Usurpation of a Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus nest by African Wattled Lapwings V. senegalensis

I report an instance of usurpation of a Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus nest by a pair of African Wattled Lapwings Vanellus senegalensis. The nest, which originally contained a single Crowned Lapwing egg, eventually contained an additional three Wattled Lapwing eggs, before it was predated. Although parents of both species were observed in the vicinity of the nest, video monitoring showed that the Wattled Lapwings incubated all four eggs. Detection of embryonic heart rate suggested that all the eggs were probably viable up until the nest was destroyed. Nest usurpation in shorebirds is rare, and given the easily accommodated nest requirements and minimal costs of nest construction in these species, is difficult to explain. I speculate that the occurrence described here may represent a case of mistaken identity by the female Wattled Lapwing when choosing a nest scrape, since there seems to have been little benefit to the usurping species of taking over an already occupied nest.     

Identification and analysis of integrons and cassette arrays in bacterial genomes

Integrons recombine gene arrays and favor the spread of antibiotic resistance. Their broader roles in bacterial adaptation remain mysterious, partly due to lack of computational tools. We made a program – IntegronFinder – to identify integrons with high accuracy and sensitivity. IntegronFinder is available as a standalone program and as a web application. It searches for attC sites using covariance models, for integron-integrases using HMM profiles, and for other features (promoters, attI site) using pattern matching. We searched for integrons, integron-integrases lacking attC sites, and clusters of attC sites lacking a neighboring integron-integrase in bacterial genomes. All these elements are especially frequent in genomes of intermediate size. They are missing in some key phyla, such as α-Proteobacteria, which might reflect selection against cell lineages that acquire integrons. The similarity between attC sites is proportional to the number of cassettes in the integron, and is particularly low in clusters of attC sites lacking integron-integrases. The latter are unexpectedly abundant in genomes lacking integron-integrases or their remains, and have a large novel pool of cassettes lacking homologs in the databases. They might represent an evolutionary step between the acquisition of genes within integrons and their stabilization in the new genome.     

Processivity of T4 endonuclease V is sensitive to NaCl concentration

We previously reported that endonuclease V of bacteriophage T4 reacts processively with pyrimidine dimers in UV-irradiated DNA, tending to react with all of the dimers on one DNA molecule before reacting with any dimers on another DNA molecule [Lloyd, R. S., Hanawalt, P. C., & Dodson, M. L. (1980) Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 5113-5127]. In this paper we show that this processivity depends upon salt concentration: it can be detected in 10 mM NaCl but not, by our methods, in 100 mM NaCl. In addition, we show that endonuclease V binds to unirradiated DNA in 10 mM NaCl but not in 100 mM NaCl. We conclude that T4 endonuclease V binds to pyrimidine dimers in a two-step process in 10 mM NaCl. It first binds electrostatically to undamaged sections of DNA, and it remains bound during the second step in which it "searches" for pyrimidine dimers. Our conclusion is analogous to the expanded target theory developed for Lac repressor [Berg, O. G., Winter, R. B., & von Hippel, P. H. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 6929-6948].     

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 localization in normal and psoriatic epidermal keratinocytes in situ.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta 1) is a potent inhibitor of epithelial cell proliferation and its effects on growth and differentiation have been extensively characterized in cultured keratinocytes. We used two TGF beta 1-specific polyclonal antibodies (anti-LC and anti-CC) to determine the presence of TGF beta 1 peptide in keratinocytes in sections of normal human skin in situ and in both plaque and nonplaque skin from individuals with psoriasis. In contrast to the differentiation phenotype expressed by keratinocytes in normal epidermis, keratinocytes in the psoriatic plaque exhibit a hyperproliferative/regenerative differentiation phenotype. Anti-TGF beta 1 staining was observed primarily in the epidermis. Anti-LC TGF beta 1 antibody stained nonproliferating, differentiated suprabasal keratinocytes intracellularly in normal skin but did not stain psoriatic plaques from five of seven patients. In contrast, anti-CC TGF beta 1 antibody stained suprabasal keratinocytes extracellularly in psoriatic plaques, but did not stain normal skin. Both anti-LC and anti-CC stained suprabasal keratinocytes intracellularly in nonplaque psoriatic skin. Thus, the conformation or structure of TGF beta 1 and its localization vary in keratinocytes with distinct differentiation phenotypes suggesting that TGF beta 1 is a potential modulator of keratinocyte differentiation in vivo. Selective association of TGF beta 1 with nonproliferating keratinocytes in the suprabasal layers of the epidermis and its exclusion from the proliferating keratinocytes in the basal layer suggest that it may be a physiological regulator of keratinocyte proliferation. In addition, the intracellular localization of TGF beta 1 peptide in both normal and psoriatic keratinocytes suggests that it is constitutively synthesized by epidermal keratinocytes in vivo.     

Xeroderma pigmentosum p48 gene enhances global genomic repair and suppresses UV-induced mutagenesis

UV-damaged DNA-binding activity (UV-DDB) is deficient in some xeroderma pigmentosum group E individuals due to mutation of the p48 gene, but its role in DNA repair has been obscure. We found that UV-DDB is also deficient in cell lines and primary tissues from rodents. Transfection of p48 conferred UV-DDB to hamster cells, and enhanced removal of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) from genomic DNA and from the nontranscribed strand of an expressed gene. Expression of p48 suppressed UV-induced mutations arising from the nontranscribed strand, but had no effect on cellular UV sensitivity. These results define the role of p48 in DNA repair, demonstrate the importance of CPDs in mutagenesis, and suggest how rodent models can be improved to better reflect cancer susceptibility in humans.     

Determinants of participation restriction among community dwelling stroke survivors: A path analysis

Background  

Apart from promoting physical recovery and assisting in activities of daily living, a major challenge in stroke rehabilitation is to minimize psychosocial morbidity and to promote the reintegration of stroke survivors into their family and community. The identification of key factors influencing long-term outcome are essential in developing more effective rehabilitation measures for reducing stroke-related morbidity. The aim of this study was to test a theoretical model of predictors of participation restriction which included the direct and indirect effects between psychosocial outcomes, physical outcome, and socio-demographic variables at 12 months after stroke.     

Unexpected photobleaching of Alexa 488 in a fixed bacterial sample during 2-photon excitation

A sample of fixed bacterial cells was examined by immunofluorescence microscopy using an Alexa 488 conjugated secondary antibody for visualization. Excitation using visible light confirmed the expected photostability of this fluorophore; however, when using 2-photon excitation, Alexa 488 was rapidly and substantially photobleached. The unexpected instability of Alexa 488 under certain conditions may have deleterious consequences if not anticipated and accommodated in experimental protocols.