive understanding of host health, which can be directly influenced by the gut microbiome, yet characterization of gut microbiota often remains overlooked in ex situ conservation facilities. Additionally, effects on the gut microbiome associated with releasing zoo-reared animals into the wild are poorly understood. Therefore, these circumstances make hellbenders an ideal species to examine the relationship between zoo management strategies and gut microbial dynamics.

Methods16S rRNA sequencing was used to investigate dissimilarities between the gut microbiome of hellbenders in zoo and wild settings and to evaluate the impact of implementing a wild diet in zoo-reared hellbenders. Additionally, the bacterial composition of zoo-released individuals and wild resident hellbenders was compared to examine the response of the gut microbiome upon release into natural habitat. Selected samples were also chosen for ITS1 rDNA sequencing as a preliminary investigation of the hellbender gut mycobiome.

ResultsHuman rearing strongly affected the gut microbiome, leading to reduced bacterial richness as well as differing community structure than wild hellbenders. However, implementation of a wild diet in a zoo setting modulated the microbiome and appeared to be mainly driven by bacterial turnover. Additionally, both bacterial and fungal gut assemblages demonstrated the capacity for restructuring upon release into native habitat to become more reflective of a wild-type microbiome.

ConclusionsWe completed the first study elucidating the gut microbial composition patterns of hellbenders, across both zoo and wild settings. These results provide an understanding of the potential impacts of conservation populations in zoos on gut microbial communities and also inform headstart programs of the transition of the gut microbiome post-reintroduction to the wild.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Cummins, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sutton, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McLeod, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dallas, J. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ghotbi, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vargas-Gastelum, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alexander, N. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rurik, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McGinnity, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reinsch, S. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sandonato, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Arbour, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Freake, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ashley, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ternes, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Culp, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spatafora, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McPhail, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stajich, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hardman, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Walker, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.24.690264</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Effects of environmental setting and diet on the gut microbial ecology of eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis)]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.25.690537v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Four Decades of Genomic Stability and Adaptive Divergence in 	 Xanthomonas arboricola pv.  pruni-Infecting Phages: Defining  Duraznoxanthovirus arenicola and Its Evolutionary Framework 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.25.690537v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacteriophages (phages) are abundant and ecologically significant, yet their diversity and roles in plant-associated ecosystems remain poorly understood, limiting their application in sustainable disease management. To address this gap, we characterized 15 phages infecting Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, the causal agent of bacterial spot on peach, has been isolated for over four decades from North Carolina orchards. Comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses revealed two temporally distinct clades with >95% nucleotide identity and 63 conserved core genes, forming a new genus and species, Duraznoxanthovirus arenicola. These findings challenge assumptions of pervasive genomic mosaicism, highlighting remarkable genomic stability alongside localized variability in accessory loci. Beyond genus-level characterization, our analyses support a broader taxonomic restructuring within the family Anamaviridae, introducing a new subfamily (Terravirinae) and two new genera (Duraznoxanthovirus and Ralstopathovirus). This work provides the first family-level framework for phages exclusively infecting plant-associated bacteria, offering evolutionary insights and a foundation for ecological studies and management strategies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>D'Amico-Willman, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Joglekar, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Turner, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flaherty, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ritchie, D. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huerta, A. I.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.25.690537</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Four Decades of Genomic Stability and Adaptive Divergence in 	 Xanthomonas arboricola pv.  pruni-Infecting Phages: Defining  Duraznoxanthovirus arenicola and Its Evolutionary Framework]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.690302v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multi-Omics analyses reveal dynamic interactions between DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during black raspberry ripening 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.690302v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
We profiled developmental-series transcriptome, methylome, and metabolome profiling to reveal extensive epigenetic reprogramming during black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) fruit ripening. Fruit tissues exhibit globally higher DNA methylation than leaves, particularly in CHG and CHH contexts. Local methylation in all cytosine contexts progressively decreases in promoter regions during ripening, whereas CHG and CHH methylation increase in transposon-rich regions. Two primary methylation transitions--promoter hypomethylation and CHH hypermethylation--govern transcriptional shifts in genes involved in ripening processes. Methyl-binding transcription factors with activation potential likely promote CHH hypermethylation-linked transcriptional activation. Multi-omics integration revealed coordinated anthocyanin accumulation parallels expression of biosynthetic and regulatory genes within coherent networks. Elevated non-CG methylation in heterochromatin coincides with increased transcription of histone variants mediating chromatin compaction, suggesting chromatin remodelers fine-tune accessibility for methyltransferases. Our study highlights both genome-wide and locus-specific epigenetic reprogramming and demonstrates a coordinated interplay between DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during black raspberry fruit ripening.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, W.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hung, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, H.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, L.-P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>He, M.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.-C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ho, Y.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkins-Veazie, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Le, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hsieh, T.-F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, J.-Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-11-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.1101/2025.11.24.690302</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multi-Omics analyses reveal dynamic interactions between DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during black raspberry ripening]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-11-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.03.692191v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
MosaicSim: A Novel Mosaic Variant Simulator Reveals Diminishing Returns of Ultra-High Coverage for Mosaic Variant Detection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.03.692191v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genetic mutations within select cells of a tissue, termed mosaic variants (MV), are being increasingly recognized for their role in human disease. This growing interest underscores the need for specialized tools to detect and analyze MVs. However, such detection methods still lack thorough evaluation, largely due to missing benchmarking datasets that are large, reliable, and reflective of the complexity of biological samples. To address this gap, we developed MosaicSim, a tool for simulating variants in realistic sequencing data. The TweakVar workflow is at the tools core and represents a unique simulation pipeline that layers simulated MVs onto empirical whole genome sequencing data, generating a large, realistic ground truth dataset that combines the strengths of both simulation and biological data. To demonstrate the functionality of the workflow, we simulated 1,000 mosaic single nucleotide polymorphisms using TweakVar within whole genome sequencing files of different coverages. MVs were called with Illuminas DRAGEN and compared to the ground truth. Our results show 150x-445x coverage performed comparably, with a true-positive rate between 50.4% (300x) and 54.9% (150x) and no false-positives detected. Across all samples, increasing variant allele frequency had a significant positive effect on call success. Additionally, we observed that call rates for variants in lower complexity regions improved with increasing read depth. We did not find significant effects attributable to specific mutation patterns or mean read map quality. MosaicSim fills a critical unmet need by providing representative, customizable ground truth datasets for MV benchmarking, enabling systematic evaluation and optimization of variant calling methods.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Stricker, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jaryani, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Izydorczyk, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poon, C.-L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sanio, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alexander, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deb, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sedlazeck, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rogers, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Atkinson, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.03.692191</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[MosaicSim: A Novel Mosaic Variant Simulator Reveals Diminishing Returns of Ultra-High Coverage for Mosaic Variant Detection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.08.693081v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An integrated workflow for structural virology with a 100 keV electron microscope 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.08.693081v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cryo-EM has revolutionized structural biology, especially for flexible and heterogeneous samples, although access to high end microscopes that enable these studies remains a bottleneck. While 300 keV microscopes have been the go-to for high-resolution structural determination, they are expensive and restricted to institutional and national facilities needing specialized expertise, with access falling far short of the demand. Here, we present the user-managed operation of a cheaper 100 keV electron microscope within a structural biology laboratory enabling close integration with protein production, biochemical and biophysical studies. We provide details and considerations for the installation of the microscope, its day-to-day maintenance, and operations. Using virus surface glycoproteins as case studies, we illustrate the workflow from grid screening, data collection, and data processing, and provide examples of data quality. This user-administered setup provides a training platform for researchers at all levels, with beginners in cryo-EM achieving proficiency to independently operate the microscope within a month of regular use and training. We have demonstrated routine high-quality low-resolution reconstructions using a Ceta CMOS camera and high-resolution reconstructions enabling building of atomic models using a Falcon C direct detector. While there are several examples of facilities that manage cryo-EM and individual laboratories leveraging cryo-EM, we provide here the first demonstration of a modern group independently doing both successfully, something that has been talked about frequently but rarely seen.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Pathirage, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dutta, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parsons, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lella, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Atwood, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Q. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>May, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huang, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flemming, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kumar, U.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marayati, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spurrier, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhuo, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Song, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Devkota Adhikari, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sammour, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ilevbare, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abram, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Diaz, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guzman, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rai, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Skelly, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hogarty, M. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Anasti, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Purro, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lindsay, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alam, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weissman, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Herschhorn, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hahn, B. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Shaw, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharma, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Heaton, N. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edwards, R. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Henderson, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Denny, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Saunders, K. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siliciano, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siliciano, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haynes, B. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Janowska, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Acharya, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.08.693081</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An integrated workflow for structural virology with a 100 keV electron microscope]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.09.693265v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Immune-cancer analyses across mammals reveal a potential trophic level and platelet-linked tradeoff between cancer and trauma mortality 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.09.693265v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
There may be fitness tradeoffs between wound healing, immune responses, and cancer development due to shared pathways, limited resources and conflicting selective pressures. The immune system is important in both response to injury and carcinogenesis. We initially investigated correlations between cancer prevalence and immune cells, controlling for known associations with body mass and lifespan. We analyzed data from 216 mammalian species from at least 20 individuals per species. Body mass correlated positively with segmented neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios and negatively with lymphocyte concentrations. However, only platelet concentration correlated (negatively) with cancer prevalence (P-value = 0.006). To further understand this association, we investigated whether a fitness tradeoff could exist between preventing death from cancer versus injury. We discovered a negative correlation between cancer and trauma mortalities (P-value [&le;] 0.0006), even when we accounted for the fact that different causes of death must sum to 100%. Platelet size and trophic level negatively correlated with trauma mortality, but not when controlling for cancer mortality (P-value = 0.06). If trauma mortality is an indirect measure of wound healing, this suggests a fitness tradeoff may exist between cancer suppression and wound healing across mammals, mediated in part through platelet size and trophic level.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kapsetaki, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Seyedi, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Compton, Z. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rupp, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duke, E. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schiffman, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Troan, B. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Harrison, T. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Abegglen, L. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Boddy, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.09.693265</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Immune-cancer analyses across mammals reveal a potential trophic level and platelet-linked tradeoff between cancer and trauma mortality]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.13.694107v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Efficient RNA Folding Simulation via a Structure-Based Single-Site-Per-Nucleotide Model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.13.694107v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Computational modeling of large RNA structures and their dynamics is essential for uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying various genomic processes and RNA-regulated cellular functions. Residue-resolution modeling is an effective approach for simulating large biomolecular structures while preserving essential sequence and struc-tural features presented in atomic structures. Here, we implemented a structure-based single-site-per-nucleotide (SSPN) RNA model using the GPU-accelerated OpenMM 1 software and evaluated its computational efficiency and accuracy by simulating RNA hairpins unfolding under force. Our simulations compare favorably with an earlier, more detailed RNA model and quantitatively reproduce experimentally measured ther-modynamic properties of RNA under mechanical stretching. This SSPN model enables scalable and accurate simulations of large RNA ensembles, such as long non-coding RNAs and RNA liquid-liquid phase separation.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thornton, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.13.694107</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Efficient RNA Folding Simulation via a Structure-Based Single-Site-Per-Nucleotide Model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.11.693574v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Assessing PDMS Biocompatibility in Microfluidic Applications: Toxicity and Survival Outcomes in C. elegans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.11.693574v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), often assumed to be biocompatible, is widely used in microfluidic devices and biomedical research. Here, we systematically assess the organismal effects of PDMS network components and their leachates using Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-animal model. We demonstrate that uncrosslinked vinyl-terminated PDMS (v-PDMS) chains, which comprise the majority of a PDMS network and are known to diffuse into aqueous environments, exhibit acute, environmentally-dependent toxicity. Low-molecular-weight v-PDMS (6 kDa) caused mild lethality in nutrient-rich S-Medium but significantly higher mortality in minimal S-Buffer, showing that media composition strongly influences toxic effects. Adding cholesterol, calcium, or magnesium notably reduced v-PDMS-induced lethality, whereas trace metals increased it. Using a DAF-16::GFP reporter strain, we show that cholesterol influences organismal stress responses to v-PDMS exposures. Progeny from starved parents showed full resistance to v-PDMS, suggesting transgenerational stress memory plays a role in reducing PDMS toxicity. We also find that linear siloxanes cause modest but significant lethality, whereas cyclic siloxanes do not. The PDMS crosslinker TDSS, however, provides partial protection when present with v-PDMS, revealing diverse biological effects among PDMS network precursors. Overall, these results show that PDMS-derived components are not universally harmless and that susceptibility depends greatly on environmental conditions, sterol levels, and physiological history. Our findings emphasize the importance of carefully evaluating PDMS formulations for biomedical use and offer a framework for assessing polymer leachate toxicity in living organisms.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Gomez, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Efimenko, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Genzer, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>San Miguel, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.11.693574</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Assessing PDMS Biocompatibility in Microfluidic Applications: Toxicity and Survival Outcomes in C. elegans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.12.694047v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Male songbirds show higher coccidia oocyst burdens than femalesfollowing anthelmintic treatment 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.12.694047v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
