Strong Selection Research Articles

Blood Vessels

Abstract: One of the primary target tissues for inflammatory and allergy mediators is the blood vessel, and cytokines have a variety of impacts on it. We describe the usefulness of isolated blood vessels immersed in organ baths as a valuable source of pharmacological data. Contractility assays provide strong potency and selectivity data on agonists, partial agonists, and competitive or noncompetitive antagonists; however, their use in the bioassay of vasoactive drugs is gradually being replaced by more advanced analytical techniques. The human umbilical vein, for instance, has been widely utilized to identify bradykinin B2 receptor ligands. Isolated segments of vascular tissue are highly reactive living tissues, particularly in terms of regulating gene products associated with inflammation (e.g., kinin B1 receptor). The venule’s extremely thin walls have the potential to burst due to their high volume. Venules allow blood to move into larger veins. Both veins and arteries have three layers in their walls. On the other hand, venous pressure is modest. Veins are less elastic and have thin walls, allowing them to maintain a high blood circulation rate. The venous system’s high capacitance enables it to store a significant amount of blood at comparatively low pressures, containing around 75% of the circulating blood at any given time. The veins’ one-way valves permit blood to move forward toward the heart through muscle contractions.

Development and characterization of a portable electrochemical aptasensor for IsdA protein and Staphylococcus aureus detection.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is recognized as one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis worldwide. This pathogen is a major foodborne pathogen that can cause many different types of various infections, from minor skin infections to lethal blood infectious diseases. Iron-regulated surface determinant protein A (IsdA) is an important protein on the S. aureus surface. It is responsible for iron scavenging via interaction with hemoglobin, haptoglobin, and hemoglobin-haptoglobin complexes. This study develops a portable aptasensor for IsdA and S. aureus detection using aptamer-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) integrated into screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). The electrode system was made of three parts, including a carbon counter electrode, an AuNPs/carbon working electrode, and a silver reference electrode. The aptamer by Au-S bonding was conjugated on the electrode surface to create the aptasensor platform. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized to investigate the binding interactions between the aptasensor and the IsdA protein. CV studies showed a linear correlation between varying S. aureus concentrations within the range of 101 to 106CFU/mL, resulting in a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.2CFU/mL. The results demonstrated strong reproducibility, selectivity, and sensitivity of the aptasensor for enhanced detection of IsdA, along with about 93% performance stability after 30days. The capability of the aptasensor to directly detect S. aureus via the IsdA surface protein binding was further investigated in a food matrix. Overall, the aptasensor device showed the potential for rapid detection of S. aureus, serving as a robust approach to developing real-time aptasensors to identify an extensive range of targets of foodborne pathogens and beyond.

Exploring Feature Selection and Classification Techniques to Improve the Performance of an Electroencephalography-Based Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface System.

The accuracy of classifying motor imagery (MI) activities is a significant challenge when using brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). BCIs allow people with motor impairments to control external devices directly with their brains using electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns that translate brain activity into control signals. Many researchers have been working to develop MI-based BCI recognition systems using various time-frequency feature extraction and classification approaches. However, the existing systems still face challenges in achieving satisfactory performance due to large amount of non-discriminative and ineffective features. To get around these problems, we suggested a multiband decomposition-based feature extraction and classification method that works well, along with a strong feature selection method for MI tasks. Our method starts by splitting the preprocessed EEG signal into four sub-bands. In each sub-band, we then used a common spatial pattern (CSP) technique to pull out narrowband-oriented useful features, which gives us a high-dimensional feature vector. Subsequently, we utilized an effective feature selection method, Relief-F, which reduces the dimensionality of the final features. Finally, incorporating advanced classification techniques, we classified the final reduced feature vector. To evaluate the proposed model, we used the three different EEG-based MI benchmark datasets, and our proposed model achieved better performance accuracy than existing systems. Our model's strong points include its ability to effectively reduce feature dimensionality and improve classification accuracy through advanced feature extraction and selection methods.

Genome-wide identification of the HSP70 genes in Pacific oyster Magallana gigas and their response to heat stress.

