NLRP10 is a NOD-like receptor essential to initiate adaptive immunity by dendritic cells

NLRs (nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich-repeat-containing receptors; NOD-like receptors) are a class of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) that respond to host perturbation from either infectious agents or cellular stress. The function of most NLR family members has not been characterized and their role in instructing adaptive immune responses remains unclear. NLRP10 (also known as PYNOD, NALP10, PAN5 and NOD8) is the only NLR lacking the putative ligand-binding leucine-rich-repeat domain, and has been postulated to be a negative regulator of other NLR members, including NLRP3 (refs 4-6). We did not find evidence that NLRP10 functions through an inflammasome to regulate caspase-1 activity nor that it regulates other inflammasomes. Instead, Nlrp10(-/-) mice had a profound defect in helper T-cell-driven immune responses to a diverse array of adjuvants, including lipopolysaccharide, aluminium hydroxide and complete Freund's adjuvant. Adaptive immunity was impaired in the absence of NLRP10 because of a dendritic cell (DC) intrinsic defect in emigration from inflamed tissues, whereas upregulation of DC costimulatory molecules and chemotaxis to CCR7-dependent and -independent ligands remained intact. The loss of antigen transport to the draining lymph nodes by a subset of migratory DCs resulted in an almost absolute loss in naive CD4(+) T-cell priming, highlighting the critical link between diverse innate immune stimulation, NLRP10 activity and the immune function of mature DCs.     

Approaching a state shift in Earth's biosphere

Localized ecological systems are known to shift abruptly and irreversibly from one state to another when they are forced across critical thresholds. Here we review evidence that the global ecosystem as a whole can react in the same way and is approaching a planetary-scale critical transition as a result of human influence. The plausibility of a planetary-scale 'tipping point' highlights the need to improve biological forecasting by detecting early warning signs of critical transitions on global as well as local scales, and by detecting feedbacks that promote such transitions. It is also necessary to address root causes of how humans are forcing biological changes.     

The biology and functional morphology of the high-energy beach dwelling Paphies elongata (Bivalvia: Mactroidea: Mesodesmatidae). Convergence with the surf clams (Donax: Tellinoidea: Donacidae)

The biology and functional morphology of the Australian endemic Paphies elongata (shell length <20 mm) from wave-exposed beaches are described. On Middleton Bay Beach, Albany, Western Australia, the species co-occurs with the smaller (shell length <13 mm) Donax columbella. Both make tidally regulated migrations up and down the shore in the swash and backwash of waves, respectively. Emergence from and re-burrowing into the beach sand in concordance with the waves is fast in both taxa (5–10 s). Adaptations to such a life on these high-energy beaches include an anteriorly elongate and posteriorly reduced shell and a mesh of tentacles within the inhalant siphon that screens out sand grains from the mantle cavity but allows entry for particles of detritus that P. elongata suspension feeds on when they are raised into the water column with each breaking wave. Internally, relatively large ctenidia, small labial palps, a stomach with many sorting areas and a short intestine equip P. elongata for life in such a dynamic habitat. Strong rejectory currents in the mantle cavity keep it clean of sand. Paphies elongata is dioecious, as are species of Donax, which throughout its Australian range P. elongata is sympatric with. These donacid and mesodesmatid taxa have both evolved to exploit the niche and the food resource of detritus held in suspension by breaking waves of high-energy sandy beaches within their respective ranges. Of interest, however, is that the original and sole occupants of such beaches – the Mesozoic Upper Cretaceous Donacidae – have been joined subsequently by representatives of the Mesodesmatidae, such as P. elongata, the adoption of this habitat taking place in the Eocene of the Cenozoic, some 50 million years later.     

A map of the day-night contrast of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b

'Hot Jupiter' extrasolar planets are expected to be tidally locked because they are close (<0.05 astronomical units, where 1 au is the average Sun-Earth distance) to their parent stars, resulting in permanent daysides and nightsides. By observing systems where the planet and star periodically eclipse each other, several groups have been able to estimate the temperatures of the daysides of these planets. A key question is whether the atmosphere is able to transport the energy incident upon the dayside to the nightside, which will determine the temperature at different points on the planet's surface. Here we report observations of HD 189733, the closest of these eclipsing planetary systems, over half an orbital period, from which we can construct a 'map' of the distribution of temperatures. We detected the increase in brightness as the dayside of the planet rotated into view. We estimate a minimum brightness temperature of 973 +/- 33 K and a maximum brightness temperature of 1,212 +/- 11 K at a wavelength of 8 mum, indicating that energy from the irradiated dayside is efficiently redistributed throughout the atmosphere, in contrast to a recent claim for another hot Jupiter. Our data indicate that the peak hemisphere-integrated brightness occurs 16 +/- 6 degrees before opposition, corresponding to a hotspot shifted east of the substellar point. The secondary eclipse (when the planet moves behind the star) occurs 120 +/- 24 s later than predicted, which may indicate a slightly eccentric orbit.     

Hydatellaceae identified as a new branch near the base of the angiosperm phylogenetic tree

Although the relationship of angiosperms to other seed plants remains controversial, great progress has been made in identifying the earliest extant splits in flowering-plant phylogeny, with the discovery that the New Caledonian shrub Amborella trichopoda, the water lilies (Nymphaeales), and the woody Austrobaileyales constitute a basal grade of lines that diverged before the main radiation in the clade. By focusing attention on these ancient lines, this finding has re-written our understanding of angiosperm structural and reproductive biology, physiology, ecology and taxonomy. The discovery of a new basal lineage would lead to further re-evaluation of the initial angiosperm radiation, but would also be unexpected, as nearly all of the approximately 460 flowering-plant families have been surveyed in molecular studies. Here we show that Hydatellaceae, a small family of dwarf aquatics that were formerly interpreted as monocots, are instead a highly modified and previously unrecognized ancient lineage of angiosperms. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of multiple plastid genes and associated noncoding regions from the two genera of Hydatellaceae identify this overlooked family as the sister group of Nymphaeales. This surprising result is further corroborated by evidence from the nuclear gene phytochrome C (PHYC), and by numerous morphological characters. This indicates that water lilies are part of a larger lineage that evolved more extreme and diverse modifications for life in an aquatic habitat than previously recognized.     

On the Accuracy of Imaging on the Nanometer Scale:Geometry versus Material Properties in High Resolution AFM Studies

1 Results Intermittent Contact Mode Atomic Force Microscopy (ICM-AFM) imaging of sub-micron morphology is a routine operation in many fields of research from materials science to molecular biology,typically used to obtain three dimensional geometrical measures of surface structures.When it comes to the nanometer-angstrom range,however,quantitative interpretation of AFM morphology is less straightforward.Reports of non-topography-originated features as well as anomalies and conflicting reports in nanostr...