In wildlife research, wild-caught vertebrates are often given anti-parasitic drugs when brought into captivity to protect animal health and reduce confounding effects of parasitic infection on research outcomes. However, the impacts of antiparasitic drugs on non-target parasite taxa are understudied, especially regarding host sex. To help address this gap, we investigated the impact of an anthelmintic medication on a protozoan gut parasite by quantifying coccidia oocyst burden in the feces of wild-caught dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) before and after two oral doses of ivermectin. Prior to treatment, males showed higher oocyst burdens than females. Following treatment, ivermectin-treated males showed larger increases in oocyst burden compared to both control males and ivermectin-treated females, while there was no difference in baseline and post-treatment oocyst burden in treated females. Our results suggest that wild-caught songbirds should be housed separately by sex during ivermectin treatment and that male enclosures should be cleaned at a relatively higher frequency due to excessive oocyst shedding. It is unclear whether increases in oocyst burden among males were attributable to helminth removal or a direct impact of ivermectin on host immune function. Further work investigating sex differences in the impact of antiparasitic drugs on non-target parasite taxa is warranted.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Talbott, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tysver, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wanamaker, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ketterson, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.12.694047</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Male songbirds show higher coccidia oocyst burdens than femalesfollowing anthelmintic treatment]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.18.694902v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Does more data solve the problem of deep support? A phylogenomic approach to clarifying evolutionary relationships in the Lecanoraceae 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.18.694902v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The family Lecanoraceae is one of the most diverse groups within Lecanoromycetes, yet its internal relationships have remained unresolved despite previous multilocus studies. Here we present the first phylogenomic reconstruction of the family, based on 1003 nuclear orthologous genes from 65 genome assemblies representing the major species groups and genera. Phylogenetic trees inferred from coalescent-based analyses, together with Quartet Sampling (QS) evaluation, confirm the monophyly of Lecanoraceae and recover several well-supported lineages. The Lecanora subfusca group is resolved as polyphyletic, comprising three major clades together with Zeora and Vainionora. Additional strongly supported lineages correspond to Glaucomaria s. lat., the MPRPS clade, and Lecidella s. lat., while Bryonora and Frutidella represent early-diverging members of the family. The L. fuscescens group and Miriquidica form a distinct lineage sister to Lecanoraceae, whereas Ramboldia (Ramboldiaceae) constitutes another sister family. Backbone support was generally improved, and QS analyses showed counter-support for only a few deep nodes, indicating a complex evolutionary history likely shaped by incomplete lineage sorting, hybridization, or rapid radiation. Our results demonstrate that genome-scale data improve the resolution of Lecanoraceae, but increasing the number of genes alone can not fully resolve the backbone relationships of the family.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, L. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ivanovich-Hichins, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LaGreca, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Muggia, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Myllys, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perez-Ortega, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thor, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weber, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vakkari, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Printzen, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gerasimova, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.18.694902</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Does more data solve the problem of deep support? A phylogenomic approach to clarifying evolutionary relationships in the Lecanoraceae]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.19.695174v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Practical Roadmap For Sampling Floral Nectar From Communities of Many Plant Species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.19.695174v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
O_LIFloral nectar plays a critical role in shaping the ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator interactions. Effective and efficient methods that allow for broad-scale sampling of nectar volume and sugar concentration across a diversity of taxa are needed to improve our understanding of many dimensions of mutualistic plant-pollinator interactions--including their basic ecology and evolution, their responses to environmental change, and their conservation and restoration.
C_LIO_LIDespite the key importance of nectar for mediating plant-pollinator interactions, quantifying floral nectar in the field from many different plant species is challenging because there is often no one-size-fits-all sampling method that is effective across a diversity of floral structures and nectar traits. Different methods require different preparation, and sampling from many species involves a variety of logistical challenges.
C_LIO_LIHere we provide a methodological roadmap for sampling floral nectar in the field from many different plant species. We describe our nectar collection methods in detail, including necessary equipment, calculations, and approaches appropriate for different floral morphologies. We also provide a troubleshooting guide for common problems encountered while collecting nectar in the field. To demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of our methods for collecting nectar from many different species, we present results on nectar trait variation from 53 species in an ecosystem.
C_LIO_LIOur method illustrates that nectar traits vary considerably within and among plant species, indicating that large-scale nectar sampling projects are an important consideration for many basic and applied questions in pollination ecology and evolution. We hope that across many plant communities and ecosystems, our paper provides a practical roadmap for how to navigate the complexities of quantifying floral nectar traits.
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kirschke, G. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bain, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ogilvie, J. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>CaraDonna, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.19.695174</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Practical Roadmap For Sampling Floral Nectar From Communities of Many Plant Species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.21.695802v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Cyfip2 mediates sensorimotor integration of visual input through Rac1-dependent actin remodeling 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.21.695802v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sensorimotor integration of visual input is essential for adaptive behaviors such as navigation, hunting, and escape from danger, yet our understanding of the developmental mechanisms that assemble these visuomotor circuits remains incomplete. Cytoplasmic FMRP-interacting protein 2 (cyfip2) is a key factor in retinotectal axon guidance in zebrafish larvae, and it has conserved roles in regulating actin dynamics and mRNA translation. Variants in human CYFIP2 cause neurodevelopmental disabilities including vision deficits, but how it functions to shape visually-driven behavior is unclear. Here we measured multiple visually-mediated behaviors, brain-wide activity, and conditional rescue of behavioral defects in larval zebrafish to define cyfip2s roles in assembling visual sensorimotor circuits. cyfip2 mutants display severe deficits in prey capture and dark and light flash responses, despite normal optokinetic responses, indicating intact retinal phototransduction but disrupted downstream sensorimotor integration. Both spontaneous and stimulus-evoked neuronal activity are reduced in the optic tectum of cyfip2 mutants, as measured by phospho-ERK immunostaining and pan-neuronal calcium, consistent with impaired functional input from retinal ganglion cells. Finally, using conditional transgenic alleles to temporally control Cyfip2 expression, we identified a critical window from 30-50 hours post-fertilization during which Cyfip2 acts through Rac1-dependent actin polymerization but not FMRP-mediated translation to establish visual behavior circuits. Together, these findings define how and when Cyfip2 acts as a critical organizer of vertebrate visual circuit development, providing mechanistic insight into the visual and motor deficits in human subjects with variants in CYFIP2.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Charron, K. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cole, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hancock, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sumathipala, S. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, A. L. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frazier, K. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marsden, K. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.21.695802</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Cyfip2 mediates sensorimotor integration of visual input through Rac1-dependent actin remodeling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.695586v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The control of prickle formation in Rubus 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.695586v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Prickles on blackberry and raspberry canes make pruning, harvesting, and handling more difficult and can increase labor costs for growers. The trait has been challenging to improve in these clonal crops because it is recessive and linked to undesirable agronomic traits. In blackberry and red raspberry, breeding programs have used recessive mutants at the S locus to generate prickleless cultivars for the last century. In this study, we identified independent loss-of-function mutations in a WUSCHEL-LIKE HOMEOBOX transcription factor, WOX1, as the genetic basis of the prickleless S locus in both blackberry and red raspberry. We mapped the S locus using integrated genome-wide association, bulked segregant analysis, and identity-by-descent analyses informed by breeding pedigrees. Additionally, we generated a genome sequence from Luther Burbanks prickleless blackberry variety Burbank Thornless that contained an additional allele of WOX1. To verify the genes role, we used gene editing to knock out WOX1 in an elite prickled commercial blackberry line. All edited plants were prickleless and lacked glandular trichomes, confirming that WOX1 controls a joint developmental pathway. Other plant traits were unchanged, indicating WOX1 is a specific and safe target for improvement. Gene editing can enable breeders to remove prickles directly from elite varieties, reducing the need for extensive breeding cycles and delivering safer, easier-to-harvest cultivars to growers.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>St. Aubin, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Poorten, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fister, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ochsenfeld, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reiner, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castillo, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aryal, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bruna, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dudchenko, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sargent, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mead, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buti, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Silva, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pham, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Weisz, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bassil, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ashrafi, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aiden, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Graham, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chauhan, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dean, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lowry, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Redpath, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marri, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lawit, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pham, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Worthington, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crawford, B. C. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.22.695586</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The control of prickle formation in Rubus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.23.696228v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Does Fermentation Enhance Beverage Safety? Kombucha's Resistance to Microbial Invasion Suggests a Protective Role 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.23.696228v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Does fermentation enhance the safety of beverages? This study investigates kombuchas resilience to microbial invasion from human hands. Kombucha, an ancient fermented tea, relies on a biofilm known as a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) and a starter culture to ferment sweet tea, producing various metabolites including gluconic acid, acetic acid, ethanol, and carbon dioxide. While fermented foods have been historically associated with potential health benefits, direct evidence comparing the prevalence of human pathogens in fermented versus non-fermented beverages has been lacking. To address this, we conducted a citizen science experiment at Arizona State University, introducing swabs from peoples palms into both kombucha and a sweet tea control. Over 30 days, we monitored the bacterial and fungal composition using 16S and ITS rRNA sequencing. Our findings reveal that kombucha maintained a relatively stable microbial profile and physical appearance, with a typical SCOBY biofilm developing. In stark contrast, the sweet tea experienced a dramatic change in microbial composition and was visibly compromised by rapidly growing microorganisms. Importantly, this suggests that the complex microbial ecosystem of kombucha can limit the growth of foreign microbes introduced from human hands. Given that human pathogens were absent from the kombucha while present in the tea samples, our results indicate that the antimicrobial properties of fermentation byproducts and the physical barrier of the SCOBY may contribute to this resilience. Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying kombuchas resistance to microbial invasion.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Marquez Alcaraz, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Narayanan, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alcock, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ayers, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baciu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Berman, H. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dunn, R. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fortunato, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>May, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maley, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siegal, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yavari, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.23.696228</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Does Fermentation Enhance Beverage Safety? Kombucha's Resistance to Microbial Invasion Suggests a Protective Role]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.696028v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetically engineered ESC-derived embryos reveal Vinculin-dependent force responses required for mammalian neural tube closure 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.696028v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Epithelial sheets build complex structures by converting mechanical forces into changes in cell and tissue organization. During neural tube closure, the neural plate dynamically remodels to produce a closed tube that provides the structural foundation for the developing brain and spinal cord. How cells maintain epithelial integrity despite the forces required for tissue morphogenesis during neural tube closure is not understood. We show that mechanical forces are upregulated during cranial neural tube closure in the mouse embryo and recruit the force-sensitive protein Vinculin to adherens junctions. Leveraging a genetically engineered embryonic stem cell-based pipeline to efficiently generate mutant embryos, we show that Vinculin mutants produce mechanical forces correctly but fail to maintain cell adhesion under tension, resulting in a failure of cranial neural fold elevation. Live imaging of cell behavior in the developing midbrain reveals that apical constriction, cell rearrangement, and cell division initiate correctly in Vinculin mutants, but their progression is impeded by disruption of adherens junctions at sites of increased tension. These results demonstrate that Vinculin is required to reinforce cell adhesion in response to increasing physiological forces during cranial neural tube closure, and that this activity is necessary to translate these forces into changes in tissue structure.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Prudhomme, I. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brooks, E. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Taneja, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhattacharya, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>LaFleche, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Furuta, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zallen, J. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.22.696028</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetically engineered ESC-derived embryos reveal Vinculin-dependent force responses required for mammalian neural tube closure]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.696103v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Neuropeptide F regulates adult female response to diet, larval locomotion and several larval physiological processes in Lucilia cuprina cuprina 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.696103v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The blowfly Lucilia cuprina dorsalis is a highly detrimental ectoparasite of sheep responsible for causing flystrike, a condition that can result in severe morbidity and potentially lead to death if left untreated. In contrast, Lucilia cuprina cuprina is necrophagous and not a pest. We have been interested in identifying the genes that may play a role in the evolution of a parasitic lifestyle in blowflies. The objective of the present work was to explore the physiological role of the L. cuprina long neuropeptide F gene (LcNPF) in L. c. cuprina. We used CRISPR/Ca9 to generate a strain carrying a loss-of-function knock-in mutation for LcNPF. An RNA-Seq analysis was performed, and physiological and behavioral assays were conducted to evaluate the role of LcNPF in larvae and adult flies. Our findings indicate that functional disruption of the LcNPF gene significantly impairs egg hatching, larval survival, weight gain, crawling speed and larval time to pupariation. These phenotypic changes were corroborated by RNA-Seq analysis, which revealed downregulation of transcripts in LcNPF null mutated larvae associated with the respective physiological processes. In contrast, the foraging behavior of the larvae under the tested conditions was not affected. Interestingly, NPF appears to be essential for the oviposition preference of females for rotten meat but not for male mating behavior or fertility. Our results suggest that NPF signaling plays a central regulatory role in multiple physiological processes across both the larval and adult stages.