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), the most prominent and well-characterized stress protein in animals, plays an important role in assisting animals in responding to various adverse conditions. In the present study, a total of 113 HSP70 gene family members were identified in the updated genome of Magallana gigas (designated MgHSP70) (previously known as Crassostrea gigas). There were 75, 12, 11, and 8 HSP70s located in the cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum, respectively, and 7 HSP70s were located in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Among 113 MgHSP70 genes, 107 were unevenly distributed in 8chromosomes of M. gigas with the greatest number in chromosome 07 (61 genes, 57.01%). The MgHSP70 gene family members were mainly assigned intofive clusters, among which the HSPa12 subfamily underwent lineage-specific expansion, consisting of 89 members. A total of 68 MgHSP70 genes (60.18%) were tandemly duplicated and formed 30 gene pairs, among which 14 gene pairs were under strong positive selection. In general, the expression of MgHSP70s was tissue-specific, with the highest expression in labial palp and gilland the lowest expression in adductor muscle and hemocytes. There were 35, 31, and 47 significantly upregulated genes at 6, 12, and 24h after heat shock treatment (28°C), respectively. The expression patterns of different tandemly duplicated genes exhibited distinct characteristics aftershock treatment, indicating that these genes may have different functions. Nevertheless, genes within the same tandemly duplicated group exhibit similar expression patterns. Most of the tandemly duplicated HSP70 gene pairs showed the highest expression levels at 24h. This study provides a comprehensive description of the MgHSP70 gene family in M. gigas and offers valuable insights into the functions of HSP70 in the mollusc adaptation of oysters to environmental stress.

Sexual selection and life history interact to influence the evolution of paternal care.

Parental care is essential to offspring survival in many species. Understanding why males of some species provide care, whereas others do not, has received substantial attention. Previous research has found that sexual selection can favor paternal care, yet we still do not fully understand why sexual selection favors male care in some species but not others. It is also unclear when paternal care versus other preferred male trait(s) will be favored by sexual selection. We hypothesize that sexual selection can interact with basic life history to influence the conditions under which paternal care and/or another preferred male trait will be favored by sexual selection. We used a mathematical approach in which males alone provide parental care and exhibit a non-care trait that is preferred in mate choice. Using this approach, we demonstrate that life-history characteristics (stage-specific mortality, fertilization success, gamete numbers) can interact with sexual selection to influence the evolution of paternal care and/or a preferred non-care trait. In particular, whether (1) adult mortality, egg mortality, and fertilization success are high versus low and (2) a tradeoff exists between paternal care and a non-care preferred trait will influence whether selection most strongly favors additional paternal care or a non-care preferred trait. In general, we would expect strong selection for more male care when it is preferred in mate choice. In some cases, mate preferences for paternal care can inhibit selection for a preferred non-care trait. Mate preferences for paternal care can also broaden the life-history conditions under which we would expect the elaboration of male care to occur.

Fixation of cooperation in evolutionary games with environmental feedbacks

The interaction between strategy and environment widely exists in nature and society. Traditionally, evolutionary dynamics in finite populations are described by the Moran process, where the environment is constant. Therefore, we model the Moran process with environmental feedbacks. Our results show that the selection intensity, which is closely related to the population size, exerts varying influences on evolutionary dynamics. In the case of the specific payoff matrix, cooperation cannot be favored by selection in extremely small-sized populations. The medium-sized populations are beneficial for the evolution of cooperation under intermediate selection intensities. For weak or strong selection intensities, the larger the population size, the more favorable it is for the evolution of cooperation. In the case of the generalized payoff matrix, the low incentives for the defector to cooperate in the degraded state cannot promote the emergence of cooperation. As the incentive for the defector to cooperate in the degraded state increases, selection favors cooperation or defection depending on the population size and selection intensity. For large values of the incentive for the defector facing the cooperative opponent to cooperate in the degraded state, selection always favors cooperation. We further investigate the impact of the time-scale on the fixation probability of cooperation.

Fast and Accurate Estimation of Selection Coefficients and Allele Histories from Ancient and Modern DNA.

We here present CLUES2, a full-likelihood method to infer natural selection from sequence data that is an extension of the method CLUES. We make several substantial improvements to the CLUES method that greatly increases both its applicability and its speed. We add the ability to use ancestral recombination graphs on ancient data as emissions to the underlying hidden Markov model, which enables CLUES2 to use both temporal and linkage information to make estimates of selection coefficients. We also fully implement the ability to estimate distinct selection coefficients in different epochs, which allows for the analysis of changes in selective pressures through time, as well as selection with dominance. In addition, we greatly increase the computational efficiency of CLUES2 over CLUES using several approximations to the forward-backward algorithms and develop a new way to reconstruct historic allele frequencies by integrating over the uncertainty in the estimation of the selection coefficients. We illustrate the accuracy of CLUES2 through extensive simulations and validate the importance sampling framework for integrating over the uncertainty in the inference of gene trees. We also show that CLUES2 is well-calibrated by showing that under the null hypothesis, the distribution of log-likelihood ratios follows a χ2 distribution with the appropriate degrees of freedom. We run CLUES2 on a set of recently published ancient human data from Western Eurasia and test for evidence of changing selection coefficients through time. We find significant evidence of changing selective pressures in several genes correlated with the introduction of agriculture to Europe and the ensuing dietary and demographic shifts of that time. In particular, our analysis supports previous hypotheses of strong selection on lactase persistence during periods of ancient famines and attenuated selection in more modern periods.

