2015
The emergence of eusociality (“true sociality”) in several insect lineages represents one of the most successful evolutionary adaptations in the animal kingdom in terms of species richness and global biomass. In contrast to solitary insects, eusocial insects evolved a set of unique behavioral and physiological traits such as reproductive division of labor and cooperative brood care, which likely played a major role in their ecological success. The molecular mechanisms that support the social regulation of behavior in eusocial insects, and their evolution, are mostly unknown. The recent whole-genome sequencing of several eusocial insect species set the stage for deciphering the molecular and genetic bases of eusociality, and the possible evolutionary modifications that led to it. Studies of mRNA expression patterns in the brains of diverse eusocial insect species have indicated that specific social behavioral states of individual workers and queens are often associated with particular tissue-specific transcriptional profiles. Here we discuss recent findings that highlight the role of non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulating traits associated with reproductive and behavioral divisions of labor in eusocial insects. We provide bioinformatic and phylogenetic data, which suggest that some Hymenoptera-specific miRNA may have contributed to the evolution of traits important for the evolution of eusociality in this group.
A crumpled sheet of paper displays an intricate pattern of creases and point-like singular structures, termed d-cones. It is typically assumed that elongated creases form when ridges connecting two d-cones fold beyond the material yielding threshold, and scarring is thus a by-product of the folding dynamics that seek to minimize elastic energy. Here we show that rather than merely being the consequence of folding, plasticity can act as its instigator. We introduce and characterize a different type of crease that is inherently plastic and is formed by the propagation of a single point defect. When a pre-existing d-cone is strained beyond a certain threshold, the singular structure at its apex sharpens abruptly. The resulting focusing of strains yields the material just ahead of the singularity, allowing it to propagate, leaving a furrow-like scar in its wake. We suggest an intuitive fracture analogue to explain the creation of furrows.
R Wang, Yang, J, Peng, L, Zhao, J, Mu, N, Huang, J, Lazarovici, P, Chen, H, ו Zheng, W. 2015.
“Gardenamide A Attenuated Cell Apoptosis Induced By Serum Deprivation Insult Via The Erk1/2 And Pi3K/Akt Signaling Pathways.”. Neuroscience, 286, Pp. 242–250. doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.056.
תקציר Gardenamide A (GA) is a stable genipin derivative with neuroprotective properties. It rescued pheochromocytoma cell (PC12) sympathetic cultures and retinal neuronal cells from apoptosis insult induced by serum deprivation. GA attenuated the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blotting with specific phospho-antibodies indicated that GA increased the phosphorylation of both the protein kinase B (Akt) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) in PC12 cells. The GA neuroprotective effect was inhibited by either the specific phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 or the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibitor PD98059. These results propose that the neuroprotective effect of GA on PC12 neuronal cell cultures was mediated through both the PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Therefore, GA may serve as a pharmacological tool to investigate neuroprotective mechanisms of neurons afflicted by different insults.
J Papeer, Bruch, R , Dekel, E , Pollak, O , Botton, M , Henis, Z , ו Zigler, A . 2015.
“Generation Of Concatenated Long High-Density Plasma Channels In Air By A Single Femtosecond Laser Pulse”. Applied Physics Letters, 107.
Yoni Cohen, Dafni, Hagit , Avni, Reut , Fellus, Liat , Bochner, Filip , Rotkopf, Ron , Raz, Tal , Benjamin, Laura Elaine , Walsh, Kenneth , ו Neeman, Michal . 2015.
“Genetic And Pharmacological Modulation Of Akt1 For Improving Ovarian Graft Revascularization In A Mouse Model.”. Biology Of Reproduction.
תקציר Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation is one of a few available treatments for fertility preservation in women diagnosed with cancer. Rapid revascularization is essential for reducing hypoxic damage after grafting and protecting the primordial follicles reserve. Using a mouse model of heterotopic ovarian graft transplantation, we have delineated the role of endothelial Akt1 expression using longitudinal MRI follow-up to quantify angiogenic response. Endothelial Akt1 activation in ovarian grafts promoted angiogenesis to support the graft during post-transplantation hypoxic period. Similarly, simvastatin therapy activated Akt1 at the transplantation site and improved the revascularization and vascular support of ovarian grafts. These results serve as an important first step towards pharmacological intervention to improve revascularization of ovarian grafts and restoration of fertility in cancer survivors. The pro angiogenic effects reported here may extend beyond improving ovarian graft reception in fertility preservation and could potentially be used for different organ or tissue transplantation.