Highlights{square} A loss-of-function knock-in mutation of the LcNPF gene was obtained using CRISPR/Cas9.
{square}LcNPF-homozygous mutant larvae showed decreased weight gain, locomotion and survival on rotten meat.
{square}Disruption of the LcNPF gene eliminated the female preference for oviposition in rotten meat.
{square}LcNPF does not appear to be essential for normal fertility or male mating behavior as homozygotes were comparable to wild type
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Wulff, J. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Belikoff, E. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cunha, V. A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mariano-Martins, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2025-12-25</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.22.696103</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Neuropeptide F regulates adult female response to diet, larval locomotion and several larval physiological processes in Lucilia cuprina cuprina]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2025-12-25</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.31.696882v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Time-dependent Glucocorticoid-Induced Transcriptomic Changes in Human Trabecular Meshwork and Schlemm's Canal 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.31.696882v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
PurposeTo identify the transcriptomic changes induced by dexamethasone (DEX) in trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemms canal endothelial (SCE) cells with RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq).

MethodsHuman TM (n=10) and SCE cell strains (n=5) were isolated from healthy donor eyes and exposed to DEX 100nM and vehicle (control). Three DEX exposure times were evaluated: 1-hour, 6-hours, and 2 days. RNA-seq was performed on Illuminas TruSeq platform and gene expression was quantified using featureCount. DESeq2 paired (treated and untreated) sample test was applied to identify genes transcriptionally responsive to DEX (DEGs) at false discovery rate <0.05. Gene-set enrichment analyses were performed on DEGs. DEGs were tested for association with glaucoma (POAG) and intraocular pressure (IOP).

ResultsNine TM and 4 SCE strains passed quality control. After 2-day DEX exposure, there were 857 and 2,086 DEGs in TM and SCE, respectively. Of these, 411 genes were differentially expressed in both TM and SCE, including FKBP5 (17.3-fold-change, p=6.9x10-53) and FAM107A (25.1-fold-change, p=4.0x10-240), the most significant DEG after 2-day DEX exposure in TM and SCE, respectively. The 2-day DEX DEGs in TM and SCE were enriched in cell adhesion, extracellular matrix, and response to stimulus in Gene Ontologies (p<3.7x10-6). Early response DEGs were enriched in immune-related processes. Thirteen DEGs in TM were significant at all three time points, including PER1. LTBP2 is a TM-only DEG and FAM105A a SCE-only DEG associated with IOP and POAG risk.

ConclusionsThis study identified candidate genes and pathways for glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension which can be further explored in human genetic analyses.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mehrotra, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jeanneret, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perkumas, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lama, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Huynh, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mukundan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Scott, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Apivatthakakul, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wiggs, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stamer, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Segre, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sobrin, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2025.12.31.696882</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Time-dependent Glucocorticoid-Induced Transcriptomic Changes in Human Trabecular Meshwork and Schlemm's Canal]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.08.698428v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Selective Age-Related Changes in Brain Network Connectivity During Young Adulthood: Sensory Networks Decrease While Hub Networks Remain Stable 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.08.698428v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Young adulthood (ages 22-35 years) represents an important period for brain development, yet mechanisms underlying age-related connectivity changes remain poorly understood. We examined developmental trajectories in 66 healthy young adults (22 per age group: 22-25, 26-30, 31-35 years) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from the Human Connectome Project. Contrary to expectations of global increases, we found selective age-related changes: sensory networks (visual and auditory) showed significant decreases in connectivity with age (visual: slope = -0.0133, p = 0.038; auditory: slope = -0.0184, p = 0.012), while hub networks (default mode and frontoparietal) and other networks remained stable (all p > 0.15). Network coupling analysis revealed a mechanistic explanation: sensory networks decouple from hub networks with age (DMN-AUD: change = -0.77; DMN-VIS: change = -0.56), while sensory networks show increased coupling with each other (VIS-AUD: +0.18). This decoupling explains why only sensory networks show age-related changes, as they become independent from hub networks during young adulthood. Importantly, total IQ showed no significant association with network connectivity (all |r| < 0.10, all p > 0.43), strengthening the developmental interpretation. Machine learning revealed the somatomotor network was most predictive of age. All effects remained consistent after controlling for head motion and across sexes. These results demonstrate selective, network-specific developmental trajectories during young adulthood, with sensory networks becoming independent from hub networks and showing age-related decreases, while hub networks maintain stability.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.08.698428</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Selective Age-Related Changes in Brain Network Connectivity During Young Adulthood: Sensory Networks Decrease While Hub Networks Remain Stable]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.10.698796v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inferring toxicant susceptibility in global populations from gene-environment interactions involving the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.10.698796v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Gene-environment interaction (GxE) studies comprise a very small part of the genetics or environmental epidemiology literature, and most existing studies are in populations of European ancestry. We made predictions about GxE in global populations by combining existing GxE studies with genetic data from the 1000 Genomes Project (1kGP), which captured genetic variation in diverse populations worldwide. We modeled susceptibility of 1kGP populations to 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposures based on variation in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene. The premise of our approach is that the risk variants involved in GxE are shared across global super-populations but vary in frequency by population. We built our model upon GxE estimates from a study in Seveso, Italy, where offspring birthweight was influenced by AHR variants after TCDD exposure. Our simulations predicted that GxE would result in different outcomes across global populations. This framework can be extended to model population susceptibility to a broad range of toxicants that impact public health, including common AHR ligands like the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in cigarette smoke and diesel exhaust.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Chimeh, U. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rogers, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Aylor, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.10.698796</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inferring toxicant susceptibility in global populations from gene-environment interactions involving the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.07.698247v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genetic variation in a plant-parasitic nematode is associated with gene expression changes conserved across evolutionarily distant host plants 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.07.698247v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
A hallmark of the interactions between endoparasites (parasites that live within plant tissue) and their hosts, is the parasites ability to hijack host gene expression to support their own existence. While a number of studies have been performed to identify plant genes that are recruited in this process, there is much that remains unknown. One mechanism by which these connections can be explored is using a traditional genetics approach - identifying connections between genetic variation and phenotype variation. To that end, we leverage experiments examining tissue from three host plants, each infected with one of two genetically distinct strains of the endoparasite Meloidogyne hapla. Using gene expression profiles, we identify plant genes that differ based on the genetic background of the parasite, and show that these signals are common across plant hosts. These results indicate that the plant genes recruited by the parasite differ according to the parasites genetic background, and that these alternative patterns are conserved across evolutionarily distant hosts. We also leverage public data to identify conserved host expression differences when comparing M. hapla-infected roots to uninfected root tissue. Finally, we demonstrate that parasite gene expression varies based on the parasites genetic background, and these signals are also conserved when inhabiting different host species.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Nielsen, D. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.07.698247</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genetic variation in a plant-parasitic nematode is associated with gene expression changes conserved across evolutionarily distant host plants]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.13.699197v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Genomic and phenotypic diversification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during sustained exposure to a ciliate predator 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.13.699197v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Opportunistic bacterial pathogens often encounter strong selective pressures outside their hosts, yet the evolutionary consequences of long-term predator exposure remain poorly understood. Here, we used experimental evolution to examine how sustained interaction with a eukaryotic predator shapes genomic adaptation, phenotypic diversification, and virulence-associated traits in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Replicate populations of P. aeruginosa were evolved for 60 days in the presence or absence of the ciliate predator Tetrahymena thermophila, followed by whole-population metagenomic sequencing, isolate-level genome sequencing, and quantitative phenotypic assays. We observed extensive genetic diversification across all populations, with strong signatures of both positive and purifying selection and pervasive parallel evolution at gene and nucleotide levels. Predator-exposed populations accumulated mutations enriched in regulatory, metabolic, and virulence-associated pathways, revealing predictable genomic targets of selection. However, many parallel mutations were shared between predator-exposed and predator-free populations, indicating that adaptation to the abiotic environment represented a dominant selective force. Genotype-phenotype analyses revealed pleiotropic effects and trade-offs linking motility, growth, and virulence-associated traits. Despite pronounced genomic adaptation and coordinated phenotypic shifts, changes in virulence in an in vivo host model were modest and context dependent. Taken together, our results indicate that predator exposure can influence evolutionary trajectories in P. aeruginosa and highlight the value of extending such approaches across multiple ecological and host contexts.

