Importance of pedogenic factors in the spatial distribution of some soil properties in the Belgian loess belt: some loess-substratum contacts.

in Degryse, Patrick; Sintubin, Manuel (Eds.) Contributions to the Geology of Belgium and Northwest Europe. Proceedings of the first Geologica Belgica International Meeting (2002)

Importance of pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina leonina) in seed dispersal and impact on the ecological balance of the tropical rainforest at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Poster (2009, February)

The tropical rain forest is maintained thanks to a precarious balance placed under the yoke of interactions between the various animal and plant species which compose it. Among them we can find those ... [more ▼]

The tropical rain forest is maintained thanks to a precarious balance placed under the yoke of interactions between the various animal and plant species which compose it. Among them we can find those implying plants and frugivores. Although its diet is largely frugivorous, the pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina leonina) have often been categorized as seed predators. However their morphology, behaviour and ecology suggest they could actually be a key-species in the dispersion of many plant species. A preliminary study by Latinne & al (2007) supported this hypothesis. The study we are planning now in continuity of Latinne’s study will take place in the Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, for three years and will focus on a troop habituated to humans. In order to establish the importance of the pigtailed macaques in the maintenance and the regeneration of the tropical rain forest, we will try to evaluate their capacity of being good seed dispersers. To do so, we will study: 1) the spatiotemporal distribution, the productivity and the characteristics of the plant species present on the home range of the studied troop, 2) the ranging patterns of the macaques within their home range, 3) their feeding behaviour, notably the fruit selection and the various modes of processing seeds, and finally 4) their impact on the viability and the germination potential of seeds. This study will require both direct observations of the macaques and semi-experimental procedures in the field, as well as laboratory control of some seed parameters. We hope the clarification of the macaques’ seed dispersal behaviour would help to re-evaluate their conservation status by recognizing them a paramount role in the maintenance of the tropical rainforest. [less ▲]

Importance of pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina leonina) in seed dispersal: impact on the ecological balance of the tropical rainforest at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Poster (2010)

Today, many countries of South-East Asia know about the alarming state of the forests existing on their territory and all agree that it is essential to save the remaining primary forest but also to enable ... [more ▼]

Today, many countries of South-East Asia know about the alarming state of the forests existing on their territory and all agree that it is essential to save the remaining primary forest but also to enable the regeneration of degraded areas, through natural or artificial reforestation. The conservation of tropical rainforests thus passes by the necessity to better understand the plant-animal interactions, and in particular, the seed dispersal process. While following a troop of pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina leonina) accustomed to Man in Khao Yai National park (2 168 km ²), Thailand, we will bring important data relating to these seed dispersers potentially necessary but unfortunately vulnerable. Indeed, this vulnerable but little known species, seems to be essential to maintain forest diversity by dispersing many plant species, particularly those inaccessible to smaller frugivores. First results already show that they disperse many seed species, of all kind of size, in all forest types, from primary forest to secondary forest, thanks to various handling techniques. They also seem to show an adaptation in their daily travels according to resources availability. The next fieldworks will enable us to bring more precision in these results and their temporal variations and thus to conclude on the potential role of Macaca nemestrina in the tropical rainforest regeneration. [less ▲]

Importance of risk stratification models in cardiac surgery

in European Heart Journal (2006), 27(7), 768-769

This editorial refers to 'Comparison of 19 pre-operative risk strati. cation models in open-heart surgery'dagger by J. Nilsson et al., on page 867.

