Prophage maintenance is determined by environment-dependent selective sweeps rather than mutational availability
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 5:S0960-9822(24)00322-1. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.025. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTProphages, viral sequences integrated into bacterial genomes, can be beneficial and costly. Despite the risk of prophage activation and subsequent bacterial death, active prophages are present in most bacterial genomes. However, our understanding of the selective forces that maintain prophages in bacterial populations is limited. Combining experimental evolution with stochastic modeling, we show that prophage maintenance and loss are primarily determined by environmental conditions that alter the net fitness effect of...
Source: Current Biology - April 10, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Zachary M Bailey Claudia Igler Carolin C Wendling Source Type: research
Prophage maintenance is determined by environment-dependent selective sweeps rather than mutational availability
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 5:S0960-9822(24)00322-1. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.025. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTProphages, viral sequences integrated into bacterial genomes, can be beneficial and costly. Despite the risk of prophage activation and subsequent bacterial death, active prophages are present in most bacterial genomes. However, our understanding of the selective forces that maintain prophages in bacterial populations is limited. Combining experimental evolution with stochastic modeling, we show that prophage maintenance and loss are primarily determined by environmental conditions that alter the net fitness effect of...
Source: Current Biology - April 10, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Zachary M Bailey Claudia Igler Carolin C Wendling Source Type: research
Eviatar Yemini
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R263-R267. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.063.ABSTRACTInterview with Eviatar Yemini, who studies how neurobehavioral circuits grow and evolve to meet the needs at different stages of development at UMass Chan Medical School.PMID:38593765 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.063 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Eviatar Yemini Source Type: research
The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R267-R268. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.039.ABSTRACTIn this Quick guide, Palmer and Berks introduce the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) systems. Tats are found in a variety of microbes and microbe-derived organelles, and are known to translocate folded substrate proteins across biological membranes.PMID:38593766 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.039 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Tracy Palmer Ben C Berks Source Type: research
High-resolution vision in pelagic polychaetes
In this study, we examined three species of night-active pelagic alciopids from the Mediterranean Sea. Our optical, morphological, and electrophysiological investigations show that their eyes have high spatial acuity and temporal resolution, supporting the notion that they are capable of active, high-resolution object vision. These results encourage interesting hypotheses about the visual ecology of these enigmatic polychaetes.PMID:38593767 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.055 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Michael J Bok Armando Macali Anders Garm Source Type: research
Evolutionary origins of bitter taste receptors in jawed vertebrates
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R271-R272. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.024.ABSTRACTTaste is a sense that detects information about nutrients and toxins in foods. Of the five basic taste qualities, bitterness is associated with the detection of potentially harmful substances like plant alkaloids. In bony vertebrates, type 2 taste receptors (T2Rs), which are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), act as bitter taste receptors1,2. In vertebrates, six GPCR gene families are described as chemosensory receptor genes, encoding taste receptor families (T1Rs and T2Rs) and olfactory receptor families (ORs, V1Rs, V2Rs, and TAARs). These fam...
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Akihiro Itoigawa Yasuka Toda Shigehiro Kuraku Yoshiro Ishimaru Source Type: research
Ecology: The fruits of local knowledge
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R273-R275. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.054.ABSTRACTLocal and indigenous communities often have an intimate connection to nature that is reflected in their ecological knowledge and practices. A new study shows that local ecological knowledge can transform the scientific understanding of an ecological network.PMID:38593769 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.054 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Kate L Wootton Phil O'B Lyver Source Type: research
Cell migration: Collective cell migration is intrinsically stressful
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R275-R278. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.061.ABSTRACTCollective cell migration is a key cellular process in development and disease. A new study reports that ER stress is induced during collective cell migration and an intrinsic mechanism prevents migratory cells from over-reacting to ER stress.PMID:38593770 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.061 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Heng Wang Jiong Chen Source Type: research
Schreckstoff: It takes two to panic
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R278-R281. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.069.ABSTRACTSchreckstoff (fear substance) is an alarm signal released by injured fish that induces a fear response. Its chemical nature has long been debated. A new study finds that zebrafish Schreckstoff is composed of at least three components, two of which elicit the fear response only in combination.PMID:38593771 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.069 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Marcus C Stensmyr Source Type: research
Neuroscience: Memory modification without catastrophe
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R281-R284. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.068.ABSTRACTAdaptive behaviour is supported by changes in neuronal networks. Insight into maintaining these memories - preventing their catastrophic loss - despite further network changes occurring due to novel learning is provided in a new study.PMID:38593772 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.068 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Mircea van der Plas Alberto Failla Edwin M Robertson Source Type: research
Sociosexual interactions: A clock synchronized by smell
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R284-R286. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.065.ABSTRACTWhile the daily rhythmicity of organisms is entrained by several cues, light is thought to be the strongest signal. Surprisingly, a new study in a moth shows that olfactory communication can be even more powerful for synchronization, and, at least to some extent, works across related species.PMID:38593773 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.065 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: David Dole žel Source Type: research
Morphogenesis: Setting the pace of embryo folding
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R286-R288. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.053.ABSTRACTTissue folding is a key process for shape generation during embryonic development. A new study reports how a fold in the Drosophila embryo forms by a propagating trigger wave.PMID:38593774 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.053 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: D Nathaniel Clarke Adam C Martin Source Type: research
Developmental neuroscience: Building sex-specific adult circuitry from common larval origins
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R288-R291. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.064.ABSTRACTThe development of sex-specific neural circuitry is critical for reproductive behaviors. A new study traces the developmental origin of female-specific neurons that underlie an adult mating behavior to larval neurons common to both sexes in Drosophila.PMID:38593775 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.064 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Alexandra Venuto Christa A Baker Source Type: research
Animal behavior: Mosquitos ride the wave
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R291-R293. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.030.ABSTRACTSome insects have a frustrating knack for avoiding a swatter. A new study shows that mosquitos not only evade the visual image of the looming threat, they also surf the wave of air the swatter creates.PMID:38593776 | DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.030 (Source: Current Biology)
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Mark Frye Athena Coates Source Type: research
Understanding the limits to animal cognition
Curr Biol. 2024 Apr 8;34(7):R294-R300. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.043.ABSTRACTThe thriving field of comparative cognition examines the behaviour of diverse animals in cognitive terms. Comparative cognition research has primarily focused on the abilities of animals - what tasks they can do - rather than on the limits of their cognition - tasks that exceed an animal's cognitive abilities. We propose that understanding and identifying cognitive limits is as important as demonstrating the capacities of animal minds. Here, we identify challenges that have deterred the study of cognitive limits related to epistemic, practical an...
Source: Current Biology - April 9, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Scarlett R Howard Andrew B Barron Source Type: research
