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Cole ES, Maier W, Joachimiak E, Jiang YY, Lee C, Collet E, Chmelik C, Romero DP, Chalker D, Alli NK, Ruedlin TM, Ozzello C, Gaertig J. The Tetrahymena bcd1 mutant implicates endosome trafficking in ciliate, cortical pattern formation. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar82. [PMID: 37163326 PMCID: PMC10398878 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-11-0501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ciliates, such as Tetrahymena thermophila, evolved complex mechanisms to determine both the location and dimensions of cortical organelles such as the oral apparatus (OA: involved in phagocytosis), cytoproct (Cyp: for eliminating wastes), and contractile vacuole pores (CVPs: involved in water expulsion). Mutations have been recovered in Tetrahymena that affect both the localization of such organelles along anterior-posterior and circumferential body axes and their dimensions. Here we describe BCD1, a ciliate pattern gene that encodes a conserved Beige-BEACH domain-containing protein a with possible protein kinase A (PKA)-anchoring activity. Similar proteins have been implicated in endosome trafficking and are linked to human Chediak-Higashi syndrome and autism. Mutations in the BCD1 gene broaden cortical organelle domains as they assemble during predivision development. The Bcd1 protein localizes to membrane pockets at the base of every cilium that are active in endocytosis. PKA activity has been shown to promote endocytosis in other organisms, so we blocked clathrin-mediated endocytosis (using "dynasore") and inhibited PKA (using H89). In both cases, treatment produced partial phenocopies of the bcd1 pattern mutant. This study supports a model in which the dimensions of diverse cortical organelle assembly-platforms may be determined by regulated balance between constitutive exocytic delivery and PKA-regulated endocytic retrieval of organelle materials and determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Cole
- Biology Department, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 55057
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ewa Joachimiak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yu-yang Jiang
- Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Chinkyu Lee
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30605
| | - Erik Collet
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Carl Chmelik
- Biology Department, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 55057
| | - Daniel P. Romero
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Douglas Chalker
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63021
| | - Nurudeen K. Alli
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63021
| | - Tina M. Ruedlin
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63021
| | - Courtney Ozzello
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Jacek Gaertig
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30605
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2
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Cayuela H, Jacob S, Schtickzelle N, Verdonck R, Philippe H, Laporte M, Huet M, Bernatchez L, Legrand D. Transgenerational plasticity of dispersal‐related traits in a ciliate: genotype‐dependency and fitness consequences. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Cayuela
- Dépt de Biologie, Inst. de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Univ. Laval, Pavillon Charles‐Eugène‐Marchand Québec QC Canada
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution, Univ. of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Staffan Jacob
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (UAR 2029), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paul Sabatier Univ. (UPS) Moulis France
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Univ. Catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Inst., Biodiversity Research Centre Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Rik Verdonck
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (UAR 2029), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paul Sabatier Univ. (UPS) Moulis France
| | - Hervé Philippe
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (UAR 2029), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paul Sabatier Univ. (UPS) Moulis France
- Dépt de Biochimie, Centre Robert‐Cedergren, Univ. de Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Martin Laporte
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parc (MFFP) du Québec Québec QC Canada
| | - Michèle Huet
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (UAR 2029), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paul Sabatier Univ. (UPS) Moulis France
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Dépt de Biologie, Inst. de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Univ. Laval, Pavillon Charles‐Eugène‐Marchand Québec QC Canada
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (UAR 2029), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paul Sabatier Univ. (UPS) Moulis France
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3
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Plastic cell morphology changes during dispersal. iScience 2021; 24:102915. [PMID: 34430806 PMCID: PMC8367785 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal is the movement of organisms from one habitat to another that potentially results in gene flow. It is often plastic, allowing organisms to adjust dispersal movements depending on environmental conditions. A fundamental aim in ecology is to understand the determinants underlying dispersal and its plasticity. We utilized 22 strains of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila to determine if different phenotypic dispersal strategies co-exist within a species and which mechanisms underlie this variability. We quantified the cell morphologies impacting cell motility and dispersal. Distinct differences in innate cellular morphology and dispersal rates were detected, but no universally utilized combinations of morphological parameters correlate with dispersal. Rather, multiple distinct and plastic morphological changes impact cilia-dependent motility during dispersal, especially in proficient dispersing strains facing challenging environmental conditions. Combining ecology and cell biology experiments, we show that dispersal can be promoted through plastic motility-associated changes to cell morphology and motile cilia.