SignificanceMany bacterial pathogens spend much of their evolutionary history outside hosts, where they face intense ecological pressures such as predation. How these pressures shape pathogen evolution and disease potential remains unclear. Using experimental evolution, genomics, and phenotypic analyses, we show that prolonged exposure to a eukaryotic predator drives predictable genetic and phenotypic changes in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Predator exposure altered regulatory, metabolic, and virulence-associated pathways, yet much adaptation was shared with predator-free populations, highlighting the dominant role of abiotic environments. Although predator-driven evolution reshaped traits linked to motility and growth, its effects on virulence were modest and context dependent. These findings clarify how environmental interactions influence pathogen evolution and underscore the importance of studying pathogens across diverse ecological settings.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Romo Bechara, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bardeskar, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hopkins, H. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Raymann, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.13.699197</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Genomic and phenotypic diversification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during sustained exposure to a ciliate predator]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.13.699118v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Behavior evolves as a correlated response to selection on cuticle color in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.13.699118v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
To predict adaptive evolution, we need to understand the degree to which selection on one trait can constrain or redirect evolutionary responses in other traits. We used artificial selection on cuticle color in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans to investigate whether color and behavior evolve in tandem. We selected for light and dark thoracic colors for 16 generations in two populations per species and measured correlated responses in a suite of behavioral traits, including aggression, basal activity, total activity, sleep, and geotaxis. Dark selected individuals consistently showed higher aggression and basal activity than light selected or control flies across both species and sexes, pointing to a modest but repeatable correlated response that must be interpreted in light of low and variable aggression in our assay. In contrast, patterns for geotaxis, sleep, and total activity evolved unpredictably, often varying across species and populations, and showed no clear or uniform association with color. Taken together, our results suggest that some behaviors may share a predictable relationship with color, whereas others behave largely independently under the conditions we examined. The persistence of correlated responses in aggression and basal activity in response to selection on color is consistent with a conserved genetic basis, such as pleiotropy or tight linkage, although our data do not, by themselves, distinguish among these mechanisms. Future work that identifies the loci underlying variation in both color and behavior and tests their effects experimentally will be important for clarifying how multivariate genetic covariance shapes the direction and pace of adaptive evolution.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ruckman, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duffy, A. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mendez, P. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>McCaffery, K. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Miller, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crews, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tan, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Campbell, L. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>March, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brown, E. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Houle, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.13.699118</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Behavior evolves as a correlated response to selection on cuticle color in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.15.699759v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Spindle biochemistry responds to compressive force from thenuclear envelope to tune spindle dynamics during closed mitosis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.15.699759v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
During closed mitosis in S. pombe, the nuclear envelope and mitotic spindle must work together mechanically and biochemically to ensure successful nuclear division. Previous work has demonstrated that mechanical force from the nuclear envelope, transmitted through spindle pole bodies, can re-shape the spindle. However, it remains unclear how force might alter spindle biochemistry. Here, we investigate how force reprograms the spindle with two approaches: chronically increasing nuclear envelope tension via the lipid synthesis inhibitor cerulenin, and acutely applying force through an optical trap. Both perturbations slow elongation dynamics and reduce microtubule number. Despite this reduction, key spindle proteins Ase1 and Klp5 increase their density at the spindle midzone, indicating inward force from the nuclear envelope can alter spindle biochemistry. We find that while motor proteins Klp5 and Klp6 only minimally affect the spindles response to increased nuclear envelope force, the combination of removing Ase1 and increasing nuclear envelope force together rescue spindle stability. Together, our findings reveal that nuclear force on the spindle does not merely alter its shape, but is key in regulating its biochemistry to maintain force balance.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Mahoney, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Needham, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hakeem, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Begley, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Medina, C. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Elting, M. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-15</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.15.699759</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Spindle biochemistry responds to compressive force from thenuclear envelope to tune spindle dynamics during closed mitosis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-15</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.15.699726v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Hydrodynamic dispersion drives viral-cellular contact for gene delivery in porous media 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.15.699726v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Reactive biological processes often hinge on rare collisions between particles that occupy vastly different physical regimes, yet the transport physics that govern these encounters remain poorly understood. Biological cell-virus encounters offer a uniquely quantifiable instance of this general problem: collisions between particles whose transport is governed by entirely different physical mechanisms, yet whose interactions determine system-level function. In stagnant liquids, nanoscale viral vectors explore space only through slow Brownian diffusion, while microscale cells rapidly sediment, producing species separation that suppresses the virus-cell interaction interface. Here we show that liquid absorption into a dry, macroporous sponge enhances viral-cellular interactions by shifting the system into an advection-dispersion regime that circumvents this sedimentation-diffusion limit. By integrating experimental results with a multiscale simulation model, we demonstrate that the tortuous sponge porosity converts capillary-driven flow into convective mixing, driving orders-of-magnitude increases in viral-cellular collision rates. Coupling these dispersive transport dynamics with a probabilistic capture model reveals that hydrodynamic dispersion accounts for the multifold enhancement in viral-cellular transduction efficiency observed in porous sponges. These results provide a quantitative framework for emergent collision dynamics in complex porous media and establish a generalizable strategy to optimize active transport in spatiotemporally heterogeneous biological systems.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Srikanth, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mallory, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ulmer, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Legant, W. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Brudno, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-16</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.15.699726</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Hydrodynamic dispersion drives viral-cellular contact for gene delivery in porous media]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-16</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.16.699965v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Multiscale temporal tuning of force generation complex machinery governs cortical microtubule interactions during the first mitotic division in C. elegans 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.16.699965v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Dynein is an essential microtubule motor whose many roles in mitosis complicate efforts to resolve its spatiotemporally dynamic regulation. We previously established a method to classify single particles of the conserved cortical force generation complex (dynein--LIN-5NuMA--GPR-1/2LGN--GGi), as free or interacting with microtubules. Here, we report the results of depleting force generation complex components and regulators. Depleting LIS-1 reversed force asymmetry, while depletion of the regulatory subunit SUR-6PP2A-B55 significantly increased incidence of dynein trajectories with microtubule-interacting behavior during prophase. We next applied our classification scheme to the dynein anchor LIN-5. Microtubule-interacting LIN-5 trajectories were posteriorly enriched during anaphase, consistent with our dynein data and prior fluorescence studies. SUR-6PP2A-B55 depletion did not alter LIN-5 kinetics, suggesting regulation of a dynein specific function rather than regulation via LIN-5. We found evidence that two distinct regulators of force generation complex behavior, microtubule interactions and cortical flows, govern on the millisecond and second time scales, respectively. Our observations provide novel insight into the regulation of cortical dynein and the coupling among the cell membrane, actomyosin cortex, force generation complex, and microtubules that position the mitotic spindle.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Edwards, G. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Linehan, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maddox, P. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maddox, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.16.699965</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Multiscale temporal tuning of force generation complex machinery governs cortical microtubule interactions during the first mitotic division in C. elegans]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.17.700095v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The MexMAGIC population reveals the genetic architecture of clinal trait variation in Mexican native maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.17.700095v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Defining the genetic basis of local adaptation is fundamental to evolutionary biology and crop improvement. Theory predicts that when selective pressures track differences in the environment, a cline will be established. Such clines might be exploited to uncover adaptive variation by association of alleles with environmental stressors. However, monotonic phenotypic change over a cline is not necessarily mirrored by adaptive genetic variants. Furthermore, population structure can complicate the interpretation of genotype-environment association. To test the assumptions of genotype-environment association in a crop species, we developed a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) population using eight Mexican native maize varieties sourced from distinct agroecological zones. We mapped two clinal traits (tassel branching and flowering time) differing in genetic architecture. Variation in tassel branch number was dominated by a single QTL with allele effects that aligned well with a negative elevational cline. In contrast, we mapped 11 flowering time QTL with allele effects that were not consistently correlated with any one source environmental factor and distinct loci donated by highland and lowland early maturing varieties. Our observations support the theoretical result that genotype-environment association will be strongest under simple genetic architecture, although identification of adaptive alleles may still be confounded by population structure.

Plain Language: Nine thousand years of careful selection and cultivation by indigenous farmers has generated a rich diversity of native Mexican maize (corn) varieties, grown from sea level to high mountains, and from jungle to semidesert. By crossing native varieties adapted to different locations, we can uncover important genetic variants conferring tolerance to environmental stressors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Perez-Limon, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Alonso-Nieves, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ramirez-Flores, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cintora-Martinez, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Salazar-Vidal, M. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carcano-Macias, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perryman, M. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paulson, O. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sidhu, J. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yu, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Llaca, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fengler, K. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Runcie, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ross-Ibarra, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gillmor, C. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rellan-Alvarez, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sawers, R. J. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-21</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.17.700095</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The MexMAGIC population reveals the genetic architecture of clinal trait variation in Mexican native maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-21</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.27.702067v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Pharmacokinetics and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Mycobacteriophages: Insights into Pulmonary Distribution and Clearance 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.27.702067v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bacteriophage therapy is being explored as an alternate therapeutic approach for treating drug- resistant bacteria, including mycobacteria. However, rational phage dosing remains limited by scarce pharmacokinetic (PK) data and an incomplete understanding of tissue distribution. We performed dose-ranging studies in mice of three therapeutic mycobacteriophages (BPs{Delta}, ZoeJ{Delta}, Muddy) after intravenous (IV) and intratracheal (IT) administration. All phages behaved similarly. IV dosing produced biphasic kinetics with non-proportional exposure and declining tissue-to-plasma ratios, indicating saturable uptake and elimination. IT delivery yielded monophasic profiles with [~]390-fold higher lung exposure and [~]490-fold lower plasma exposure, supporting inhaled therapy for pulmonary mycobacterial infections. Using BPs{Delta} data, we developed a mechanistic PBPK model incorporating transcytosis, saturable host clearance, plasma elimination, and lymphatic transport. The model accurately predicted ZoeJ{Delta} and Muddy PK, enabled cross-species extrapolation, and showed that phage morphology influences disposition. This framework advances phage therapy toward model-informed, exposure-guided dose and route selection for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Sharma, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mahadevan, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Divyash, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yeshwante, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Matcha, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cheng, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Talley, H. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schmalstig, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Neupane, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Maloney Norcross, S. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hickey, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hatfull, G. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Braunstein, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rao, G. G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-01-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.01.27.702067</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Pharmacokinetics and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Mycobacteriophages: Insights into Pulmonary Distribution and Clearance]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-01-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.02.703411v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A biophysical framework for accurately identifying antigen single-amino acid escape variants and corresponding variant-specific compensatory TCR sequences 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.02.703411v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The impact of single amino acid substitution on T-cell receptor (TCR) recognition is central to understanding the molecular determinants of TCR specificity and degeneracy during viral mutational escape, cancer recognition, and autoimmunity. In this study, we developed a biophysics-informed computational approach integrating experimental alanine-scan mutagenesis data from the autoimmune-associated ALWGPDPAAA peptide bound to HLA-A*02:01 together with coarse-grained structural modeling. Our approach reconstructs the energetics and structural determinants underpinning the observed loss of recognition by the diabetogenic 1E6 TCR upon single-point mutations, specifically at the critical Pro5 and Asp6 residues. Leveraging the computational models ability to incorporate multiple structural templates into binding predictions, this approach quantitatively reproduces experimentally measured affinity disruptions. Additionally, we apply our approach to identify potential compensatory interactions capable of restoring binding affinity through alternative residue interactions. This integrative computational framework contributes a strategy for inferring TCR-peptide binding energetics at the single amino acid level, guiding the rational design of peptide-based immunotherapeutics, and predicting the functional impacts of clinically relevant peptide variants.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ghoreyshi, Z. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Levine, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Onuchic, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>George, J. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.02.703411</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A biophysical framework for accurately identifying antigen single-amino acid escape variants and corresponding variant-specific compensatory TCR sequences]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.02.703429v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A deep-learning-based score to evaluate multiple sequence alignments 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.02.703429v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) inference is a central task in molecular evolution and comparative genomics, and the reliability of downstream analyses, including phylogenetic inference, depends critically on alignment quality. Despite this importance, most widely used MSA methods optimize the sum-of-pairs (SP) score, and relatively little attention has been paid to whether this objective function accurately reflects alignment accuracy. Here, we evaluate the performance of the SP score using simulated and empirical benchmark alignments. For each dataset, we compare alternative MSAs derived from the same unaligned sequences and quantify the relationship between their SP scores and their distances from a reference alignment. We show that the alignment with the optimal SP score often does not correspond to the most accurate alignment. To address this limitation, we develop deep-learning-based scoring functions that integrate a collection of MSA features. We first introduce Model 1, a regression model that predicts the distance of a given MSA from the reference alignment. Across simulated and empirical datasets, this learned score correlates more strongly with true alignment accuracy than the SP score. However, Model 1 is less effective at identifying the best alignment among alternatives. We therefore develop Model 2, which takes as input a set of alternative MSAs generated from the same sequences and predicts their relative ranking. Model 2 more accurately identifies the top-ranking MSA than the SP score, Model 1, and several widely used alignment programs. Using simulations, we show that selecting MSAs based on our approach leads to more accurate phylogenetic reconstructions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Serok, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Polonsky, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ashkenazy, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mayrose, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thorne, J. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pupko, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-05</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.02.703429</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A deep-learning-based score to evaluate multiple sequence alignments]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-05</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.04.703923v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Springtail-inspired compliant hinge enables terrain-adaptable takeoff in insect-scale robots 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.04.703923v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Springtails execute millisecond-scale escape jumps with a single appendage, the furca, on soil, snow, leaf litter, and water. Across 15 taxonomic families (n=552 individuals), relative furca length is bimodal. High-speed video and confocal imaging show that in some long-furca springtails, the resilin-rich manubrium-dens joint behaves as a compliant hinge. It bends during push-off to prolong contact, suppress pitch, and bias takeoff forward, whereas rigid joints drive backward launches with rapid body rotation. We translate this mechanism to a 20-mm, 84-mg jumping robot with an elastic robo-furca hinge. This flexible hinge reduces body rotation by [~] 90% on flat ground compared to rigid-hinge designs, while maintaining takeoff speed on gravel, springboards, leaves, and pine needles, enabling passive, terrain-adaptable launches for power-limited insect-scale robots without onboard sensing or active control.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Harrison, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kim, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ko, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Truong, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Koh, J.-s.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bhamla, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-07</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.04.703923</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Springtail-inspired compliant hinge enables terrain-adaptable takeoff in insect-scale robots]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-07</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.11.705202v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Changing pollination rates affect plant life history strategies 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.11.705202v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
An organisms life history strategy is an attempt to optimize fitness, given environmental constraints and inherent demographic tradeoffs. As such, life history helps to shape an organisms ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental change. However, life history can also be shaped by the environment, as the organisms demographic rates respond--directly or through tradeoffs--to the new conditions. This feedback between life history and environment remains poorly understood, limiting our ability to predict the outcomes of environmental change. Here, we studied the effects of environmental change - specifically altered pollination services - on four perennial plant species. We conducted a field-based demography experiment that subjected naturally occurring populations of Delphinium nuttallianum, Hydrophyllum fendleri, Potentilla pulcherrima and Erigeron speciosus to three pollination treatments: ambient (control), reduced, or increased pollination. We estimated population growth rate ({lambda}) and 11 metrics describing life history strategy and demographic resilience from an Integral Projection Model we constructed for each species and parameterized with 4-5 years of census data. Although most life history metrics responded idiosyncratically to pollination treatment, we found consistent effects of pollination on generation time, longevity and, in three of four species, recovery time. Specifically, reduced pollination led to increased longevity, generation time, and recovery time, and increased pollination led to the opposite. These changes in life history resemble shifts along the slow-fast continuum; reduced pollination led to slower lives and increased pollination led to faster lives. This is consequential because generation time and longevity influence short- and long-term population dynamics - for example, by affecting demographic stochasticity and sensitivity to environmental stochasticity, or rates of adaptation to novel conditions. Notably, these changes occurred largely independent from changes in population growth. Altogether, our results highlight changes in life history as an important but underappreciated consequence of environmental change.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Simpson, D. T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Petry, W. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>CaraDonna, P. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iler, A. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.11.705202</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Changing pollination rates affect plant life history strategies]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.17.706431v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Temporal stability and niche partitioning of bacterial communities in paired residential sink P-traps 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.17.706431v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Sink P-traps harbor microbial communities derived from environmental and human sources, yet longitudinal studies examining their stability and assembly dynamics remain limited. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the longest continuous characterization of bacteria collected from residential sink P-traps, with daily sampling over two months (n = 61 days). Samples were collected from paired sinks in a shared bathroom to identify dominant taxa, quantify temporal stability, and determine how occupant usage patterns influence community assembly. Using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we identified 3,865 unique taxa, with both sinks dominated by common sink-associated genera, including Pseudomonas, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, and Arcobacter. Despite sharing identical plumbing, environmental conditions, and cleaning regimes, the two sinks maintained distinct communities (p < 0.001). Temporal stability analyses revealed notable differences: Sink A (male; hand washing, toothbrushing, shaving) exhibited deterministic dynamics with low variability (CV = 4.9%), significant temporal autocorrelation (p = 0.001), and predictable trajectories, with time explaining 49.9% of community variation. In contrast, Sink B (female; hand washing, toothbrushing, face washing, mouthwash use) displayed stochastic dynamics with high volatility (CV = 26.5%), no significant autocorrelation (p = 0.53), and minimal temporal predictability. Differential abundance analysis revealed that Sink B was enriched in anaerobes, biofilm-forming taxa, oral microbiome associates, and preservative-resistant and lipid-degrading bacteria, while Sink A harbored a more aerobic, skin-associated community. These findings demonstrate that individual usage patterns (particularly exposure to biocidal agents) can alter P-trap community structure and temporal dynamics, with implications for microbial community prediction in residential and healthcare settings.

