Hot carbonates deep within the Chicxulub impact structure

Constraining the thermodynamic conditions within an impact structure during and after hypervelocity impacts is extremely challenging due to the transient thermal regimes. This work uses carbonate clumped-isotope thermometry to reconstruct absolute temperatures of impact lithologies within and close to the ∼66 Myr old Chicxulub crater (Yucatán, México). We present stable oxygen (δ18O), carbon (δ13C), and clumped-isotope (Δ47) data for carbonate-bearing impact breccias, impact melt rock, and target lithologies from four drill cores on a transect through the Chicxulub structure from the northern peak ring to the southern proximal ejecta blanket. Clumped isotope-derived temperatures (T(Δ47)) are consistently higher than maximum Late Cretaceous sea surface temperatures (35.5°C), except in the case of Paleogene limestones and melt-poor impact breccias outside of the crater, confirming the influence of burial diagenesis and a widespread and long-lived hydrothermal system. The melt-poor breccia unit outside the crater is overlain by melt-rich impact breccia yielding a much higher T(Δ47) of 111 ± 10°C (1 standard error [SE]), which likely traces the thermal processing of carbonate material during ejection. Finally, T(Δ47) up to 327 ± 33°C (1 SE) is determined for the lower suevite and impact melt rock intervals within the crater. The highest temperatures are related to distinct petrological features associated with decarbonation and rapid back-reaction, in which highly reactive CaO recombines with impact-released CO2 to form secondary CaCO3 phases. These observations have important climatic implications for the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event, as current numerical models likely overestimate the release of CO2 from the Chicxulub impact event.

DisProt in 2022: improved quality and accessibility of protein intrinsic disorder annotation

The Database of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (DisProt, URL: https://disprot.org) is the major repository of manually curated annotations of intrinsically disordered proteins and regions from the literature. We report here recent updates of DisProt version 9, including a restyled web interface, refactored Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Ontology (IDPO), improvements in the curation process and significant content growth of around 30%. Higher quality and consistency of annotations is provided by a newly implemented reviewing process and training of curators. The increased curation capacity is fostered by the integration of DisProt with APICURON, a dedicated resource for the proper attribution and recognition of biocuration efforts. Better interoperability is provided through the adoption of the Minimum Information About Disorder (MIADE) standard, an active collaboration with the Gene Ontology (GO) and Evidence and Conclusion Ontology (ECO) consortia and the support of the ELIXIR infrastructure.

Hepatocyte-derived IL-10 plays a crucial role in attenuating pathogenicity during the chronic phase of T. congolense infection

Bovine African Trypanosomosis is an infectious parasitic disease affecting livestock productivity and thereby impairing the economic development of Sub-Saharan Africa. The most important trypanosome species implicated is T. congolense, causing anemia as most important pathological feature. Using murine models, it was shown that due to the parasite’s efficient immune evasion mechanisms, including (i) antigenic variation of the variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat, (ii) induction of polyclonal B cell activation, (iii) loss of B cell memory and (iv) T cell mediated immunosuppression, disease prevention through vaccination has so far been impossible. In trypanotolerant models a strong, early pro-inflammatory immune response involving IFN-γ, TNF and NO, combined with a strong humoral anti-VSG response, ensures early parasitemia control. This potent protective inflammatory response is counterbalanced by the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, which in turn prevents early death of the host from uncontrolled hyper-inflammation-mediated immunopathologies. Though at this stage different hematopoietic cells, such as NK cells, T cells and B cells as well as myeloid cells (i.e. alternatively activated myeloid cells (M2) or Ly6c^- monocytes), were found to produce IL-10, the contribution of non-hematopoietic cells as potential IL-10 source during experimental T. congolense infection has not been addressed. Here, we report for the first time that during the chronic stage of T. congolense infection non-hematopoietic cells constitute an important source of IL-10. Our data shows that hepatocyte-derived IL-10 is mandatory for host survival and is crucial for the control of trypanosomosis-induced inflammation and associated immunopathologies such as anemia, hepatosplenomegaly and excessive tissue injury.

Bovine African Trypanosomosis is a parasitic disease of veterinary importance that adversely affects the public health and economic development of sub-Saharan Africa. The most important trypanosome species implicated is T. congolense, causing anemia as most important pathological feature and major cause of death. Using murine models, it was shown that the disease is characterized by a well-timed and balanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokine promoting factors followed by an anti-inflammatory response, involving IL-10. The latter is required to attenuate infection-associated pathogenicity and to prevent early host death from uncontrolled hyper-inflammation mediated immunopathologies. However, the cellular source of IL-10 in vivo and the window within which these cells exert their function during the course of African trypanosomiasis remain poorly understood, which hampers the design of effective therapeutic strategies. Using a T. congolense infection mouse model, relevant for bovine trypanosomosis, we demonstrate that during the chronic stage of infection hepatocyte-derived IL-10, but not myeloid cell-derived IL-10, regulates the main infection-associated immunopathologies and ultimately mediates host survival. Hence, strategies that tilt the balance of hepatocyte cytokine production in favor of IL-10 could majorly impact the wellbeing and survival of T. congolense-infected animals. Given the unmet medical need for this parasite infection, our findings offer promise for improved treatment protocols in the field.