TY  - JOUR
AB  - Anthropogenic climate warming causes thawing of permafrost soil in pan-Arctic areas of the Northern Hemisphere, thereby triggering changes in ecosystem biodiversity and biogeochemistry. Here, we analyzed the consequences of Siberian alder colonization for the thawing of permafrost soil, soil microbial biodiversity, and the performance of neighboring peatland vegetation. We show, for the first time, that heat dissipation from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by alder-Frankia symbiosis in numerous nodule clusters accelerates the thawing of permafrost soil in alder forests. On an areal basis, a rough estimate of heat dissipation from BNF amounts to 4,330-34,630 MJ year-1 per hectare. The maximum value of this estimate is of the same order of magnitude as the reported areal heat dissipation from microbial organic matter decomposition and accounts for ∼7.6% of the heat dissipation from this decomposition. Colonization by Siberian alder trees strongly modified microbial biodiversity in the top peat and organic soil layers and had nursing effects on dominant peatland plant species neighboring alder forests, as indicated by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures. These results reveal the mechanism of permafrost soil thawing attributed to BNF-mediated heat dissipation by Siberian alder forests at both the site-specific and ecosystem levels. They complement present knowledge on microbial-decomposition-driven soil heating and carbon release in permafrost regions under global warming. In addition, they show that colonization by Siberian alder has significant feedback on climate-change-mediated thawing of permafrost soil, thereby impairing the sustainability of pan-Arctic peatland ecosystems.
AU  - Hu, B.*
AU  - Liu, R.*
AU  - Ramm, E.*
AU  - Tong, P.*
AU  - Dannenmann, M.*
AU  - Chen, Z.*
AU  - Zou, T.*
AU  - Shi, X.*
AU  - Chen, X.*
AU  - Haensch, R.*
AU  - Schloter, M.
AU  - Rennenberg, H.*
C1  - 76036
C2  - 58349
TI  - Impaired sustainability of thawing permafrost peatland ecosystems by Siberian alder colonization.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
PY  - 2025
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Duckweeds are among the smallest and fastest-growing flowering plants. In a new study that combines experimental data with phylogenomic comparisons across the clade, the authors explore how changes in gene content, epigenetic pathways, and their interplay shaped the body plan, aquatic lifestyle, and clonal growth habit of this plant family.
AU  - Mayer, K.F.X.
AU  - Haberer, G.
C1  - 74149
C2  - 57264
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - R298-R300
TI  - Genomics: To be (or not to be) a duckweed.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 35
IS  - 8
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2025
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Doublecortin (DCX) is a microtubule (MT)-associated protein in immature neurons. DCX is essential for early brain development,1 and DCX mutations account for nearly a quarter of all cases of lissencephaly-spectrum brain malformations2,3 that arise from a neuronal migration failure through the developing cortex.4 By analyzing pathogenic DCX missense mutations in non-neuronal cells, we show that disruption of MT binding is central to DCX pathology. In human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cortical i3Neurons, genome edited to express DCX-mEmerald from the endogenous locus, DCX-MT interactions polarize very early during neuron morphogenesis. DCX interacts with MTs through two conserved DCX domains5,6 that bind between protofilaments and adjacent tubulin dimers,7 a site that changes conformation during guano- sine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis.8 Consequently and consistent with our previous results,5 DCX specifically binds straight growth cone MTs and is excluded from the GTP/guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-inorganic phosphate (Pi) cap recognized by end-binding proteins (EBs). Comparing MT-bound DCX fluorescence to mEmerald-tagged nanocage standards, we measure approximately one hundred DCX molecules per micrometer growth cone MT. DCX is required for i3Neuron growth cone advance in soft microenvironments that mimic the viscoelasticity of brain tissue, and using high-resolution traction force microscopy, we find that growth cones produce comparatively small and transient traction forces. Given our finding that DCX stabilizes MTs in the growth cone periphery by inhibiting MT depolymerization, we propose that DCX contributes to growth cone biomechanics and reinforces the growth cone cytoskeleton to counteract actomyosin-generated contractile forces in soft physiological environments in which weak and transient adhesion-mediated traction may be insufficient for productive growth cone advance.