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4
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Soares H, Carmona B, Nolasco S, Viseu Melo L. Polarity in Ciliate Models: From Cilia to Cell Architecture. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:240. [PMID: 31681771 PMCID: PMC6813674 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tetrahymena and Paramecium are highly differentiated unicellular organisms with elaborated cortical patterns showing a regular arrangement of hundreds to thousands of basal bodies in longitudinal rows that extend from the anterior to the posterior region of the cell. Thus both ciliates exhibit a permanent antero–posterior axis and left–right asymmetry. This cell polarity is reflected in the direction of the structures nucleated around each basal body such as the ciliary rootlets. Studies in these ciliates showed that basal bodies assemble two types of cilia, the cortical cilia and the cilia of the oral apparatus, a complex structure specialized in food capture. These two cilia types display structural differences at their tip domain. Basal bodies possessing distinct compositions creating specialized landmarks are also present. Cilia might be expected to express and transmit polarities throughout signaling pathways given their recognized role in signal transduction. This review will focus on how local polarities in basal bodies/cilia are regulated and transmitted through cell division in order to maintain the global polarity and shape of these cells and locally constrain the interpretation of signals by different cilia. We will also discuss ciliates as excellent biological models to study development and morphogenetic mechanisms and their relationship with cilia diversity and function in metazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Soares
- Centro de Química e Bioquímica/Centro de Química Estrutural, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Bruno Carmona
- Centro de Química e Bioquímica/Centro de Química Estrutural, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sofia Nolasco
- Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,CIISA-Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Luís Viseu Melo
- Physics Department and CEFEMA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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5
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Jacob S, Chaine AS, Huet M, Clobert J, Legrand D. Variability in Dispersal Syndromes Is a Key Driver of Metapopulation Dynamics in Experimental Microcosms. Am Nat 2019; 194:613-626. [PMID: 31613674 DOI: 10.1086/705410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary ecology studies have increasingly focused on the impact of intraspecific variability on population processes. However, the role such variation plays in the dynamics of spatially structured populations and how it interacts with environmental changes remains unclear. Here we experimentally quantify the relative importance of intraspecific variability in dispersal-related traits and spatiotemporal variability of environmental conditions for the dynamics of two-patch metapopulations using clonal genotypes of a ciliate in connected microcosms. We demonstrate that in our simple two-patch microcosms, differences among genotypes are at least as important as spatiotemporal variability of resources for metapopulation dynamics. Furthermore, we show that an important proportion of this effect results from variability of dispersal syndromes. These syndromes can therefore be as important for metapopulation dynamics as spatiotemporal variability of environmental conditions. This study demonstrates that intraspecific variability in dispersal syndromes can be key in the functioning of metapopulations facing environmental changes.
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Louka P, Vasudevan KK, Guha M, Joachimiak E, Wloga D, Tomasi RFX, Baroud CN, Dupuis-Williams P, Galati DF, Pearson CG, Rice LM, Moresco JJ, Yates JR, Jiang YY, Lechtreck K, Dentler W, Gaertig J. Proteins that control the geometry of microtubules at the ends of cilia. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:4298-4313. [PMID: 30217954 PMCID: PMC6279374 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201804141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Louka et al. describe three conserved proteins that regulate the positions of microtubule ends near the tips of cilia. Mutations in two of these proteins cause a brain malformation, Joubert syndrome. Thus, microtubule ends in cilia may play a role in the pathology of Joubert syndrome. Cilia, essential motile and sensory organelles, have several compartments: the basal body, transition zone, and the middle and distal axoneme segments. The distal segment accommodates key functions, including cilium assembly and sensory activities. While the middle segment contains doublet microtubules (incomplete B-tubules fused to complete A-tubules), the distal segment contains only A-tubule extensions, and its existence requires coordination of microtubule length at the nanometer scale. We show that three conserved proteins, two of which are mutated in the ciliopathy Joubert syndrome, determine the geometry of the distal segment, by controlling the positions of specific microtubule ends. FAP256/CEP104 promotes A-tubule elongation. CHE-12/Crescerin and ARMC9 act as positive and negative regulators of B-tubule length, respectively. We show that defects in the distal segment dimensions are associated with motile and sensory deficiencies of cilia. Our observations suggest that abnormalities in distal segment organization cause a subset of Joubert syndrome cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota Louka
