Reciprocal Actions of REST and a microRNA Promote Neuronal Activity

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Warm seawater temperature promotes substrate colonization by the blue coral, Heliopora coerulea

Background: Heliopora coerulea, the blue coral, is a reef building octocoral that is reported to have a higher optimum temperature for growth compared to most scleractinian corals. This octocoral has been observed to grow over both live and dead scleractinians and to dominate certain reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of H. coerulea to tolerate warmer seawater temperatures and to effectively compete for space on the substrate remain to be elucidated. Methods: In this study, we subjected H. coerulea colonies to various temperatures for up to 3 weeks. The growth and photosynthetic efficiency rates of the coral colonies were measured. We then conducted pairwise comparisons of gene expression among the different coral tissue regions to identify genes and pathways that are expressed under different temperature conditions. Results: A horizontal growth rate of 1.13 +/- 0.25 mm per week was observed for corals subjected to 28 or 31 degrees C. This growth rate was significantly higher compared to corals exposed at 26 degrees C. This new growth was characterized by the extension of whitish tissue at the edges of the colony and was enriched for a matrix metallopeptidase, a calcium and integrin binding protein, and other transcripts with unknown function. Tissues at the growth margin and the adjacent calcified encrusting region were enriched for transcripts related to proline and riboflavin metabolism, nitrogen utilization, and organic cation transport. The calcified digitate regions, on the other hand, were enriched for transcripts encoding proteins involved in cell-matrix adhesion, translation, receptor-mediated endocytosis, photosynthesis, and ion transport. Functions related to lipid biosynthesis, extracellular matrix formation, cell migration, and oxidation-reduction processes were enriched at the growth margin in corals subjected for 3 weeks to 28 or 31 degrees C relative to corals at 26 degrees C. In the digitate region of the coral, transcripts encoding proteins that protect against oxidative stress, modify cell membrane composition, and mediate intercellular signaling pathways were enriched after just 24 h of exposure to 31 degrees C compared to corals at 28 degrees C. The overall downregulation of gene expression observed after 3 weeks of sustained exposure to 31 degrees C is likely compensated by symbiont metabolism. Discussion: These findings reveal that the different regions of H. coerulea have variable gene expression profiles and responses to temperature variation. Under warmer conditions, the blue coral invests cellular resources toward extracellular matrix formation and cellular migration at the colony margins, which may promote rapid tissue growth and extension. This mechanism enables the coral to colonize adjacent reef substrates and successfully overgrow slower growing scleractinian corals that may already be more vulnerable to warming ocean waters

Evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons – Bridging the gap

The evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons is an enigmatic subject that inspires much debate. Non-bilaterian metazoans, both with and without neurons and their closest relatives already contain many components of the molecular toolkits for synapse functions. The origin of these components and their assembly into ancient synaptic signaling machineries are particularly important in light of recent findings on the phylogeny of non-bilaterian metazoans. The evolution of synapses and neurons are often discussed only from a metazoan perspective leaving a considerable gap in our understanding. By taking an integrative approach we highlight the need to consider different, but extremely relevant phyla and to include the closest unicellular relatives of metazoans, the ichthyosporeans, filastereans and choanoflagellates, to fully understand the evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons. This approach allows for a detailed understanding of when and how the first pre- and postsynaptic signaling machineries evolved

Influence of the Blue Coral Heliopora coerulea on Scleractinian Coral Larval Recruitment

The octocoral Heliopora coerulea has emerged as one of the most dominant reef-building corals in the Bolinao Reef Complex, northern Philippines. One of the possible mechanisms that may contribute to the success of H. coerulea over scleractinian corals is its ability to compete effectively for space on the reef by inhibiting the settlement of coral larvae in its immediate vicinity. To determine whether H. coerulea can indeed inhibit larval recruitment, settlement tiles were deployed inside H. coerulea aggregations or on hard substrate at a distance of about 2 to 3 meters away. After three months of deployment, only a single H. coerulea recruit was observed on tiles placed within aggregations whereas many different coral recruits were observed on tiles placed on substrate away from the blue coral. These results suggest that adult H. coerulea can inhibit the settlement of scleractinian larvae. This effect may be mediated by various mechanisms, such as the production of allelopathic compounds, deployment of mesenterial filaments, and sweeper tentacles. However, further studies are needed to determine the modes of competition that are used by the coral

