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Zhao H, Wang Y, Chen Q, Liu Y, Gao Y, Müllen K, Li S, Narita A. A Nanographene-Porphyrin Hybrid for Near-Infrared-Ii Phototheranostics. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2024; 11:e2309131. [PMID: 38430537 PMCID: PMC11095198 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
Photoacoustic imaging (PAI)-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) window has been attracting attention as a promising cancer theranostic platform. Here, it is reported that the π-extended porphyrins fused with one or two nanographene units (NGP-1 and NGP-2) can serve as a new class of NIR-responsive organic agents, displaying absorption extending to ≈1000 and ≈1400 nm in the NIR-I and NIR-II windows, respectively. NGP-1 and NGP-2 are dispersed in water through encapsulation into self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs), achieving high photothermal conversion efficiency of 60% and 69%, respectively, under 808 and 1064 nm laser irradiation. Moreover, the NIR-II-active NGP-2-NPs demonstrated promising photoacoustic responses, along with high photostability and biocompatibility, enabling PAI and efficient NIR-II PTT of cancer in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhao
- Organic and Carbon Nanomaterials UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University1919‐1 Tancha, Onna‐son, Kunigami‐gunOkinawa904‐0495Japan
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhou215123P. R. China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 1055128MainzGermany
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of OxfordChemistry Research LaboratoryOxfordOX1 3TAUK
- Present address:
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM)Soochow UniversitySuzhou215123P.R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhou215123P. R. China
| | - Yijian Gao
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhou215123P. R. China
| | - Klaus Müllen
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 1055128MainzGermany
| | - Shengliang Li
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhou215123P. R. China
| | - Akimitsu Narita
- Organic and Carbon Nanomaterials UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University1919‐1 Tancha, Onna‐son, Kunigami‐gunOkinawa904‐0495Japan
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 1055128MainzGermany
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2
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Jayaraman V, Toledo‐Patiño S, Noda‐García L, Laurino P. Mechanisms of protein evolution. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4362. [PMID: 35762715 PMCID: PMC9214755 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
How do proteins evolve? How do changes in sequence mediate changes in protein structure, and in turn in function? This question has multiple angles, ranging from biochemistry and biophysics to evolutionary biology. This review provides a brief integrated view of some key mechanistic aspects of protein evolution. First, we explain how protein evolution is primarily driven by randomly acquired genetic mutations and selection for function, and how these mutations can even give rise to completely new folds. Then, we also comment on how phenotypic protein variability, including promiscuity, transcriptional and translational errors, may also accelerate this process, possibly via "plasticity-first" mechanisms. Finally, we highlight open questions in the field of protein evolution, with respect to the emergence of more sophisticated protein systems such as protein complexes, pathways, and the emergence of pre-LUCA enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Jayaraman
- Department of Molecular Cell BiologyWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Saacnicteh Toledo‐Patiño
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOkinawaJapan
| | - Lianet Noda‐García
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentHebrew University of JerusalemRehovotIsrael
| | - Paola Laurino
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOkinawaJapan
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3
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Morente‐López J, Kass JM, Lara‐Romero C, Serra‐Diaz JM, Soto‐Correa JC, Anderson RP, Iriondo JM. Linking ecological niche models and common garden experiments to predict phenotypic differentiation in stressful environments: Assessing the adaptive value of marginal populations in an alpine plant. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:4143-4162. [PMID: 35359032 PMCID: PMC9325479 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental variation within a species' range can create contrasting selective pressures, leading to divergent selection and novel adaptations. The conservation value of populations inhabiting environmentally marginal areas remains in debate and is closely related to the adaptive potential in changing environments. Strong selection caused by stressful conditions may generate novel adaptations, conferring these populations distinct evolutionary potential and high conservation value under climate change. On the other hand, environmentally marginal populations may be genetically depauperate, with little potential for new adaptations to emerge. Here, we explored the use of ecological niche models (ENMs) linked with common garden experiments to predict and test for genetically determined phenotypic differentiation related to contrasting environmental conditions. To do so, we built an ENM for the alpine plant Silene ciliata in central Spain and conducted common garden experiments, assessing flowering phenology changes and differences in leaf cell resistance to extreme temperatures. The suitability patterns and response curves of the ENM led to the predictions that: (1) the environmentally marginal populations experiencing less snowpack and higher minimum temperatures would have delayed flowering to avoid risks of