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | | | - Mayukh Guha
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Ewa Joachimiak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Wloga
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Raphaël F-X Tomasi
- Department of Mechanics, LadHyX, Ecole Polytechnique-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Palaiseau, France
| | - Charles N Baroud
- Department of Mechanics, LadHyX, Ecole Polytechnique-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Palaiseau, France
| | - Pascale Dupuis-Williams
- UMR-S1174 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Sud, Bat 443, Orsay, France.,École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Domenico F Galati
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Chad G Pearson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Luke M Rice
- Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - James J Moresco
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Yu-Yang Jiang
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Karl Lechtreck
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - William Dentler
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - Jacek Gaertig
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
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7
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Doerder FP. Barcodes Reveal 48 New Species of Tetrahymena
, Dexiostoma
, and Glaucoma
: Phylogeny, Ecology, and Biogeography of New and Established Species. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2018; 66:182-208. [DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Paul Doerder
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences; Cleveland State University; 2121 Euclid Avenue Cleveland Ohio 44115
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8
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Jacob S, Wehi P, Clobert J, Legrand D, Schtickzelle N, Huet M, Chaine A. Cooperation-mediated plasticity in dispersal and colonization. Evolution 2016; 70:2336-2345. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Staffan Jacob
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS; UMR 5321; 09200 Saint-Girons France
- Université Catholique de Louvain; Earth and Life Institute and Biodiversity Research Centre; Croix du Sud 4, L7-07-04 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - Priscilla Wehi
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS; UMR 5321; 09200 Saint-Girons France
- Current Address: Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua; Private Bag 1930 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS; UMR 5321; 09200 Saint-Girons France
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS; UMR 5321; 09200 Saint-Girons France
- Université Catholique de Louvain; Earth and Life Institute and Biodiversity Research Centre; Croix du Sud 4, L7-07-04 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Université Catholique de Louvain; Earth and Life Institute and Biodiversity Research Centre; Croix du Sud 4, L7-07-04 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - Michele Huet
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS; UMR 5321; 09200 Saint-Girons France
| | - Alexis Chaine
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS; UMR 5321; 09200 Saint-Girons France
- Institute for Advanced Studies in Toulouse; Toulouse School of Economics; 21 allée de Brienne 31015 Toulouse France
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9
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Wloga D, Frankel J. From Molecules to Morphology: Cellular Organization of Tetrahymena thermophila. Methods Cell Biol 2012; 109:83-140. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385967-9.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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10
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Chaine AS, Schtickzelle N, Polard T, Huet M, Clobert J. Kin-based recognition and social aggregation in a ciliate. Evolution 2009; 64:1290-300. [PMID: 19930455 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00902.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Aggregative groups entail costs that must be overcome for the evolution of complex social interactions. Understanding the mechanisms that allow aggregations to form and restrict costs of cheating can provide a resolution to the instability of social evolution. Aggregation in Tetrahymena thermophila is associated with costs of reduced growth and benefits of improved survival through "growth factor" exchange. We investigated what mechanisms contribute to stable cooperative aggregation in the face of potential exploitation by less-cooperative lines using experimental microcosms. We found that kin recognition modulates aggregative behavior to exclude cheaters from social interactions. Long-distance kin recognition across patches modulates social structure by allowing recruitment of kin in aggregative lines and repulsion in asocial lines. Although previous studies have shown a clear benefit to social aggregation at low population densities, we found that social aggregation has very different effects at higher densities. Lower growth rates are a cost of aggregation, but also present potential benefits when restricted to kin aggregations: slow growth and crowd tolerance allow aggregations to form and permit longer persistence on ephemeral resources. Thus in highly dynamic metapopulations, kin recognition plays an important role in the formation and stability of social groups that increase persistence through cooperative consumptive restraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis S Chaine
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis USR2936, 09200 Saint-Girons, France.