ImportanceSink drains are increasingly recognized as reservoirs for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, yet we lack fundamental knowledge about what drives bacterial community dynamics in these environments. By sampling paired residential sink P-traps daily for two months, we show that individual-specific behaviors, such as using products with a biocidal effect, can alter community composition from a stable, predictable state to one characterized by stochastic fluctuations. The sink exposed to mouthwash and face wash harbored more anaerobes, biofilm formers, and oral bacteria, suggesting that repeated exposure promotes disturbance-tolerant taxa rather than reducing bacterial colonization. These results provide a baseline ecological framework for understanding P-trap microbiomes and suggest that predictive monitoring of sink-associated pathogens might be feasible in stable environments but more difficult when there is variable antimicrobial exposure -- a finding directly relevant to hospital infection control.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Hill, M. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Stiffler, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rabasco, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Blakley, I. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>SUN, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fodor, A. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gunsch, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-18</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.17.706431</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Temporal stability and niche partitioning of bacterial communities in paired residential sink P-traps]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-18</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.18.706608v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Spatial confinement of gene drives: Assessing risk of failure using global sensitivity analysis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.18.706608v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Gene drives allow pest populations to be genetically modified to reduce their harm on agriculture and human health. The genetic modification, or payload, spreads within a target population at rates exceeding normal Mendelian inheritance. While gene drives have demonstrated immense potential in laboratory populations, they present unique challenges. Foremost among these challenges is spatial confinement, or ensuring that the payload remains confined to target populations. However, there is an inherent tension between gene drive spread and spatial confinement: increasing the spreading efficiency of a gene drive increases the risk of escape, while engineering confinement mechanisms increases the risk of gene drive extinction. In this work, we explore spatial outcomes in gene drives designed for spatial confinement and the dependence of these outcomes on target organism dispersal and payload fitness cost. We use a stochastic spatial model to compute the probability of failure for each gene drive, and use techniques from global sensitivity analysis to quantify the contribution of dispersal and fitness cost to variance in gene drive performance. Our findings reveal how spatial outcomes are affected by key parameters, and how this sensitivity varies tremendously between different gene drives. These spatial properties can be used to classify gene drive behavior and are useful to determine suitability for a particular application.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Butler, C. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lloyd, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.18.706608</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Spatial confinement of gene drives: Assessing risk of failure using global sensitivity analysis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.18.706700v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Unlocking the Bile Acid Universe: Advanced Workflows and a Multidimensional Library of 280 Unique Species 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.18.706700v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microbes and bile acids are tightly intertwined, especially in the gut. While the liver produces primary bile acids from cholesterol, gut bacteria transform these into diverse secondary forms which act as powerful signaling molecules, influencing host metabolism and immune function. Since bile acid changes are increasingly linked to health and disease, their accurate measurement in the gut and circulation is essential. Analytical evaluations, however, remain challenging as many bile acids co-elute in liquid chromatography (LC), share identical precursor masses in mass spectrometry (MS), and produce similar tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra. As a result, conventional LC-MS/MS workflows struggle to differentiate bile acids, motivating the addition of orthogonal separations such as ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). Here, we assess optimal bile acid extraction parameters for stool, serum, and plasma; compare LC conditions; and assess electrospray ionization performance across polarities. Additionally, we created a multidimensional reference library containing LC retention times, IMS collision cross section values, and accurate precursor masses for 280 unique bile acids (264 endogenous and 16 deuterium-labeled species) including unconjugated, host-conjugated, and microbially conjugated bile acids. This multidimensional library empowers bile acid identification in complex samples and enables a more comprehensive exploration of their biological roles and disease associations.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhang, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Vincent, E. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Disselkoen, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dodds, J. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DuVal-Smith, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Patan, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mohanty, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Deleray, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Thiessen, P. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bolton, E. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schymanski, E. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Dorrestein, P. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Theriot, C. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-19</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.18.706700</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Unlocking the Bile Acid Universe: Advanced Workflows and a Multidimensional Library of 280 Unique Species]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-19</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.19.706923v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Mathematical Modeling of AA Amyloidosis: Coupling SAA-HDL Binding Dynamics with Path-Dependent Renal Aging 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.19.706923v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
AA amyloidosis is a severe complication of chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by fibrillar protein deposition in the kidneys, leading to progressive organ failure. This study presents a mathematical model coupling SAA-HDL binding dynamics with renal amyloid aggregation kinetics to elucidate disease pathogenesis. Under normal conditions, Serum Amyloid A (SAA) circulates bound to high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which acts as a molecular chaperone preventing misfolding. However, during chronic inflammation, SAA production exceeds HDL binding capacity, resulting in free SAA that undergoes renal filtration. The model calculates free SAA concentration from reversible binding equilibrium and incorporates renal filtration, mesangial accumulation, and conversion to amyloid fibrils through primary nucleation and autocatalytic growth mechanisms. A central contribution of this work is quantifying accumulated nephrotoxicity arising from AA oligomers, which inflict cumulative cytotoxic damage to mesangial and tubular cells over time. Because oligomers are continuously generated during ongoing aggregation, their toxic burden integrates across the entire duration of the disease. Combined nephrotoxicity, encompassing both oligomer-mediated cellular injury and fibril-driven mechanical disruption of renal architecture, therefore reflects not merely the current disease state but the full inflammatory trajectory of the patient. This cumulative damage defines renal biological age, a measure of functional deterioration whose portion attributable to accumulated nephrotoxicity is irreversible. Renal biological age is also path-dependent: two patients with identical present-day SAA levels may carry different renal damage burdens depending on the duration, timing, and severity of their prior inflammatory episodes. Sensitivity analysis reveals that HDL concentration and SAA cleavage rate are critical determinants of amyloid burden.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Kuznetsov, A. V.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.19.706923</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Mathematical Modeling of AA Amyloidosis: Coupling SAA-HDL Binding Dynamics with Path-Dependent Renal Aging]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.21.707085v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
PFOA induced metabolic and immune perturbations in a SARS-2 infection model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.21.707085v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This study evaluates the impact of PFOA exposure on the metabolome and immune response to SARS-2 using a ferret model. Ferrets were separated into control or PFOA-exposed groups (10/mg/kg/day) and challenged with SARS-2. Longitudinal analyses encompassing clinical assessments, serological profiling, histopathology, and untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics revealed significant metabolic and immunological perturbations. We found prominent effects of PFOA exposure on metabolism, which resulted in altered metabolic responses to SARS-2 infection. PFOA exposure was also associated with impaired immune function, as evidenced by decreased serum IgG levels, increased viral loads, and prolonged peak infectivity. These findings underscore the consequences of PFOA exposure on host metabolism and immunity during infectious diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Lanier, D. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rowe Haas, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Uchimiya, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jones, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Johnson, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakamoto, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chappel, J. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fry, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leach, F. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>DeWitt, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Woodlief, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gaul, D. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baker, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fernandez, F. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tompkins, S. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Edison, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.21.707085</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[PFOA induced metabolic and immune perturbations in a SARS-2 infection model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.21.707174v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Hierarchical Multi-Omics Trajectory Prediction forFecal Microbiota Transplantation: A Novel MachineLearning Framework for Small-Sample LongitudinalMulti-Omics Integration 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.21.707174v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a highly effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection and is being actively investigated for numerous other conditions. While multi-omics studies have revealed dynamic changes in microbial communities and host metabolism following FMT, existing approaches are primarily descriptive and lack the ability to predict individual patient trajectories or identify early biomarkers of treatment response. Small-sample, multi-omics, longitudinal prediction problems present unique computational challenges: high dimensionality, multi-omics integration, temporal dynamics, and interpretability. Here, we present Hierarchical Multi-Omics Trajectory Prediction (HMOTP), a novel machine learning framework specifically designed for small-sample, multi-omics, longitudinal prediction that addresses these challenges through hierarchical feature construction using domain knowledge, multi-level attention mechanisms, and patient-specific trajectory prediction. HMOTP integrates multi-omics data at multiple biological levels (raw features, aggregated classes/categories, and cross-level interactions) while preserving biological interpretability. The framework employs multi-head attention to learn feature importance at different hierarchy levels and integrates information across omics layers. Patient-specific trajectory prediction enables personalized predictions despite limited sample sizes through transfer learning. We evaluated HMOTP on a cohort of 15 patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection who underwent fecal microbiota transplantation, with comprehensive lipidomics (397 features) and metagenomics (10,634 pathways) profiling at four timepoints spanning six months. Using leave-one-patient-out cross-validation, HMOTP achieved 96.67% {+/-} 10.54% accuracy, outperforming baseline methods including Random Forest (91.33% {+/-} 21.33%) and Logistic Regression (86.33% {+/-} 24.67%). The framework demonstrated robust generalization across timepoints. Through hierarchical interpretability, HMOTP identified key biomarkers and revealed mechanistically informative cross-omics associations, including 324 strong correlations (|r| > 0.7) involving top-predictive biomarkers, demonstrating its utility for both prediction and biological discovery in FMT applications. HMOTP provides a generalizable framework applicable to other small-sample multi-omics problems, offering a powerful tool for personalized medicine applications.