Importance of social companionship in the determination of health-related quality of life in hip and knee osteoarthrits

in Arthritis and Rheumatism (2001), 44(Suppl.1), 183

Importance of social companionship in the determination of health-related quality of life in hip and knee osteoarthrits

in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2001), 9(Suppl.B), 19-20

Importance of steroid receptor coactivators in the modulation of steroid action on brain and behavior

in Psychoneuroendocrinology (2009), 34

Steroid receptors such as estrogen and androgen receptors are nuclear receptors involved in the transcriptional regulation of a large number of target genes. Steroid-dependent protein expression in the ... [more ▼]

Steroid receptors such as estrogen and androgen receptors are nuclear receptors involved in the transcriptional regulation of a large number of target genes. Steroid-dependent protein expression in the brain controls a large array of biological processes including spatial cognition, copulatory behavior and neuroprotection. The discovery of a competition, or squelch- ing, between two different nuclear receptors introduced the notion that common cofactors may be involved in the modulation of transcriptional activity of nuclear receptors. These cofactors or coregulatory proteins are functionally divided into coactivators and corepressors and are involved in chromatin remodeling and stabilization of the general transcription machinery. Although a large amount of information has been collected about the in vitro function of these coregulatory proteins, relatively little is known regarding their physiological role in vivo, particularly in the brain. Our laboratory and others have demonstrated the importance of SRC-1 in the differentia- tion and activation of steroid-dependent sexual behaviors and the related neural genes. For example, we report that the inhibition of SRC-1 expression blocks the activating effects of exogenous testosterone on male sexual behaviors and increases the volume of the median preoptic area. Other coactivators are likely to be involved in the modulation in vivo of steroid receptor activity and it seems that the presence of a precise subset of coactivators could help define the phenotype of the cell by modulating a specific downstream pathway after steroid receptor activation. The very large number of coactivators and their association into preformed complexes potentially allows the determination of hundreds of different phenotypes. The study of the expression of the coactivator and their function in vivo is required to fully understand steroid action and specificity in the brain. [less ▲]

Importance of steroid receptor coregulators for neuronal phenotype determination: Modulation of steroid action

in Trabajos del Instituto Cajal (2009), LXXXII

Steroid receptors such as estrogen receptors alpha and beta and androgen receptors are transcription factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of a large number of target genes. Steroid-dependent ... [more ▼]

Steroid receptors such as estrogen receptors alpha and beta and androgen receptors are transcription factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of a large number of target genes. Steroid-dependent expression in the brain controls a large array of biological processes including spatial cognition, copulatory behavior and neuroprotection. The discovery of a competition, or squelching, between two different nuclear receptors introduced the notion that common cofactors might be involved in the modulation of transcriptional activity of nuclear receptors. These cofactors, which are now known as coactivators, are involved in chromatin remodeling and stabilization of the general transcription machinery. Since the characterization of the steroid receptor coactivator 1 or SRC-1, more than 100 different cofactors have been identified. Although an increasingly large amount of information has been collected about the in vitro function of these coregulatory proteins, relatively little is known regarding their physiological role in vivo, particularly in the brain. Our laboratory and others have demonstrated the importance of SRC-1 in the differentiation and activation of steroid-dependent sexual behaviors and the related neural genes. In Japanese quail, the inhibition of SRC-1 expression by intracerebroventricular antisense injections blocked the activating effects of exogenous testosterone on male sexual behaviors and the steroid-dependent vasotocine expression and increase of the median preoptic area volume defined by Nissl staining as well as by aromatase immunoreactivity. These data therefore strongly suggested that SRC-1 is required to modulate estrogen receptor dependent gene-expression. It is however interesting to note that steroid receptors and SRC-1 are not always colocalized. For example, both glial cells and neurons in the hippocampus express estrogen receptor alpha but SRC-1 is rarely observed in glia. It is therefore possible that estrogen receptor alpha in glial cell require another coactivator or set of coactivators to induce estrogen-dependent gene transcription. It has been suggested very recently that SRC-1 is associated with neuronal differentiation of neural stem cell derived from the ganglionic eminence of mouse embryos. These stem cells differentiating into glial cell (GFAP-positive) did not express SRC-1. The presence of a specific coactivator could therefore determine a specific cell phenotype (neuronal vs glial). Another coactivator, the coactivator-associated arginine methyl transferase 1 or CARM-1 seems to be important to keep progenitor cells in a dividing state. The inhibition of CARM-1 expression leads to neuronal differentiation. Neurogenesis can therefore offers an excellent model to define the spatio-temporal role of different coactivators. It is indeed possible to study a subset of coactivators associated to various stages phenotype determination (proliferation vs. differentiation). The study of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in female adult rats shows that around 40 % of proliferative cells express SRC-1 or CARM-1. Interestingly, 70% of proliferative cells express SRC-1 but only a very few cells (<5%) express CARM-1. We are currently investigating the temporal pattern of expression of these two coactivators during the neurogenesis in the hilus and dentate gyrus. The expression of the coactivators CARM-1 and SRC-1 is analyzed in proliferating and differentiating cells. We expect that proliferating and differentiating cells will differentially express the two coactivators. It seems that the presence of a precise subset of coactivators could help defining the phenotype of the cell by modulating a specific downstream pathway after steroid receptor activation. The very large number of coactivators and their association into preformed complexes potentially allows the determination of hundreds of different phenotypes. The study of the expression of the coactivator and their function in vivo is required to fully understand steroid action and specificity in the brain. [less ▲]