AU  - Dema, A.
AU  - Charafeddine, R.A.*
AU  - van Haren, J.*
AU  - Rahgozar, S.*
AU  - Viola, G.*
AU  - Jacobs, K.A.*
AU  - Kutys, M.L.*
AU  - Wittmann, T.*
C1  - 73048
C2  - 56808
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 5822-5832.e5
TI  - Doublecortin reinforces microtubules to promote growth cone advance in soft environments.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 34
IS  - 24
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2024
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Human activities cause substantial changes in biodiversity.1,2 Despite ongoing concern about the implications of invertebrate decline,3,4,5,6,7 few empirical studies have examined the ecosystem consequences of invertebrate biomass loss. Here, we test the responses of six ecosystem services informed by 30 above- and belowground ecosystem variables to three levels of aboveground (i.e., vegetation associated) invertebrate community biomass (100%, 36%, and 0% of ambient biomass) in experimental grassland mesocosms in a controlled Ecotron facility. In line with recent reports on invertebrate biomass loss over the last decade, our 36% biomass treatment also represented a decrease in invertebrate abundance (-70%) and richness (-44%). Moreover, we simulated the pronounced change in invertebrate biomass and turnover in community composition across the season. We found that the loss of invertebrate biomass decreases ecosystem multifunctionality, including two critical ecosystem services, aboveground pest control and belowground decomposition, while harvested plant biomass increases, likely because less energy was channeled up the food chain. Moreover, communities and ecosystem functions become decoupled with a lower biomass of invertebrates. Our study shows that invertebrate loss threatens the integrity of grasslands by decoupling ecosystem processes and decreasing ecosystem-service supply.
AU  - Eisenhauer, N.*
AU  - Ochoa-Hueso, R.*
AU  - Huang, Y.*
AU  - Barry, K.E.*
AU  - Gebler, A.*
AU  - Guerra, C.A.*
AU  - Hines, J.*
AU  - Jochum, M.*
AU  - Andraczek, K.*
AU  - Bucher, S.F.*
AU  - Buscot, F.*
AU  - Ciobanu, M.*
AU  - Chen, H.*
AU  - Junker, R.*
AU  - Lange, M.*
AU  - Lehmann, A.*
AU  - Rillig, M.*
AU  - Römermann, C.*
AU  - Ulrich, J.*
AU  - Weigelt, A.*
AU  - Schmidt, A.*
AU  - Türke, M.
C1  - 68639
C2  - 54833
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 4538-4547.e5
TI  - Ecosystem consequences of invertebrate decline.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 33
IS  - 20
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2023
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Ferroptosis is a disease-relevant and pervasive form of cell death triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and resulting in membrane rupture. A new study addresses how tension-sensing channels can balance and modulate membrane tension in the context of ferroptotic cell death.
AU  - Wahida, A.
AU  - Conrad, M.
C1  - 67623
C2  - 53930
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - R269-R272
TI  - Ferroptosis: Under pressure!
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 33
IS  - 7
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2023
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - A new study finds the spliceosome protein SNRNP70 in cytoplasmic RNA granules in zebrafish motoneurons. Intriguingly, cytoplasmic SNRNP70 is essential for functional neuromuscular junctions, possibly due to a role in alternative splicing of z+agrin mRNA.
AU  - Kiebler, M.A.*
AU  - Ninkovic, J.
C1  - 66900
C2  - 53349
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - R1314-R1316
TI  - RNA biology: Alternative splicing hits synaptic function and behavior.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 32
IS  - 23
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2022
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Earlier human activity relative to sunrise and sunset, the very essence of daylight saving time, is linked with health and safety detriments in humans. A new study predicts that deer, at least, may benefit from earlier human activity through reduced deer-vehicle collisions.
AU  - Winnebeck, E.C.
C1  - 66616
C2  - 52977
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - R1283-R1286
TI  - Chronobiology: Is daylight saving time a deer saving time?
