Shedding new light on the generation of the visual chromophore

The visual phototransduction cascade begins with acis–transphotoisomerization of a retinylidene chromophore associated with the visual pigments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Visual opsins release their all-trans-retinal chromophore following photoactivation, which necessitates the existence of pathways that produce 11-cis-retinal for continued formation of visual pigments and sustained vision. Proteins in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a cell layer adjacent to the photoreceptor outer segments, form the well-established “dark” regeneration pathway known as the classical visual cycle. This pathway is sufficient to maintain continuous rod function and support cone photoreceptors as well although its throughput has to be augmented by additional mechanism(s) to maintain pigment levels in the face of high rates of photon capture. Recent studies indicate that the classical visual cycle works together with light-dependent processes in both the RPE and neural retina to ensure adequate 11-cis-retinal production under natural illuminances that can span ten orders of magnitude. Further elucidation of the interplay between these complementary systems is fundamental to understanding how cone-mediated vision is sustained in vivo. Here, we describe recent advances in understanding how 11-cis-retinal is synthesized via light-dependent mechanisms.

Methods for Distinguishing Aspen Seedlings from Suckers in the Field

Quaking aspen is a common component of postdisturbance landscapes, in part because of its ability to regenerate via asexual suckers. Previously viewed as exceedingly rare in the western United States, sexual seedling establishment is increasingly seen as another important natural regeneration pathway for aspen, because sexual regeneration increases genetic diversity and facilitates long-distance dispersal. However, aspen seedling research is hampered by difficulties in visually distinguishing seedlings from suckers in the field, and few resources exist to guide managers and researchers. We present methods for distinguishing aspen seedlings from aspen suckers, suitable for use in field studies. Using these methods, we achieved 99 percent predictive accuracy in a recently burned area in southern Utah, although accuracy decreased to 90 percent following one summer’s growth, as seedlings and suckers became more similar in appearance. Study Implication: Sexual regeneration may play an important role in aspen’s response to climate change, as it increases genetic diversity and adaptive capacity, and allows aspen populations and their ecological associates to better track changing climate through increased dispersal distances. The methods we present allow managers and researchers to accurately identify aspen seedling populations, which can then be protected and monitored through time to better understand aspen demography and the factors limiting establishment and survival of new clones. Aspen seedling ecology is an area with many knowledge gaps currently, and these methods remove a barrier that has hindered research in the past.

Regeneration Process of The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) to Maintain Its Existence by Election Year 2014

Political parties prepare prospective national leaders through a political recruitment process. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), one of the Islamic parties In Indonesia, has a Regional Leadership Council (DPD) in each district or city. Regional Leadership Council (DPD) of Bandung City is interesting to study since it has a unique regeneration process and the organizations (under brow) have scored excellent cadres. This study aims to analyze the regeneration process of DPD PKS at Bandung City to maintain its existence in the 2014 election using the theory of political recruitment through the regeneration pathway proposed by Almond and Powell. The research was a qualitative method with data collection techniques carried out through secondary data collected by the General Elections Commission (KPU) of Bandung City. The primary data collected from PKS cadre interview process. This study found that the DPD PKS regeneration process of Bandung City affected the quality of promoted cadre, thus influencing the quality and existence of the party. The process of regeneration has produced excellent cadres through education and training stages that make it exist.

MOB (Mps one Binder) Proteins in the Hippo Pathway and Cancer

The family of MOBs (monopolar spindle-one-binder proteins) is highly conserved in the eukaryotic kingdom. MOBs represent globular scaffold proteins without any known enzymatic activities. They can act as signal transducers in essential intracellular pathways. MOBs have diverse cancer-associated cellular functions through regulatory interactions with members of the NDR/LATS kinase family. By forming additional complexes with serine/threonine protein kinases of the germinal centre kinase families, other enzymes and scaffolding factors, MOBs appear to be linked to an even broader disease spectrum. Here, we review our current understanding of this emerging protein family, with emphases on post-translational modifications, protein-protein interactions, and cellular processes that are possibly linked to cancer and other diseases. In particular, we summarise the roles of MOBs as core components of the Hippo tissue growth and regeneration pathway.

The properties of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MthfD) and its role in the tetrahydrofolate (THF)-dependent dicamba demethylation system inRhizorhabdus dicambivoransNdbn-20

ABSTRACTThe herbicide dicamba is initially degrade via demethylation inRhizorhabdus dicambivoransNdbn-20. A gene cluster scaffold 66 containing a THF-dependent dicamba methyltransferasedmtand three THF metabolic-related genes, namely,mthfD,dhcandpurU, is responsible for dicamba demethylation in this strain. However, the characteristics and functions of MthfD, Dhc and PurU have not been elucidated. In this study, MthfD was synthesized inEscherichia coliBL21(DE3) and purified as a His6-tagged protein. Purified MthfD was found to be a monomer, and exhibited 5-CH3-THF dehydrogenase activityin vitro. TheKcatandKmfor 5-CH3-THF were 0.23 s−1and 16.48 μM, respectively. However, 5,10-CH2-THF reductase activity was not detected for MthfD yet. Gene disruption results showed thatmthfDis essential for dicamba degradation, whereasdhcis dispensable. Our studies revealed that MthfD physiologically is a 5-CH3-THF dehydrogenase that catalyzes the irreversible dehydrogenation of 5-CH3-THF to 5,10-CH2-THF in the THF regeneration pathway during dicamba demethylation inR. dicambivoransNdbn-20.