scholarly journals The unique features of glycolytic pathways in Archaea

2003 ◽  
Vol 375 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corné H. VERHEES ◽  
Servé W. M. KENGEN ◽  
Judith E. TUININGA ◽  
Gerrit J. SCHUT ◽  
Michael W. W. ADAMS ◽  
...  

An early divergence in evolution has resulted in two prokaryotic domains, the Bacteria and the Archaea. Whereas the central metabolic routes of bacteria and eukaryotes are generally well-conserved, variant pathways have developed in Archaea involving several novel enzymes with a distinct control. A spectacular example of convergent evolution concerns the glucose-degrading pathways of saccharolytic archaea. The identification, characterization and comparison of the glycolytic enzymes of a variety of phylogenetic lineages have revealed a mosaic of canonical and novel enzymes in the archaeal variants of the Embden–Meyerhof and the Entner–Doudoroff pathways. By means of integrating results from biochemical and genetic studies with recently obtained comparative and functional genomics data, the structure and function of the archaeal glycolytic routes, the participating enzymes and their regulation are re-evaluated.

Author(s):  
Karen J. Esler ◽  
Anna L. Jacobsen ◽  
R. Brandon Pratt

The archetypal shrub type that dominates most of the regions that experience mediterranean-type climate (MTC) is an evergreen shrub with thick and leathery leaves (sclerophyllous). The occurrence of large stands of such shrubs in all MTC regions led early biogeographers to hypothesize that the MTC selects for this growth form and leaf type and that this had led to convergent evolution (see Chapters 1 and 2). This hypothesis has received considerable research interest and continues to be examined. In this chapter we consider the structure and physiology of these archetypal MTC region shrub species and examine evidence for convergent evolution in their structure and function. We also assess the key adaptive traits that enable the shrub species that compose mediterranean-type vegetation (MTV) communities to thrive in MTC regions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elie Fink ◽  
Matthieu Louis

Animals differ in their appearances and behaviors. While many genetic studies have addressed the origins of phenotypic differences between fly species, we are still lacking a quantitative assessment of the variability in the way different fly species behave. We tackled this question in one of the most robust behaviors displayed by Drosophila: chemotaxis. At the larval stage, Drosophila melanogaster navigate odor gradients by combining four sensorimotor routines in a multilayered algorithm: a modulation of the overall locomotor speed and turn rate; a bias in turning during down-gradient motion; a bias in turning toward the gradient; the local curl of trajectories toward the gradient ("weathervaning"). Using high-resolution tracking and behavioral quantification, we characterized the olfactory behavior of eight closely related species of the Drosophila group in response to 19 ecologically-relevant odors. Significant changes are observed in the receptive field of each species, which is consistent with the rapid evolution of the peripheral olfactory system. Our results reveal substantial inter-species variability in the algorithms directing larval chemotaxis. While the basic sensorimotor routines are shared, their parametric arrangements can vary dramatically across species. The present analysis sets the stage for deciphering the evolutionary relationships between the structure and function of neural circuits directing orientation behaviors in Drosophila.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mujahed I. Mustafa ◽  
Enas A. Osman ◽  
Abdelrahman H. Abdelmoneiom ◽  
Dania M. Hassn ◽  
Hadeel M. Yousif ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundFamilial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder within the larger classification of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies. We aimed to identify the pathogenic SNPs in IKBKAP gene by computational analysis software’s, and to determine the structure, function and regulation of their respective proteins.Materials and MethodsWe carried out in silico analysis of structural effect of each SNP using different bioinformatics tools to predict SNPs influence on protein structure and function.Result41 novel mutations out of 973 nsSNPs that are found be deleterious effect on the IKBKAP structure and function.ConclusionThis is the first in silico analysis in IKBKAP gene to prioritize SNPs for further genetic studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. A. Shafee ◽  
Fung T. Lay ◽  
Thanh Kha Phan ◽  
Marilyn A. Anderson ◽  
Mark D. Hulett