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 32
IS  - 22
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2022
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Animals have a remarkable ability to use local cues to orient in space in the absence of a panoramic fixed reference frame. Here we use the mechanosensory lateral line in larval zebrafish to understand rheotaxis, an innate oriented swimming evoked by water currents. We generated a comprehensive light-microscopy cell-resolution projectome of lateralis afferent neurons (LANs) and used clustering techniques for morphological classification. We find surprising structural constancy among LANs. Laser-mediated microlesions indicate that precise topographic mapping of lateral-line receptors is not essential for rheotaxis. Recording neuronal-activity during controlled mechanical stimulation of neuromasts reveals unequal representation of water-flow direction in the hindbrain. We explored potential circuit architectures constrained by anatomical and functional data to suggest a parsimonious model under which the integration of lateralized signals transmitted by direction-selective LANs underlies the encoding of water-flow direction in the brain. These data provide a new framework to understand how animals use local mechanical cues to orient in space.
AU  - Valera, G.
AU  - Markov, D.A.*
AU  - Bijari, K.*
AU  - Randlett, O.*
AU  - Asgharsharghi, A.
AU  - Baudoin, J.P.*
AU  - Ascoli, G.A.*
AU  - Portugues, R.*
AU  - López-Schier, H.
C1  - 61345
C2  - 50173
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 1463-1475.e6
TI  - A neuronal blueprint for directional mechanosensation in larval zebrafish.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 31
IS  - 7
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2021
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Early-life experience has a long-lasting influence on social behaviour. A new study has revealed a role for mechanosensation in shaping social avoidance responses in zebrafish.
AU  - Dreosti, E.*
AU  - López-Schier, H.
C1  - 60325
C2  - 49742
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - R1275-R1276
TI  - Animal behaviour: Learning social distancing.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 30
IS  - 20
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Most plane-polarized tissues are formed by identically oriented cells [1, 2]. A notable exception occurs in the vertebrate vestibular system and lateral-line neuromasts, where mechanosensory hair cells orient along a single axis but in opposite directions to generate bipolar epithelia [3-5]. In zebrafish neuromasts, pairs of hair cells arise from the division of a non-sensory progenitor [6, 7] and acquire opposing planar polarity via the asymmetric expression of the polarity-determinant transcription factor Emx2 [8-11]. Here, we reveal the initial symmetry-breaking step by decrypting the developmental trajectory of hair cells using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), diffusion pseudotime analysis, lineage tracing, and mutagenesis. We show that Emx2 is absent in non-sensory epithelial cells, begins expression in hair-cell progenitors, and is downregulated in one of the sibling hair cells via signaling through the Notch1a receptor. Analysis of Emx2-deficient specimens, in which every hair cell adopts an identical direction, indicates that Emx2 asymmetry does not result from auto-regulatory feedback. These data reveal a two-tiered mechanism by which the symmetric monodirectional ground state of the epithelium is inverted by deterministic initiation of Emx2 expression in hair-cell progenitors and a subsequent stochastic repression of Emx2 in one of the sibling hair cells breaks directional symmetry to establish planar bipolarity.
AU  - Kozak, E.L.
AU  - Palit, S.
AU  - Miranda Rodriguez, J.R.
AU  - Janjic, A.*
AU  - Böttcher, A.
AU  - Lickert, H.
AU  - Enard, W.*
AU  - Theis, F.J.
AU  - López-Schier, H.