late-spring frosts and (2) those with higher minimum temperatures and greater potential evapotranspiration would show enhanced cell resistance to high temperatures to deal with physiological stress related to desiccation and heat. The common garden experiments revealed the expected genetically based phenotypic differentiation in flowering phenology. In contrast, they did not show the expected differentiation for cell resistance, but these latter experiments had high variance and hence lower statistical power. The results highlight ENMs as useful tools to identify contrasting putative selective pressures across species ranges. Linking ENMs with common garden experiments provides a theoretically justified and practical way to study adaptive processes, including insights regarding the conservation value of populations inhabiting environmentally marginal areas under ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Morente‐López
- Área de Biodiversidad y ConservaciónDepto. de Biología, GeologíaFísica y Química InorgánicaESCETUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC)MadridMóstolesSpain
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research GroupInstitute of Natural Products and Agrobiology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPNA‐CSIC)San Cristóbal de La Laguna, TenerifeSpain
| | - Jamie M. Kass
- Department of BiologyCity College of New YorkCity University of New YorkNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Ph.D. Program in BiologyGraduate CenterCity University of New YorkNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityKunigami‐gunOkinawaJapan
| | - Carlos Lara‐Romero
- Área de Biodiversidad y ConservaciónDepto. de Biología, GeologíaFísica y Química InorgánicaESCETUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC)MadridMóstolesSpain
| | | | - José Carmen Soto‐Correa
- Facultad de Ciencias NaturalesUniversidad Autónoma de Querétaro (FCN‐UAQ)Santa Rosa Jáuregui, QuerétaroMexico
| | - Robert P. Anderson
- Department of BiologyCity College of New YorkCity University of New YorkNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Ph.D. Program in BiologyGraduate CenterCity University of New YorkNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Mammalogy)American Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - José M. Iriondo
- Área de Biodiversidad y ConservaciónDepto. de Biología, GeologíaFísica y Química InorgánicaESCETUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC)MadridMóstolesSpain
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Xu X, Gunasekaran S, Renken S, Ripani L, Schollmeyer D, Kim W, Marcaccio M, Musser A, Narita A. Synthesis and Characterizations of 5,5'-Bibenzo[rst]pentaphene with Axial Chirality and Symmetry-Breaking Charge Transfer. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2022; 9:e2200004. [PMID: 35156332 PMCID: PMC9259715 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Exploration of novel biaryls consisting of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) units can be an important strategy toward further developments of organic materials with unique properties. In this study, 5,5'-bibenzo[rst]pentaphene (BBPP) with two benzo[rst]pentaphene (BPP) units is synthesized in an efficient and versatile approach, and its structure is unambiguously elucidated by X-ray crystallography. BBPP exhibits axial chirality, and the (M)- and (P)-enantiomers are resolved by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography and studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy. These enantiomers have a relatively high isomerization barrier of 43.6 kcal mol-1 calculated by density functional theory. The monomer BPP and dimer BBPP are characterized by UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The results indicate that both BPP and BBPP fluoresce from a formally dark S1 electronic state that is enabled by Herzberg-Teller intensity borrowing from a neighboring bright S2 state. While BPP exhibits a relatively low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), BBPP exhibits a significantly enhanced PLQY due to a greater S2 intensity borrowing. Moreover, symmetry-breaking charge transfer in BBPP is demonstrated by spectroscopic investigations in solvents of different polarity. This suggests high potential for singlet fission in such π-extended biaryls through appropriate molecular design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiushang Xu
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 10Mainz55128Germany
- Organic and Carbon Nanomaterials UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University1919‐1 Tancha, Onna‐sonKunigami‐gunOkinawa904‐0495Japan
| | - Suman Gunasekaran
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Scott Renken
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Lorenzo Ripani
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”Università di Bolognavia Selmi 2Bologna40126Italy
| | - Dieter Schollmeyer
- Department of ChemistryJohannes Gutenberg University MainzDuesbergweg 10–14Mainz55128Germany
| | - Woojae Kim
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Massimo Marcaccio
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”Università di Bolognavia Selmi 2Bologna40126Italy
| | - Andrew Musser
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Akimitsu Narita
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 10Mainz55128Germany
- Organic and Carbon Nanomaterials UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University1919‐1 Tancha, Onna‐sonKunigami‐gunOkinawa904‐0495Japan
