Little evidence for enhanced phenotypic evolution in early teleosts relative to their living fossil sister group

Since Darwin, biologists have been struck by the extraordinary diversity of teleost fishes, particularly in contrast to their closest “living fossil” holostean relatives. Hypothesized drivers of teleost success include innovations in jaw mechanics, reproductive biology and, particularly at present, genomic architecture, yet all scenarios presuppose enhanced phenotypic diversification in teleosts. We test this key assumption by quantifying evolutionary rate and capacity for innovation in size and shape for the first 160 million y (Permian–Early Cretaceous) of evolution in neopterygian fishes (the more extensive clade containing teleosts and holosteans). We find that early teleosts do not show enhanced phenotypic evolution relative to holosteans. Instead, holostean rates and innovation often match or can even exceed those of stem-, crown-, and total-group teleosts, belying the living fossil reputation of their extant representatives. In addition, we find some evidence for heterogeneity within the teleost lineage. Although stem teleosts excel at discovering new body shapes, early crown-group taxa commonly display higher rates of shape evolution. However, the latter reflects low rates of shape evolution in stem teleosts relative to all other neopterygian taxa, rather than an exceptional feature of early crown teleosts. These results complement those emerging from studies of both extant teleosts as a whole and their sublineages, which generally fail to detect an association between genome duplication and significant shifts in rates of lineage diversification.Numbering ∼29,000 species, teleost fishes account for half of modern vertebrate richness. In contrast, their holostean sister group, consisting of gars and the bowfin, represents a mere eight species restricted to the freshwaters of eastern North America (1). This stark contrast between teleosts and Darwin''s original “living fossils” (2) provides the basis for assertions of teleost evolutionary superiority that are central to textbook scenarios (3, 4). Classic explanations for teleost success include key innovations in feeding (3, 5) (e.g., protrusible jaws and pharyngeal jaws) and reproduction (6, 7). More recent work implicates the duplicate genomes of teleosts (8–10) as the driver of their prolific phenotypic diversification (8, 11–13), concordant with the more general hypothesis that increased morphological complexity and innovation is an expected consequence of genome duplication (14, 15).Most arguments for enhanced phenotypic evolution in teleosts have been asserted rather than demonstrated (8, 11, 12, 15, 16; but see ref. 17), and draw heavily on the snapshot of taxonomic and phenotypic imbalance apparent between living holosteans and teleosts. The fossil record challenges this neontological narrative by revealing the remarkable taxonomic richness and morphological diversity of extinct holosteans (Fig. 1) (18, 19) and highlights geological intervals when holostean taxonomic richness exceeded that of teleosts (20). This paleontological view has an extensive pedigree. Darwin (2) invoked a long interval of cryptic teleost evolution preceding the late Mesozoic diversification of the modern radiation, a view subsequently supported by the implicit (18) or explicit (19) association of Triassic–Jurassic species previously recognized as “holostean ganoids” with the base of teleost phylogeny. This perspective became enshrined in mid-20th century treatments of actinopterygian evolution, which recognized an early-mid Mesozoic phase dominated by holosteans sensu lato and a later interval, extending to the modern day, dominated by teleosts (4, 20, 21). Contemporary paleontological accounts echo the classic interpretation of modest teleost origins (22–24), despite a systematic framework that substantially revises the classifications upon which older scenarios were based (22–25). Identification of explosive lineage diversification in nested teleost subclades like otophysans and percomorphs, rather than across the group as a whole, provides some circumstantial neontological support for this narrative (26).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Phenotypic variation in early crown neopterygians. (A) Total-group holosteans. (B) Stem-group teleosts. (C) Crown-group teleosts. Taxa illustrated to scale.In contrast to quantified taxonomic patterns (20, 23, 24, 27), phenotypic evolution in early neopterygians has only been discussed in qualitative terms. The implicit paleontological model of morphological conservatism among early teleosts contrasts with the observation that clades aligned with the teleost stem lineage include some of the most divergent early neopterygians in terms of both size and shape (Fig. 1) (see, for example, refs. 28 and 29). These discrepancies point to considerable ambiguity in initial patterns of phenotypic diversification that lead to a striking contrast in the vertebrate tree of life, and underpins one of the most successful radiations of backboned animals.Here we tackle this uncertainty by quantifying rates of phenotypic evolution and capacity for evolutionary innovation for the first 160 million y of the crown neopterygian radiation. This late Permian (Wuchiapingian, ca. 260 Ma) to Cretaceous (Albian, ca. 100 Ma) sampling interval permits incorporation of diverse fossil holosteans and stem teleosts alongside early diverging crown teleost taxa (Figs. 1 and ​and2A2A and Figs. S1 and ​andS2),S2), resulting in a dataset of 483 nominal species-level lineages roughly divided between the holostean and teleost total groups (Fig. 2B and Fig. S2). Although genera are widely used as the currency in paleobiological studies of fossil fishes (30; but see ref. 31), we sampled at the species level to circumvent problems associated with representing geological age and morphology for multiple congeneric lineages. We gathered size [both log-transformed standard length (SL) and centroid size (CS); results from both are highly comparable (Figs. S3 and ​andS4);S4); SL results are reported in the main text] and shape data (the first three morphospace axes arising from a geometric morphometric analysis) (Fig. 2A and Figs. S1) from species where possible. To place these data within a phylogenetic context, we assembled a supertree based on published hypotheses of relationships. We assigned branch durations to a collection of trees under two scenarios for the timescale of neopterygian diversification based on molecular clock and paleontological estimates. Together, these scenarios bracket a range of plausible evolutionary timelines for this radiation (Fig. 2B). We used the samples of trees in conjunction with our morphological datasets to test for contrasts in rates of, and capacity for, phenotypic change between different partitions of the neopterygian Tree of Life (crown-, total-, and stem-group teleosts, total-group holosteans, and neopterygians minus crown-group teleosts), and the sensitivity of these conclusions to uncertainty in both relationships and evolutionary timescale. Critically, these include comparisons of phenotypic evolution in early crown-group teleosts—those species that are known with certainty to possess duplicate genomes—with rates in taxa characterized largely (neopterygians minus crown teleosts) or exclusively (holosteans) by unduplicated genomes. By restricting our scope to early diverging crown teleost lineages, we avoid potentially confounding signals from highly nested radiations that substantially postdate both genome duplication and the origin of crown teleosts (26, 32). This approach provides a test of widely held assumptions about the nature of morphological evolution in teleosts and their holostean sister lineage.Open in a separate windowFig. 2.(A) Morphospace of Permian–Early Cretaceous crown Neopterygii. (B) One supertree subjected to our paleontological (Upper) and molecular (Lower) timescaling procedures to illustrate contrasts in the range of evolutionary timescales considered. Colors of points (A) and branches (B) indicate membership in major partitions of neopterygian phylogeny. Topologies are given in Datasets S4 and S5. See Dataset S6 for source trees.Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Morphospace of 398 Permian–Early Cretaceous Neopterygii. Three major axes of shape variation are presented. Silhouettes and accompanying arrows illustrate the main anatomical correlates of these principal axes, as described in Open in a separate windowFig. S2.Morphospace of 398 Permian–Early Cretaceous Neopterygii, illustrating the major clades of (A) teleosts and (B) holosteans.Open in a separate windowFig. S3.Comparisons of size rates between (A) holosteans and teleosts, (B) crown teleosts and all other neopterygians, (C) crown teleosts and stem teleosts, (D) crown teleosts and holosteans, and (E) stem teleosts and holosteans. Comparisons were made using the full-size SL dataset, a CS dataset, and a smaller SL dataset pruned to exactly match the taxon sampling of the CS dataset. Identical taxon sampling leads the CS and pruned SL datasets to yield near identical results. Although the larger SL dataset results often differ slightly, the overall conclusion from each pairwise comparison (i.e., which outcome is the most likely in an overall majority of trees) is identical in all but one comparison (E, under molecular timescales).Open in a separate windowFig. S4.Comparisons of size innovation between (A) holosteans and teleosts, (B) crown teleosts and all other neopterygians, (C) crown teleosts and stem teleosts, (D) crown teleosts and holosteans, and (E) stem teleosts and holosteans. Comparisons were made using the full-size SL dataset, a CS dataset, and a smaller SL dataset pruned to exactly match the taxon sampling of the CS dataset. Comparisons of size innovation are presented for K value distributions of the three datasets resemble each other closely.     