C1  - 58658
C2  - 48442
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 1142-1151
TI  - Epithelial planar bipolarity emerges from Notch-mediated asymmetric inhibition of Emx2.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 30
IS  - 6
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Xenoturbella and the acoelomorph worms (Xenacoe-lomorpha) are simple marine animals with controversial affinities. They have been placed as the sister group of all other bilaterian animals (Nephrozoa hypothesis), implying their simplicity is an ancient characteristic [1, 2]; alternatively, they have been linked to the complex Ambulacraria (echinoderms and hemichordates) in a Glade called the Xenambulacraria [3,5], suggesting their simplicity evolved by reduction from a complex ancestor. The difficulty resolving this problem implies the phylogenetic signal supporting the correct solution is weak and affected by inadequate modeling, creating a misleading non-phylogenetic signal. The idea that the Nephrozoa hypothesis might be an artifact is prompted by the faster molecular evolutionary rate observed within the Acoelomorpha. Unequal rates of evolution are known to result in the systematic artifact of long branch attraction, which would be predicted to result in an attraction between long-branch acoelomorphs and the outgroup, pulling them toward the root [6]. Other biases inadequately accommodated by the models used can also have strong effects, exacerbated in the context of short internal branches and long terminal branches [7]. We have assembled a large and informative dataset to address this problem. Analyses designed to reduce or to emphasize misleading signals show the Nephrozoa hypothesis is supported under conditions expected to exacerbate errors, and the Xenambulacraria hypothesis is preferred in conditions designed to reduce errors. Our reanalyses of two other recently published datasets [1, 2] produce the same result. We conclude that the Xenacoelomorpha are simplified relatives of the Ambulacraria.
AU  - Philippe, H.*
AU  - Poustka, A.J.*
AU  - Chiodin, M.*
AU  - Hoff, K.J.*
AU  - Dessimoz, C.*
AU  - Tomiczek, B.*
AU  - Schiffer, P.H.*
AU  - Müller, S.*
AU  - Domman, D.*
AU  - Horn, M.*
AU  - Kuhl, H.*
AU  - Timmermann, B.*
AU  - Satoh, N.*
AU  - Hikosaka-Katayama, T.*
AU  - Nakano, H.*
AU  - Rowe, M.L.*
AU  - Elphick, M.R.*
AU  - Thomas-Chollier, M.*
AU  - Hankeln, T.*
AU  - Mertes, F.
AU  - Wallberg, A.*
AU  - Rast, J.P.*
AU  - Copley, R.R.*
AU  - Martinez, P.*
AU  - Telford, M.J.*
C1  - 56094
C2  - 46813
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 1818-1826.e6
TI  - Mitigating anticipated effects of systematic errors supports sister-group relationship between Xenacoelomorpha and Ambulacraria.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 29
IS  - 11
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2019
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Parasitic plants in the genus Striga, commonly known as witchweeds, cause major crop losses in sub-Saharan Africa and pose a threat to agriculture worldwide. An understanding of Striga parasite biology, which could lead to agricultural solutions, has been hampered by the lack of genome information. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Striga asiatica with 34,577 predicted protein-coding genes, which reflects gene family contractions and expansions that are consistent with a three-phase model of parasitic plant genome evolution. Striga seeds germinate in response to host-derived strigolactones (SLs) and then develop a specialized penetration structure, the haustorium, to invade the host root. A family of SL receptors has undergone a striking expansion, suggesting a molecular basis for the evolution of broad host range among Striga spp. We found that genes involved in lateral root development in non-parasitic model species are coordinately induced during haustorium development in Striga, suggesting a pathway that was partly co-opted during the evolution of the haustorium. In addition, we found evidence for horizontal transfer of host genes as well as retrotransposons, indicating gene flow to S. asiatica from hosts. Our results provide valuable insights into the evolution of parasitism and a key resource for the future development of Striga control strategies.
AU  - Yoshida, S.*
AU  - Kim, S.*
AU  - Wafula, E.K.*
AU  - Tanskanen, J.*
AU  - Kim, Y.-M.*
AU  - Honaas, L.*
AU  - Yang, Z.*
AU  - Spallek, T.*
AU  - Conn, C.E.*
AU  - Ichihashi, Y.*
AU  - Cheong, K.*
AU  - Cui, S.*
AU  - Der, J.P.*
AU  - Gundlach, H.