Maternal age enhances purifying selection on pathogenic mutations in complex I genes of mammalian mtDNA.

Mitochondrial diseases, caused mainly by pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, pose major challenges due to the lack of effective treatments. Investigating the patterns of maternal transmission of mitochondrial diseases could pave the way for preventive approaches. In this study, we used DddA-derived cytosine base editors (DdCBEs) to generate two mouse models, each haboring a single pathogenic mutation in complex I genes (ND1 and ND5), replicating those found in human patients. Our findings revealed that both mutations are under strong purifying selection during maternal transmission and occur predominantly during postnatal oocyte maturation, with increased protein synthesis playing a vital role. Interestingly, we discovered that maternal age intensifies the purifying selection, suggesting that older maternal age may offer a protective effect against the transmission of deleterious mtDNA mutations, contradicting the conventional notion that maternal age correlates with increased transmitted mtDNA mutations. As collecting comprehensive clinical data is needed to understand the relationship between maternal age and transmission patterns in humans, our findings may have profound implications for reproductive counseling of mitochondrial diseases, especially those involving complex I gene mutations.

Cerium-based sorbent with 100% Ce(III) and high dispersion for enhanced phosphate removal from wastewater

Under the double pressure of eutrophication and phosphorus deficiency, there is an urgent need to remove excess phosphate from wastewater efficiently. Preparing cerium-based materials with excellent application potential inevitably leads to Ce(III) oxidation to Ce(IV), which reduces the phosphate adsorption effect and restricts its development. To solve this problem, we introduced a protective agent and successfully synthesised cerium-modified activated carbon sorbent containing 100 % Ce(III) during the synthesis process. Compared with CeAC without a protecting agent, CeAC-A contained more Ce(III) (100 %) and exchange groups (–OH accounted for 82.76 %), achieving an adsorption capacity of up to 448.57 mg-P/g Ce, improving of 4.3 times. At the same time, the size of the cerium active component was reduced from the micron level to the nanometer level, and the mass transfer rate was significantly improved. In addition, with the enormous specific surface area and well-developed pore structure of activated carbon, it showed high dispersibility, with P/Ce molar ratio as high as 2.03, which is 1.1–4.8 times higher than other cerium-based adsorbents. Phosphate was removed primarily through electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange. In treating municipal wastewater with complex water quality, CeAC-A showed strong selectivity, a wide range of adaptability and easy repeat regeneration, making it a promising adsorbent for phosphate uptake from wastewater.

A Novel NIR Fluorescent Probe for Rapid Response to Hydrogen Sulfide.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as an important small molecule bioregulator, plays a key role in many physiological activities and signaling, and abnormal fluctuations in H2S concentration can lead to a variety of diseases. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a near-infrared fluorescence probe to visualize fluctuations in H2S levels. This work is based on Sulfur-substituted dicyanomethylene-4H-chromene (DCM), A novel NIR fluorescent probe (E) -3 - (2 - (4 - (dicyanomethylene) -6-methyl-4H-Thiochromen-2-yl)vinyl-1-methylquinolin-1-ium (DMT) was synthesized successfully. Research has found that in weakly alkaline environments, the probe DMT reacts rapidly with H2S (only 10s), the fluorescence intensity at 684nm is enhanced by about 60 fold, the detection limit is as low as 0.1623 µM, the Stokes shift is large (94nm), and strong selectivity as well as anti-interference ability towards H2S. This will provide a new method for the rapid detection and further application of H2S.

The evolutionary fate of Neanderthal DNA in 30,780 admixed genomes with recent African-like ancestry.

