Genetic structure of the protist Physarum albescens (Amoebozoa) revealed by multiple markers and genotyping by sequencing

Myxomycetes are terrestrial protists with many presumably cosmopolitan species dispersing via airborne spores. A truly cosmopolitan species would suffer from outbreeding depression hampering local adaptation, while locally adapted species with limited distribution would be at a higher risk of extinction in changing environments. Here, we investigate intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeography of Physarum albescens over the entire Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 324 field collections of fruit bodies for 1-3 genetic markers (SSU, EF1A, COI) and analysed 98 specimens with genotyping by sequencing. The structure of the three-gene phylogeny, SNP-based phylogeny, phylogenetic networks, and the observed recombination pattern of three independently inherited gene markers can be best explained by the presence of at least 18 reproductively isolated groups, which can be seen as cryptic species. In all intensively sampled regions and in many localities, members of several phylogroups coexisted. Some phylogroups were found to be abundant in only one region and completely absent in other well-studied regions, and thus may represent regional endemics. Our results demonstrate that the widely distributed myxomycete species Ph. albescens represents a complex of at least 18 cryptic species, and some of these seem to have a limited geographical distribution. In addition, the presence of groups of presumably clonal specimens suggests that sexual and asexual reproduction coexist in natural populations of myxomycetes.

Haemagglutinin mutations and glycosylation changes shaped the 2012/13 influenza A(H3N2) epidemic, Houston, Texas

While the early start and higher intensity of the 2012/13 influenza A virus (IAV) epidemic was not unprecedented, it was the first IAV epidemic season since the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic where the H3N2 subtype predominated. We directly sequenced the genomes of 154 H3N2 clinical specimens collected throughout the epidemic to better understand the evolution of H3N2 strains and to inform the H3N2 vaccine selection process. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that multiple co-circulating clades and continual antigenic drift in the haemagglutinin (HA) of clades 5, 3A, and 3C, with the evolution of a new 3C subgroup (3C-2012/13), were the driving causes of the epidemic. Drift variants contained HA substitutions and alterations in the potential N-linked glycosylation sites of HA. Antigenic analysis demonstrated that viruses in the emerging subclade 3C.3 and subgroup 3C-2012/13 were not well inhibited by antisera generated against the 3C.1 vaccine strains used for the 2012/13 (A/Victoria/361/2011) or 2013/14 (A/Texas/50/2012) seasons. Our data support updating the H3N2 vaccine strain to a clade 3C.2 or 3C.3-like strain or a subclade that has drifted further. They also underscore the challenges in vaccine strain selection, particularly regarding HA and neuraminidase substitutions derived during laboratory passage that may alter antigenic testing accuracy.

Carbohydrate-active enzymes revealed in Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) transcriptome

Coptotermes formosanus is one of the most destructive wood-feeding termites. To understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of the termite, a normalized C. formosanus cDNA library was constructed using mixed RNA isolated from workers, soldiers, nymphs and alates of both sexes. The sequencing of this library generated 131 636 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and 25 939 assembled unigenes. The carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) revealed in this library were analysed in the present report. A total of 509 putative CAZymes were identified. Diverse cellulolytic enzymes were uncovered from both the host termite and from symbionts harboured by the termite, which were possibly the result of the high efficiency of cellulose utilization. CAZymes associated with trehalose biosynthetic and metabolic pathways were also identified, which are potential regulators of the physiological activities of trehalose, an important insect blood sugar. Representative CAZyme coding genes in glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) were quantitatively analysed. The results showed that the five GH1 β-glucosidase genes were expressed differentially among different castes and one of them was female alate-specific. Overall, the normalized EST library provides a comprehensive genetic resource of C. formosanus and will serve a diverse range of research areas. The CAZymes represent one of the repositories of enzymes useful for physiological studies and applications in sugar-based biofuel production.

Cold co-extraction of hemagglutinin and matrix M1 protein from influenza virus A by a combination of non-ionic detergents allows for visualization of the raft-like nature of the virus envelope

Membrane solubilization with a mixture of cold non-ionic detergents has been applied to isolate detergent-resistant membranes from intact virus A lipid bilayer. Association of the viral envelope glycoproteins and M1 into a raft lipid-protein complex was verified via detergent insolubility experiments, and the M1:HA stoichiometry of the proposed supramolecular complex was estimated via amino acid analysis. Electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering data revealed that these lipid-protein rafts form unilamellar vesicles with HA spikes on their surfaces similar to influenza virus virions. Together, our data suggest that the cold co-extraction technique visualizes the raft-like nature of the viral envelope and demonstrates the interaction of matrix M1 protein with the envelope.

Enzymatic and metabolic studies on retrograde regulation mutants of yeast

Two nuclear genes, RTG1 and RTG2, which sense the functional state of yeast mitochondria, have been described recently. Yeast strains with null alleles of either of these two genes (delta rtg1, delta rtg2) cannot grow on acetate as the sole carbon source and are auxotrophic for glutamate and aspartate. We report here a series of metabolic experiments and enzyme activity measurements that were made in an attempt to determine the reason for the acetate- phenotype and the glutamate/aspartate auxotrophy. Decreases in the activities (approximately 50%) in mitochondrial citrate synthase (CS1), acetyl-CoA synthetase, NAD isocitrate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate carboxylase were noted. When CS1 was overexpressed in the delta rtg1 and delta rtg2 mutants, these strains could grow on acetate but were still auxotrophic for glutamate/aspartate. We propose that, in the mutant strain, CS1 activity becomes limiting for efficient acetate utilization, but that other complex metabolic interactions are affected, limiting production of intermediates that would allow synthesis of glutamic and aspartic acids.