Three-dimensionally preserved minute larva of a great-appendage arthropod from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota

A three-dimensionally preserved 2-mm-long larva of the arthropod Leanchoilia illecebrosa from the 520-million-year-old early Cambrian Chengjiang biota of China represents the first evidence, to our knowledge, of such an early developmental stage in a short-great-appendage (SGA) arthropod. The larva possesses a pair of three-fingered great appendages, a hypostome, and four pairs of well-developed biramous appendages. More posteriorly, a series of rudimentary limb Anlagen revealed by X-ray microcomputed tomography shows a gradient of decreasing differentiation toward the rear. This, and postembryonic segment addition at the putative growth zone, are features of late-stage metanauplii of eucrustaceans. L. illecebrosa and other SGA arthropods, however, are considered representative of early chelicerates or part of the stem lineage of all euarthropods. The larva of an early Cambrian SGA arthropod with a small number of anterior segments and their respective appendages suggests that posthatching segment addition occurred in the ancestor of Euarthropoda.Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) explains evolutionary changes in different organisms by investigating their developmental processes (1). Paleontology contributes to evo-devo by providing information that is only available in fossil organisms (2). Studies of evolutionary development in fossil arthropods, which have dominated faunas from the early Cambrian (∼520 million years ago) to the present, have focused on trilobites (3), “Orsten”-type fossil crustaceans (4–6), and Mesozoic malacostracan crustaceans (7). Due to their small size and low preservation potential, fossil evidence of the appendages of early developmental stages of arthropods are rare, and known mainly from those with the special “Orsten” type of preservation (8), i.e., with the cuticle secondarily phosphatized, from the mid-Cambrian (500–497 million years ago) (9).Here we describe an exceptionally preserved early developmental stage of a Cambrian arthropod from the Chengjiang biota of China. The specimen is only 2 mm long and is three-dimensionally preserved (Fig. 1, Insets). We interpret this specimen as a representative of the short-great-appendage (SGA) arthropod Leanchoilia illecebrosa—the most abundant SGA arthropod from this biota (10). SGA arthropods form a distinct early group characterized by prominent anteriormost appendages specialized for sensory (11) or feeding purposes (11, 12). Thus far, knowledge of L. illecebrosa is based mainly on adult specimens with a body length ranging from 20 to 46 mm (13) (Fig. 1). Specimens smaller than 20 mm are rare—only two examples, both 8 mm long, have been reported (8, 12) (Fig. S1B).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.L. illecebrosa from the Chengjiang biota. Macrophotographs of an adult (specimen YKLP 11087) and the minute larva (Insets; specimen YKLP 11088a, b). cs, cephalic shield; rs, rostrum; sga, short great appendage; ts1 and ts11, trunk segments 1 and 11; te, telson. Insets are to the same scale as main image. (Scale bar: 5 mm.)Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Two larval stages of L. illecebrosa. (A) The 2-mm-long larva described here (specimen YKLP 11088a, b). (B) An 8-mm-long larva previously reported in ref. 12 (specimen YKLP 11084a, b; reprinted with permission from ref. 12). (Scale bar: 2 mm.)     

Mechanisms of leiomodin 2-mediated regulation of actin filament in muscle cells

Leiomodin (Lmod) is a class of potent tandem-G-actin–binding nucleators in muscle cells. Lmod mutations, deletion, or instability are linked to lethal nemaline myopathy. However, the lack of high-resolution structures of Lmod nucleators in action severely hampered our understanding of their essential cellular functions. Here we report the crystal structure of the actin–Lmod2_162–495 nucleus. The structure contains two actin subunits connected by one Lmod2_162–495 molecule in a non–filament-like conformation. Complementary functional studies suggest that the binding of Lmod2 stimulates ATP hydrolysis and accelerates actin nucleation and polymerization. The high level of conservation among Lmod proteins in sequence and functions suggests that the mechanistic insights of human Lmod2 uncovered here may aid in a molecular understanding of other Lmod proteins. Furthermore, our structural and mechanistic studies unraveled a previously unrecognized level of regulation in mammalian signal transduction mediated by certain tandem-G-actin–binding nucleators.In response to environmental or cellular signals, eukaryotic cells use actin nucleators to convert globular actin monomers (G-actin) into actin oligomers (actin nuclei), which then quickly lead to actin filaments (F-actin). Actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3), formins, and tandem-G-actin–binding proteins are the three classes of known actin nucleators in nonmuscle cells (1–7). Arp2/3-mediated actin nucleation produces branched actin networks, whereas formins and tandem-G-actin–binding nucleators result in long, unbranched actin filaments (1–7). In muscle cells, the specific mechanisms for actin nucleation and maintenance in sarcomeres were poorly understood (8). Recent studies have uncovered actin nucleation activities of the nebulin–N-WASP complex (9) and of formin proteins FHOD3 (10–12), mDia2, DAAM, FMNL1, and FMNL2 (13, 14) in sarcomeres. In particular, leiomodin (Lmod) has been identified as a class of potent tandem-G-actin–binding nucleators in muscle cells (15, 16); Lmod1 is found in smooth muscle of many human tissues, and Lmod2 and Lmod3 are found in cardiac and skeletal muscle (17). Lmod2 knockdown severely compromises sarcomere organization and assembly in muscle cells (15), whereas mutations, deletions (18), or instability (19) in Lmod3 underlies severe, often lethal, human nemaline myopathy.Full-length human Lmod2 is predicted to have 547 residues with two regions of low sequence complexity, an acidic region between residues 97–138 and a polyproline (polyP) region between residues 421–448 (Fig. S1A). Probably because low-complexity regions tend to be intrinsically disordered, previous studies of human Lmod2 used a protein construct that deleted residues 99–130 in the acidic region and residues 421–440 in the polyP region, resulting in Lmod2_1–495 (15, 16). Another study on chicken Lmod2 removed 12 residues in the polyP region (20). In all cases, Lmod2 remained fully functional (15, 16, 20). Therefore, in the present study we focused on the human Lmod2_1–495 construct as previously used (Fig. S1A) (15, 16).Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Lmod sequences. (A) Sequence alignment of human Lmod2_1–547 and Lmod2_1–495. (B) Sequence alignment of human Tmod1 (hTmod1), human Lmod (hLmod), and mouse Lmod (mLmod) isoforms 1–3. The human Lmod2_1–495 sequence is at the top, and the residues that were tested by mutagenesis in this study are indicated by arrows.Human Lmod2_1–495 has three actin-binding sites (15). The first ∼340 residues are about 45% identical to the pointed-end capping protein tropomodulin 1 (Tmod1) (21) and contain a tropomyosin-binding helix (TM-h) and two actin-binding sites [an actin-binding helix (A-h) and a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain] (Fig. 1A and Figs. S1 and S2A). The C-terminal ∼150-residue extension of Lmod2 includes two predicted short helices (h1 and h2), a basic segment (B) harboring the nuclear localization sequence (16), and a Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein-homology 2 (W) domain (Fig. 1A and Figs. S1 and S2A). Thus, Lmod2 has the capacity to bind three actin subunits and one tropomyosin (15). Unexpectedly, tropomyosin promoted Lmod2-mediated actin nucleation only weakly (15). In sharp contrast, tropomyosin substantially enhanced the binding of Lmod2 to the pointed end of preformed actin filament for controlled elongation in cardiac muscle (16, 20). In the absence of high-resolution structures of the actin–Lmod complex, however, rationalization of these seemingly contradictory findings is difficult.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Structure of actin–Lmod2. (A) Domain organization of human Lmod2_1–495 and constructs used in this study. (B) Pyrene-based activity assay of Lmod2_1–495 and its various constructs. a.u., arbitrary units. (C) The crystal structure of actin–Lmod2_162–495(B-GS). All residues are visualized except an internal flexible region (residues 339–388) between LRR and polyP, the extreme four N-terminal residues (162–165), and five C-terminal residues (491–495). AMPPNP is shown as ball-and-stick models, and the Mg²⁺ ions are shown as purple spheres. (D) The modeled structure of actin–Lmod2_1–495 in which the actin(A-h)–A-h complex structure was borrowed from the Tmod1 structure (PDB ID code: 4PKG) and combined with our crystal structure of actin–Lmod2_162–495(B-GS). See also Movies S1–S3.Open in a separate windowFig. S2.Structure of actin–Lmod2_162–495(B-GS). (A) Comparison of domain organization of human Lmod2_1–495 and Tmod1. (B) The structure of actin–Lmod2_162–495(B-GS) as observed in the asymmetric unit. It contains two actin subunits (in green and cyan) bound with one Lmod2_162–495(B-GS) (in magenta) and one extra LRR domain from degradation (in yellow). (C) The modeled actin–Tmod1 structure is superimposed on subunits n+1 and n of the pointed end of the actin filament. (D) Superposition of our actin–Lmod2_162–495(B-GS) structure with the modeled actin–Tmod1 structure at the actin(LRR)–LRR. Lmod2 is shown in magenta, and the interacting actin(LRR) and actin(W) are in green and cyan, respectively. Tmod1 is in orange, and its interacting actin(A-h) and actin(LRR) are in blue and pink, respectively.Historically study of the crystallographic structure of the complexes of actin nucleators with oligomeric actin or of F-actin–binding proteins with F-actin was difficult because actin dimers and trimers are kinetically unstable, and actin tetramers rapidly polymerize into F-actin that is refractory to crystallization (22). Indeed, although Arp2/3 has been subjected to intensive structural studies (23–25), the crystal structure of the actin–Arp2/3 complex has eluded investigation so far. Before our study (26), the only available crystal structure of this kind was the yeast formin Bni1p FH2 domain that binds to two crystallographically related tetramethylrhodamine-modified actin (TMR–actin) subunits in a pseudo short-pitch fashion (27). However, the large size of TMR likely interferes with its interaction with actin and with actin function, thus limiting the use of TMR–actin in investigations of crystal structure.To enable crystallographic studies of biological actin complexes, our group recently has developed a double-mutant strategy in which actin-binding proteins and two types of nonpolymerizable actin mutants are combined to form stable complexes amenable to crystallization (26). This strategy made possible the rapid determination of the first two crystal structures of oligomeric actin with tandem-G-actin–binding nucleator complexes: a mammalian nucleator Cordon-bleu (Cobl) (26) and a bacterial effector Vibrio parahaemolyticus protein L (VopL) (28). Importantly, the observed non–filament-like conformation in actin–Cobl and the filament-like conformation in actin–VopL together suggest that both types of conformation are fully accessible to an actin complex obtained via the double-mutant strategy; thus the observed structure most likely reflects its native functional state.Here we report the crystal structure of the actin–Lmod2 nucleus and complementary functional studies. Our data not only unraveled the atomic mechanisms of Lmod’s essential functions in muscle cells but also suggested a previously unrecognized level of regulation in mammalian signal transduction mediated by certain tandem-G-actin–binding nucleators.     