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Hsieh T, Sasaki D, Taira N, Chien H, Sarkar S, Seto Y, Miyagi M, Ishikawa H. JunB Is Critical for Survival of T Helper Cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:901030. [PMID: 35837408 PMCID: PMC9273772 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.901030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Clonal expansion and differentiation of various T helper subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, depend on a complex of transcription factors, IRF4 and a BATF-containing AP-1 heterodimer. A major BATF heterodimeric partner, JunB, regulates Th17 differentiation, but the role of JunB in other T helper subsets is not well understood. Here we demonstrate that JunB is required for clonal expansion of Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells. In mice immunized with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), papain, or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), which induce predominantly Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells, respectively, accumulation of antigen-primed, Junb-deficient CD4+ T cells is significantly impaired. TCR-stimulated Junb-deficient CD4+ T cells are more sensitive to apoptosis, although they showed largely normal proliferation and cellular metabolism. JunB directly inhibits expression of genes involved in apoptosis, including Bcl2l11 (encoding Bim), by promoting IRF4 DNA binding at the gene locus. Taken together, JunB serves a critical function in clonal expansion of diverse T helper cells by inhibiting their apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hiroki Ishikawa
- Immune Signal Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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6
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Purba ER, Saita EI, Akhouri RR, Öfverstedt LG, Wilken G, Skoglund U, Maruyama IN. Allosteric activation of preformed EGF receptor dimers by a single ligand binding event. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1042787. [PMID: 36531494 PMCID: PMC9748436 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1042787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by mutations has been implicated in a variety of human cancers. Elucidation of the structure of the full-length receptor is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying its activation. Unlike previously anticipated, here, we report that purified full-length EGFR adopts a homodimeric form in vitro before and after ligand binding. Cryo-electron tomography analysis of the purified receptor also showed that the extracellular domains of the receptor dimer, which are conformationally flexible before activation, are stabilized by ligand binding. This conformational flexibility stabilization most likely accompanies rotation of the entire extracellular domain and the transmembrane domain, resulting in dissociation of the intracellular kinase dimer and, thus, rearranging it into an active form. Consistently, mutations of amino acid residues at the interface of the symmetric inactive kinase dimer spontaneously activate the receptor in vivo. Optical observation also indicated that binding of only one ligand activates the receptor dimer on the cell surface. Our results suggest how oncogenic mutations spontaneously activate the receptor and shed light on the development of novel cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Endang R. Purba
- Information Processing Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ei-ichiro Saita
- Information Processing Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Reetesh R. Akhouri
- Cellular Structural Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Lars-Goran Öfverstedt
- Cellular Structural Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Gunnar Wilken
- Cellular Structural Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ulf Skoglund
- Cellular Structural Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ichiro N. Maruyama
- Information Processing Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
- *Correspondence: Ichiro N. Maruyama,
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7
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Chouhan BPS, Gade M, Martinez D, Toledo‐Patino S, Laurino P. Implications of divergence of methionine adenosyltransferase in archaea. FEBS Open Bio 2022; 12:130-145. [PMID: 34655277 PMCID: PMC8727953 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) catalyzes the biosynthesis of S-adenosyl methionine from l-methionine and ATP. MAT enzymes are ancient, believed to share a common ancestor, and are highly conserved in all three domains of life. However, the sequences of archaeal MATs show considerable divergence compared with their bacterial and eukaryotic counterparts. Furthermore, the structural significance and functional significance of this sequence divergence are not well understood. In the present study, we employed structural analysis and ancestral sequence reconstruction to investigate archaeal MAT divergence. We observed that the dimer interface containing the active site (which is usually well conserved) diverged considerably between the bacterial/eukaryotic MATs and archaeal MAT. A detailed investigation of the available structures supports the sequence analysis outcome: The protein domains and subdomains of bacterial and eukaryotic MAT are more similar than those of archaea. Finally, we resurrected archaeal MAT ancestors. Interestingly, archaeal MAT ancestors show substrate specificity, which is lost during evolution. This observation supports the hypothesis of a common MAT ancestor for the three domains of life. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that archaeal MAT is an ideal system for studying an enzyme family that evolved differently in one domain compared with others while maintaining the same catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhanu Pratap Singh Chouhan
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnnaJapan
| | - Madhuri Gade
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnnaJapan
| | - Desirae Martinez
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnnaJapan
| | - Saacnicteh Toledo‐Patino
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnnaJapan
| | - Paola Laurino
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnnaJapan
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8
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Takashina N, Plank MJ, Jenkins CN, Economo EP. Species-range-size distributions: Integrating the effects of speciation, transformation, and extinction. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8341. [PMID: 35127000 PMCID: PMC8796946 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The species-range size distribution is a product of speciation, transformation of range-sizes, and extinction. Previous empirical studies showed that it has a left-skewed lognormal-like distribution. We developed a new mathematical framework to study species-range-size distributions, one in which allopatric speciation, transformation of range size, and the extinction process are explicitly integrated. The approach, which we call the gain-loss-allopatric speciation model, allows us to explore the effects of various speciation scenarios. Our model captures key dynamics thought to lead to known range-size distributions. We also fitted the model to empirical range-size distributions of birds, mammals, and beetles. Since geographic range dynamics are linked to speciation and extinction, our model provides predictions for the dynamics of species richness. When a species-range-size distribution initially evolves away from the range sizes at which the likelihood of speciation is low, it tends to cause diversification slowdown even in the absence of (bio)diversity dependence in speciation rate. Using the mathematical model developed here, we give a potential explanation for how observed range-size distributions emerge from range-size dynamics. Although the framework presented is minimalistic, it provides a starting point for examining hypotheses based on more complex mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Takashina
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐sonJapan
- Department of International StudiesThe University of TokyoKashiwaJapan
| | - Michael J. Plank
- School of Mathematics and Statistics and Te Pūnaha MatatiniUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Clinton N. Jenkins
- Department of Earth and EnvironmentKimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean CenterFlorida International UniversityMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐sonJapan
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9
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Remeš V, Remešová E, Friedman NR, Matysioková B, Rubáčová L. Functional diversity of avian communities increases with canopy height: From individual behavior to continental-scale patterns. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11839-11851. [PMID: 34522345 PMCID: PMC8427649 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Vegetation complexity is an important predictor of animal species diversity. Specifically, taller vegetation should provide more potential ecological niches and thus harbor communities with higher species richness and functional diversity (FD). Resource use behavior is an especially important functional trait because it links species to their resource base with direct relevance to niche partitioning. However, it is unclear how exactly the diversity of resource use behavior changes with vegetation complexity. To address this question, we studied avian FD in relation to vegetation complexity along a continental-scale vegetation gradient. We quantified foraging behavior of passerine birds in terms of foraging method and substrate use at 21 sites (63 transects) spanning 3,000 km of woodlands and forests in Australia. We also quantified vegetation structure on 630 sampling points at the same sites. Additionally, we measured morphological traits for all 111 observed species in museum collections. We calculated individual-based, abundance-weighted FD in morphology and foraging behavior and related it to species richness and vegetation complexity (indexed by canopy height) using structural equation modeling, rarefaction analyses, and distance-based metrics. FD of morphology and foraging methods was best predicted by species richness. However, FD of substrate use was best predicted by canopy height (ranging 10-30 m), but only when substrates were categorized with fine resolution (17 categories), not when categorized coarsely (8 categories). These results suggest that, first, FD might increase with vegetation complexity independently of species richness, but whether it does so depends on the studied functional trait. Second, patterns found might be shaped by how finely we categorize functional traits. More complex vegetation provided larger "ecological space" with more resources, allowing the coexistence of more species with disproportionately more diverse foraging substrate use. We suggest that the latter pattern was driven by nonrandom accumulation of functionally distinct species with increasing canopy height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimír Remeš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of OrnithologyFaculty of SciencePalacky UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Eva Remešová
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of OrnithologyFaculty of SciencePalacky UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
| | - Nicholas R. Friedman
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of OrnithologyFaculty of SciencePalacky UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Environmental Informatics SectionOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐sonJapan
| | - Beata Matysioková
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of OrnithologyFaculty of SciencePalacky UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
| | - Lucia Rubáčová
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of OrnithologyFaculty of SciencePalacky UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of Natural ScienceComenius UniversityBratislavaSlovakia
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