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Abstract
The commonalities and convergences shared in apicomplexans and dinoflagellates are continually becoming more andmore apparent, yet researchers across this myzozoan supergroup seldommeet at scientificmeetings. The Conference Jacques Monod meeting entitled `From Parasites to Plankton and Back: Comparative Biology and Ecology of Apicomplexans and Dinoflagellates' sought to change this. Held at the RoscoffMarine Station in France on September 5-9, 2022, researchers spanning organisms, disciplines, and perspectives met to immerse themselves in the latest developments and discoveries across the group. The outcome was an exciting and stimulating view of the synergies, revelations, and opportunities enabled by expanding one's view and network across this vast, spectacular and important biological group. In this TrendsTalk, the conference organizers and several young researchers present a synthesis of the key outcomes of this meeting of minds and biology.
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Abstract
Saturn's moon Enceladus has a potentially habitable subsurface water ocean that contains canonical building blocks of life (organic and inorganic carbon, ammonia, possibly hydrogen sulfide) and chemical energy (disequilibria for methanogenesis). However, its habitability could be strongly affected by the unknown availability of phosphorus (P). Here, we perform thermodynamic and kinetic modeling that simulates P geochemistry based on recent insights into the geochemistry of the ocean-seafloor system on Enceladus. We find that aqueous P should predominantly exist as orthophosphate (e.g., HPO42-), and total dissolved inorganic P could reach 10(-7) to 10(-2) mol/kg H2O, generally increasing with lower pH and higher dissolved CO2, but also depending upon dissolved ammonia and silica. Levels are much higher than <10210 mol/kg H2O from previous estimates and close to or higher than similar to 10(-6) mol/kg H2O in modern Earth seawater. The high P concentration is primarily ascribed to a high (bi)carbonate concentration, which decreases the concentrations of multivalent cations via carbonate mineral formation, allowing phosphate to accumulate. Kinetic modeling of phosphate mineral dissolution suggests that geologically rapid release of P from seafloor weathering of a chondritic rocky core could supply millimoles of total dissolved P per kilogram of H2O within 10(5) y, much less than the likely age of Enceladus's ocean (10(8) to 10(9) y). These results provide further evidence of habitable ocean conditions and show that any oceanic life would not be inhibited by low P availability.
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Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key chemical species that is found in a wide range of planetary atmospheres. In the context of exoplanets, CO2 is an indicator of the metal enrichment (that is, elements heavier than helium, also called 'metallicity')(1-3), and thus the formation processes of the primary atmospheres of hot gas giants(4-6). It is also one of the most promising species to detect in the secondary atmospheres of terrestrial exoplanets(7-9). Previous photometric measurements of transiting planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope have given hints of the presence of CO2, but have not yielded definitive detections owing to the lack of unambiguous spectroscopic identification(10-12). Here we present the detection of CO2 in the atmosphere of the gas giant exoplanet WASP-39b from transmission spectroscopy observations obtained with JWST as part of the Early Release Science programme(13,14). The data used in this study span 3.0-5.5micrometres in wavelength and show a prominent CO2 absorption feature at 4.3micrometres (26-sigma significance). The overall spectrum is well matched by one-dimensional, ten-times solar metallicity models that assume radiative-convective-thermochemical equilibrium and have moderate cloud opacity. These models predict that the atmosphere should have water, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide in addition to CO2, but little methane. Furthermore, we also tentatively detect a small absorption feature near 4.0micrometres that is not reproduced by these models.
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Abstract
Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu were collected and brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We investigated the macromolecular organic matter in Ryugu samples and found that it contains aromatic and aliphatic carbon, ketone, and carboxyl functional groups. The spectroscopic features of the organic matter are consistent with those in chemically primitive carbonaceous chondrite meteorites that experienced parent-body aqueous alteration (reactions with liquid water). The morphology of the organic carbon includes nanoglobules and diffuse carbon associated with phyllosilicate and carbonate minerals. Deuterium and/or nitrogen-15 enrichments indicate that the organic matter formed in a cold molecular cloud or the presolar nebula. The diversity of the organic matter indicates variable levels of aqueous alteration on Ryugu's parent body.