Stochastic modeling reveals an evolutionary mechanism underlying elevated rates of childhood leukemia

Young children have higher rates of leukemia than young adults. This fact represents a fundamental conundrum, because hematopoietic cells in young children should have fewer mutations (including oncogenic ones) than such cells in adults. Here, we present the results of stochastic modeling of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) clonal dynamics, which demonstrated that early HSC pools were permissive to clonal evolution driven by drift. We show that drift-driven clonal expansions cooperate with faster HSC cycling in young children to produce conditions that are permissive for accumulation of multiple driver mutations in a single cell. Later in life, clonal evolution was suppressed by stabilizing selection in the larger young adult pools, and it was driven by positive selection at advanced ages in the presence of microenvironmental decline. Overall, our results indicate that leukemogenesis is driven by distinct evolutionary forces in children and adults.The incidence of leukemia, like most cancers in humans, increases exponentially with age. However, most types of leukemia have an early peak of incidence (at 0–7 y of age), which subsequently decreases before rising again later in life (Fig. S1). Cancer development is generally thought to result from a sequence of cancer driver mutations that promote selection for recipient cells by conferring a positive fitness advantage within competing stem cell (SC) and progenitor cell pools (1–4). The acquisition of oncogenic mutations is thus thought to be rate-limiting for cancer development, leading to increased cancer incidence with age. Within this paradigm, the higher incidence of leukemia in young children compared with young adults is puzzling, because younger tissues should have accumulated fewer mutations.Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Incidence of various types of human leukemia based on Surveillance, Epidemology, and End Results (SEER) database statistics (seer.cancer.gov). Incidence per 100,000 is shown. ALL, acute lymphocytic leukemia; AML, acute myeloid leukemia (all forms); AMoL, acute monocytic leukemia (a form of acute myeloid leukemia); CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia; CML, chronic myeloid leukemia.Evolution is driven by multiple forces, including mutation, selection, and drift. Although mutation is necessary for cancer development, a large body of evidence has accumulated indicating that the ability of oncogenic mutations to drive clonal evolution is not universal and depends on external factors (5–12). Carcinogenesis may therefore be driven or suppressed by non–cell-autonomous processes. One factor capable of limiting the ability of selection to influence population dynamics is drift. In evolutionary biology, the power of drift is known to be inversely related to population size (13). This relationship also holds true for mammalian tissues, as shown for intestinal SC pools, which are segregated into small groups within intestinal crypts (10, 14, 15). The number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) per individual has been reported to be conserved across mammals at 11,000–22,000 cells in adults (16, 17), with an initial pool size of ∼300 HSCs at birth (17) (Fig. S2A). Although higher estimates of the pool size exist (18), it is clear that during prenatal development, and perhaps the early postnatal period of life, the number of HSCs is substantially smaller than the number in the adult pool. Because HSCs have been shown to effectively represent one large competing population within the body (19), and with evidence from wild populations and intestinal SCs in mind, the small size of early childhood HSC pools led us to hypothesize that early somatic evolution in HSCs would be affected by drift. We analyzed the rates of somatic evolution by measuring maximal clonal expansions at different ages and show that drift, stabilizing selection, and positive selection have a differential impact on somatic evolution at different ages.Open in a separate windowFig. S2.Nonlinear changes in HSC dynamics and leukemia incidence with age. (A) Modeled changes in HSC pool size (red) and cell division frequency (blue) with age inferred using data from a combination of experimental and modeling studies (16, 17) (for HSC numbers) and data for the dynamics of telomere shortening in leukocytes with age (43) (for cell division rates). (B) Accumulation of neutral mutations in AML genomes with age revealed by whole-genome sequencing, as a proxy for mutation accumulation in HSC (47). (C) Accumulation of DNA methylation changes in hematopoietic cells with age (41). (D) Leukemia incidence with age in humans (seer.cancer.gov).     

Increasing aridity reduces soil microbial diversity and abundance in global drylands