Influence of the Blue Coral Heliopora coerulea

The octocoral Heliopora coerulea has emerged as one of the most dominant reef-building corals in the Bolinao Reef Complex, northern Philippines. One of the possible mechanisms that may contribute to the success of H. coerulea over scleractinian corals is its ability to compete effectively for space on the reef by inhibiting the settlement of coral larvae in its immediate vicinity. To determine whether H. coerulea can indeed inhibit larval recruitment, settlement tiles were deployed inside H. coerulea aggregations or on hard substrate at a distance of about 2 to 3 meters away. After three months of deployment, only a single H. coerulea recruit was observed on tiles placed within aggregations whereas many different coral recruits were observed on tiles placed on substrate away from the blue coral. These results suggest that adult H. coerulea can inhibit the settlement of scleractinian larvae. This effect may be mediated by various mechanisms, such as the production of allelopathic compounds, deployment of mesenterial filaments, and sweeper tentacles. However, further studies are needed to determine the modes of competition that are used by the coral

Evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons - Bridging the gap

The evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons is an enigmatic subject that inspires much debate. Non-bilaterian metazoans, both with and without neurons and their closest relatives already contain many components of the molecular toolkits for synapse functions. The origin of these components and their assembly into ancient synaptic signaling machineries are particularly important in light of recent findings on the phylogeny of non-bilaterian metazoans. The evolution of synapses and neurons are often discussed only from a metazoan perspective leaving a considerable gap in our understanding. By taking an integrative approach we highlight the need to consider different, but extremely relevant phyla and to include the closest unicellular relatives of metazoans, the ichthyosporeans, filastereans and choanoflagellates, to fully understand the evolutionary origin of synapses and neurons. This approach allows for a detailed understanding of when and how the first pre- and postsynaptic signaling machineries evolved

Transcriptome analysis of the reef-building octocoral, Heliopora coerulea

The blue coral, Heliopora coerulea, is a reef-building octocoral that prefers shallow water and exhibits optimal growth at a temperature close to that which causes bleaching in scleractinian corals. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying its biology and ecology, we generated a reference transcriptome for H. coerulea using next-generation sequencing. Metatranscriptome assembly yielded 90,817 sequences of which 71% (64,610) could be annotated by comparison to public databases. The assembly included transcript sequences from both the coral host and its symbionts, which are related to the thermotolerant C3-Gulf ITS2 type Symbiodinium. Analysis of the blue coral transcriptome revealed enrichment of genes involved in stress response, including heat-shock proteins and antioxidants, as well as genes participating in signal transduction and stimulus response. Furthermore, the blue coral possesses homologs of biomineralization genes found in other corals and may use a biomineralization strategy similar to that of scleractinians to build its massive aragonite skeleton. These findings thus offer insights into the ecology of H. coerulea and suggest gene networks that may govern its interactions with its environment