J. Bruttger, Karram, K. , Wortge, S. , Regen, T. , Marini, F. , Hoppmann, N. , Klein, M. , Blank, T. , Yona, S. , Wolf, Y. , Mack, M. , Pinteaux, E. , Muller, W. , Zipp, F. , Binder, H. , Bopp, T. , Prinz, M. , Jung, S. , ו Waisman, A.. 2015.
“Genetic Cell Ablation Reveals Clusters Of Local Self-Renewing Microglia In The Mammalian Central Nervous System”. Immunity, 43, Pp. 92-106.
תקציר During early embryogenesis, microglia arise from yolk sac progenitors that populate the developing central nervous system (CNS), but how the tissue-resident macrophages are maintained throughout the organism's lifespan still remains unclear. Here, we describe a system that allows specific, conditional ablation of microglia in adult mice. We found that the microglial compartment was reconstituted within 1 week of depletion. Microglia repopulation relied on CNS-resident cells, independent from bone-marrow-derived precursors. During repopulation, microglia formed clusters of highly proliferative cells that migrated apart once steady state was achieved. Proliferating microglia expressed high amounts of the interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R), and treatment with an IL-1R antagonist during the repopulation phase impaired microglia proliferation. Hence, microglia have the potential for efficient self-renewal without the contribution of peripheral myeloid cells, and IL-1R signaling participates in this restorative proliferation process.
Wheat is one of the Neolithic founder crops domesticated ~10 500 years ago. Following the domestication episode, its evolution under domestication has resulted in various genetic modifications. Grain weight, embryo weight, and the interaction between those factors were examined among domesticated durum wheat and its direct progenitor, wild emmer wheat. Experimental data show that grain weight has increased over the course of wheat evolution without any parallel change in embryo weight, resulting in a significantly reduced (30%) embryo weight/grain weight ratio in domesticated wheat. The genetic factors associated with these modifications were further investigated using a population of recombinant inbred substitution lines that segregated for chromosome 2A. A cluster of loci affecting grain weight and shape was identified on the long arm of chromosome 2AL. Interestingly, a novel locus controlling embryo weight was mapped on chromosome 2AS, on which the wild emmer allele promotes heavier embryos and greater seedling vigour. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a QTL for embryo weight in wheat. The results suggest a differential selection of grain and embryo weight during the evolution of domesticated wheat. It is argued that conscious selection by early farmers favouring larger grains and smaller embryos appears to have resulted in a significant change in endosperm weight/embryo weight ratio in the domesticated wheat. Exposing the genetic factors associated with endosperm and embryo size improves our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of wheat under domestication and is likely to be useful for future wheat-breeding efforts.
Ruth van Oss, Abbo, Shahal , Eshed, Ravit , Sherman, Amir , Coyne, Clarice J, Vandemark, George J, Zhang, Hong-Bin , ו Peleg, Zvi . 2015.
“Genetic Relationship In Cicer Sp. Expose Evidence For Geneflow Between The Cultigen And Its Wild Progenitor.”. Plos One, 10, 10, Pp. e0139789. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0139789.