Soil bacteria and fungi play key roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, yet our understanding of their responses to climate change lags significantly behind that of other organisms. This gap in our understanding is particularly true for drylands, which occupy ∼41% of Earth´s surface, because no global, systematic assessments of the joint diversity of soil bacteria and fungi have been conducted in these environments to date. Here we present results from a study conducted across 80 dryland sites from all continents, except Antarctica, to assess how changes in aridity affect the composition, abundance, and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi. The diversity and abundance of soil bacteria and fungi was reduced as aridity increased. These results were largely driven by the negative impacts of aridity on soil organic carbon content, which positively affected the abundance and diversity of both bacteria and fungi. Aridity promoted shifts in the composition of soil bacteria, with increases in the relative abundance of Chloroflexi and α-Proteobacteria and decreases in Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Contrary to what has been reported by previous continental and global-scale studies, soil pH was not a major driver of bacterial diversity, and fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota. Our results fill a critical gap in our understanding of soil microbial communities in terrestrial ecosystems. They suggest that changes in aridity, such as those predicted by climate-change models, may reduce microbial abundance and diversity, a response that will likely impact the provision of key ecosystem services by global drylands.Climate change is a major driver of biodiversity loss from local to global scales, in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (1, 2). Given the dependence of crucial ecosystem processes and services on biodiversity (3–5), climate-change-driven biodiversity losses will dramatically alter the functioning of natural ecosystems (4, 6). Key ecosystem processes—such as nutrient cycling, carbon (C) sequestration, and organic matter decomposition—depend on soil bacteria and fungi (7–9). However, we have limited knowledge of the role of climatic factors as drivers of their abundance and diversity at regional and global scales (10–12). This gap in our understanding is particularly true for drylands, areas with an aridity index (precipitation/potential evapotranspiration ratio) below 0.65 (13), which are among the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change (14). Drylands are expected to expand in global area by 11–23% by 2100 (15), experiencing increased aridity and reduced soil moisture (16). Land degradation and desertification already affect ∼250 million people in the developing world (17). Altered climate and the growth of human populations will almost inevitably exacerbate these problems in drylands (14, 17). Because the provisioning of ecosystem services essential for human development (e.g., soil fertility, food, and biomass production) heavily relies on the abundance, composition, and diversity of soil fungi and bacteria (18, 19), it is crucial to understand how changes in aridity affect soil microbial communities. Drylands, however, are poorly represented in global soil bacteria and fungi databases (10–12, 20), and no field study has simultaneously examined how the abundance, composition, and diversity of these organisms vary along aridity gradients in drylands worldwide.Here, we present a global field study conducted across 80 dryland sites from all continents, except Antarctica (Fig. S1), to assess how changes in aridity, as defined by the aridity index, affect the total abundance and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi and the relative abundance of major bacterial and fungal taxa. The studied ecosystems encompass a wide variety of the climatic, edaphic, and vegetation conditions found in drylands worldwide (Materials and Methods). We predict that increases in aridity should reduce the abundance and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi due to the negative relationships typically found between aridity and the availability of resources such as water and C (21), which largely drive soil microbial abundance and activity in drylands (22–24). To test this hypothesis, we characterized bacterial and fungal communities in the soil surface (top 7.5 cm) along natural aridity gradients by using Illumina Miseq profiling of ribosomal genes and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) markers, quantified bacterial and fungal abundances with quantitative PCR (qPCR), and gathered information on multiple biotic and abiotic factors known to influence soil microbes (Fig. S2).Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Location of the 80 sites used in this study. Some of them overlap and are thus indistinguishable. Exact locations and additional site characteristics are provided in figshare (DOI 10.6084/m9.figshare.1487693).Open in a separate windowFig. S2.A priori SEM used in this study. Spatial is a composite variable formed by latitude and longitude. MDR, mean diurnal temperature range (mean of monthly differences between maximum and minimum temperature). The numbers in the arrows denote example references used to support our predictions, which can be found in the reference list.     

Self-assembly of amphiphilic Janus dendrimers into uniform onion-like dendrimersomes with predictable size and number of bilayers

A constitutional isomeric library synthesized by a modular approach has been used to discover six amphiphilic Janus dendrimer primary structures, which self-assemble into uniform onion-like vesicles with predictable dimensions and number of internal bilayers. These vesicles, denoted onion-like dendrimersomes, are assembled by simple injection of a solution of Janus dendrimer in a water-miscible solvent into water or buffer. These dendrimersomes provide mimics of double-bilayer and multibilayer biological membranes with dimensions and number of bilayers predicted by the Janus compound concentration in water. The simple injection method of preparation is accessible without any special equipment, generating uniform vesicles, and thus provides a promising tool for fundamental studies as well as technological applications in nanomedicine and other fields.Most living organisms contain single-bilayer membranes composed of lipids, glycolipids, cholesterol, transmembrane proteins, and glycoproteins (1). Gram-negative bacteria (2, 3) and the cell nucleus (4), however, exhibit a strikingly special envelope that consists of a concentric double-bilayer membrane. More complex membranes are also encountered in cells and their various organelles, such as multivesicular structures of eukaryotic cells (5) and endosomes (6), and multibilayer structures of endoplasmic reticulum (7, 8), myelin (9, 10), and multilamellar bodies (11, 12). This diversity of biological membranes inspired corresponding biological mimics. Liposomes (Fig. 1) self-assembled from phospholipids are the first mimics of single-bilayer biological membranes (13–16), but they are polydisperse, unstable, and permeable (14). Stealth liposomes coassembled from phospholipids, cholesterol, and phospholipids conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol) exhibit improved stability, permeability, and mechanical properties (17–20). Polymersomes (21–24) assembled from amphiphilic block copolymers exhibit better mechanical properties and permeability, but are not always biocompatible and are polydisperse. Dendrimersomes (25–28) self-assembled from amphiphilic Janus dendrimers and minidendrimers (26–28) have also been elaborated to mimic single-bilayer biological membranes. Amphiphilic Janus dendrimers take advantage of multivalency both in their hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts (23, 29–32). Dendrimersomes are assembled by simple injection (33) of a solution of an amphiphilic Janus dendrimer (26) in a water-soluble solvent into water or buffer and produce uniform (34), impermeable, and stable vesicles with excellent mechanical properties. In addition, their size and properties can be predicted by their primary structure (27). Amphiphilic Janus glycodendrimers self-assemble into glycodendrimersomes that mimic the glycan ligands of biological membranes (35). They have been demonstrated to be bioactive toward biomedically relevant bacterial, plant, and human lectins, and could have numerous applications in nanomedicine (20).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Strategies for the preparation of single-bilayer vesicles and multibilayer onion-like vesicles.More complex and functional cell mimics such as multivesicular vesicles (36, 37) and multibilayer onion-like vesicles (38–40) have also been discovered. Multivesicular vesicles compartmentalize a larger vesicle (37) whereas multibilayer onion-like vesicles consist of concentric alternating bilayers (40). Currently multibilayer vesicles are obtained by very complex and time-consuming methods that do not control their size (39) and size distribution (40) in a precise way. Here we report the discovery of “single–single” (28) amphiphilic Janus dendrimer primary structures that self-assemble into uniform multibilayer onion-like dendrimersomes (Fig. 1) with predictable size and number of bilayers by simple injection of their solution into water or buffer.     

Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain

Some birds achieve primate-like levels of cognition, even though their brains tend to be much smaller in absolute size. This poses a fundamental problem in comparative and computational neuroscience, because small brains are expected to have a lower information-processing capacity. Using the isotropic fractionator to determine numbers of neurons in specific brain regions, here we show that the brains of parrots and songbirds contain on average twice as many neurons as primate brains of the same mass, indicating that avian brains have higher neuron packing densities than mammalian brains. Additionally, corvids and parrots have much higher proportions of brain neurons located in the pallial telencephalon compared with primates or other mammals and birds. Thus, large-brained parrots and corvids have forebrain neuron counts equal to or greater than primates with much larger brains. We suggest that the large numbers of neurons concentrated in high densities in the telencephalon substantially contribute to the neural basis of avian intelligence.Many birds have cognitive abilities that match or surpass those of mammals (1). Corvids and parrots appear to be cognitively superior to other birds, rivalling great apes in many psychological domains (1–3). They manufacture and use tools (4, 5), solve problems insightfully (6), make inferences about causal mechanisms (7), recognize themselves in a mirror (8), plan for future needs (9), and use their own experience to anticipate future behavior of conspecifics (10) or even humans (11), to mention just a few striking abilities. In addition, parrots and songbirds (including corvids) share with humans and a few other animal groups a rare capacity for vocal learning (12), and parrots can learn words and use them to communicate with humans (13).Superficially, the architecture of the avian brain appears very different from that of mammals, but recent work demonstrates that, despite a lack of layered neocortex, large areas of the avian forebrain are homologous to mammalian cortex (14–16), conform to the same organizational principles (15, 17, 18), and play similar roles in higher cognitive functions (14, 19), including executive control (20, 21). However, bird brains are small and the computational mechanisms enabling corvids and parrots to achieve ape-like intelligence with much smaller brains remain unclear. The notion that higher encephalization (relative brain size deviation from brain–body allometry) endows species with improved cognitive abilities has recently been challenged by data suggesting that intelligence instead depends on the absolute number of cerebral neurons and their connections (22–25). This is in line with recent findings that absolute rather than relative brain size is the best predictor of cognitive capacity (26–28). However, although corvids and parrots feature encephalization comparable to that of monkeys and apes, their absolute brain size remains small (29, 30). The largest average brain size in corvids and parrots does not exceed 15.4 g found in the common raven (29) and 24.7 g found in the hyacinth macaw (30), respectively. Do corvids and parrots provide a strong case for reviving encephalization as a valid measure of brain functional capacity? Not necessarily: it has recently been discovered that the relationship between brain mass and number of brain neurons differs starkly between mammalian clades (31). Avian brains seem to consist of small, tightly packed neurons, and it is thus possible that they can accommodate numbers of neurons that are comparable to those found in the much larger primate brains. However, to date, no quantitative data have been available to test this hypothesis.Here, we analyze how numbers of neurons compare across birds and mammals (32–39) of equivalent brain mass, and determine the cellular scaling rules for brains of songbirds and parrots. Using the isotropic fractionator (40), we estimated the total numbers of neuronal and nonneuronal cells in the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, diencephalon, tectum, and brainstem in a sample of 11 parrot species, 13 vocal learning songbird species (including 6 corvids), and 4 additional model species representing other avian clades (Figs. S1 and ​andS2).S2). Because most of the cited mammalian studies analyzed cellular composition of only three brain subdivisions, namely the pallium (referred to as the cerebral cortex in those papers), the cerebellum, and rest of brain, we divided the avian brain identically to ensure an accurate comparison of neuronal numbers, densities, and relative distribution of neurons in birds and mammals. Specifically, the avian pallium (comprising the hyperpallium, mesopallium, nidopallium, arcopallium, and hippocampus) was compared with its homolog—the mammalian pallium (comprising the neocortex, hippocampus, olfactory cortices such as piriform and entorhinal cortex, and pallial amygdala) (14–16, 41). The avian subpallium (formed by the striatum, pallidum, and septum), diencephalon, tectum, and brainstem were pooled and compared with the same regions of mammalian brains that are referred to as “the rest of brain.” The cerebellum is directly compared between the two clades. The results of our study reveal that avian brains contain many more pallial neurons than equivalently sized mammalian brains.Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Phylogenetic relationships among the 28 species examined. The tree was constructed using birdtree.org/; its topology follows recent studies (46–49). Note that songbirds and parrots are sister groups and together with the distantly related barn owl belong to the clade core landbirds (Telluraves); the pigeon represents the Columbea, a basal clade of the Neoaves; the red junglefowl represents the Galloanseres, a sister group of Neoaves and the most basal clade of Neognathae; and the emu represents Paleognathae (tinamous and flightless ostriches), the most basal clade of extant birds (48). Also note that all passerine birds examined were vocal learners belonging to the clade Oscines.Open in a separate windowFig. S2.Brain dissection and labeling of neurons and nonneuronal cells. (A and B) Brain of the raven before and after the dissection. (A) Ventral side of the brain showing approximate lines of dissection of the brainstem and tectum. (B) Brain dissected into parts used for isotropic fractionation. (C) NeuN-immunolabeled transverse section of the zebra finch brain depicting the line of dissection of the tectum from the rest of the mesencephalon. (D–F) Dissection of the telencephalon into pallium and subpallium. NeuN-immunolabeled transverse sections of the zebra finch brain at rostral (D), intermediate (E), and caudal (F) telencephalic levels. Lines of dissection follow the pallial-subpallial lamina and divide the telencephalon into pallium (dorsal part) and subpallium (ventral part). Coordinates anterior to the Y point are indicated in millimeters at Bottom Left (64). (G–I) High-power micrographs showing a sample of homogenate from the telencephalon of the Eurasian jay; dissociated nuclei stained with DAPI (G) and immunolabeled with NeuN antibody (H), dual-fluorescence merge image (I). Note that neurons are double-labeled, whereas the nonneuronal cells are devoid of anti-NeuN immunoreactivity. [Scale bars: 10 mm (A and B); 1 mm (C and F); 50 µm (I).]     

De novo production of the plant-derived alkaloid strictosidine in yeast

The monoterpene indole alkaloids are a large group of plant-derived specialized metabolites, many of which have valuable pharmaceutical or biological activity. There are ∼3,000 monoterpene indole alkaloids produced by thousands of plant species in numerous families. The diverse chemical structures found in this metabolite class originate from strictosidine, which is the last common biosynthetic intermediate for all monoterpene indole alkaloid enzymatic pathways. Reconstitution of biosynthetic pathways in a heterologous host is a promising strategy for rapid and inexpensive production of complex molecules that are found in plants. Here, we demonstrate how strictosidine can be produced de novo in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae host from 14 known monoterpene indole alkaloid pathway genes, along with an additional seven genes and three gene deletions that enhance secondary metabolism. This system provides an important resource for developing the production of more complex plant-derived alkaloids, engineering of nonnatural derivatives, identification of bottlenecks in monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis, and discovery of new pathway genes in a convenient yeast host.Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) are a diverse family of complex nitrogen-containing plant-derived metabolites (1, 2). This metabolite class is found in thousands of plant species from the Apocynaceae, Loganiaceae, Rubiaceae, Icacinaceae, Nyssaceae, and Alangiaceae plant families (2, 3). Many MIAs and MIA derivatives have medicinal properties; for example, vinblastine, vincristine, and vinflunine are approved anticancer therapeutics (4, 5). These structurally complex compounds can be difficult to chemically synthesize (6, 7). Consequently, industrial production relies on extraction from the plant, but these compounds are often produced in small quantities as complex mixtures, making isolation challenging, laborious, and expensive (8–10). Reconstitution of plant pathways in microbial hosts is proving to be a promising approach to access plant-derived compounds as evidenced by the successful production of terpenes, flavonoids, and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in microorganisms (11–19). Microbial hosts can also be used to construct hybrid biosynthetic pathways to generate modified natural products with potentially enhanced bioactivities (8, 20, 21). Across numerous plant species, strictosidine is believed to be the core scaffold from which all 3,000 known MIAs are derived (1, 2). Strictosidine undergoes a variety of redox reactions and rearrangements to form the thousands of compounds that comprise the MIA natural product family (Fig. 1) (1, 2). Due to the importance of strictosidine, the last common biosynthetic intermediate for all known MIAs, we chose to focus on heterologous production of this complex molecule (1). Therefore, strictosidine reconstitution represents the necessary first step for heterologous production of high-value MIAs.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Strictosidine, the central intermediate in monoterpene indole alkaloid (MIA) biosynthesis, undergoes a series of reactions to produce over 3,000 known MIAs such as vincristine, quinine, and strychnine.     

Dietary options and behavior suggested by plant biomarker evidence in an early human habitat