Importance of the alternative pathway of respiration for avoidance of ROS production and for optimisation of photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas

Conference (2008, June)

The physiological function of the alternative pathway of respiration has been investigated by analysing two RNAi C.reinhardtii lines deprived of alternative oxidase protein (AOX1). Compared to wild-type ... [more ▼]

The physiological function of the alternative pathway of respiration has been investigated by analysing two RNAi C.reinhardtii lines deprived of alternative oxidase protein (AOX1). Compared to wild-type, AOX1- lines exhibited modified growth curves and reduced maximal cell density. These differences were more pronounced at high irradiance and in nitrate-containing medium (TAP NO3) rather than in ammonium-containing medium (TAP NH4). Although the alternative pathway was inactive, respiration was not significantly altered in transgenics. Light-saturation curves of O2-evolution were only slightly modified. However, non-photochemical quenching of fluorescence (NPQ) was strongly reduced. Further analysis showed that AOX1- transgenics present a reduced ability to promote the change in energy distribution between photosystems, known as state transition. This effect, which explains low NPQ in the light, was most pronounced in high-light cells cultivated in TAP NO3 medium. Moreover, AOX1- transgenics exhibited higher levels of intracellular peroxides, which suggests that inhibition of state transition might result from higher ROS production. In support of this hypothesis, addition of millimolar-range concentrations of H2O2 to wild-type inhibited the state transition promoted by the reduction of the plastoquinone pool in darkness. [less ▲]

Importance of the conserved residues in the peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase module of the class A penicillin-binding protein 1b of Escherichia coli.

in Journal of Biological Chemistry (2008), 283(42), 28464-70

The peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase (GT) module of class A penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and monofunctional GTs catalyze glycan chain elongation of the bacterial cell wall. These enzymes belong to ... [more ▼]

The peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase (GT) module of class A penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and monofunctional GTs catalyze glycan chain elongation of the bacterial cell wall. These enzymes belong to the GT51 family, are characterized by five conserved motifs, and have some fold similarity with the phage lambda lysozyme. In this work, we have systematically modified all the conserved amino acid residues of the GT module of Escherichia coli class A PBP1b by site-directed mutagenesis and determined their importance for the in vivo and in vitro activity and the thermostability of the protein. To get an insight into the GT active site of this paradigm enzyme, a model of PBP1b GT domain was constructed based on the available crystal structures (PDB codes 2OLV and 2OLU). The data show that in addition to the essential glutamate residues Glu233 of motif 1 and Glu290 of motif 3, the residues Phe237 and His240 of motif 1 and Gly264, Thr267, Gln271, and Lys274 of motif 2, all located in the catalytic cavity of the GT domain, are essential for the in vitro enzymatic activity of the PBP1b and for its in vivo functioning. Thus, the first three conserved motifs contain most of the residues that are required for the GT activity of the PBP1b. The residues Asp234, Phe237, His240, Thr267, and Gln271 are proposed to maintain the structure of the active site and the positioning of the catalytic Glu233. [less ▲]