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11
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Microarray analyses of gene expression during the Tetrahymena thermophila life cycle. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4429. [PMID: 19204800 PMCID: PMC2636879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2008] [Accepted: 12/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The model eukaryote, Tetrahymena thermophila, is the first ciliated protozoan whose genome has been sequenced, enabling genome-wide analysis of gene expression. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A genome-wide microarray platform containing the predicted coding sequences (putative genes) for T. thermophila is described, validated and used to study gene expression during the three major stages of the organism's life cycle: growth, starvation and conjugation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Of the approximately 27,000 predicted open reading frames, transcripts homologous to only approximately 5900 are not detectable in any of these life cycle stages, indicating that this single-celled organism does indeed contain a large number of functional genes. Transcripts from over 5000 predicted genes are expressed at levels >5x corrected background and 95 genes are expressed at >250x corrected background in all stages. Transcripts homologous to 91 predicted genes are specifically expressed and 155 more are highly up-regulated in growing cells, while 90 are specifically expressed and 616 are up-regulated during starvation. Strikingly, transcripts homologous to 1068 predicted genes are specifically expressed and 1753 are significantly up-regulated during conjugation. The patterns of gene expression during conjugation correlate well with the developmental stages of meiosis, nuclear differentiation and DNA elimination. The relationship between gene expression and chromosome fragmentation is analyzed. Genes encoding proteins known to interact or to function in complexes show similar expression patterns, indicating that co-ordinate expression with putative genes of known function can identify genes with related functions. New candidate genes associated with the RNAi-like process of DNA elimination and with meiosis are identified and the late stages of conjugation are shown to be characterized by specific expression of an unexpectedly large and diverse number of genes not involved in nuclear functions.
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12
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What do genic mutations tell us about the structural patterning of a complex single-celled organism? EUKARYOTIC CELL 2008; 7:1617-39. [PMID: 18658256 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00161-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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13
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Fjerdingstad EJ, Schtickzelle N, Manhes P, Gutierrez A, Clobert J. Evolution of dispersal and life history strategies--Tetrahymena ciliates. BMC Evol Biol 2007; 7:133. [PMID: 17683620 PMCID: PMC1997130 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-7-133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2007] [Accepted: 08/06/2007] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable attention has focused on how selection on dispersal and other core life-history strategies (reproductive effort, survival ability, colonization capacity) may lead to so-called dispersal syndromes. Studies on genetic variation in these syndromes within species could importantly increase our understanding of their evolution, by revealing whether traits co-vary across genetic lineages in the manner predicted by theoretical models, and by stimulating further hypotheses for experimental testing. Yet such studies remain scarce. Here we studied the ciliated protist Tetrahymena thermophila, a particularly interesting organism due to cells being able to transform into morphs differing dramatically in swim-speed. We investigated dispersal, morphological responses, reproductive performance, and survival in ten different clonal strains. Then, we examined whether life history traits co-varied in the manner classically predicted for ruderal species, examined the investment of different strains into short- and putative long-distance dispersal, while considering also the likely impact of semi-sociality (cell aggregation, secretion of 'growth factors') on dispersal strategies. RESULTS Very significant among-strain differences were found with regard to dispersal rate, morphological commitment and plasticity, and almost all core life-history traits (e.g. survival, growth performance and strategy), with most of these traits being significantly intercorrelated. Some strains showed high short-distance dispersal rates, high colonization capacity, bigger cell size, elevated growth performance, and good survival abilities. These well performing strains, however, produced fewer fast-swimming dispersal morphs when subjected to environmental degradation than did philopatric strains performing poorly under normal conditions. CONCLUSION Strong evidence was found for a genetic covariation between dispersal strategies and core life history traits in T. thermophila, with a fair fit of observed trait associations with classic colonizer models. However, the well performing strains with high colonization success and short-distance dispersal likely suffered under a long-distance dispersal disadvantage, due to producing fewer fast-swimming dispersal morphs than did philopatric strains. The smaller cell size at carrying capacity of the latter strains and their poor capacity to colonize as individual cells suggest that they may be adapted to greater levels of dependency on clone-mates (stronger sociality). In summary, differential exposure to selection on competitive and cooperative abilities, in conjunction with selective factors targeting specifically dispersal distance, likely contributed importantly to shaping T. thermophila dispersal and life history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Else J Fjerdingstad
