Human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor: a multilineage hematopoietin

Human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was tested for its ability to induce colony formation in human bone marrow that had been enriched for progenitor cells. In addition to its expected granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating activity, the recombinant GM-CSF had burst-promoting activity for erythroid burst-forming units and also stimulated colonies derived from multipotent (mixed) progenitors. In contrast, recombinant erythroid-potentiating activity did not stimulate erythroid progenitors. The experiments prove that human GM-CSF has multilineage colony-stimulating activity.     

Independently evolved virulence effectors converge onto hubs in a plant immune system network

Plants generate effective responses to infection by recognizing both conserved and variable pathogen-encoded molecules. Pathogens deploy virulence effector proteins into host cells, where they interact physically with host proteins to modulate defense. We generated an interaction network of plant-pathogen effectors from two pathogens spanning the eukaryote-eubacteria divergence, three classes of Arabidopsis immune system proteins, and ~8000 other Arabidopsis proteins. We noted convergence of effectors onto highly interconnected host proteins and indirect, rather than direct, connections between effectors and plant immune receptors. We demonstrated plant immune system functions for 15 of 17 tested host proteins that interact with effectors from both pathogens. Thus, pathogens from different kingdoms deploy independently evolved virulence proteins that interact with a limited set of highly connected cellular hubs to facilitate their diverse life-cycle strategies.     

Condors in space: an individual-based population model for California condor reintroduction planning

Landscape Ecology - Existing demographic models of California condors have not simultaneously considered individual condor movement paths, the distribution and juxtaposition of release sites,...     

Long-distance dispersal of plants

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) of plants poses challenges to research because it involves rare events driven by complex and highly stochastic processes. The current surge of renewed interest in LDD, motivated by growing recognition of its critical importance for natural populations and communities and for humanity, promises an improved, quantitatively derived understanding of LDD. To gain deep insights into the patterns, mechanisms, causes, and consequences of LDD, we must look beyond the standard dispersal vectors and the mean trend of the distribution of dispersal distances. "Nonstandard" mechanisms such as extreme climatic events and generalized LDD vectors seem to hold the greatest explanatory power for the drastic deviations from the mean trend, deviations that make the nearly impossible LDD a reality.     

Migration,homing and spatial ecology of common carp in interconnected lakes

The common carp, Cyprinus carpio, is a large, long-lived, fecund and mobile cyprinid, which evolved in complex inter-braided Ponto-Caspian rivers that experience both springtime flooding and freezing winters. Studies suggest adults often move to productive, shallow lakes and floodplains to spawn because they often lack egg predators and then return to deeper normoxic waters to overwinter. Whether these movements involve individuals consistently selecting, or homing to, the same spawning and refuge lakes as part of a strategy benefiting their reproductive success is unknown. To address this question, we examined the movements of 67 radio-tagged adult carp for 3 years in a watershed with 11 interconnected lakes. Carp were tagged and released into a centrally located, normoxic deep lake in spring and fall. Each spring over 95% of its adults left via a single stream and swam into one of 5 shallow lakes, with most individuals (84%) selecting the same lake(s) in which to spawn each year (median Bhattacharyya affinity coefficient of similarity of 0.82). Young were later found in those lakes without egg predators, which cannot survive winter anoxia. After spawning, carp spent summers moving between productive lakes in an individualistic fashion, presumably foraging, with most (89%) eventually returning to the same deep lake to overwinter (median Bhattacharyya affinity of 1.0). These movements appear to reveal a life-history tactic involving seasonal homing migration, first to a spawning location and later to winter refuges, that is well adapted to productive but highly heterogeneous and interconnected freshwater environments.