Comparative analysis of single cell lung atlas of bat, cat, tiger and pangolin

Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus sinicus) might help maintain coronaviruses severely affecting human health, such as SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. It has long been suggested that bats may be more tolerant of viral infection than other mammals due to their unique immune system, but the exact mechanism remains to be fully explored. During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple animal species were diseased by SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in the respiratory system. Herein, single-cell transcriptomic data of the lungs of a horseshoe bat, a cat, a tiger, and a pangolin were generated. The receptor distribution of twenty-eight respiratory viruses belonging to fourteen viral families were characterized for the four species. Comparison on the immune-related transcripts further revealed limited cytokine activations in bats, which might explain the reason why bats experienced only mild diseases or even no symptoms upon virus infection. Our findings might increase our understanding of the immune background of horseshoe bats and their insensitivity to virus infections.

Antifungal Susceptibility of 182 Fusarium spp Isolates from 20 European Centers Comparison between EUCAST and Gradient Concentration Strips Methods

We determined the susceptibility of 182 Fusarium spp. isolates to 5 antifungal drugs (amphotericin B, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, terbinafine) by EUCAST method. Based on the latest taxonomic insights, isolates collected from 20 European centers were distributed into 7 complexes and 27 species. The susceptibility was variable depending on the species. Comparison with gradient concentration strips method performed for 77 isolates showed essential agreement for voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole and amphotericin B of 17%, 91%, 83% and 70%, respectively.

Inter-species comparison of the orientation algorithm directing larval chemotaxis in the genus Drosophila

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.

Structural, textural, and chemical controls on the OH stretching vibrations in serpentine-group minerals

The OH stretching vibrational properties of eight serpentine samples from veins of the New Caledonian ophiolite have been investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in the mid-infrared and near-infrared ranges and by Raman spectroscopy. The samples were selected for their monophasic composition (Lz: lizardite; Ctl: chrysotile; and Atg: antigorite) making them representative of the three serpentine species. Comparison of fundamental and overtone spectra allowed us to interpret most of the observed bands and to propose consistent spectral decomposition in individual components. The OH stretching bands related to intrinsic vibrational properties of the minerals are distinguished from those associated with chemical substitutions in octahedral sites (mainly Fe and Ni for Mg substitutions). Observations made on the most symmetric Lz are consistent with previous interpretations and underline the effect of macroscopic parameters on OH stretching bands in the FTIR spectra. The major importance of the distribution of OH bond lengths in the broadening of the vibrational signals of the less symmetric and more distorted Atg is confirmed. The combination of the three spectroscopic methods makes it possible to unravel the occurrence of two different types of interlayer OH environments in Ctl nanotubes. One corresponds to the features observed at 3684 and 7171 cm−1 in the fundamental and overtone spectra, respectively, and is similar to the local OH environment observed in Lz. The other corresponds to broader signals observed at 3693 and 7200 cm−1 in the fundamental and overtone spectra, respectively. It reflects a distribution of OH bond lengths likely related to local structural misfits between adjacent layers in the tubular structure of Ctl.

Cross-species comparison of human and rodent primary reward consumption under budget constraints

We live in a world of limited resources. Optimal use of resources is therefore of great importance for survival. Previous studies have shown that rodents optimize their allocation of a limited number of operant responses (akin to a finite budget) to trade for food rewards. Here, we propose a novel human cost-benefit decision paradigm translated from an economic choice task initially developed for rodents, to examine human consumption of primary rewards in a budget-constrained consumption scenario. In the first study, heterosexual male participants made effortful presses to obtain the opportunity to watch erotic pictures (task 1: picture task) or drink milk rewards (task 2: milk task) with a limited budget (i.e. finite total amount of presses). Participants adapted their choice allocation when the price (i.e. number of presses required to produce a reward) and the budget changed. We compared our participants' choice pattern to that of rodent consumers performing a matched economic decision task. Our cross-species comparison suggests that humans responded to price and budget changes in a similar way as rat consumers when purchasing milk rewards. However, this was not the case when purchasing the opportunity to watch picture rewards: compared to the milk task and to the rodent task, participants made more internally inconsistent choices in the picture task that failed to comply to the requirements of rational choice theory, despite otherwise identical task structure. We found non-linear changes in arousal state as a function of choice selection of rewards that might potentially underlie the increased choice inconsistency in the picture task. In two control experiments, we replicated our main findings. Our study shows that humans and rodents comply surprisingly well to the predictions of rational choice theory, but that deviations from the rational ideal can be elicited depending on the reward type.

Sucrose Metabolism and Transport in Grapevines, with Emphasis on Berries and Leaves and Insights Gained from a Cross-Species Comparison

In grapevines, as in other plants, sucrose and its constituents glucose and fructose are fundamentally important and carry out a multitude of roles. The aims of this review are three-fold. First, to provide a summary of the metabolism and transport of sucrose in grapevines, together with new insights and interpretations. Second, to stress the importance of considering the compartmentation of metabolism. Third, to outline the key role of acid invertase in osmoregulation associated with sucrose metabolism and transport in plants.