RESPOSTA PRODUTIVA DA CENOURA COM DIFERENTES NÍVEIS DE FERTILIZANTE DE LIBERAÇÃO CONTROLADA

O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a resposta produtiva da cenoura cultivar Nativa, quando cultivada com diferentes níveis de fertilizante de liberação controlada rico em fósforo. O ensaio foi implantado numa lavoura comercial no município de Imbuia – SC. A semeadura da cultivar Nativa foi realizada no dia 15 de março de 2024. O solo foi preparado em canteiros de 1,35 x 50m, totalizando 67,5m2. Foi testado o fertilizante de liberação controlada Phusion Power® (10% N, 50% P2O5, 0,10% B, 0,10% Cu, 0,30% Mn, 0,30% Zn), aplicado na base, no momento do preparo dos canteiros. Os tratamentos foram os seguintes: metade da dose recomendada (375 kg.ha-1), dose recomendada (750 kg.ha-1) e o dobro da dose recomendada (1.500 kg.ha-1). Em cobertura foi utilizado 300 kg.ha-1 da fórmula 14-00-15 em todos os canteiros. As avaliações foram realizadas no dia 13 de julho de 2024. Foram avaliadas quatro repetições com área de 2m2 por tratamento, com a contagem total das raízes com padrão comercial e posterior pesagem, para cálculo do rendimento em kg.ha-1. Quinze raízes de cada tratamento foram avaliadas em relação ao diâmetro (cm), comprimento (cm) e peso (g). Após a realização das avaliações os dados foram tabulados e as análises estatísticas realizadas com o programa SASM (Canteri et al, 2001). Quando as diferenças foram significativas aplicou-se o teste de Ducan 5%. Em relação ao rendimento de raízes comerciais por hectare a diferença entre as médias foi significativa, a aplicação de 1500 kg.ha-1 foi superior a dose de 750 kg.ha-1, com rendimentos de 76.250 e 60.000 kg.ha-1, respectivamente. A aplicação de 350 kg.ha-1 apresentou resultado importante, com o rendimento de 72.500 kg.ha-1. Os tratamentos não apresentaram efeitos significativos os parâmetros para comprimento, diâmetro e peso de raízes, que variaram de 19,1 a 20,4cm; de 15,6 a 16,1; de 243 a 249g; respectivamente

QR – FLOWER

No mundo atual a inclusão social e a acessibilidade são essenciais para o desenvolvimento humano. No entanto, as pessoas com deficiências ainda encontram muitos obstáculos no que se refere a verdadeira inclusão ou acessibilidade na sociedade. Normalmente percebe-se que o processo de inclusão é mais abordado e buscado no ambiente escolar. Contudo, outras estratégias também podem ser adotadas. Como exemplo, temos o paisagismo e a floricultura que podem ser ótimas ferramentas para a inclusão de deficientes visuais devido às suas texturas e aromas, porém não são muito utilizadas. Assim o objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a relação que as pessoas têm com as plantas ornamentais, buscando desenvolver uma ferramenta de acesso de deficientes visuais às plantas ornamentais. Como procedimento metodológico realizou-se uma entrevista por meio de um formulário do Google Forms com perguntas objetivas, sendo este disponibilizado para a comunidade em geral. Os resultados da entrevista indicaram que as pessoas não têm muito domínio sobre o assunto da pesquisa, visto que algumas não conseguiram responder todas as questões, mas ao mesmo tempo, muitos se viram interessados e curiosos, sendo que 71,6% dos pesquisados responderam que tem contato frequente com as plantas e que são consumidores. Porém, 37,7% dos entrevistados responderam que não conseguem ter muito contato com as plantas, por falta de espaço e tempo. Os entrevistados indicaram também que as plantas são ótimas aliadas para o processo de inclusão de deficientes visuais, tendo em conta as texturas e aromas encontrados nas plantas, podendo aguçar os outros sentidos. Embora o foco da pesquisa fosse a inclusão de deficientes visuais, somente 3,3% dos entrevistados declararam ter essa característica, indicando que normalmente as pessoas com deficiência visual têm dificuldade de acesso às redes sociais e à internet.  Com base nos resultados obtidos, verificou-se que a tecnologia pode ser uma aliada no processo de inclusão de deficientes visuais. Nesse sentido, concluiu-se que o uso dos QR-Codes seria uma opção interessante que poderia garantir o acesso de deficientes visuais a informações sobre características de plantas ornamentais. Assim, passou-se a desenvolver o QR – Flower, que é uma ferramenta que busca por meio do uso de QR-Code transmitir através de audiodescrição as características das plantas aos deficientes visuais. Estes QR-Codes estariam disponíveis em embalagens de plantas ornamentais nas floriculturas e também poderiam estar presentes em praças e parques e que quando utilizados dariam acesso aos usuários a um site contendo a audiodescrição das características da planta ornamental solicitada