Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of COPII coat size and function

Packaging of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum into COPII vesicles is essential for secretion. In cells, most COPII vesicles are approximately 60-80?nm in diameter, yet some must increase their size to accommodate 300-400?nm procollagen fibres or chylomicrons. Impaired COPII function results in collagen deposition defects, cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia, or chylomicron retention disease, but mechanisms to enlarge COPII coats have remained elusive. Here, we identified the ubiquitin ligase CUL3-KLHL12 as a regulator of COPII coat formation. CUL3-KLHL12 catalyses the monoubiquitylation of the COPII-component SEC31 and drives the assembly of large COPII coats. As a result, ubiquitylation by CUL3-KLHL12 is essential for collagen export, yet less important for the transport of small cargo. We conclude that monoubiquitylation controls the size and function of a vesicle coat.     

Elucidating the diel and seasonal calling behaviour of Elachistocleis matogrosso (Anura: Microhylidae)

ABSTRACT

Acoustic monitoring provides the opportunity to study ecological processes that are difficult to assess with traditional surveys. Elachistocleis matogrosso is an anuran species, described in 2010, for which limited biological information is available. This study investigated the calling activity of the species in the north-eastern portion of the Pantanal, Brazil, a wetland area with marked seasonality between the dry and wet seasons. The calling activity of E. matogrosso was monitored using automated digital recorders in combination with automated signal recognition software over two different annual cycles. The species was vocally active only during the wet season (October – April), with a peak in November-December during the 2013–2014 annual cycle and in February-March during the 2015–2016 annual cycle. The peak calling activity occurred at dusk. This species has nocturnal habits and an explosive breeding activity. The detection of the species was intermittent, which suggests that environmental predictors or site-specific conditions might play an important role in species detection. Moreover, this intermittent occupancy indicated that surveys that employ traditional field techniques would likely fail to detect this species. We describe an effective protocol for detecting E. matogrosso with acoustic monitoring, which requires recording during 20 days in February from 17:01 to 05:00. Our procedure would be easy to adapt to other anuran species, and it could be used for investigating new localities and assessing population changes over time.     

Multilevel Innovation in Remote Networked Schools

Small remote rural schools in Quebec face an ongoing challenge to provide similar quality educational services than bigger schools. Since 2002, the Remote Network Schools (RNS) initiative afforded schools the opportunity to reinvent their practice by using online tools to experience collaborative learning activities with other remote schools. Teachers and students experienced quality learning and demonstrated agency by implementing the RNS in their context. Measures include: diversity of learning activities, quality of online classroom interactions, changes in teacher beliefs, and shifts in teacher and student roles. Our results show that it is a viable operating method for such schools and that other schools could contemplate implementing such innovative practices.     

大亚湾石珊瑚群落近25年的变化及其对2008年极端低温事件的响应

在气候变暖、ENSO加剧等导致全球珊瑚礁生态系统严重退化的背景下, 相对高纬度海域的石珊瑚群落被认为是石珊瑚物种延续的最后保留地, 但相对高纬度海域周期性的冬季低温是妨碍其发育的最重要因子之一. 南海北部相对高纬度的大亚湾海区(22°31′~22°50′N)近40年来持续变暖, 珊瑚群落发育但未成礁. 2008年初经历了近50年来罕见的极端低温事件, 持续32 d, 大亚湾海区2008年2月平均SST低于14℃, 连续多天最低SST为12.3℃左右, 低于传统认为的使珊瑚“致命”的温度(13℃), 日最低气温则低达6.6℃. 该海域的石珊瑚群落生态调查显示: (1) 近25年来大亚湾石珊瑚覆盖度从76.6%下降到15.3%, 退化达80%; (2) 石珊瑚群落优势种由霜鹿角珊瑚变成秘密角蜂巢珊瑚; (3) 2008年低温事件对本区石珊瑚群落没有造成明显影响, 活珊瑚覆盖度没有发生明显变化. 总体结果显示, 相对高纬度的大亚湾海区的珊瑚种类已经总体上适应了极端低温的环境, 具有进一步发育的潜力, 可望在全球变暖背景下成为石珊瑚物种的避难所.     

Methodology choice in a coercive context

Action research has been conducted into the problem of software usability. Guidance in methodology selection was sought in the work of M. C. Jackson. In the absence of suitable methodology for what was judged to be a systemic-coercive situation, use was made of radical design methods. Both radical design and the theory of Jackson are evaluated in this paper