The availability of plants and freshwater shapes the diets and social behavior of chimpanzees, our closest living relative. However, limited evidence about the spatial relationships shared between ancestral human (hominin) remains, edible resources, refuge, and freshwater leaves the influence of local resources on our species’ evolution open to debate. Exceptionally well-preserved organic geochemical fossils—biomarkers—preserved in a soil horizon resolve different plant communities at meter scales across a contiguous 25,000 m² archaeological land surface at Olduvai Gorge from about 2 Ma. Biomarkers reveal hominins had access to aquatic plants and protective woods in a patchwork landscape, which included a spring-fed wetland near a woodland that both were surrounded by open grassland. Numerous cut-marked animal bones are located within the wooded area, and within meters of wetland vegetation delineated by biomarkers for ferns and sedges. Taken together, plant biomarkers, clustered bone debris, and hominin remains define a clear spatial pattern that places animal butchery amid the refuge of an isolated forest patch and near freshwater with diverse edible resources.Spatial patterns in archaeological remains provide a glimpse into the lives of our ancestors (1–5). Although many early hominin environments are interpreted as grassy or open woodlands (6–8), fossil bones and plant remains are rarely preserved together in the same settings. As a result, associated landscape reconstructions commonly lack coexisting fossil evidence for hominins and local-scale habitat (microhabitat) that defined the distribution of plant foods, refuge, and water (7). This problem is exacerbated by the discontinuous nature and low time resolution often available across ancient soil (paleosol) horizons, including hominin archaeological localities. One notable exception is well-time-correlated 1.8-million-y-old paleosol horizons exposed at Olduvai Gorge. Associated horizons contain exceptionally preserved plant biomarkers along with many artifacts and fossilized bones. Plant biomarkers, which previously revealed temporal patterns in vegetation and water (8), are well preserved in the paleosol horizon and document plant-type spatial distributions that provide an ecosystem context (9, 10) for resources that likely affected the diets and behavior of hominin inhabitants.Plant biomarkers are delivered by litter to soils and can distinguish plant functional type differences in standing biomass over scales of 1–1,000 m² (11). Trees, grasses, and other terrestrial plants produce leaf waxes that include long-chain n-alkanes such as hentriacontane (nC₃₁), whereas aquatic plants and phytoplankton produce midchain homologs (e.g., nC₂₃) (12, 13). The ratio of shorter- versus long-chain n-alkane abundances distinguish relative organic matter inputs from aquatic versus terrestrial plants to sediments (13):P_aq = (nC₂₃ + nC₂₅)/(nC₂₃ + nC₂₅ + nC₂₉ + nC₃₁).Sedges and ferns are prolific in many tropical ecosystems (14). These plants both have variable and therefore nondiagnostic n-alkane profiles. However, sedges produce distinctive phenolic compounds [e.g., 5-n-tricosylresorcinol (ⁿR₂₃)] and ferns produce distinctive midchain diols [e.g., 1,13-dotriacontanediol (C₃₂-diol)] (SI Discussion).Lignin monomers provide evidence for woody and nonwoody plants. This refractory biopolymer occurs in both leaves and wood, serves as a structural tissue, and accounts for up to half of the total organic carbon in modern vegetation (11). Lignin is composed of three phenolic monomer types that show distinctive distributions in woody and herbaceous plant tissues. Woody tissues from dicotyledonous trees and shrubs contain syringyl (S) and vanillyl (V) phenols (12), whereas cinnamyl (C) phenols are exclusively found in herbaceous tissues (12). The relative abundance of C versus V phenols (C/V) is widely used to distinguish between woody and herbaceous inputs to sedimentary and soil organic matter (15).Plant biomarker ¹³C/¹²C ratios (expressed as δ¹³C values) are sensitive indicators of community composition, ecosystem structure, and climate conditions (8). Most woody plants and forbs in eastern Africa use C₃ photosynthesis (6), whereas arid-adapted grasses use C₄ photosynthesis (8, 14). These two pathways discriminate differently against ¹³C during photosynthesis, resulting in characteristic δ¹³C values for leaf waxes derived from C₃ (about –36.0‰) and C₄ (–21.0‰) plants (16). Carbon isotopic abundances of phenolic monomers of lignin amplify the C₃–C₄ difference and range between ca. –34.0‰ (C₃) and –14.0‰ (C₄) in tropical ecosystems (15). Terrestrial C₃ plant δ¹³C values decrease with increased exposure to water, respired CO₂, and shade (8), with lowest values observed in moist regions with dense canopy (17). Although concentration and δ¹³C values of atmospheric CO₂ can affect C₃ plant δ¹³C values (17), this influence is not relevant to our work here, which focuses on a single time window (SI Discussion). The large differences in leaf-wax δ¹³C values between closed C₃ forest to open C₄ grassland are consistent with soil organic carbon isotope gradients across canopy-shaded ground surfaces (6) and serve as a quantitative proxy for woody cover (f_woody) in savannas (8).As is observed for nonhuman primates, hominin dietary choices were likely shaped by ecosystem characteristics over habitat scales of 1–1,000 m² (3–5). To evaluate plant distributions at this small spatial scale (9), we excavated 71 paleosol samples from close-correlated trenches across a ∼25,000-m² area that included FLK Zinjanthropus Level 22 (FLK Zinj) at Olduvai Gorge (Fig. 1). Recent excavations (18–21) at multiple trenches at four sites (FLK^NN, FLK^N, FLK, and FLK^S, Fig. 1D) exposed a traceable thin (5–50 cm), waxy green to olive-brown clay horizon developed by pedogenic alterations of playa lake margin alluvium (22). Weak stratification and irregular redox stains suggest initial soil development occurred during playa lake regression (18, 22), around 1.848 Ma (ref. 23 and SI Discussion). To date, craniodental remains from at least three hominin individuals (18–20), including preadolescent early Homo and Paranthropus boisei, were recovered from FLK Zinj. Fossils and artifacts embedded in the paleosol horizon often protrude into an overlying airfall tuff (18, 19), which suggests fossil remains were catastrophically buried in situ under volcanic ash. Rapid burial likely fostered the exceptional preservation of both macrofossils (10) and plant biomarkers across the FLK Zinj land surface.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Location and map of FLK Zinj paleosol excavations. (A and B) Location of FLK Zinj as referenced to reconstructed depositional environments at Olduvai Gorge during the early Pleistocene (18, 22) and the modern gorge walls. The perennial lake contained shallow saline–alkaline waters that frequently flooded the surrounding playa margin (i.e., floodplain) flats. (C) Outline of FLK Zinj paleosol excavation sites used for our spatial biomarker reconstructions. (D) Concentric (5 m) gridded distribution map of FLK Zinj paleosol excavations relative to previous archaeological trenches (18–21). Major aggregate complexes (FLK^NN, FLK^N, FLK, and FLK^S) are color-coded to show excavation-site associations.Plant biomarker signatures reveal distinct types of vegetation juxtaposed across the FLK Zinj land surface (Figs. 2–4 and Fig. S1). In the northwest, FLK^NN trenches show high nC₂₃ δ¹³C values (Fig. 2B) as well as high C/V and P_aq values (Figs. 3 and ​and4A).4A). They indicate floating or submerged aquatic plants (macrophytes) in standing freshwater (13), a finding that is consistent with nearby low-temperature freshwater carbonates (tufa), interpreted to be deposited from spring waters (22). Adjacent FLK^N trenches have lower P_aq values (Fig. 4A) with occurrences of fern-derived C₃₂-diol and sedge-derived ⁿR₂₃ (Fig. 2 C and D). These biomarker distributions indicate an abrupt (around 10 m) transition from aquatic to wetland vegetation. Less than 100 m away (Fig. 1C), low nC₃₁ δ¹³C values (Fig. 2A) and low C/V and very low P_aq values (Figs. 3 and ​and4A)4A) collectively indicate dense woody cover (Fig. 4B). In the farthest southeastern (FLK^S) trenches, high C/V values and high δ¹³C values for C lignin phenols (Fig. 3) indicate open C₄ grassland.Open in a separate windowFig. 2.Spatial distributions and δ¹³C values for plant biomarkers across FLK Zinj. Measured and modeled δ¹³C values (large and smaller circles, respectively) are shown for (A) nC₃₁ from terrestrial plants, (B) nC₂₃ from (semi)aquatic plants, (C) C₃₂-diol from ferns, and (D) ⁿR₂₃ from sedges (see refs. 12 and 13 and SI Discussion). Modeled values [inverse distance-weighted (9)] account for spatial autocorrelation (15-m radius) in standing biomass (35) over scales of soil organic matter accumulation (11). Black dots represent paleosols with insufficient plant biomarker concentrations for isotopic analysis.Open in a separate windowFig. 3.Molecular and isotopic signatures for lignin phenols across FLK Zinj. Bivariate plots are shown for diagnostic lignin compositional parameters (see refs. 12 and 15 and Fig. 1C). Symbols are colored according to respective δ¹³C values for the C lignin phenol, p-coumaric acid. FLK symbols are uncolored due to insufficient p-coumaric acid concentrations for isotopic analysis. Representative lignin compositional parameters (12, 15) are shown for monocotyledonous herbaceous tissues (G), dicotyledonous herbaceous tissues (H), cryptogams (N), and dicotyledonous woody tissues (W).Open in a separate windowFig. 4.Spatial relationships shared between local plant resources and hominin remains. Measured and modeled values (large and smaller circles, respectively) are shown for (A) P_aq (13) and (B) f_woody (8). Modeled values [inverse distance-weighted (9)] account for spatial autocorrelation (15-m radius) in standing biomass (35) over scales of soil organic matter accumulation (11). (C) Kernel density map of cut-marked bones (18–21) across the FLK Zinj land surface (Fig. S4). High estimator values indicate hotspots of hominin butchery (Fig. S5). A shaded rectangle captures the area (ca. 0.68 probability mass) with highest cut-marked bone densities and is shown in A and B for reference.Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Total ion chromatograms for saturated hydrocarbons in representative paleosols at (A) FLK^NN, (B) FLK^N, (C) FLK, and (D) FLK^S. C₂₃, tricosane; C₂₅, pentacosane; C₂₉ nonacosane; C₃₁, hentriacontane.Biomarkers define a heterogeneous landscape at Olduvai and suggest an influence of local resources on hominin diets and behavior. It is recognized (2, 24–26) that early Homo species and P. boisei had similar physiological characteristics. These similarities in physical attributes suggest behavioral differences were what allowed for overlapping ranges and local coexistence (sympatry) of both hominins. For instance, differences in seasonal subsistence strategies or different behavior during periods of drought and limited food could have reduced local hominin competition and fostered diversification via niche specialization (27–29).Physical and isotopic properties of fossil teeth indicate P. boisei was more water-dependent [low enamel δ¹⁸O values (24)] and consumed larger quantities of abrasive, ¹³C-enriched foodstuffs [flat-worn surfaces (25) and high enamel δ¹³C values (26)] than coexisting early Homo species. Although ¹³C-enriched enamel is commonly attributed to consumption of C₄ grasses or meat from grazers (14), this was not likely, because P. boisei craniodental features are inconsistent with contemporary gramnivores (24, 25) or extensive uncooked flesh mastication (26). Numerous scholars have proposed the nutritious underground storage organs (USOs) of C₄ sedges were a staple of hominin diets (14, 24, 26, 27). Consistent with this suggestion, occurrences of ⁿR₂₃ attest to the presence of sedges at FLK^NN and FLK^N (Fig. 2D). However, the low δ¹³C values measured for ⁿR₂₃ at these same sites (Fig. 2D and Fig. S2) indicate C₃ photosynthesis (12, 16), a trait common in modern sedges that grow in alkaline wetlands and lakes (30) (Fig. S3). Thus, biomarker signatures support the presence of C₃ sedges in the wetland area of FLK Zinj.Open in a separate windowFig. S2.Total ion chromatogram [TIC (A)] and selected ion chromatograms for derivatized 5-n-alkylresorcinols [m/z 268 (●)] and midchain diols [m/z 369 (○)] from a representative paleosol at FLK^N. Also shown are δ¹³C values for homologous (B) 5-n-alkylresorcinols and (C) midchain diols. C₃₂-diol, dotriacontanediol; ⁿR₂₃, tricosylresorcinol.Open in a separate windowFig. S3.Summary phyogenetic consensus tree of Cyperaceae (sedges) based on nucleotide (rcbL and ETS1f) sequence data (50–54, 95, 96). Important taxonomic distinctions discussed in SI Discussion, Fern Alkyldiols are shown explicitly. Triangle-enclosed digits represent the number of additional branches at different levels of taxonomic classification. CEFA, Cypereae Eleocharideae Fuireneae Abildgaardieae; CSD, Cariceae Scirpeae Dulichieae.Alternative foodstuffs with abrasive, ¹³C-enriched biomass include seedless vascular plants (cryptogams), such as ferns and lycophytes [e.g., quillworts (27, 30)]. Ferns are widely distributed throughout eastern Africa in moist and shaded microhabitats (31) and are often found near dependable sources of drinking water (32). Today, ferns serve as a dietary resource for humans and nonhuman primates alike (27), and fiddlehead consumption is consistent with the inferred digestive physiology [salivary proteins (33)] and the microwear on molars (34) of P. boisei in eastern Africa (25, 26). Ferns were present at FLK^N, based on measurements of C₃₂-diol (Fig. 2D). Further, the high δ¹³C values measured for these compounds are consistent with significant fern consumption by P. boisei at Olduvai Gorge.Ferns and grasses were not the only plant foods present during the time window documented by FLK Zinj. Further, the exclusive reliance on a couple of dietary resources was improbable for P. boisei, because its fossils occur in diverse localities (24–26). Aquatic plants are an additional candidate substrate, as evidenced by high P_aq values at FLK^NN and FLK^N (Fig. 4A). Floating and submerged plants proliferate in wetlands throughout eastern Africa today (13, 14), and many produce nutritious leaves and rootstock all year long (27, 28). Although C₄ photosynthesis is rare among modern macrophytes (30), they can assimilate bicarbonate under alkaline conditions, which results in C₄-like isotope signatures in their biomass (30). Their leaf waxes, such as nC₂₃ (13), are both present and carry ¹³C-enriched signatures at FLK^NN and FLK^N (Fig. 2B). It is also likely that aquatic macrophytes sustained invertebrates and fish with comparably ¹³C-enriched biomass, as they do in modern systems (14), and we suggest aquatic animal foods could have been important in P. boisei diets (27, 28).Biomarkers across the FLK Zinj soil horizon resolve clear patterns in the distribution of plants and water and suggest critical resources that shaped hominin existence at Olduvai Gorge. The behavioral implications of local conditions require understanding of regional climate and biogeography (3–5, 7), because hominin species likely had home ranges much larger than the extent of excavated sites at FLK Zinj. Lake sediments at Olduvai Gorge include numerous stacked tuffs with precise radiometric age constraints (23). These tephrostratigraphic correlations (21) tie the FLK Zinj landscape horizon to published records of plant biomarkers in lake sediments that record climate cycles and catchment-scale variations in ecology. Correlative lake sediment data indicate the wet and wooded microhabitats of FLK Zinj sat within a catchment dominated by arid C₄ grassland (8). Under similarly arid conditions today, only a small fraction of landscape area (ca. 0.05) occurs within 5 km of either forest or standing freshwater (35). Given a paucity of shaded refuge and potable water in the catchment, the concentration of hominin butchery debris (18–21) exclusively within the forest microhabitat and adjacent to a freshwater wetland (Fig. 4) is notable. We suggest the spatial patterns defined by both macro- and molecular fossils reflect hominins engaged in social transport of resources (1–5), such as bringing animal carcasses and freshwater-sourced foods from surrounding grassy or wetland habitats to a wooded patch that provided both physical protection and access to water.     