Biographical NoteProf. Zhou is an interdisciplinary statistician and machine learning expert whose work develops innovative computational methods for multi-omics integration, biomedical prediction, and precision medicine applications.

Key PointsOur novel framework, HMOTP, addresses this challenge through three key innovations:

O_LIHierarchical feature construction using domain knowledge - Reduces dimensionality while preserving biological interpretability, unlike PCA-based methods
C_LIO_LIMulti-level attention mechanisms - Learns feature importance at multiple biological scales (individual features [-&gt;] classes [-&gt;] cross-omics interactions)
C_LIO_LIPatient-specific trajectory prediction with transfer learning - Enables personalized predictions despite limited sample sizes (parameter-sharing within the cohort, not external pre-training)
C_LI
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Zhou, Y.-H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sun, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.21.707174</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Hierarchical Multi-Omics Trajectory Prediction forFecal Microbiota Transplantation: A Novel MachineLearning Framework for Small-Sample LongitudinalMulti-Omics Integration]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.24.707793v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Smoothing over "rough" mismanagement: establishing protective harvest limits for native nongame fishes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.24.707793v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
There is growing interest in establishing more protective regulations for native fishes historically classified as "rough fish"- a term ascribed to species of low-to-zero perceived commercial value. Yet high-quality population data are lacking for most species and populations, precluding determination of sustainable harvest limits using standard methods. Here, we present an inductive and ecosystem -based approach for comparing and aligning harvest limits of diverse fish species. Our approach centers on the production/biomass (P/B) ratio as the key instrument for gauging sustainable harvest. P/B is the biomass turnover rate in populations and therefore quantifies the return rate of any removed biomass in populations. We extracted and summarized data from existing studies, representing a total of 517 empirical estimates of secondary production, biomass, and P/B ratios. We subsequently developed a highly predictive statistical model (R2 = 0.90), demonstrating P/B is largely a function of maximum age across species. We then developed a separate database on age, growth, and longevity data for most native fishes of interest across the USA. For each species and population, we leveraged the above statistical model to predict and compare mean P/B across species. Results show most native fishes express P/B values similar to, or lower than, traditional game fish species. Accordingly, harvest limits across species groups can be harmonized with those of other managed species. For example, native nongame species like Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus and Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens are long-lived with slow replacement rates that are statistically clustered with those observed in Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens and trophy Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations, two popular game fish species. Harvest limits for these nongame species would therefore need to be similarly low for these species to ensure comparable sustainability. To understand broad patterns of harvest limit alignment, we modeled relationships between daily bag limits of managed species and P/B for five test states. Model uniformly showed non-linear trends with high residuals (suggesting excessive bag limits) common for panfish species and low residuals (suggesting overly conservative bag limits) common for trout species. Managers can use the results of this study to estimate harvest limits native fishes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Ginez, A. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>David, S. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lackman, A. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Myers, B. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Winter, T. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lusardi, R. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rypel, A. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-26</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.24.707793</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Smoothing over "rough" mismanagement: establishing protective harvest limits for native nongame fishes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-26</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.26.707256v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Novel connections between B-vitamins and microbial communities along biogeochemical gradients in a large temperate estuary 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.26.707256v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
As B-vitamins are organic cofactors required by prokaryotic and eukaryotic planktonic cells, their availability impacts aquatic microbial communities and associated biogeochemistry. Contrary to inorganic nutrients, measurements of B-vitamins from brackish systems are scarce and relationships between B-vitamins and plankton composition in estuaries are unclear, limiting our understanding of estuary biology in general as well as how B-vitamins are distributed and dispersed in marine systems. Here, we quantify multiple B-vitamins and their vitamers in particulate and dissolved phases, and characterize microbial community composition, across fresh to polyhaline zones of the Neuse River Estuary (NRE), North Carolina, USA. We uncover elevated concentrations of B-vitamins within the mid-estuary, Chlorophyll a maximum along with a unique suite of dissolved B-vitamin associated with sporadic surges in pico- and microplankton populations. The dynamics of both dissolved and particulate B-vitamin concentrations in space and time were striking - from subpicomolar to high picomolar levels observed and strong short-term (weeks) variability. We find notable autochtonous B-vitamin production in the estuary, but we expect the ability of the system to deliver these micronutrients to the ocean will depend on flushing as well as changes in microbial community. We identify vitamin B1, B12, psB12 (pseudocobalamin), and B3 as key explanatory variables for change in prokaryotic and eukaryotic NRE plankton, providing new evidence of B-vitamin influence upon estuarine plankton community composition. Our work reveals new complexities in B-vitamin production and consumption within zones of estuaries while underscoring these micronutrients as key drivers of microbial plankton composition.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Bittner, M. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bannon, C. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rowland, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Luetzenburg, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bertrand, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Riemann, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Paerl, R. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-27</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.26.707256</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Novel connections between B-vitamins and microbial communities along biogeochemical gradients in a large temperate estuary]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-27</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.26.708322v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Inter-variety competition dynamics in US inbred and hybrid maize 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.26.708322v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Variety mixtures provide a potential avenue in US cropping systems to improve yield stability and disease resistance. However, implementation of variety mixtures requires an understanding of the competitive dynamics of the crop. In this study, we examine the effects of plant competition both between and within plots through five unique experiments: 1) 5,000 diverse inbred lines in single-row plots, 2) hybrids in two-row plots developed from the above inbred lines, 3) over 4,000 hybrids measured in 141 locations in two-row plots as part of Genomes to Fields, 4) mixtures of two hybrids within a two-row plot planted across two years and five locations, and 5) mixtures of up to twenty hybrids in four-row plots in three locations. Across all experiments, we find that competitive interactions are extremely limited. Within inbred lines, height of the neighboring plot accounts for 1.2% of the variance in focal plot height. Similarly, neighbor height explains 1.7% of the variance in focal plot yield in hybrids developed from the inbred lines. The genetics of neighboring plots explains 1.55% of the variation in yield across 141 location-year environments, reinforcing the generally modest impacts of neighbor competition. In evaluating mixtures of hybrids in both two and four-row plots, we observe no yield penalty compared to conventional single hybrid plots, even with large height differentials of the hybrids included in the mixture or in mixtures of up to 20 hybrids within a plot. Finally, we observe that mixtures have more yield stability compared to conventional plots, highlighting a new avenue for increased stability in higher risk environments. The lack of yield penalty and stability benefits are promising for future investigations of mixtures that may complement each other in disease resistance or abiotic stress tolerance and increase overall yield stability in the field.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Schulz, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bohn, M. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bradbury, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lima, D. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>De Leon, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Flint-Garcia, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Holland, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lepak, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lorenz, A. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Romay, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hirsch, C. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Buckler, E. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Robbins, K. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-02-28</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.02.26.708322</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Inter-variety competition dynamics in US inbred and hybrid maize]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-02-28</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710593v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Estrogen Receptor Expression Changes After Puberty in the Porcine Anterior Cruciate Ligament 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710593v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries disproportionately affect female adolescent athletes, with hormonal influences implicated in this sex disparity. However, the relationship between pubertal hormonal changes and ACL gene and protein expression remains poorly understood. This study characterized hormone receptor expression and transcriptional profiles in the anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles of female porcine ACLs before and after puberty. ACL bundles were collected from pre-pubescent (8 weeks) and post-pubescent (>8 months) female Yorkshire cross-breed pigs (n=6/group) and analyzed using gene expression profiling, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Pre-pubescent ACLs exhibited greater expression of primary matrix genes (COL1A1, COL1A2, ELN, TNMD), suggesting active matrix synthesis, while post-pubescent ACLs showed elevated secondary matrix genes (COL3A1, LUM, COMP), indicating a homeostatic state. Notably, estrogen receptor alpha (ER) gene and protein expression were significantly greater in post-pubescent ACLs, particularly in AM bundles, whereas G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPR30) expression was elevated pre-puberty. Both receptors were distributed homogeneously throughout the tissue. Progesterone receptor protein expression was not detected in any samples. Histologically, post-pubescent ACLs demonstrated decreased cellularity and thicker fascicles compared to pre-pubescent tissues. These findings indicate that ACL sensitivity to estrogen varies across development, with increased ER expression post-puberty potentially rendering the ligament more responsive to circulating estrogen. This work provides foundational evidence for age-dependent hormonal responsiveness in the ACL and motivates further investigation into how sex hormones influence ACL injury risk in adolescent females.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Thompson, J. D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fisher, M. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-11</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.09.710593</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Estrogen Receptor Expression Changes After Puberty in the Porcine Anterior Cruciate Ligament]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-11</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710665v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
DEX: a consensus-based amino acid exchangeability measure for improved codon substitution modelling 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710665v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Physicochemically similar amino acids undergo more frequent substitutions compared to dissimilar amino acid pairs. Despite their clear potential, amino acid similarity matrices remain underused in molecular evolution, partially due to the high number of proposed amino acid distance measures and the lack of agreement on which are most accurate. In this study, we assessed the performance of 30 amino acid distance measures, including a new amino acid distance measure we developed based on recent deep mutational scanning data. We compared these measures across codon substitution models fit to alignments spanning Streptococcus, Drosophila, and mammalian lineages, as well as segregating variants across Escherichia coli strains and human genotypes. We further constructed consensus measures from combinations of top-performing measures in this analysis using the DISTATIS approach and retested these matrices. Our results show that experimentally-derived measures, particularly our new measure and the existing experimental exchangeability (EX) measure, best fit codon substitution patterns across diverse lineages. We found that a consensus measure based on these two approaches, which we named DEX, performed best overall. In addition, although site-specific variant effect predictors are intended to identify deleterious mutations, the representative tools we tested did not outperform amino acid distance measures for predicting mean substitution frequencies. They were however substantially more informative for identifying individual highly deleterious mutations. Overall, we provide a systematic comparison of the performance of existing measures, and we introduce an improved general-purpose amino acid distance measure for molecular evolution models.