Genomics could be viewed as the study of the randomness of DNA sequences. It may be possible to predict the structure of a gene product from the nucleotide sequences and thereby predict its function. The terms “structural genomics” and “functional genomics” were coined to denote the assignment of structure and function to a gene product, respectively. Proteomics focuses on the products of gene, which are basically proteins. Proteins are responsible for the development of phenotype, and proteomics is the bridge between genotype and phenotype. The transcribed mRNAs and their abundance are called transcriptome. Proteomics also deals with the interaction between proteins called intractomics. Metabolomics is concerned with identification, abundance, and localization of all the molecules excluding lipids and polysaccharides in the cell. In this chapter, the basic concepts and analysis of the genomic, proteomic, and metabolomics data for their practical utilization are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin S. Waples ◽  
Kerry A. Naish ◽  
Craig R. Primmer

Salmon were among the first nonmodel species for which systematic population genetic studies of natural populations were conducted, often to support management and conservation. The genomics revolution has improved our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of salmon in two major ways: ( a) Large increases in the numbers of genetic markers (from dozens to 104–106) provide greater power for traditional analyses, such as the delineation of population structure, hybridization, and population assignment, and ( b) qualitatively new insights that were not possible with traditional genetic methods can be achieved by leveraging detailed information about the structure and function of the genome. Studies of the first type have been more common to date, largely because it has taken time for the necessary tools to be developed to fully understand the complex salmon genome. We expect that the next decade will witness many new studies that take full advantage of salmonid genomic resources.


2011 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 1917-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayapal Manikandan ◽  
Narasimhan Kothandaraman ◽  
Manoor Prakash Hande ◽  
Peter Natesan Pushparaj

Author(s):  
Peter Sterling

The synaptic connections in cat retina that link photoreceptors to ganglion cells have been analyzed quantitatively. Our approach has been to prepare serial, ultrathin sections and photograph en montage at low magnification (˜2000X) in the electron microscope. Six series, 100-300 sections long, have been prepared over the last decade. They derive from different cats but always from the same region of retina, about one degree from the center of the visual axis. The material has been analyzed by reconstructing adjacent neurons in each array and then identifying systematically the synaptic connections between arrays. Most reconstructions were done manually by tracing the outlines of processes in successive sections onto acetate sheets aligned on a cartoonist's jig. The tracings were then digitized, stacked by computer, and printed with the hidden lines removed. The results have provided rather than the usual one-dimensional account of pathways, a three-dimensional account of circuits. From this has emerged insight into the functional architecture.


Author(s):  
K.E. Krizan ◽  
J.E. Laffoon ◽  
M.J. Buckley

With increase use of tissue-integrated prostheses in recent years it is a goal to understand what is happening at the interface between haversion bone and bulk metal. This study uses electron microscopy (EM) techniques to establish parameters for osseointegration (structure and function between bone and nonload-carrying implants) in an animal model. In the past the interface has been evaluated extensively with light microscopy methods. Today researchers are using the EM for ultrastructural studies of the bone tissue and implant responses to an in vivo environment. Under general anesthesia nine adult mongrel dogs received three Brånemark (Nobelpharma) 3.75 × 7 mm titanium implants surgical placed in their left zygomatic arch. After a one year healing period the animals were injected with a routine bone marker (oxytetracycline), euthanized and perfused via aortic cannulation with 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M cacodylate buffer pH 7.2. Implants were retrieved en bloc, harvest radiographs made (Fig. 1), and routinely embedded in plastic. Tissue and implants were cut into 300 micron thick wafers, longitudinally to the implant with an Isomet saw and diamond wafering blade [Beuhler] until the center of the implant was reached.


Author(s):  
Robert L. Ochs

By conventional electron microscopy, the formed elements of the nuclear interior include the nucleolus, chromatin, interchromatin granules, perichromatin granules, perichromatin fibrils, and various types of nuclear bodies (Figs. 1a-c). Of these structures, all have been reasonably well characterized structurally and functionally except for nuclear bodies. The most common types of nuclear bodies are simple nuclear bodies and coiled bodies (Figs. 1a,c). Since nuclear bodies are small in size (0.2-1.0 μm in diameter) and infrequent in number, they are often overlooked or simply not observed in any random thin section. The rat liver hepatocyte in Fig. 1b is a case in point. Historically, nuclear bodies are more prominent in hyperactive cells, they often occur in proximity to nucleoli (Fig. 1c), and sometimes they are observed to “bud off” from the nucleolar surface.


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