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
- Now at the Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pauline Manhes
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
- Now at the Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Arnaud Gutierrez
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Jean Clobert
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Moulis, 09200 Saint-Girons, France
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BAKOWSKA JULITA, NELSEN EMARLO, FRANKEL JOSEPH. Development of the Ciliary Pattern of the Oral Apparatus of Tetrahymena thermophila1. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1982.tb05416.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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15
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Wloga D, Camba A, Rogowski K, Manning G, Jerka-Dziadosz M, Gaertig J. Members of the NIMA-related kinase family promote disassembly of cilia by multiple mechanisms. Mol Biol Cell 2006; 17:2799-810. [PMID: 16611747 PMCID: PMC1474788 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e05-05-0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of Tetrahymena thermophila contains 39 loci encoding NIMA-related kinases (NRKs), an extraordinarily large number for a unicellular organism. Evolutionary analyses grouped these sequences into several subfamilies, some of which have orthologues in animals, whereas others are protist specific. When overproduced, NRKs of three subfamilies caused rapid shortening of cilia. Ultrastructural studies revealed that each NRK triggered ciliary resorption by a distinct mechanism that involved preferential depolymerization of a subset of axonemal microtubules, at either the distal or proximal end. Overexpression of a kinase-inactive variant caused lengthening of cilia, indicating that constitutive NRK-mediated resorption regulates the length of cilia. Each NRK preferentially resorbed a distinct subset of cilia, depending on the location along the anteroposterior axis. We also show that normal Tetrahymena cells maintain unequal length cilia. We propose that ciliates used a large number of NRK paralogues to differentially regulate the length of specific subsets of cilia in the same cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Wloga
- *Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2607
| | - Amy Camba
- *Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2607
| | - Krzysztof Rogowski
- *Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2607
| | - Gerard Manning
- Razavi-Newman Center for Bioinformatics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037; and
| | - Maria Jerka-Dziadosz
- Department of Cell Biology, M. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Gaertig
- *Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2607
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Shiurba R, Hirabayashi T, Masuda M, Kawamura A, Komoike Y, Klitz W, Kinowaki K, Funatsu T, Kondo S, Kiyokawa S, Sugai T, Kawamura K, Namiki H, Higashinakagawa T. Cellular responses of the ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila, to far infrared irradiation. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2006; 5:799-807. [PMID: 17047831 DOI: 10.1039/b601741j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Infrared rays from sunlight permeate the earth's atmosphere, yet little is known about their interactions with living organisms. To learn whether they affect cell structure and function, we tested the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena thermophila. These unicellular eukaryotes aggregate in swarms near the surface of freshwater habitats, where direct and diffuse solar radiation impinge upon the water-air interface. We report that populations irradiated in laboratory cultures grew and mated normally, but major changes occurred in cell physiology during the stationary phase. Early on, there were significant reductions in chromatin body size and the antibody reactivity of methyl groups on lysine residues 4 and 9 in histone H3. Later, when cells began to starve, messenger RNAs for key proteins related to chromatin structure, intermediary metabolism and cellular motility increased from two- to nearly nine-fold. Metabolic activity, swimming speed and linearity of motion also increased, and spindle shaped cells with a caudal cilium appeared. Our findings suggest that infrared radiation enhances differentiation towards a dispersal cell-like phenotype in saturated populations of Tetrahymena thermophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Shiurba
- Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan.