SignificanceProtein-coding genes have long been a focus for researchers studying the strength and direction of selection. By studying non-synonymous substitutions, those that change amino acids, it is possible to estimate the relative strength of selection. Despite widespread interest in such approaches, information on which amino acids are exchanged is underused in molecular evolution models. This is partly because many different measures exist for quantifying amino acid distances, particularly those based on physicochemical properties. A newer class of amino acid distance measures is derived from deep mutational scanning datasets, where virtually every possible substitution is tested for its impact on protein function. We characterised and compared 30 amino acid distance measures, including a novel measure based on deep mutational scanning data. We highlight differences in how well these measures fit real substitution and polymorphism datasets. Overall, we find that DEX, which is a consensus of our new measure and an existing experimental exchangeability measure, represents the best available amino acid distance measure to incorporate into molecular evolution models.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Douglas, G. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bobay, L.-M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.09.710665</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[DEX: a consensus-based amino acid exchangeability measure for improved codon substitution modelling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710685v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Digital twins of upright stance reveal mechanistic bifurcations underlying Parkinsonian sway phenotypes 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710685v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Intermittent control of upright stance optimizes the trade-off between postural deviation and control effort. While this model characterizes quiet-stance sway across diverse populations, its translation into personalized diagnostics is hindered by the inherent heterogeneity of motor disorders. Here, we present a digital twin (DT) framework for human stance, validated using datasets from healthy elderly individuals and patients with Parkinsons disease. Our DT integrates Bayesian parameter inference with latent variable analysis to establish a bidirectional mapping between mechanistic control parameters and clinical sway phenotypes. This framework enables precise disease severity classification and mechanistically explains heterogeneous sway patterns--including counterintuitive sway area reductions--as distinct parameter distributions within the model. Specifically, we demonstrate that aging- and disease-related changes manifest as bifurcations of attractors within the nonlinear intermittent control system. By augmenting clinical datasets with high-fidelity synthetic data, this DT framework overcomes the "small-data" limitation in clinical research, facilitating robust data-driven diagnostics and personalized intervention planning. This work bridges mechanistic control theory and data-driven medicine, providing a scalable foundation for the automated assessment of motor disorders through the lens of nonlinear dynamics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Matsui, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Suzuki, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Smith, C. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nakamura, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Endo, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sakoda, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morasso, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nomura, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.09.710685</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Digital twins of upright stance reveal mechanistic bifurcations underlying Parkinsonian sway phenotypes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.11.711162v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structural and Oligomeric Characterization of Substrate- and Product-selective Nylon Hydrolases 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.11.711162v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Enzymatic degradation of synthetic polymers has attracted broad interest because it offers environmental and manufacturing advantages compared to traditional mechanical and chemical breakdown approaches. Enzymes are highly specific and reaction conditions are generally aqueous and require low pressure and temperature, resulting in lower energy consumption and lower chemical waste production. Here we report the biochemical and structural characterization of three newly discovered enzymes capable of nylon hydrolysis: Nyl10, Nyl12 and Nyl50. Using solution characterization techniques, we found that the enzymes adopt a single oligomeric state consistent with a tetramer over a wide range of concentrations. X-ray crystallographic structures of all three enzymes support the association into tetramers. Comparison of ligand-bound X-ray crystal structures of Nyl10 and Nyl12 with the previously determined structure of Nyl50 identified key structural determinants involved in ligand binding. Noticeably, a flexible loop found in several polyamide degrading enzymes is observed to flip towards (closed conformation) and away (open conformation) from the active site upon ligand binding. Analysis of adduct and surrogate substrate-bound enzyme complex structures provide a model for substrate binding directionality. Finally, activity assays showed that both Nyl10 and Nyl12 can hydrolyze ester bonds, and that Nyl12 has the highest activity toward PA66, identifying it as the best candidate for protein engineering for efficient nylon hydrolysis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Capra, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bourgery, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Parks, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Carper, D. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Cahill, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Michener, J. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meilleur, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-12</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.11.711162</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structural and Oligomeric Characterization of Substrate- and Product-selective Nylon Hydrolases]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-12</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.10.710962v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A phase field model with stochastic input simulates cellular gradient sensing, morphodynamics, and fidelity of haptotaxis 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.10.710962v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Haptotaxis is an understudied form of directed cell migration in which movements are biased by gradients of immobilized ligands. For example, fibroblasts and other mesenchymal cells sense and respond to gradients of extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, which is relevant during tissue morphogenesis and repair. As a step towards understanding how haptotactic gradients spatially bias cell adhesion, intracellular signal transduction, and cytoskeletal dynamics, we formulated a phase field model of whole-cell migration, in which the occupancy of potential adhesion sites changes stochastically with time. With careful assignment of parameter values, the model predicts significant haptotactic bias for adhesion-site gradient steepness of a few percent across the cell. We then used the model to predict how the cells removal of surface-bound ECM ligand (as observed in experiment) and/or the presence of a competing, chemotactic gradient influence(s) haptotactic fidelity. An emergent principle is that gains in directional persistence naturally offset losses of directional bias, at the cost of greater cell-to-cell heterogeneity of the response. In the case of orthogonally oriented gradients, this offset manifests as a remarkable robustness of the multi-cue response.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Koelbl, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Haugh, J. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.10.710962</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A phase field model with stochastic input simulates cellular gradient sensing, morphodynamics, and fidelity of haptotaxis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.12.711389v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Route of Adenovirus Type 5-Vectored Influenza Vaccination Shapes Systemic and Mucosal Immunity in a Maternal-Neonatal Pig Model 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.12.711389v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Influenza A virus can cause severe complications in pregnant women and infants, yet no influenza vaccines are approved for infants younger than six months. To address this, novel maternal vaccination strategies are needed to increase global access and coverage in these vulnerable populations. This study evaluated a hemagglutinin (HA) A/California/2009 (H1N1)-based human adenovirus 5 (huAd5) vector vaccine, adjuvanted with a TLR3 agonist, for its ability to induce influenza-specific passive immunity from pregnant and lactating pigs to their piglets following different immunization routes. Influenza naive pregnant dams were vaccinated via oral, intranasal (IN), or intramuscular (IM) routes three weeks prepartum and boosted four weeks later. Serum, colostrum and milk samples were collected longitudinally to assess HA-specific antibody induced by vaccination. H1N1-Ca/09 neutralizing antibodies were evaluated in serum and IFN{gamma} producing cells were assessed in blood, spleen and lymph node cells. IN and IM routes elicited robust serum HA-specific antibody responses when compared to control animals at one- and four-weeks post-boost, whereas the oral route resulted in poor antibody induction across all samples tested. Piglets nursing from IN and IM vaccinated dams showed a significantly higher level of HA-specific antibodies in serum at 2-3 weeks post-partum compared to control piglets. Notably, IN immunized dams and their piglets showed significantly elevated influenza neutralizing antibodies compared to controls. This work demonstrated that both IN and IM immunization with a huAd5-vectored vaccine robustly induced maternal influenza-specific immunity that supported passive transfer to nursing piglets, with IN immunization resulting in superior transfer of neutralizing antibodies.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Langel, S. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Byrne, J. J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leal, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Williams, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sirisereewan, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Meritet, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rahe, M. C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Watanabe, T. T. N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Compton, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rajao, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ferreira, J. B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tucker, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crisci, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.12.711389</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Route of Adenovirus Type 5-Vectored Influenza Vaccination Shapes Systemic and Mucosal Immunity in a Maternal-Neonatal Pig Model]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.18.712441v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The enhanced multi-tissue atlas of regulatory effects in cattle 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.18.712441v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cattle are integral to global food security, yet the molecular architecture of their complex traits remains poorly understood. Here, we present the Cattle Genotype-Tissue Expression (CattleGTEx) Phase 1 resource (https://cattlegtex.farmgtex.org/), a substantial expansion of the pilot study. By leveraging 12,422 RNA-seq profiles across 43 tissues and 82 breeds, we characterized 433,972 primary and 161,428 non-primary regulatory effects spanning seven molecular phenotypes. This high-resolution atlas resolves 75% of GWAS signals for 44 complex traits, significantly addressing the "missing regulation" in livestock. We propose a genetic regulatory model demonstrating how variants across multiple biological layers interact with specific biological contexts to shape phenotypic variation. Furthermore, CattleGTEx elucidates mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution between Bos taurus and Bos indicus, as well as artificial selection in dairy and beef breeds. Finally, by mapping evolutionary constraints on these regulatory effects, we demonstrate the translational value of this resource for prioritizing causal variants in human complex diseases. Together, Phase 1 of CattleGTEx provides a transformative framework for functional genomics, precision breeding, and comparative genetics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Li, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhu, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wei, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gong, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zheng, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>GUAN, D.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Teng, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Du, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Fang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>An, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lin, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tian, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tian, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wang, M.-S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ibeagha-Awemu, E. M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Crooijmans, R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Derks, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Godia, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Madsen, O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pausch, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Leonard, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Frantz, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>MacHugh, D. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Grady, J. F. O.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ionita-Laza, I.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhao, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guan, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhou, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Marmol-Sanchez, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>van der Wijst, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Lu, X.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Jiang, H.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Yang, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Liu, Q.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xu, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Li, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hou, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pan, Z.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Chen, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Xian</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-20</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.18.712441</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The enhanced multi-tissue atlas of regulatory effects in cattle]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-20</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.19.712852v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
DNA Traces on the Shroud of Turin: Metagenomics of the 1978 Official Sample Collection 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.19.712852v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This research provides original insights into the diversity of DNA extracted from samples collected in 1978 from the Turin Shroud, revealing its biological complexity through rigorous DNA and metagenomic analyses. Our findings highlight its preservation conditions and environmental interactions, offering valuable perspectives into the identified genetic variants, which originated from multiple biological sources. Several human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages were identified, including K1a1b1a, which matches the 1978 official collectors mitogenome, H2a2 (i.e. the lineage of the mtDNA reference sequence rRCS), H1b, which is common in Western Eurasia, and H33, which is prevalent in the Near East and frequent among the Druze. Moreover, the reconstructed microbiome of the Shroud reveals a rich tapestry of multiple microbes commonly found on the human epidermis, as well as archaeal communities adapted to high salinity, and fungi including molds. This is indicative of the Shrouds preservation conditions over the centuries. Additionally, the presence of abundant Mediterranean endemic red coral, various cultivated plants (e.g. carrot, wheat, corn, bananas, and peanuts) and domesticated animals (e.g. cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats) provide a fascinating glimpse into the diverse biological sources of the contaminants that have accumulated on the Turin Shroud over time. Finally, radiocarbon dating of two distinct threads collected from the reliquary provides evidence of their use to repair the Shroud in the years 1534 and 1694 of the Common Era (CE).

Significance statementAn in-depth metagenomic analysis was conducted on several linen strands collected from different areas of the body image of the Man of the Shroud during the official sampling in 1978. Our analyses revealed several human mtDNA lineages, including one common in Western Eurasia and another prevalent in the Near East. Additionally, the diversity of animal and plant species identified details the significant environmental contamination of the Shroud that likely occurred in recent centuries, particularly following the voyages of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus. Radiocarbon dating of two distinct textile residuals from the Shrouds reliquary indicated a time range between 1451 and 1800 CE, overlapping with the period of its repair interventions.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Barcaccia, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rambaldi Migliore, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gabelli, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Agostini, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Palumbo, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Moroni, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nicolini, V.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gao, L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Mattutino, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Porter, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Palmowski, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Procopio, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Perego, U. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Iorizzo, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Sharbel, T. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Baima Bollone, P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Torroni, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Squartini, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Achilli, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-22</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.19.712852</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[DNA Traces on the Shroud of Turin: Metagenomics of the 1978 Official Sample Collection]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-22</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.23.713575v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
PhagePickr: A bacteria-centric computational tool for designing evolution-proof phage cocktails 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.23.713575v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
As antibiotic resistance poses a major threat to global health, phage therapy offers an alternative to antibiotic treatments in the face of multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, host resistance to phages is also well-documented. Current computational tools for phage cocktail design do not explicitly address the evolution of phage resistance, let alone through the profiling of bacterial receptors whose variability drives much of phage resistance.

We introduce PhagePickr, a computational pipeline for the automated design of phage cocktails that minimize host resistance. Unlike other tools, PhagePickr selects phages based on bacterial surface receptor similarity and prioritizes phage diversity to prevent cross-resistance. The tool uses NCBI datasets, a Nearest Neighbors algorithm, and Multiple Sequence Alignment to identify phenotypically similar hosts and ensure phylogenetic diversity in the final cocktail.

We evaluated the utility of PhagePickr on ESKAPE pathogens and two understudied bacteria species. The cocktails included candidate phages predicted to target diverse receptors, comprising both lytic phages with confirmed therapeutic potential and novel candidates from similar species. We demonstrate the tools utility in generating cocktails and its capacity to scale as current databases are updated. PhagePickr provides a novel bacteria-centric framework for designing resistance-proof cocktails by exploring shared phenotypes.