AU  - Jiao, Y.*
AU  - Hori, C.*
AU  - Ishida, J.K.*
AU  - Kasahara, H.*
AU  - Kiba, T.*
AU  - Kim, M.S.*
AU  - Koo, N.*
AU  - Laohavisit, A.*
AU  - Lee, Y.-H.*
AU  - Lumba, S.*
AU  - McCourt, P.*
AU  - Mortimer, J.C.*
AU  - Mutuku, J.M.*
AU  - Nomura, T.*
AU  - Sasaki-Sekimoto, Y.*
AU  - Seto, Y.*
AU  - Wang, Y.*
AU  - Wakatake, T.*
AU  - Sakakibara, H.*
AU  - Demura, T.*
AU  - Yamaguchi, S.*
AU  - Yoneyama, K.*
AU  - Manabe, R.-i.*
AU  - Nelson, D.C.*
AU  - Schulman, A.H.*
AU  - Timko, M.P.*
AU  - Depamphilis, C.W.*
AU  - Choi, D.*
AU  - Shirasu, K.*
C1  - 56960
C2  - 47458
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 3041-3052.e4
TI  - Genome sequence of Striga asiatica provides insight into the evolution of plant parasitism.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 29
IS  - 18
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2019
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Soil salinity is destroying arable land and is considered to be one of the major threats to global food security in the 21st century. Therefore, the ability of naturally salt-tolerant halophyte plants to sequester large quantities of salt in external structures, such as epidermal bladder cells (EBCs), is of great interest. Using Chenopodium quinoa, a pseudo-cereal halophyte of great economic potential, we have shown previously that, upon removal of salt bladders, quinoa becomes salt sensitive. In this work, we analyzed the molecular mechanism underlying the unique salt dumping capabilities of bladder cells in quinoa. The transporters differentially expressed in the EBC transcriptome and functional electrophysiological testing of key EBC transporters in Xenopus oocytes revealed that loading of Na+ and Cl- into EBCs is mediated by a set of tailored plasma and vacuole membrane-based sodium-selective channel and chloride-permeable transporter.
AU  - Böhm, J.*
AU  - Messerer, M.
AU  - Müller, H.M.*
AU  - Scholz-Starke, J.*
AU  - Gradogna, A.*
AU  - Scherzer, S.*
AU  - Maierhofer, T.*
AU  - Bazihizina, N.*
AU  - Zhang, H.*
AU  - Stigloher, C.*
AU  - Ache, P.*
AU  - Al-Rasheid, K.A.S.*
AU  - Mayer, K.F.X.
AU  - Shabala, S.*
AU  - Carpaneto, A.*
AU  - Haberer, G.
AU  - Zhu, J.K.*
AU  - Hedrich, R.*
C1  - 54391
C2  - 45544
CY  - 50 Hampshire St, Floor 5, Cambridge, Ma 02139 Usa
SP  - 3075-3085.e7
TI  - Understanding the molecular basis of salt sequestration in epidermal bladder cells of Chenopodium quinoa.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 28
IS  - 19
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Birds seem to use a light-dependent, radical-pair-based magnetic compass. In vertebrates, cryptochromes are the only class of proteins that formradical pairs upon photo-excitation. Therefore, they are currently the only candidate proteins for light-dependent magnetoreception. Cryptochrome 4 (Cry4) is particularly interesting because it has only been found in vertebrates that use amagnetic compass. However, its structure and localization within the retina has remained unknown. Here, we sequenced night-migratory European robin (Erithacus rubecula) Cry4 from the retina and predicted the currently unresolved structure of the erCry4 protein, which suggests that erCry4 should bind Flavin. We also found that Cry1a, Cry1b, and Cry2 mRNA display robust circadian oscillation patterns, whereas Cry4 shows only a weak circadian oscillation. When we compared the relative mRNA expression levels of the cryptochromes during the spring and autumn migratory seasons relative to the non-migratory seasons in European robins and domestic chickens (Gallus gallus), the Cry4 mRNA expression level in European robin retinae, but not in chicken retinae, is significantly higher during the migratory season compared to the non-migratory seasons. Cry4 protein is specifically expressed in the outer segments of the double cones and long-wavelength single cones in European robins and chickens. A localization of Cry4 in double cones seems to be ideal for light-dependent magnetoreception. Considering all of the data presented here, especially including its localization within the European robin retina, its likely binding of Flavin, and its increased expression during the migratory season in the migratory bird but not in chicken, Cry4 could be the magnetoreceptive protein.