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Elde NC, Morgan G, Winey M, Sperling L, Turkewitz AP. Elucidation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in tetrahymena reveals an evolutionarily convergent recruitment of dynamin. PLoS Genet 2005; 1:e52. [PMID: 16276403 PMCID: PMC1277907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.0010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2005] [Accepted: 09/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ciliates, although single-celled organisms, contain numerous subcellular structures and pathways usually associated with metazoans. How this cell biological complexity relates to the evolution of molecular elements is unclear, because features in these cells have been defined mainly at the morphological level. Among these ciliate features are structures resembling clathrin-coated, endocytic pits associated with plasma membrane invaginations called parasomal sacs. The combination of genome-wide sequencing in Tetrahymena thermophila with tools for gene expression and replacement has allowed us to examine this pathway in detail. Here we demonstrate that parasomal sacs are sites of clathrin-dependent endocytosis and that AP-2 localizes to these sites. Unexpectedly, endocytosis in Tetrahymena also involves a protein in the dynamin family, Drp1p (Dynamin-related protein 1). While phylogenetic analysis of AP subunits indicates a primitive origin for clathrin-mediated endocytosis, similar analysis of dynamin-related proteins suggests, strikingly, that the recruitment of dynamin-family proteins to the endocytic pathway occurred independently during the course of the ciliate and metazoan radiations. Consistent with this, our functional analysis suggests that the precise roles of dynamins in endocytosis, as well as the mechanisms of targeting, differ in metazoans and ciliates. The wings of bats and of birds are similar structures with similar functions but nonetheless evolved independently within these two different branches of animals. Many examples of this phenomenon, called convergent evolution, are known at the level of whole organisms. Here, the authors demonstrate that convergent evolution has also occurred at the level of individual cells, in a pathway responsible for taking up membrane from the cell surface. The authors took advantage of the recent genomic sequencing of distantly related organisms, and in particular of the single-celled ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. In animal cells, one of the proteins required for membrane uptake is called dynamin. Dynamin is not required for this function in most nonanimal cells, but the authors discovered that Tetrahymena is an exception and that it uses a close relative of dynamin for particle uptake. After reconstructing the history of dynamin proteins, the authors found that the specific role in membrane uptake evolved independently in Tetrahymena and in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nels C Elde
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Garry Morgan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Mark Winey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Linda Sperling
- Centre de Genetique Moleculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Aaron P Turkewitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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Lee SR, Collins K. Starvation-induced cleavage of the tRNA anticodon loop in Tetrahymena thermophila. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:42744-9. [PMID: 16272149 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m510356200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Amino acid deprivation triggers dramatic physiological responses in all organisms, altering both the synthesis and destruction of RNA and protein. Here we describe, using the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, a previously unidentified response to amino acid deprivation in which mature transfer RNA (tRNA) is cleaved in the anticodon loop. We observed that anticodon loop cleavage affects a small fraction of most or all tRNA sequences. Accumulation of cleaved tRNA is temporally coordinated with the morphological and metabolic changes of adaptation to starvation. The starvation-induced endonucleolytic cleavage activity targets tRNAs that have undergone maturation by 5' and 3' end processing and base modification. Curiously, the majority of cleaved tRNAs lack the 3' terminal CCA nucleotides required for aminoacylation. Starvation-induced tRNA cleavage is inhibited in the presence of essential amino acids, independent of the persistence of other starvation-induced responses. Our findings suggest that anticodon loop cleavage may reduce the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs as part of a specific response induced by amino acid starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne R Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3204, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- J Frankel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA
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Christopher GK, Sundermann CA. Doublet cells in Tetrahymena as indicators of culture media composition. Biol Trace Elem Res 1995; 50:181-91. [PMID: 8962790 DOI: 10.1007/bf02785409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Stomatogenesis in ciliates is a complex and carefully orchestrated event. The exo- mutant SB255 of Tetrahymena thermophila has defects in mucocyst formation and docking and can also have one or two mouths. Three common culture media (proteose peptone, Medium 357, and yeast extract) were analyzed for total C, N, and inorganic elements and then tested for their effect on the number of mouths present in SB255. Cultures of SB255 grown in Medium 357 consisted of a mixed population of cells with either two mouths (doublet) or one mouth. Cultures from the same original stock grown in Medium 357 (SBm) and in 1% proteose peptone (SBpp) had different percentages of doublet cells in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-d-old cultures. When transferred to and grown in 1% yeast medium, both SBpp and SBm cultures had increased percentages of doublets over a 4-d culture period. When grown in 0.1, 0.5, or 1% yeast medium for 2 d, both SBpp and SBm cultures had more doublets in 1% than in either 0.1 or 0.5% yeast medium. Cultures of SBm grown in Medium 357 or 1% yeast medium for 2 d had a 10-fold increase in doublet cells compared to the inoculum. After 2 d in 1% proteose peptone, SBm cultures had percentages of doublet cells almost equal to that of the inoculum. Immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine cellular morphology of the doublet cells. These findings suggest that enriched media promote the growth of doublet cells. Furthermore, these doublets could prove to be a useful model system for the study of biological roles of trace elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- G K Christopher