Following introgression, Neanderthal DNA was initially purged from non-African genomes, but the evolutionary fate of remaining introgressed DNA has not been explored yet. To fill this gap, we analyzed 30,780 admixed genomes with African-like ancestry from the All of Us research program, in which Neanderthal alleles encountered novel genetic backgrounds during the last 15 generations. Observed amounts of Neanderthal DNA approximately match expectations based on ancestry proportions, suggesting neutral evolution. Nevertheless, we identified genomic regions that have significantly less or more Neanderthal ancestry than expected and are associated with spermatogenesis, innate immunity, and other biological processes. We also identified three novel introgression desert-like regions in recently admixed genomes, whose genetic features are compatible with hybrid incompatibilities and intrinsic negative selection. Overall, we find that much of the remaining Neanderthal DNA in human genomes is not under strong selection, and complex evolutionary dynamics have shaped introgression landscapes in our species.

Threatened stick-nest rats preferentially eat invasive boxthorn rather than native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island

Context The incorporation of invasive plants into novel ecosystems often has negative effects, but it can also sometimes enhance ecosystem function. The threatened native rodent species Leporillus conditor (greater stick-nest rat) is extinct on the Australian mainland and now lives primarily on small islands off the coast of southern Australia. Many of these are degraded novel ecosystems invaded by African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum), a weed of national significance. However, L. conditor does not appear to be negatively affected by the presence of boxthorn, raising the question of how the two species co-exist. Aims To understand how L. conditor uses African boxthorn, we evaluated dietary composition of L. conditor on parts of Reevesby Island by comparing consumption of invasive boxthorn with that of native vegetation. Methods We identified three key vegetation types on the centre of the island and used point-intercept vegetation surveys to estimate relative availability of plant species in each. We then used micro-histological faecal analysis to estimate the proportions of each species in the diet of L. conditor, and quantified plant species selection by using selection ratios (use/availability). Key results Qualitative evidence of L. conditor activity suggested that it was mostly confined to vegetation with greater abundance of boxthorn than the other vegetation types (13.5%, compared with 5.7% total sampled vegetation). Furthermore, 51.7% of the faecal plant content and 11.8% of total sampled vegetation was African boxthorn, resulting in a selection ration for boxthorn of 4.4. Native species that appeared to be favoured food sources of L. conditor included Olearia axillaris, Myoporum insulare and Enchylaena tomentosa. Conclusions Stick-nest rats of Reevesby Island demonstrate a clear selection for African boxthorn, both in terms of diet (tested quantitatively) and nesting (from previous research and our field observations). Implications The strong selection of stick-nest rats for a declared noxious weed as its main food source and persistence of stick-nest rats on Reevesby Island require consideration with regards to vegetation management on islands where L. conditor occurs. More broadly, it highlights that some elements of novel ecosystems may have unexpected positive impacts on parts of original ecosystems.

Unique myoglobin adaptation to endothermy and flight since the origin of birds.

Myoglobin (Mb) mediates oxygen diffusion and storage in muscle tissue and thus is important for the energy utilization and activity of animals. Birds generally have a high body temperature, and most species also possess the capability of powered flight. Both of these require high levels of aerobic metabolism. Within endothermic mammals, bats also independently evolved flight. Although the functional evolution of myoglobins in deep-diving amniote vertebrates has been well-studied, the functional evolution of myoglobin since the origins of both birds and bats is unclear. Here, with Mb-coding sequences from >200 extant amniote species, we reconstructed ancestral sequences to estimate the functional properties of myoglobin through amniote evolution. A dramatic change in net surface charge on myoglobin occurred during the origin of Aves, which might have been driven by positively selected amino acid substitutions that occurred on the lineage leading to all birds. However, in bats, no change in net surface charge occurred and instead, the Mb genes show evidence of strong purifying selection. The increased net surface charge on bird myoglobins implies an adaptation to flight-related endothermic and higher body temperatures, possibly by reducing harmful protein aggregations. Different from the findings of net surface charge, myoglobins of extant birds show lower stability compared with other amniotes, which probably accelerates the rate of oxygen utilization in muscles. In bats and other mammals, higher stability of Mb may be an alternative pathway for adaptation to endothermy, indicating divergent evolution of myoglobin in birds and bats.

Eye size does not change with artificial selection on relative telencephalon size in guppies (Poecilia reticulata).