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Abstract
Characterizing compositional heterogeneity in Earth's lower mantle is critical to under-standing its dynamics. Three low-nitrogen diamonds from Koffiefontein (South Africa), con-taining inclusion assemblages of ferropericlase +/- orthopyroxene +/- magnesite, constrain dia-mond formation in an Mg-rich lower-mantle environment. Ferropericlase inclusions have Mg# 82.7-88.5 and orthopyroxene inclusions (retrogressed bridgmanite) have Mg# 95.0-95.1 and mantle-like delta 18O of +5.6 parts per thousand +/- 0.2 parts per thousand. Magnesite included in one diamond implicates carbonated fluids in diamond formation. High Mg# and low Ca, Al, and Na of the assemblage indicate a melt-depleted meta-harzburgitic environment, in contrast to more fertile compositions ex-pected for primitive lower mantle. Extremely low Ca in orthopyroxene inclusions may reflect a combination of melt depletion and low equilibration temperatures at the time of trapping. Inclusion compositions implicate subducted oceanic slab meta-harzburgite as the host for diamond growth. Mantle-like delta 18O of the orthopyroxene inclusions indicates unaltered oce-anic lithosphere. Similar melt-depleted characteristics in lower-mantle inclusion assemblages worldwide support that meta-harzburgite is the dominant host of lower-mantle diamonds.
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Abstract
At Stromboli Volcano, Italy, very long period (VLP) seismic signals and Strombolian eruptions have been attributed to the unsteady flow of gas slugs through the shallow plumbing system followed by explosive slug bursting at a free surface. In data from a 2018 seismo-acoustic deployment, similar to 92% of events in two main VLP multiplets do not coincide in time with impulsive infrasonic signals (the expected signal of explosive slug bursting); we term these "silent VLPs." The lack of infrasonically detected explosions relative to repeating VLPs does not support the commonly invoked "gas slug" model. We propose that VLPs may be generated when gas bubbles move into a weak semi-solid plug in the uppermost portion of the conduit. The plug then acts as a mechanical filter in which pathways vary and guide or trap ascending gas slugs, allowing for passive (silent) gas release and explosive escape mechanisms decoupled in time from VLPs.
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Abstract
The cellular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of nutrient exchange, immune response, and symbiont population growth in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis are poorly resolved. Here, we employed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to elucidate proteomic changes associated with symbiosis in Breviolum minutum, a native symbiont of the sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana ('Aiptasia'). We manipulated nutrients available to the algae in culture and to the holobiont in hospite (i.e., in symbiosis) and then monitored the impacts of our treatments on host-endosymbiont interactions. Both the symbiotic and nutritional states had significant impacts on the B. minutum proteome. B. minutum in hospite showed an increased abundance of proteins involved in phosphoinositol metabolism (e.g., glycerophosphoinositol permease 1 and phosphatidylinositol phosphatase) relative to the free-living alga, potentially reflecting inter-partner signalling that promotes the stability of the symbiosis. Proteins potentially involved in concentrating and fixing inorganic carbon (e.g., carbonic anhydrase, V-type ATPase) and in the assimilation of nitrogen (e.g., glutamine synthase) were more abundant in free-living B. minutum than in hospite, possibly due to host-facilitated access to inorganic carbon and nitrogen limitation by the host when in hospite. Photosystem proteins increased in abundance at high nutrient levels irrespective of the symbiotic state, as did proteins involved in antioxidant defences (e.g., superoxide dismutase, glutathione s-transferase). Proteins involved in iron metabolism were also affected by the nutritional state, with an increased iron demand and uptake under low nutrient treatments. These results detail the changes in symbiont physiology in response to the host microenvironment and nutrient availability and indicate potential symbiont-driven mechanisms that regulate the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis.