תקציר There is a debate concerning mono- or poly-phyletic origins of the Near Eastern crops. In parallel, some authors claim that domestication was not possible within the natural range of the wild progenitors due to wild alleles flow into the nascent crops. Here we address both, the mono- or poly-phyletic origins and the domestications within or without the natural range of the progenitor, debates in order to understand the relationship between domesticated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and its wild progenitor (C. reticulatum Ladizinsky) with special emphasis on its domestication centre in southeastern Turkey. A set of 103 chickpea cultivars and landraces from the major growing regions alongside wild accessions (C. reticulatum, C. echinospermum P.H Davis and C. bijugum K.H. Rech) sampled across the natural distribution range in eastern Turkey were genotyped with 194 SNPs markers. The genetic affinities between and within the studied taxa were assessed. The analysis suggests a mono-phyletic origin of the cultigen, with several wild accession as likely members of the wild stock of the cultigen. Clear separation between the wild and domesticated germplasm was apparent, with negligible level of admixture. A single C. reticulatum accession shows morphological and allelic signatures of admixture, a likely result of introgression. No evidence of geneflow from the wild into domesticated germplasm was found. The traditional farming systems of southeaster Turkey are characterized by occurrence of sympatric wild progenitor-domesticated forms of chickpea (and likewise cereals and other grain legumes). Therefore, both the authentic crop landraces and the wild populations native to the area are a unique genetic resource. Our results grant support to the notion of domestication within the natural distribution range of the wild progenitor, suggesting that the Neolithic domesticators were fully capable of selecting the desired phenotypes even when facing rare wild-domesticated introgression events.
Ben M. Sadd, Barribeau, Seth M. , Bloch, Guy , de Graaf, Dirk C. , Dearden, Peter , Elsik, Christine G. , Gadau, Juergen , Grimmelikhuijzen, Cornelis J. P. , Hasselmann, Martin , Lozier, Jeffrey D. , Robertson, Hugh M. , Smagghe, Guy , Stolle, Eckart , Van Vaerenbergh, Matthias , Waterhouse, Robert M. , Bornberg-Bauer, Erich , Klasberg, Steffen , Bennett, Anna K. , Camara, Francisco , Guigo, Roderic , Hoff, Katharina , Mariotti, Marco , Munoz-Torres, Monica , Murphy, Terence , Santesmasses, Didac , Amdam, Gro V. , Beckers, Matthew , Beye, Martin , Biewer, Matthias , Bitondi, Marcia M. G. , Blaxter, Mark L. , Bourke, Andrew F. G. , Brown, Mark J. F. , Buechel, Severine D. , Cameron, Rossanah , Cappelle, Kaat , Carolan, James C. , Christiaens, Olivier , Ciborowski, Kate L. , Clarke, David F. , Colgan, Thomas J. , Collins, David H. , Cridge, Andrew G. , Dalmay, Tamas , Dreier, Stephanie , du Plessis, Louis , Duncan, Elizabeth , Erler, Silvio , Evans, Jay , Falcon, Tiago , Flores, Kevin , Freitas, Flavia C. P. , Fuchikawa, Taro , Gempe, Tanja , Hartfelder, Klaus , Hauser, Frank , Helbing, Sophie , Humann, Fernanda C. , Irvine, Frano , Jermiin, Lars S. , Johnson, Claire E. , Johnson, Reed M. , Jones, Andrew K. , Kadowaki, Tatsuhiko , Kidner, Jonathan H. , Koch, Vasco , Koehler, Arian , Kraus, F. Bernhard , Lattorff, H. Michael G. , Leask, Megan , Lockett, Gabrielle A. , Mallon, Eamonn B. , Antonio, David S. Marco , Marxer, Monika , Meeus, Ivan , Moritz, Robin F. A. , Nair, Ajay , Napflin, Kathrin , Nissen, Inga , Niu, Jinzhi , Nunes, Francis M. F. , Oakeshott, John G. , Osborne, Amy , Otte, Marianne , Pinheiro, Daniel G. , Rossie, Nina , Rueppell, Olav , Santos, Carolina G. , Schmid-Hempel, Regula , Schmitt, Bjoern D. , Schulte, Christina , Simoes, Zila L. P. , Soares, Michelle P. M. , Swevers, Luc , Winnebeck, Eva C. , Wolschin, Florian , Yu, Na , Zdobnov, Evgeny M. , Aqrawi, Peshtewani K. , Blankenburg, Kerstin P. , Coyle, Marcus , Francisco, Liezl , Hernandez, Alvaro G. , Holder, Michael , Hudson, Matthew E. , Jackson, LaRonda , Jayaseelan, Joy , Joshi, Vandita , Kovar, Christie , Lee, Sandra L. , Mata, Robert , Mathew, Tittu , Newsham, Irene F. , Ngo, Robin , Okwuonu, Geoffrey , Pham, Christopher , Pu, Ling-Ling , Saada, Nehad , Santibanez, Jireh , Simmons, DeNard , Thornton, Rebecca , Venkat, Aarti , Walden, Kimberly K. O. , Wu, Yuan-Qing , Debyser, Griet , Devreese, Bart , Asher, Claire , Blommaert, Julie , Chipman, Ariel D. , Chittka, Lars , Fouks, Bertrand , Liu, Jisheng , O’Neill, Meaghan P. , Sumner, Seirian , Puiu, Daniela , Qu, Jiaxin , Salzberg, Steven L. , Scherer, Steven E. , Muzny, Donna M. , Richards, Stephen , Robinson, Gene E. , Gibbs, Richard A. , Schmid-Hempel, Paul , ו Worley, Kim C. . 2015.