Variation in eye size is sometimes closely associated with brain morphology. Visual information, detected by the retina, is transferred to the optic tectum to coordinate eye and body movements towards stimuli, and thereafter distributed into other brain regions for further processing. The telencephalon is an important visual processing region in many vertebrate species and a highly developed region in visually dependent species. Yet, the existence of a coevolutionary relationship between telencephalon size and eye size remains relatively unknown. Here, we use male and female guppies artificially selected for small- and large-relative-telencephalon-size to test if artificial selection on telencephalon size results in changes in eye size. In addition, we performed an optomotor test as a proxy for visual acuity. We found no evidence that eye size changes with artificial selection on telencephalon size. Eye size was similar in both absolute and relative terms between the two selection regimes, but was larger in females. This is most likely because of the larger body size in females, but it could also reflect their greater need for visual capacity due to sex-specific differences in foraging and mating behaviour. Although the optomotor response was stronger in guppies with a larger telencephalon, we found no evidence for differences in visual acuity between the selection regimes. Our study suggests that eye size and visual perception in guppies does not change rapidly with strong artificial selection on telencephalon size.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Sucrose Metabolism Genes Involved in Actinidia rufa and Their Expression Profiling during the Fruit Developmental Stages

Soluble sugars, as an indispensable source of energy, play crucial roles in plant growth and development. However, to date, scant information about the sucrose metabolism-related gene families is available in kiwifruit (Actinidia rufa Planch). Here, we systematically identified the members of various gene families encoding crucial enzymes or transporters involved in sucrose metabolism, re-analyzed their expression patterns under different fruit development stages, and determined the regulatory mechanism involving key transcription factors. A total of sixty-two genes from six gene families (thirty-one ArINVs, two ArSPPs, four ArSPSs, nine ArSUSs, six ArSUCs/SUTs, and ten ArSWEETs) were identified in the A. rufa genome. The characterization of these members, including gene structure, motifs, conserved domains, and cis-acting elements, were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these gene families could be categorized into six distinct subgroups. These six gene families have undergone strong purifying selection during domestication. In addition, expression analysis of the 62 genes indicated that differential expression patterns are highly regulated by developmental processes. Specifically, we identified 11 transcription factors that were rigorously correlated (r > 0.98) with key gene expression profiles. This represents a comprehensive analysis of the genes involved in sucrose metabolism in kiwifruit, which provides useful information for further functional analysis of these genes.

Real-time cationic sensing using plasmonic fiber optic sensor based phosphoryl-carrageenan

We report Fiber Optic-Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (FO-LSPR) spectroscopy sensors comprising a coating of spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in phosphoryl-carrageenan. This is a novel report on modified carrageenan namely phosphoryl-carrageenan as sensing materials for cations specifically ammonium ions (NH4+). The morphology of carrageenan and phosphoryl-carrageenan coatings on the fiber optic probe was uneven and wavelike topography, indicating the successful coating on the fiber optic probe surface. The FO-LSPR showed a distinct dip in reflectivity in the region of 370–400 nm due to the resonance frequency of spherical AgNPs. The response and recovery times of FO-LSPR sensors for 1 ppm NH4+ and deionized water were <20 s and ∼1.2 minutes, respectively, with five times stable repeatability. The sensitivity of the FO-LSPR phosphoryl-carrageenan was 3.441 nm/ppm. Equally, the limits of detection and quantitation of fiber optic FO-LSPR were 0.336 and 1.018 ppm, respectively. Meanwhile, the dynamic range of the FO-LSPR was 0.3 – 2.0 ppm. The proposed sensor demonstrated strong selectivity towards NH4+ over common cationic interferents. Furthermore, the reported FO-LPSR sensor offered a comparable measurement performance to current methods, while being low cost and portable, and allowing in-situ real-time monitoring of cation ammonium. Thus, reported FO-LPSR sensors are highly promising for water monitoring applications.

Oomycete Metabolism Is Highly Dynamic and Reflects Lifestyle Adaptations.

The selective pressure of pathogen-host symbiosis drives adaptations. How these interactions shape the metabolism of pathogens is largely unknown. Here, we use comparative genomics to systematically analyze the metabolic networks of oomycetes, a diverse group of eukaryotes that includes saprotrophs as well as animal and plant pathogens, with the latter causing devastating diseases with significant economic and/or ecological impacts. In our analyses of 44 oomycete species, we uncover considerable variation in metabolism that can be linked to lifestyle differences. Comparisons of metabolic gene content reveal that plant pathogenic oomycetes have a bipartite metabolism consisting of a conserved core and an accessory set. The accessory set can be associated with the degradation of defense compounds produced by plants when challenged by pathogens. Obligate biotrophic oomycetes have smaller metabolic networks, and taxonomically distantly related biotrophic lineages display convergent evolution by repeated gene losses in both the conserved as well as the accessory set of metabolisms. When investigating to what extent the metabolic networks in obligate biotrophs differ from those in hemibiotrophic plant pathogens, we observe that the losses of metabolic enzymes in obligate biotrophs are not random and that gene losses predominantly influence the terminal branches of the metabolic networks. Our analyses represent the first metabolism-focused comparison of oomycetes at this scale and will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of oomycete metabolism in relation to lifestyle adaptation. Numerous oomycete species are devastating plant pathogens that cause major damage in crops and natural ecosystems. Their interactions with hosts are shaped by strong selection, but how selection affects adaptation of the primary metabolism to a pathogenic lifestyle is not yet well established. By pan-genome and metabolic network analyses of distantly related oomycete pathogens and their nonpathogenic relatives, we reveal considerable lifestyle- and lineage-specific adaptations. This study contributes to a better understanding of metabolic adaptations in pathogenic oomycetes in relation to lifestyle, host, and environment, and the findings will help in pinpointing potential targets for disease control. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Diversity and selection analyses identify transmission-blocking antigens as the optimal vaccine candidates in Plasmodium falciparum