Author SummaryWe present PhagePickr, a novel computational tool to design bacteriophage cocktails against pathogenic bacteria. Antibiotic resistance poses a major threat to global health, and phage therapy, the use of viruses that kill bacteria, is a promising alternative treatment. However, bacteria are also under immense selective pressure to develop resistance to phages, and existing tools for automated cocktail design have yet to address this challenge. Our tool is designed to circumvent resistance through two steps: it uses bacterial receptor configurations as predictors of phage infection and constructs a cocktail that maximizes phage diversity to target multiple receptors, making it harder for bacteria to evolve simultaneous resistance. We demonstrated the utility of PhagePickr on two understudied species and the ESKAPE pathogens, a group of multidrug-resistant bacteria responsible for the majority of deaths associated with antibiotic resistance worldwide. The tool identified both well-characterized therapeutic phages and novel candidates, and is designed to scale as databases expand. Our approach represents a key step toward the rational design of evolution-proof phage cocktails for clinical use.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Oneto, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Okamoto, K. W.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-23</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.23.713575</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[PhagePickr: A bacteria-centric computational tool for designing evolution-proof phage cocktails]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-23</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.23.713778v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
ZeaMiC: a Publicly Available Culture Collection of Maize Root-Associated Bacteria 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.23.713778v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Plant-associated microbiota are composed of hundreds of microbial species. For many of them, little is known about their individual functions and even less is known about their emergent community-level traits. While culture-independent methods provide valuable insights into the composition, diversity, and functional potential of plant-associated microbiota, culture-dependent methods are essential for reductionist lines of inquiry into the roles of individual species and their interactions within a community. Here, we present ZeaMiC, a publicly available culture collection of root-associated bacteria from Zea mays (maize). This resource comprises 88 isolates obtained from diverse soils and several maize genotypes, with live cultures available through DSMZ (German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures) both as single stocks and as cost-effective bundles (https://www.dsmz.de/collection/catalogue/microorganisms/microbiota/zeamic). To maximize relevance, isolates were selected to be representative of maize root-associated microbiomes in the Corn Belt of the United States, based on abundance-occupancy patterns from previously published root microbiome data, phylogenetic diversity, and literature-based evidence of functional importance. Whole-genome sequencing and annotation revealed genes associated with root colonization, plant growth promotion, and nutrient cycling, including functions such as chemotaxis, biofilm formation, secretion systems, hormone modulation, and phosphate solubilization. This collection serves as a community resource for future mechanistic studies of plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions, filling the gap in our understanding of the ecological interactions in plant microbiomes.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Garrell, A.-K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ginnan, N.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Swift, J. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pal, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zervas, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Pestalozzi, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Tso, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Ford, N. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Niu, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Castrillo, G.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Schlaeppi, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hahnke, R. L.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Wagner, M. R.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-24</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.23.713778</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[ZeaMiC: a Publicly Available Culture Collection of Maize Root-Associated Bacteria]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-24</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.27.714794v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Structured Pooling Improves Detection of Rare Regulatory Mutations in Population-Scale Reporter Assays 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.27.714794v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Identifying genetic variants in noncoding DNA that impact gene expression and thereby contribute to disease risk remains a difficult but important challenge in genomic medicine. Modern reporter assays such as STARR-seq and MPRA provide an efficient and effective means of testing, in very high throughput, millions of variants captured directly from patient genomes. While these assays have previously been scaled to whole genomes and, separately, to populations, we report findings from the first whole-genome population-scale STARR-seq experiment performed on 100 individuals. In order to achieve that scale we devised a novel experimental design that partitions samples into pools so as to increase allele frequencies within pools and thereby reduce expected dropout and increase signal-to-noise ratio in experimental readouts. We show that this design produces more accurate estimates of variant effect sizes, and we provide a Bayesian model for robust estimation of those effect sizes that also reports full posterior distributions for assessment of confidence in estimates. Together, these methodological innovations facilitate the detection of functional regulatory variants, particularly rare variants, with much higher accuracy and at greater scale than previously possible. We demonstrate the utility of this approach on the task of functional annotation of quantitative trait loci such as eQTLs and caQTLs, and show concordance with patterns of constraint in transcription factor binding profiles.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Dura, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Siklenka, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Strouse, K. P.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Morrow, S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Zhang, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Barrera, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Allen, A. S.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Reddy, T. E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Majoros, W. H.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.27.714794</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Structured Pooling Improves Detection of Rare Regulatory Mutations in Population-Scale Reporter Assays]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.27.714876v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
The geometry of dominance shows broad potential for stable polymorphism under antagonistic pleiotropy 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.27.714876v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Alleles with opposing effects on fitness characters are said to exhibit selectional antagonistic pleiotropy (broadly construed so that effects are not necessarily confined to the same individual). A number of theoretical investigations considered the case where a pair of alleles at a locus influences two fitness components and derived the conditions giving rise to stable polymorphism under various assumptions about the mode of trait-interaction. Strikingly, many of these analyses concluded that the potential for maintaining polymorphism is strongly constrained by the joint influence of two factors: (1) the prevalence of weak selection coefficients over coefficients of large magnitude, and (2) the absence of beneficial dominance reversals (where the deleterious effects of each allele are partially or completely masked in the heterozygous genotype). Consequently, the conclusion that selective polymorphism is unlikely to be maintained by intralocus mechanisms of antagonistic pleiotropy has achieved widespread acceptance. Here we argue that such conclusions do not apply to any of the following models of antagonism: (i) additive trait-interaction, (ii) multiplicative trait-interaction, (iii) bivoltine selection, (iv) soft selection, (v) hard selection, and (vi) sexual antagonism. We demonstrate that the parameter space giving rise to stable allelic variation is quite large throughout, and moreover, the plenitude of suitable parameters neither depends on the strength of selection nor requires dominance reversal. Dominance coefficients associated with stringent conditions for stable polymorphism are shown to be atypical as compared to all feasible parameters, and best regarded as an outcome of adherence to a special relation: dominance with a constant magnitude and direction, which includes the case of additive allelic effects at a locus. Properties of single-locus equilibria (heterozygosity, allele frequency differentiation) are investigated, as well as the contribution of dominance schemes to the genetic variance in fitness characters in populations at multilocus linkage equilibrium.

Author summaryAllelic variants at a locus with opposing effects on multiple fitness components (antagonistic fitness pleiotropy) have long been appreciated as a possible source of balancing selection. The prevalence of polymorphism owing to this form of natural selection, however, has been doubted on theoretical grounds due to the fact that standard assumptions of genetic models (namely, constant magnitudes for the dominance coefficients) are hardly conducive to the maintenance of polymorphism. The major exception to this conclusion lies with schemes that exhibit dominance reversal (where the direction of dominance for antagonistic alleles flips across fitness components). Here we conduct a geometric analysis of the space of polymorphism-promoting dominance parameters and conclude that the conditions for maintaining balanced alleles is unrestrictive, with non-reversals playing an underappreciated role.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Brud, E.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Guerrero, R. F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-03-31</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.27.714876</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[The geometry of dominance shows broad potential for stable polymorphism under antagonistic pleiotropy]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-03-31</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.30.715295v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Discovering Plastic-Binding Peptides with Favorable Affinity, Water Solubility, and Binding Specificity Through Deep Learning and Biophysical Modeling 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.30.715295v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Microplastic (MP) pollution, which is present in the ecosystem in vast quantities, adversely affects human health and the environment, making it imperative to develop methods for its mitigation. The challenge of detecting or capturing MPs could potentially be addressed using plastic-binding peptides (PBPs). The ideal PBP for MP remediation would not only bind strongly to plastic, but also have other properties such as high solubility in water or great binding specificity to a certain plastic. However, the scarcity or absence of known PBPs for common plastics along with the lack of methods that can discover PBPs with all of the desired properties precludes the development of peptide-based MP remediation strategies. In this study, we discovered short linear PBPs with high predicted water solubility and binding specificity by employing an in-silico discovery pipeline that combines deep learning and biophysical modeling. First, a long short-term memory (LSTM) network was trained on biophysical modeling data to predict peptide affinity to plastic. High affinity peptides were generated by pairing the trained LSTM with a Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) algorithm. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the PBPs discovered for polyethylene, the most common plastic, had 15% lower binding free energy than PBPs obtained using biophysical modeling alone. PBPs with both high affinity and high predicted solubility in water were found by including the CamSol solubility score in the MCTS peptide scoring function, increasing the average solubility score from 0.2 to 0.9, while only minimally decreasing affinity for polyethylene. The framework also discovered peptides with high binding specificity between polystyrene and polyethylene, two major constituents of MP pollution, using a competitive MCTS approach that optimized the difference in affinity between the two plastics. MD simulations showed that competitive MCTS increased the binding specificity of PBPs for polystyrene and identified peptides with relatively great preference for either of the two plastics. The framework can readily be applied to design PBPs for other types of plastic. Overall, the high-affinity PBPs with desirable properties discovered by marrying artificial intelligence and biophysics can be valuable for remediating MP pollution and protecting the health of humans and the environment.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Tan, T.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bergman, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Hall, C. K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>You, F.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-04-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.30.715295</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Discovering Plastic-Binding Peptides with Favorable Affinity, Water Solubility, and Binding Specificity Through Deep Learning and Biophysical Modeling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-04-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.31.715651v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
TrIdent - An R package to automate transductomics analysis of virus-like particle mediated DNA mobilization 
]]>
</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.31.715651v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
BackgroundTransduction is a form of horizontal gene transfer in which bacterial DNA is packaged and transferred by virus-like particles (VLPs). Transductomics is a sequencing-based method used to detect DNA carried by VLPs. During transductomics analysis, reads from a samples ultra-purified VLPs are mapped to metagenomic contigs assembled from the same samples whole-community. The read mapping produces coverage patterns that require a time-consuming manual inspection and classification process which makes the methods use unfeasible for datasets with many samples.

ResultsWe developed a novel algorithm, TrIdent (Transduction Identification), that uses pattern-matching to automate the transductomics data analysis and that is available as an R package (https://jlmaier12.github.io/TrIdent/). There is no software equivalent to TrIdent so we compared TrIdents classifications of transductomics datasets to classifications made by human classifiers. TrIdents classifications were generally comparable to the manual classifications on a previously generated, manually classified transductomics dataset. When applied to newly generated transductomics data from the murine microbiota, TrIdent agreed with two independent human classifiers as much as the two independent human classifications agreed with each other. TrIdent classified transductomics datasets in a fraction of the time needed by human classifiers, and the classifications produced by TrIdent are fully reproducible. We used TrIdent to explore three murine gut transductomes and found that bacterial DNA associated with the Oscillospiraceae and Turicibacteraceae families was highly enriched in the DNA packaged by VLPs as compared to the whole community metagenomes.

ConclusionsThe TrIdent software is a more accessible, more efficient, and more reproducible alternative to the manual inspection of read coverage patterns previously required for transductomics data analysis. To demonstrate the application of TrIdent, we analyzed transductomics datasets from murine fecal pellets and showed that specific low abundance bacterial families appear to be heavily involved in transduction.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Maier, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Gin, C.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Rabasco, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Spencer, W.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Bass, A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Duerkop, B. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Kleiner, M.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-04-01</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.03.31.715651</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[TrIdent - An R package to automate transductomics analysis of virus-like particle mediated DNA mobilization]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-04-01</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.02.716098v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Gut Microbiome Alterations in Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy: A Pairwise Case-Control Study 
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</title>
<link>https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.02.716098v1?rss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Background: Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is the most common chronic nervous system disorder of dogs, and its cause is poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that microbiome alterations can occur with IE via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Therefore, we analyzed the fecal microbiomes of 98 dogs (49 IE, 49 control) in a pairwise case-control observational study using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: Although the microbial community was mostly similar between groups, IE was associated with a modest but significant shift in Weighted-Unifrac distance (P = 0.042). We used six differential abundance (DA) methods to identify differentially abundant amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) between IE and control groups. Notably, one Collinsella ASV was found to be significantly more abundant in IE dogs by all six methods. The gut microbial compositions varied drastically across households (accounting for about 69% of the total variation), but did not have significant differences between sex, age, or breed. Phenobarbital administration in IE dogs had a significant effect on seizure control, and was not associated with changes in the microbiome. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a relationship between gut microbiomes and IE. However, the specific mechanism needs to be further investigated.
]]></description>
<dc:creator>Yang, Y.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Nettifee, J.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Azcarate-Peril, M. A.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Munana, K.</dc:creator>
<dc:creator>Callahan, B.</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-04-03</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.04.02.716098</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Gut Microbiome Alterations in Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy: A Pairwise Case-Control Study]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-04-03</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
</rdf:RDF>