AU  - Günther, A.*
AU  - Einwich, A.*
AU  - Sjulstok, E.*
AU  - Feederle, R.
AU  - Bolte, P.*
AU  - Koch, K.W.*
AU  - Solov'yov, I.A.*
AU  - Mouritsen, H.*
C1  - 52691
C2  - 44187
CY  - Cambridge
SP  - 211-223.e4
TI  - Double-cone localization and seasonal expression pattern suggest a role in magnetoreception for European robin Ccyptochrome 4.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 28
IS  - 2
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The latest major group of plants to evolve were the grasses. These became important in the mid-Paleogene about 40 million years ago. During evolution, leaf CO2uptake and transpirational water loss were optimized by the acquisition of grass-specific stomatal complexes. In contrast to the kidney-shaped guard cells (GCs) typical of the dicots such as Arabidopsis, in the grasses and agronomically important cereals, the GCs are dumbbell shaped and are associated with morphologically distinct subsidiary cells (SCs). We studied the molecular basis of GC action in the major cereal crop barley. Upon feeding ABA to xylem sap of an intact barley leaf, stomata closed in a nitrate-dependent manner. This process was initiated by activation of GC SLAC-type anion channel currents. HvSLAC1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes gave rise to S-type anion currents that increased several-fold upon stimulation with >3 mM nitrate. We identified a tandem amino acid residue motif that within the SLAC1 channels differs fundamentally between monocots and dicots. When the motif of nitrate-insensitive dicot Arabidopsis SLAC1 was replaced by the monocot signature, AtSLAC1 converted into a grass-type like nitrate-sensitive channel. Our work reveals a fundamental difference between monocot and dicot GCs and prompts questions into the selective pressures during evolution that resulted in fundamental changes in the regulation of SLAC1 function. Schäfer et al. report that guard cells of the cereal crop barley require nitrate for ABA-induced stomatal closure—a feature accomplished by the guard cell anion channel HvSLAC1. Nitrate-dependent gating of HvSLAC1 and other monocot SLAC1-type anion channels evolved from a TMD3 tandem motif after the split between monocots and dicots.
AU  - Schäfer, N.*
AU  - Maierhofer, T.*
AU  - Herrmann, J.*
AU  - Jørgensen, M.E.*
AU  - Lind, C.*
AU  - von Meyer, K.*
AU  - Lautner, S.*
AU  - Fromm, J.*
AU  - Felder, M.
AU  - Hetherington, A.M.*
AU  - Ache, P.*
AU  - Geiger, D.*
AU  - Hedrich, R.*
C1  - 53460
C2  - 44730
SP  - 1370-U145
TI  - A tandem amino acid residue motif in guard cell SLAC1 anion channel of grasses allows for the control of stomatal aperture by nitrate.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 28
IS  - 9
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Only a handful of vertebrates are capable of sensing weak electric fields. Two new studies shed light on the development and physiology of electroreceptive organs.
AU  - Kozak, E.L.
AU  - López-Schier, H.
C1  - 52570
C2  - 44172
CY  - Cambridge
SP  - R1327-R1329
TI  - Sensory systems: Electrifying news from the ocean.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 27
IS  - 24
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Environmental insult, disease or trauma can affect the physical integrity of neuronal circuits, and the inability of many neurons to regenerate injured axons invariably leads to irreversible neural dysfunction [1]. The conserved second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) can promote axonal re-growth [2-5]. Widely used pharmacological or genetic approaches to increase intracellular levels of cAMP are often inadequate for precise neural-circuit reconstruction because their activity cannot be easily timed to specific target cells. These shortcomings have prevented the controlled repair of pre-defined neurons at selected time points in whole specimens. Thus, technologies to guide neuronal repair in time and space would enable studies of neural-circuit recovery with unprecedented resolution. Towards this aim, we have implemented a proof-of-principle optogenetic method to promote the selective regeneration of refractory axons in a living vertebrate.