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife, Auburn University, AL 36849, USA
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GÓMEZ-SALADÍN EDUARDO, SMALL EUGENEB. Starvation Induces Tomitogenesis inMiamiensis avidusStrain Ma/2. J Eukaryot Microbiol 1993. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1993.tb04466.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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GÓMEZ-SALADIN EDUARDO, SMALL EUGENEB. Oral Morphogenesis of the Microstome to Macrostome Transformation in Miamiensis avidus Strain Ma/2. J Eukaryot Microbiol 1993. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1993.tb04929.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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23
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Cole ES, Frankel J. Conjugal blocks in Tetrahymena pattern mutants and their cytoplasmic rescue. II. janus A. Dev Biol 1991; 148:420-8. [PMID: 1743393 DOI: 10.1016/0012-1606(91)90261-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A conjugal block phenotype is described for the Tetrahymena pattern mutant, janA. janA exhibits a characteristic "janus" phenotype in which cells develop with a global mirror-image duplication of the ventral pattern of cortical organelles. janA cells are competent to form mating pairs, but later become irreversibly fused as heteropolar doublets. The few pairs that successfully dissociate fail to undergo postconjugal oral replacement and perish. The janA conjugal block is 100% penetrant, is under prezygotic macronuclear control, and is lethal. Here we characterize this conjugal block genetically and cytologically and demonstrate that it can be rescued by a transferable, wild-type product. New insights into late conjugal events, especially the replacement of the oral apparatus, are reported for wild-type cells as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Cole
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242
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Jauker F, Lades S, Nowack T. The energy budget of Tetrahymena and the material fluxes into and out of the adenylate pool. Exp Cell Res 1986; 166:161-70. [PMID: 3743653 DOI: 10.1016/0014-4827(86)90516-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The material budget of the adenylate pool deals with all processes which physically establish and maintain this pool, while the energy budget is concerned with the intracompartmental ATP recycling. Both budgets were analysed in Tetrahymena thermophila exposed to various energy and material demands. Some of the general conclusions are: at a maximum growth rate the overall ATP consumption during one cell cycle is 10(-10) mol ATP; the contribution of osmoregulation and ciliary motion to the budget is about 1% each; at zero net growth, energy is consumed because of a continuous recycling of matter between the monomer and the polymer compartment. The rate of ATP production is about 1000-fold greater than the rate of adenylate monomer influx. The residence time of adenylate monomers within the pool is about 30 min, but for ATP molecules it is only 2 sec.
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Nelsen EM, Frankel J, Martel E. Development of the ciliature of Tetrahymena thermophila. I. Temporal coordination with oral development. Dev Biol 1981; 88:27-38. [PMID: 7286446 DOI: 10.1016/0012-1606(81)90216-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Abstract
The unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena pyriformis secretes significant amounts of cyclic AMP into its external medium. Cells transferred from growth medium into any of the following three different non-nutrient media: (a) 5 mM phosphate buffer containing 47 mM NaCl and 1 mM MgSO4, (b) 10 mM Tris, or (c) 1.3 mM Tris containing 1 mM citrate and 1 mM Ca(OH)2, released to the outside almost 60--80% of the total cyclic AMP produced during 2--5 h of incubation. Tris-citrate-Ca+2 medium was chosen for further experiments because of its minimal nonspecific interference in the cyclic AMP radioimmunoassay. The identity of the secreted material recognized as cyclic AMP by radioimmunoassay was confirmed by demonstrating its almost complete hydrolysis with commerical beef heart phosphodiesterase. Furthermore, the radioimmunoassay-active material in the concentrated medium co-chromatographed on paper with [3H]cyclic AMP, as judged by assay of the eluted material. After resuspending cells in Tris-citrate-Ca2+ medium, the extracellular concentration of cyclic AMP rose steadily over a 5-h period, reaching a level equvalent to approximately 35--50 pmol cyclic AMP/10(6) cells vs. an internal cyclic AMP quantity at 5 h of 8--10 pmol/10(6) cells. After 5 h, the level of extracellular cyclic AMP reached a plateau. There was no degradation or uptake of external cyclic AMP by the cells during this period.
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Nelsen EM, Frankel J. Regulation of corticotype through kinety insertion inTetrahymena. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1979. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402100211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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