From the Cover: Amplifying the response of soft actuators by harnessing snap-through instabilities

Soft, inflatable segments are the active elements responsible for the actuation of soft machines and robots. Although current designs of fluidic actuators achieve motion with large amplitudes, they require large amounts of supplied volume, limiting their speed and compactness. To circumvent these limitations, here we embrace instabilities and show that they can be exploited to amplify the response of the system. By combining experimental and numerical tools we design and construct fluidic actuators in which snap-through instabilities are harnessed to generate large motion, high forces, and fast actuation at constant volume. Our study opens avenues for the design of the next generation of soft actuators and robots in which small amounts of volume are sufficient to achieve significant ranges of motion.The ability of elastomeric materials to undergo large deformation has recently enabled the design of actuators that are inexpensive, easy to fabricate, and only require a single source of pressure for their actuation, and still achieve complex motion (1–5). These unique characteristics have allowed for a variety of innovative applications in areas as diverse as medical devices (6, 7), search and rescue systems (8), and adaptive robots (9–11). However, existing fluidic soft actuators typically show a continuous, quasi-monotonic relation between input and output, so they rely on large amounts of fluid to generate large deformations or exert high forces.By contrast, it is well known that a variety of elastic instabilities can be triggered in elastomeric films, resulting in sudden and significant geometric changes (12, 13). Such instabilities have traditionally been avoided as they often represent mechanical failure. However, a new trend is emerging in which instabilities are harnessed to enable new functionalities. For example, it has been reported that buckling can be instrumental in the design of stretchable soft electronics (14, 15), and tunable metamaterials (16–18). Moreover, snap-through transitions have been shown to result in instantaneous giant voltage-triggered deformation (19, 20).Here, we introduce a class of soft actuators comprised of interconnected fluidic segments, and show that snap-through instabilities in these systems can be harnessed to instantaneously trigger large changes in internal pressure, extension, shape, and exerted force. By combining experiments and numerical tools, we developed an approach that enables the design of customizable fluidic actuators for which a small increment in supplied volume (input) is sufficient to trigger large deformations or high forces (output).Our work is inspired by the well-known two-balloon experiment, in which two identical balloons, inflated to different diameters, are connected to freely exchange air. Instead of the balloons becoming equal in size, for most cases the smaller balloon becomes even smaller and the balloon with the larger diameter further increases in volume (Movie S1). This unexpected behavior originates from the balloons’ nonlinear relation between pressure and volume, characterized by a pronounced pressure peak (21, 22). Interestingly, for certain combinations of interconnected balloons, such nonlinear response can result in snap-through instabilities at constant volume, which lead to significant and sudden changes of the membranes’ diameters (Figs. S1 and ​andS2).S2). It is straightforward to show analytically that these instabilities can be triggered only if the pressure–volume relation of at least one of the membranes is characterized by (i) a pronounced initial peak in pressure, (ii) subsequent softening, and (iii) a final steep increase in pressure (Analytical Exploration: Response of Interconnected Spherical Membranes Upon Inflation).Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Relation between the pressure and volume for three different hyperelastic spherical membranes upon inflation.Open in a separate windowFig. S2.Response of two interconnected spherical membranes upon inflation. The response of the individual membranes is shown in Fig. S1. The equilibrium states and their stability have been obtained numerically. The pressure–volume relation and the relation between the volume of the individual membranes are shown for systems comprising (A) membranes a and b, (B) membranes b and c, and (C) membranes a and c.     