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Abstract
The mutualistic cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis underpins the evolutionary success of stony corals and the persistence of coral reefs. However, a molecular understanding of the signalling events that lead to the successful establishment and maintenance of this symbiosis remains unresolved. For example, the phosphatidylinositol (PI) signalling pathway has been implicated during the establishment of multiple mutualistic and parasitic interactions across the kingdoms of life, yet its role within the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis remains unexplored. Here, we aimed to confirm the presence and assess the specific enzymatic composition of the PI signalling pathway across cnidaria and dinoflagellates by compiling 21 symbiotic anthozoan (corals and sea anemones) and 28 symbiotic dinoflagellate (Symbiodiniaceae) transcriptomic and genomic datasets and querying genes related to this pathway. Presence or absence of PI-kinase and PI-phosphatase orthologs were also compared between a broad sampling of taxonomically related symbiotic and non-symbiotic species. Across the symbiotic anthozoans analysed, there was a complete and highly conserved PI pathway, analogous to the pathway found in model eukaryotes. The Symbiodiniaceae pathway showed similarities to its sister taxon, the Apicomplexa, with the absence of PI 4-phosphatases. However, conversely to Apicomplexa, there was also an expansion of homologs present in the PI5-phosphatase and PI5-kinase groups, with unique Symbiodiniaceae proteins identified that are unknown from non-symbiotic unicellular organisms. Additionally, we aimed to unravel the putative functionalities of the PI signalling pathway in this symbiosis by analysing phosphoinositide (PIP)-binding proteins. Analysis of phosphoinositide (PIP)-binding proteins showed that, on average, 2.23 and 1.29% of the total assemblies of anthozoan and Symbiodiniaceae, respectively, have the potential to bind to PIPs. Enrichment of Gene Ontology (GO) terms associated with predicted PIP-binding proteins within each taxon revealed a broad range of functions, including compelling links to processes putatively involved in symbiosis regulation. This analysis establishes a baseline for current understanding of the PI pathway across anthozoans and Symbiodiniaceae, and thus a framework to target future research.
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Abstract
Spatiotemporal patterns of phenology may be affected by mosaics of environmental and genetic variation. Environmental drivers may have temporally lagged impacts, but patterns and mechanisms remain poorly known. We combine multiple genomic, remotely sensed, and physically modeled datasets to determine the spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of canopy phenology in quaking aspen, a widespread clonal dioecious tree species with diploid and triploid cytotypes. We show that over 391km2 of southwestern Colorado: greenup date, greendown date, and growing season length vary by weeks and differ across sexes, cytotypes, and genotypes; phenology has high phenotypic plasticity and heritabilities of 31-61% (interquartile range); and snowmelt date, soil moisture, and air temperature predict phenology, at temporal lags of up to 3yr. Our study shows that lagged environmental effects are needed to explain phenological variation and that the effect of cytotype on phenology is obscured by its correlation with topography. Phenological patterns are consistent with responses to multiyear accumulation of carbon deficit or hydraulic damage.
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Abstract
We present the first high-resolution chemical abundances of seven stars in the recently discovered high-energy stream Typhon. Typhon stars have apocentres r greater than or similar to 100 kpc, making this the first detailed chemical picture of the Milky Way's very distant stellar halo. Though the sample size is limited, we find that Typhon's chemical abundances are more like a dwarf galaxy than a globular cluster, showing a metallicity dispersion and no presence of multiple stellar populations. Typhon stars display enhanced alpha-element abundances and increasing r-process abundances with increasing metallicity. The high-alpha abundances suggest a short star formation duration for Typhon, but this is at odds with expectations for the distant Milky Way halo and the presence of delayed r-process enrichment. If the progenitor of Typhon is indeed a new dwarf galaxy, possible scenarios explaining this apparent contradiction include a dynamical interaction that increases Typhon's orbital energy, a burst of enhanced late-time star formation that raises [alpha/Fe], and/or group pre-processing by another dwarf galaxy before infall into the Milky Way. Alternatively, Typhon could be the high-energy tail of a more massive disrupted dwarf galaxy that lost energy through dynamical friction. We cannot clearly identify a known low-energy progenitor of Typhon in the Milky Way, but 70 per cent of high-apocentre stars in cosmological simulations are from high-energy tails of large dwarf galaxies. Typhon's surprising combination of kinematics and chemistry thus underscores the need to fully characterize the dynamical history and detailed abundances of known substructures before identifying the origin of new substructures.
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