How Stomaphis aphids use their giant proboscides

To penetrate tree bark, arboreal aphids of the genus Stomaphis Walk. (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Lachninae) have proboscides up to three times their body length. Our observations of S. quercus (L.) complement a recent analysis of the anatomy and function of these mouthparts by clarifying how these relatively short-legged aphids move their proboscides between the resting position, pointing back, and the prognathous working position. The absence of crumenae in Stomaphis aphids and their feeding technique are discussed.     

Genome sequence and analysis of the tuber crop potato

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world's most important non-grain food crop and is central to global food security. It is clonally propagated, highly heterozygous, autotetraploid, and suffers acute inbreeding depression. Here we use a homozygous doubled-monoploid potato clone to sequence and assemble 86% of the 844-megabase genome. We predict 39,031 protein-coding genes and present evidence for at least two genome duplication events indicative of a palaeopolyploid origin. As the first genome sequence of an asterid, the potato genome reveals 2,642 genes specific to this large angiosperm clade. We also sequenced a heterozygous diploid clone and show that gene presence/absence variants and other potentially deleterious mutations occur frequently and are a likely cause of inbreeding depression. Gene family expansion, tissue-specific expression and recruitment of genes to new pathways contributed to the evolution of tuber development. The potato genome sequence provides a platform for genetic improvement of this vital crop.     

Active transport of Ca2+ by an artificial photosynthetic membrane

Transport of calcium ions across membranes and against a thermodynamic gradient is essential to many biological processes, including muscle contraction, the citric acid cycle, glycogen metabolism, release of neurotransmitters, vision, biological signal transduction and immune response. Synthetic systems that transport metal ions across lipid or liquid membranes are well known, and in some cases light has been used to facilitate transport. Typically, a carrier molecule located in a symmetric membrane binds the ion from aqueous solution on one side and releases it on the other. The thermodynamic driving force is provided by an ion concentration difference between the two aqueous solutions, coupling to such a gradient in an auxiliary species, or photomodulation of the carrier by an asymmetric photon flux. Here we report a different approach, in which active transport is driven not by concentration gradients, but by light-induced electron transfer in a photoactive molecule that is asymmetrically disposed across a lipid bilayer. The system comprises a synthetic, light-driven transmembrane Ca2+ pump based on a redox-sensitive, lipophilic Ca2+-binding shuttle molecule whose function is powered by an intramembrane artificial photosynthetic reaction centre. The resulting structure transports calcium ions across the bilayer of a liposome to develop both a calcium ion concentration gradient and a membrane potential, expanding Mitchell's concept of a redox loop mechanism for protons to include divalent cations. Although the quantum yield is relatively low (approximately 1 per cent), the Ca2+ electrochemical potential developed is significant.     

Selective susceptibility to nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) across different human cell types

Tumor ablation by nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) is an emerging therapeutic modality. We compared nsPEF cytotoxicity for human cell lines of cancerous (IMR-32, Hep G2, HT-1080, and HPAF-II) and non-cancerous origin (BJ and MRC-5) under strictly controlled and identical conditions. Adherent cells were uniformly treated by 300-ns PEF (0–2000 pulses, 1.8 kV/cm, 50 Hz) on indium tin oxide-covered glass coverslips, using the same media and serum. Cell survival plotted against the number of pulses displayed three distinct regions (initial resistivity, logarithmic survival decline, and residual resistivity) for all tested cell types, but with differences in LD₅₀ spanning as much as nearly 80-fold. The non-cancerous cells were less sensitive than IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells but more vulnerable than the other cancers tested. The cytotoxic efficiency showed no apparent correlation with cell or nuclear size, cell morphology, metabolism level, or the extent of membrane disruption by nsPEF. Increasing pulse duration to 9 µs (0.75 kV/cm, 5 Hz) produced a different selectivity pattern, suggesting that manipulation of PEF parameters can, at least for certain cancers, overcome their resistance to nsPEF ablation. Identifying mechanisms and cell markers of differential nsPEF susceptibility will critically contribute to the proper choice and outcome of nsPEF ablation therapies.     

Suppression of antibody formation against sendai virus in the SV40 and adenovirus 16 infected hamsters

SV₄₀ 16. 9 . . .     

New data on isotopic composition of Jurassic-Early Cretaceous cephalopods

The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous climatic conditions using new isotopic data. Paleobotanical data indicate that a cooling occurred gradually just after Late Triassic, and a temperature minimum was reached in the Pliensbachian. This was followed by a climatic optimum in the early Toarcian, cooling in the late Toarcian and a second climatic optimum in the Oxfordian. Published isotopic thermometry data and our new results on isotopic composition of some Jurassic invertebrate shells from the Russian Platform, Poland, Germany and England generally confirm this pattern, and also indicate a third climatic optimum in the Middle Callovian. Middle-Late Mesozoic adult belemnites apparently lived during their spawning phase, in shallow waters similar to extant Nautilus. However, at least juvenile belemnoids, unlike ammonoids, engaged in significant short-term vertical migrations in the water column, reaching colder waters of the upper bathyal zone.