Mutant cycle analysis with modified saxitoxins reveals specific interactions critical to attaining high-affinity inhibition of hNaV1.7

Improper function of voltage-gated sodium channels (Na_Vs), obligatory membrane proteins for bioelectrical signaling, has been linked to a number of human pathologies. Small-molecule agents that target Na_Vs hold considerable promise for treatment of chronic disease. Absent a comprehensive understanding of channel structure, the challenge of designing selective agents to modulate the activity of Na_V subtypes is formidable. We have endeavored to gain insight into the 3D architecture of the outer vestibule of Na_V through a systematic structure–activity relationship (SAR) study involving the bis-guanidinium toxin saxitoxin (STX), modified saxitoxins, and protein mutagenesis. Mutant cycle analysis has led to the identification of an acetylated variant of STX with unprecedented, low-nanomolar affinity for human Na_V1.7 (hNa_V1.7), a channel subtype that has been implicated in pain perception. A revised toxin-receptor binding model is presented, which is consistent with the large body of SAR data that we have obtained. This new model is expected to facilitate subsequent efforts to design isoform-selective Na_V inhibitors.Modulation of action potentials in electrically excitable cells is controlled by tight regulation of ion channel expression and distribution. Voltage-gated sodium ion channels (Na_Vs) constitute one such family of essential membrane proteins, encoded in 10 unique genes (Na_V1.1–Na_V1.9, Na_x) and further processed through RNA splicing, editing, and posttranslational modification. Sodium channels are comprised of a large (∼260 kDa) pore-forming α-subunit coexpressed with ancillary β-subunits. Misregulation and/or mutation of Na_Vs have been ascribed to a number of human diseases including neuropathic pain, epilepsy, and cardiac arrhythmias. A desire to understand the role of individual Na_V subtypes in normal and aberrant signaling motivates the development of small-molecule probes for regulating the function of specific channel isoforms (1–4).Nature has provided a collection of small-molecule toxins, including (+)-saxitoxin (STX, 1) and (−)-tetrodotoxin (TTX), which bind to a subset of mammalian Na_V isoforms with nanomolar affinity (5–7). Guanidinium toxins inhibit Na⁺ influx through Na_Vs by occluding the outer pore above the ion selectivity filter (site 1). This proposed mechanism for toxin block follows from a large body of electrophysiological and site-directed mutagenesis studies (Fig. 1A and refs. 8–10). The detailed view of toxin binding, however, is unsupported by structural biology, as no high-resolution structure of a eukaryotic Na_V has been solved to date (11–16). Na_V homology models, constructed based on X-ray analyses of prokaryotic Na⁺ and K⁺ voltage-gated channels, do not sufficiently account for experimental structure–activity relationship (SAR) data (6, 17–20), and the molecular details underlying distinct differences in toxin potencies toward individual Na_V subtypes remain undefined (5, 6, 21–23). The lack of structural information motivates a comprehensive, systematic study of toxin–protein interactions.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.(A) Schematic drawing of 1 bound in the Na_V outer pore as suggested by previous electrophysiology and mutagenesis experiments. Each of the four domains (I, orange; II, red; III, gray; and IV, teal) is represented by a separate panel. (B) Schematic representation of double-mutant cycle analysis and mathematical definition of coupling energy (ΔΔE_Ω). X¹ = IC₅₀(WT⋅STX)/IC₅₀(MutNa_V⋅STX), X² = IC₅₀(WT⋅MeSTX)/IC₅₀(MutNa_V⋅MeSTX), Y¹ = IC₅₀(MutNa_V⋅STX)/IC₅₀(MutNa_V⋅MeSTX), and Y² = IC₅₀(WT⋅STX)/IC₅₀(WT⋅MeSTX).Double-mutant cycle analysis has proven an invaluable experimental method for assessing protein–protein, protein–peptide, and protein–small-molecule interactions in the absence of crystallographic data (Fig. 1B and Fig. S1 and refs. 9, 10, and 24–31). Herein, we describe mutant cycle analysis with Na_Vs using STX and synthetically modified forms thereof. Our results are suggestive of a toxin–Na_V binding pose distinct from previously published views. Our studies have resulted in the identification of a natural variant of STX that is potent against the STX-resistant human Na_V1.7 isoform (hNa_V1.7). Structural insights gained from these studies provide a foundation for engineering guanidinium toxins with Na_V isoform selectivity.Open in a separate windowFig. S1.Mutant cycle analysis definition and examples. (A) Schematic of a single mutant cycle with mathematical expressions for coupling energy ΔΔE_Ω. R is the ideal gas constant and T is temperature. Each IC₅₀ is the half maximal inhibition concentration determined by whole-cell voltage-clamp electrophysiology. When the separation between IC₅₀ values for the reference compound and the modified compound is different with a mutant than with the WT protein, a nonzero value for ΔΔE_Ω is obtained (B), but when the separation is the same (C), ΔΔE_Ω is equal to 0. In B, the difference in the relative affinity of 1 and 4 with Y401A is smaller than the difference with the WT channel, indicating a positive coupling (ΔΔE_Ω > 0). In C, the relative affinities of 1 and 8 against WT rNa_V1.4 and Y401A are similar, and ΔΔE_Ω ∼0 kcal/mol.     

Solid-phase peptide synthesis and solid-phase fragment coupling mediated by isonitriles

The synthesis of polypeptides on solid phase via mediation by isonitriles is described. The acyl donor is a thioacid, which presumably reacts with the isonitrile to generate a thio-formimidate carboxylate mixed anhydride intermediate. Applications of this chemistry to reiterative solid-phase peptide synthesis as well as solid-phase fragment coupling are described.Amide bond formations are arguably among the most important constructions in organic chemistry (1, 2). The centrality of the amide linkage, as found in polypeptides and proteins, in the maintenance of life hardly needs restatement. Numerous strategies, resulting in a vast array of protocols to synthesize biologically active polypeptides and proteins, have been demonstrated (3, 4). Central to reiterative polypeptide bond formations was the discovery and remarkable development of solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) (5, 6). The extraordinary impact of SPPS in fostering enhanced access to homogeneous polypeptides is clear to everyone in the field.As we have described elsewhere, by classical, mechanistic reasoning, we were led to conjecture about some hitherto-unexplored possibilities relevant to the chemistry of isonitriles (7–14). It was anticipated that isonitriles might be able to mediate the acylation of amines, thus giving rise to amides (15). Early experiments focused on free carboxylic acids as the acylating agents. As our studies progressed, it was found that the combination of thioacids, amines, and isonitriles leads to the efficient formation of amide bonds under stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric conditions (7–13, 16, 17). Although there remain unresolved issues of detail and nuance, the governing mechanism for amide formation under these conditions involves reaction of the thioacid, 1, with an isonitrile, 2, to generate a thio-formimidate carboxylate mixed anhydride (thio-FCMA), 3, which is intercepted by the “acyl-accepting” amine to generate amide, 5, and thioformamide, 6 (Fig. 1). The efficiency of the amidation was further improved through the use of hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) (18), which could well give rise to HOBt ester 7, although this pathway has not been mechanistically proven.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Isonitrile-mediated amidation; structure of OT.The potentialities of the isonitrile-mediated amidation method were foreshadowed via its application to the synthesis of cyclosporine (19). The power of the method was particularly well demonstrated in the context of our recent total synthesis of oxytocin (OT) (20), wherein isonitrile mediation was used in each of the peptide bond constructions, leading to the synthesis of the hormone in high yield and excellent purity. This nonapeptide is involved in a range of biological functions including parturition and lactation (21, 22). Signaling of OT to its receptor (OTR) is apparently an important factor in quality maintenance of various CNS functions (23). The ability to synthesize such modestly sized, but bio-impactful peptides in both native (wild-type) form, and as strategically modified variants, is one of the current missions of our laboratory, with the objective of possible applications to the very serious problem of autism (24–26).