“The Genomes Of Two Key Bumblebee Species With Primitive Eusocial Organization”. Genome Biology, 16. doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0623-3.
תקציר Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation.
In 1987, 4 per cent of girls were adopted within China. Why? Unlike infanticide, abandonment rids parents of daughters while preserving the supply of potential brides. In fact, an erstwhile tradition common in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces had parents of sons adopting an infant girl to serve as a future daughter-inlaw and household help. Analysing a nationally representative 1992 survey of children, we found that: (1) girl adoptions were concentrated in the above-mentioned provinces; (2) girls were predominantly adopted by families with sons; (3) adopted girls faced substantial disadvantage as measured by school attendance at ages 8–13. In the 1990s, as the sex ratio at birth climbed, were girls aborted rather than abandoned? Observing that in the 2000 census too many girls appear in families with older sons, we estimated that at least 1/25 girls were abandoned in the 1990s, a proportion that in Fujian and Jiangxi may have peaked at 1/ 10 in 1994.
A. Moussaieff, Rouleau, M. , Kitsberg, D. , Cohen, M. , Levy, G. , Barasch, D. , Nemirovski, A. , Shen-Orr, S. , Laevsky, I. , Amit, M. , Bomze, D. , Elena-Herrmann, B. , Scherf, T. , Nissim-Rafinia, M. , Kempa, S. , Itskovitz-Eldor, J. , Meshorer, E. , Aberdam, D. , ו Nahmias, Y.. 2015.
“Glycolysis-Mediated Changes In Acetyl-Coa And Histone Acetylation Control The Early Differentiation Of Embryonic Stem Cells”. Cell Metabolism, 21, Pp. 392-402. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.002.
Publisher's Version תקציר Loss of pluripotency is a gradual event whose initiating factors are largely unknown. Here we report the earliest metabolic changes induced during the first hours of differentiation. High-resolution NMR identified 44 metabolites and a distinct metabolic transition occurring during early differentiation. Metabolic and transcriptional analyses showed that pluripotent cells produced acetyl-CoA through glycolysis and rapidly lost this function during differentiation. Importantly, modulation of glycolysis blocked histone deacetylation and differentiation in human and mouse embryonic stem cells. Acetate, a precursor of acetyl-CoA, delayed differentiation and blocked early histone deacetylation in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibitors upstream of acetyl-CoA caused differentiation of pluripotent cells, while those downstream delayed differentiation. Our results show a metabolic switch causing a loss of histone acetylation and pluripotent state during the first hours of differentiation. Our data highlight the important role metabolism plays in pluripotency and suggest that a glycolytic switch controlling histone acetylation can release stem cells from pluripotency. © 2015 Elsevier Inc.