AU  - Xiao, Y.
AU  - Tian, W.*
AU  - López-Schier, H.
C1  - 47145
C2  - 39111
SP  - R1-R3
TI  - Optogenetic stimulation of neuronal repair.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 25
IS  - 22
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Sensory receptors are the functional link between the environment and the brain [1-3]. The repair of sensory organs enables animals to continuously detect environmental stimuli [4]. However, receptor cell turnover can affect sensory acuity by changing neural connectivity patterns [5, 6]. In zebrafish, two to four postsynaptic lateralis afferent axons converge into individual peripheral mechanosensory organs called neuromasts, which contain hair cell receptors of opposing planar polarity [7]. Yet, each axon exclusively synapses with hair cells of identical polarity during development and regeneration to transmit unidirectional mechanical signals to the brain [8, 9]. The mechanism that governs this exceptionally accurate and resilient synaptic selectivity remains unknown. We show here that converging axons are mutually dependent for polarity-selective connectivity. If rendered solitary, these axons establish simultaneous functional synapses with hair cells of opposing polarities to transmit bidirectional mechanical signals. Remarkably, nonselectivity by solitary axons can be corrected upon the reintroduction of additional axons. Collectively, our results suggest that lateralis synaptogenesis is intrinsically nonselective and that interaxonal interactions continuously rectify mismatched synapses. This dynamic organization of neural connectivity may represent a general solution to maintain coherent synaptic transmission from sensory organs undergoing frequent variations in the number and spatial distribution of receptor cells.
AU  - Pujol-Martí, J.
AU  - Faucherre, A.*
AU  - Aziz-Bose, R.*
AU  - Asgharsharghi, A.
AU  - Colombelli, J.*
AU  - Trapani, J.G.*
AU  - López-Schier, H.
C1  - 42924
C2  - 35858
SP  - 2968-2974
TI  - Converging axons collectively initiate and maintain synaptic selectivity in a constantly remodeling sensory organ.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 24
IS  - 24
PY  - 2014
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Background: GABAergic interneurons regulate the balance and dynamics of neural circuits, in part, by elaborating their strategically placed axon branches that innervate specific cellular and subcellular targets. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate target-directed GABAergic axon branching are not well understood. Results: Here we show that the secreted axon guidance molecule, SEMA3A, expressed locally by Purkinje cells, regulates cerebellar basket cell axon branching through its cognate receptor Neuropilin-1 (NRP1). SEMA3A was specifically localized and enriched in the Purkinje cell layer (PCL). In sema3A(-/-) and nrp1(sema-/sema-) mice lacking SEMA3A-binding domains, basket axon branching in PCL was reduced. We demonstrate that SEMA3A-induced axon branching was dependent on local recruitment of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) to the plasma membrane of basket cells, and sGC subcellular trafficking was regulated by the Src kinase FYN. In 6m-deficient mice, basket axon terminal branching was reduced in PCL, but not in the molecular layer. Conclusions: These results demonstrate a critical role of local SEMA3A signaling in layer-specific axonal branching, which contributes to target innervation.
AU  - Cioni, J.-M.*
AU  - Telley, L.*
AU  - Saywell, V.*
AU  - Cadilhac, C.*
AU  - Jourdan, C.*
AU  - Huber, A.B.