A highly effective vaccine for malaria remains an elusive target, at least in part due to the under-appreciated natural parasite variation. This study aimed to investigate genetic and structural variation, and immune selection of leading malaria vaccine candidates across the Plasmodium falciparum's life cycle. We analysed 325P.falciparum whole genome sequences from Zambia, in addition to 791 genomes from five other African countries available in the MalariaGEN Pf3k Database. Ten vaccine antigens spanning three life-history stages were examined for genetic and structural variations, using population genetics measures, haplotype network analysis, and 3D structure selection analysis. Among the ten antigens analysed, only three in the transmission-blocking vaccine category display P. falciparum 3D7 as the dominant haplotype. The antigens AMA1, CSP, MSP119 and CelTOS, are much more diverse than the other antigens, and their epitope regions are under moderate to strong balancing selection. In contrast, Rh5, a blood stage antigen, displays low diversity yet slightly stronger immune selection in the merozoite-blocking epitope region. Except for CelTOS, the transmission-blocking antigens Pfs25, Pfs48/45, Pfs230, Pfs47, and Pfs28 exhibit minimal diversity and no immune selection in epitopes that induce strain-transcending antibodies, suggesting potential effectiveness of 3D7-based vaccines in blocking transmission. These findings offer valuable insights into the selection of optimal vaccine candidates against P.falciparum. Based on our results, we recommend prioritising conserved merozoite antigens and transmission-blocking antigens. Combining these antigens in multi-stage approaches may be particularly promising for malaria vaccine development initiatives. Purdue Department of Biological Sciences; Puskas Memorial Fellowship; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19AI089680).

Parallel HIV-1 evolutionary dynamics in humans and rhesus macaques who develop broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 exhibits remarkable genetic diversity. For this reason, an effective HIV-1 vaccine must elicit antibodies that can neutralize many variants of the virus. While broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have been isolated from HIV-1 infected individuals, a general understanding of the virus-antibody coevolutionary processes that lead to their development remains incomplete. We performed a quantitative study of HIV-1 evolution in two individuals who developed bnAbs. We observed strong selection early in infection for mutations affecting HIV-1 envelope glycosylation and escape from autologous strain-specific antibodies, followed by weaker selection for bnAb resistance later in infection. To confirm our findings, we analyzed data from rhesus macaques infected with viruses derived from the same two individuals. We inferred remarkably similar fitness effects of HIV-1 mutations in humans and macaques. Moreover, we observed a striking pattern of rapid HIV-1 evolution, consistent in both humans and macaques, that precedes the development of bnAbs. Our work highlights strong parallels between infection in rhesus macaques and humans, and it reveals a quantitative evolutionary signature of bnAb development.

Genetic admixture drives climate adaptation in the bank vole

Genetic admixture introduces new variants at relatively high frequencies, potentially aiding rapid responses to environmental changes. Here, we evaluate its role in adaptive variation related to climatic conditions in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Britain, using whole-genome data. Our results reveal loci showing excess ancestry from one of the two postglacial colonist populations inconsistent with overall admixture patterns. Notably, loci associated with climate adaptation exhibit disproportionate amounts of excess ancestry, highlighting the impact of admixture between colonist populations on local adaptation. The results suggest strong and localized selection on climate-adaptive loci, as indicated by steep clines and/or shifted cline centres, during population replacement. A subset, including a haemoglobin gene, is associated with oxidative stress responses, underscoring a role of oxidative stress in local adaptation. Our study highlights the important contribution of admixture during secondary contact between populations from distinct climatic refugia enriching adaptive diversity. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting future adaptive capacity to anthropogenic climate change.