Belief in God's control of the world is common to many of the world's religions, but there are conflicting predictions regarding its role in shaping attitudes toward the welfare state. While the devout are expected to support pro-social values like helping others, and thus might be supportive of the welfare state, the possibility of taking action is undermined by the belief in God's absolute control over world affairs and in a morally perfect providence, who is responsible for the fates of individuals. As the literature provides mixed results on this question, this study examines the role of belief in God's control on welfare attitudes using three priming experiments and two priming tasks, carried out with a design that is both cross-cultural (US vs. Israel) and cross-religious tradition (Judaism vs. Catholicism). We find evidence that, largely, belief in God's control increases support for income redistribution among Israeli Jews (study 1), American Jews (study 2), and American Catholics (study 3). The findings suggest that the traditional and common political gap between the economic left and the religious, based on the evaluation that religious beliefs lead to conservative economic preferences, may be overstated.
This paper examines the policy option of providing government assistance to families with young children and financing it by increasing income taxes when the children leave home and the parents' wages rise due to their tenure in the labor market. We examine the expenditure composition and the characteristics of labor market participation of parents of young children in Israel, and find that these families have higher expenditures than other families, and that their income in the years in which children are present in the household is lower than in the following years. We do not find evidence that the relative position of young families deteriorated during the last decade, except for the housing market where we identify a consistently rising share of these families residing in rented rather than self-owned dwellings; such a trend did not develop among other family types. We also show that parents of young children are characterized by high employment rates and persistent employment. A comparison of government support for young families in other OECD countries with those in Israel for 14 representative family types—characterized by their structure and income composition—shows that it is higher in these countries for all of these family types. A simulation of raising the average benefits for young families in Israel to the level common in other OECD countries, while raising income tax rates at older ages in a way that keeps the policy fiscally balanced – and the individuals' lifetime income level unchanged – indicates that welfare can be increased substantially via consumption smoothing over the families' life cycle.
E. Gerzon, Biton, I. , Yaniv, Y. , Zemach, H. , Netzer, Y. , Schwartz, Amnon , Fait, A. , ו Ben-Ari, G.. 2015.
“Grapevine Anatomy As A Possible Determinant Of Isohydric Or Anisohydric Behavior”. American Journal Of Enology And Viticulture, 66, 3, Pp. 340-347. doi:10.5344/ajev.2015.14090.
Publisher's Version תקציר Isohydric plants maintain constant water potential through rapid stomatal closure, whereas anisohydric plants only close their stomata at very low water potentials. However, distinctions between isohydric and anisohydric behaviors among different cultivars of the same species are unclear. This study compared the physiological response to prolonged drought stress in the isohydric Grenache and the anisohydric Shiraz cultivars of the Vitis vinifera species. Plants were exposed to 60-day periods of deficit irrigation (25% of plant water consumption under well-watered conditions) during the summers of 2011 and 2012. Physiological measurements, water potential, leaf gas exchange, canopy area, leaf senescence, stem characteristics, and morphological characteristics were analyzed. Stomatal conductance was consistently lower in Grenache than in Shiraz at all values of midday stem and predawn leaf water potentials, respectively. The Shiraz plants exhibited greater vegetative growth and less defoliation than the Grenache plants in response to water deficit. Anatomical architecture analyses revealed that Grenache plants had greater xylem vessel diameter, hydraulic conductivity, and stomatal density than the Shiraz plants. These results suggest isohydric and anisohydric behaviors may be well-defined, time-regulated responses rather than distinct mechanisms that plants use to cope with drought stress. The rapid response to water deficit exhibited by isohydric plants may be because they are more vulnerable to fatal xylem embolisms than anisohydric plants. Thus, the accelerated response allows isohydric plants to avoid drought stress and minimize risk of xylem cavitation, but may lower the plant’s ability to survive moderate stress of prolonged drought. © 2015 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. All rights reserved.
Recent scholarship has focused on close engagements with Greek literature in sixteenth-century England, but must still contend with the conventional belief that Elizabethans had negligible Greek. The standard accounts on which this belief is based, however, have not kept pace with the last thirty years of developments in the history of Renaissance education; moreover, they have consistently evaluated Greek literacy by the incommensurate standards of Greek philological scholarship. This review of the multiform evidence of Greek language training in the sixteenth century suggests that Greek literacy was in fact more widespread and advanced in England than has been allowed, and establishes a new baseline and chronology of linguistic access for English readers in the period.