AU  - Huang, J.Z.*
AU  - Jahannault-Talignani, C.*
AU  - Ango, F.*
C1  - 25514
C2  - 31872
SP  - 850-861
TI  - SEMA3A signaling controls layer-specific interneuron branching in the cerebellum.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 23
IS  - 10
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Understanding the genetic structure of the European population is important, not only from a historical perspective, but also for the appropriate design and interpretation of genetic epidemiological studies. Previous population genetic analyses with autosomal markers in Europe either had a wide geographic but narrow genomic coverage [1, 2], or vice versa [3-6]. We therefore investigated Affymetrix GeneChip 500K genotype data from 2,514 individuals belonging to 23 different subpopulations, widely spread over Europe. Although we found only a low level of genetic differentiation between subpopulations, the existing differences were characterized by a strong continent-wide correlation between geographic and genetic distance. Furthermore, mean heterozygosity was larger, and mean linkage disequilibrium smaller, in southern as compared to northern Europe. Both parameters clearly showed a clinal distribution that provided evidence for a spatial continuity of genetic diversity in Europe. Our comprehensive genetic data are thus compatible with expectations based upon European population history, including the hypotheses of a south-north expansion and/or a larger effective population size in southern than in northern Europe. By including the widely used CEPH from Utah (CEU) samples into our analysis, we could show that these individuals represent northern and western Europeans reasonably well, thereby confirming their assumed regional ancestry.
AU  - Lao, O.*
AU  - Lu, T.T.*
AU  - Nothnagel, M.*
AU  - Junge, O.*
AU  - Freitag-Wolf, S.*
AU  - Caliebe, A.*
AU  - Balascakova, M.*
AU  - Bertranpetit, J.*
AU  - Bindoff, L.A.*
AU  - Comas, D.*
AU  - Holmlund, G.*
AU  - Kouvatsi, A.*
AU  - Macek, M.*
AU  - Mollet, I.*
AU  - Parson, W.*
AU  - Palo, J.*
AU  - Ploski, R.*
AU  - Sajantila, A.*
AU  - Tagliabracci, A.*
AU  - Gether, U.*
AU  - Werge, T.*
AU  - Rivadeneira, F.*
AU  - Hofman, A.*
AU  - Uitterlinden, A.G.*
AU  - Gieger, C.
AU  - Wichmann, H.-E.
AU  - Rüther, A.*
AU  - Schreiber, S.*
AU  - Becker, C.*
AU  - Nürnberg, P.*
AU  - Nelson, M.R.*
AU  - Krawczak, M.*
AU  - Kayser, M.*
C1  - 1678
C2  - 25564
SP  - 1241-1248
TI  - Correlation between genetic and geographic structure in Europe.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 18
IS  - 16
PB  - Cell Press
PY  - 2008
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Plants can grow straight or in the twisted fashion exhibited by the helical growth of some climbing plants. Analysis of helical-growth mutants from Arabidopsis has indicated that microtubules are involved in the expression of the helical phenotype. Arabidopsis mutants growing with a right-handed twist have been reported to have cortical microtubules that wind around the cell in left-handed helices and vice versa [1–3] . Microtubular involvement is further suspected from the finding that some helical mutants are caused by single amino acid substitutions in α-tubulin and because of the sensitivity of the growth pattern to anti-microtubule drugs. Insight into the roles of microtubules in organ elongation is anticipated from analyses of genes defined by helical mutations [4] . We investigated the helical growth of the Arabidopsis mutant tortifolia1/spiral2 (tor1/spr2), which twists in a right-handed manner, and found that this correlates with a complex reorientation of cortical microtubules. TOR1 was identified by a map-based approach; analysis of the TOR1 protein showed that it is a member of a novel family of plant-specific proteins containing N-terminal HEAT repeats. Recombinant TOR1 colocalizes with cortical microtubules in planta and binds directly to microtubules in vitro. This shows that TOR1 is a novel, plant-specific microtubule-associated protein (MAP) that regulates the orientation of cortical microtubules and the direction of organ growth.
AU  - Buschmann, H.
AU  - Fabri, C.O.
AU  - Hauptmann, M.
AU  - Hutzler, P.
AU  - Laux, Th.*
AU  - Lloyd, C.W.*
AU  - Schäffner, A.
C1  - 4990
C2  - 21992
SP  - 1515-1521
TI  - Helical growth of the Arabidopsis mutant tortifolia1 reveals a plant-specific microtubule-associated protein.
JO  - Curr. Biol.
VL  - 14
IS  - 16
PY  - 2004
SN  - 0960-9822
ER  -