Hohl, M. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2020

Automated flight interception traps for interval sampling of insects

Recent debates on insect decline require sound assessments on the relative drivers that may negatively impact insect populations. Often, baseline data rely on insect monitorings that integrates catches over long time periods. If, however, effects of time-critical environmental factors (e.g., light pollution) are of interest, higher temporal resolution of insect observations during specific time intervals are required (e.g., between dusk and dawn). Conventional time-critical insect trapping is labour-intensive (manual activation/deactivation) and temporally inaccurate as not all traps can be serviced synchronically at different sites. Also, temporal shifts of environmental conditions (e.g., sunset/sunrise) are not accounted for. We provide a battery-driven automated insect flight-interception trap which samples insects during seven user-defined time intervals. A commercially available flight-interception trap is fitted to a rotating platform containing seven flasks and a passage hole. The passage hole avoids unwanted sampling during time-intervals not of interest. Comparisons between two manual and two automated traps during 71 nights in 2018 showed no difference in caught insects. An experiment using 20 automated traps during 104 nights in 2019 proved that the automated flight interception traps is reliable. The automated trap opens new research possibilities as any insect-sampling interval can be defined. It is efficient and saves manpower and associated costs as activation/deactivation is required only every seven sampling intervals. Also, the traps are accurate because all traps sample exactly the same intervals. The trap is low maintenance and robust due to straightforward technical design. It can be controlled manually or via Bluetooth and smartphone.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Modeling Cancer Genomic Data in Yeast Reveals Selection Against ATM Function During Tumorigenesis

The DNA damage response (DDR) comprises multiple functions that collectively preserve genomic integrity and suppress tumorigenesis. The Mre11 complex and ATM govern a major axis of the DDR and several lines of evidence implicate that axis in tumor suppression. Components of the Mre11 complex are mutated in approximately five percent of human cancers. Inherited mutations of complex members cause severe chromosome instability syndromes, such as Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome, which is associated with strong predisposition to malignancy. And in mice, Mre11 complex mutations are markedly more susceptible to oncogene-induced carcinogenesis. The complex is integral to all modes of double strand break (DSB) repair and is required for the activation of ATM to effect DNA damage signaling. To understand which functions of the Mre11 complex are important for tumor suppression, we undertook mining of cancer genomic data from the clinical sequencing program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which includes the Mre11 complex among the 468 genes assessed. Twenty five mutations in MRE11 and RAD50 were modeled in S.cerevisiae and in vitro. The mutations were chosen based on recurrence and conservation between human and yeast. We found that a significant fraction of tumor-borne RAD50 and MRE11 mutations exhibited separation of function phenotypes wherein Tel1/ATM activation was defective while DNA repair functions were mildly or not affected. At the molecular level, the gene products of RAD50 mutations exhibited defects in ATP binding and hydrolysis. The data reflect the importance of Rad50 ATPase activity for Tel1/ATM activation and suggest that inactivation of ATM signaling confers an advantage to burgeoning tumor cells.\n\nAuthor SummaryA complex network of functions is required for suppressing tumorigenesis. These include processes that regulate cell growth and differentiation, processes that repair damage to DNA and thereby prevent cancer promoting mutations and signaling pathways that lead to growth arrest and programmed cell death. The Mre11 complex influences both signaling and DNA repair. To understand its role in tumor suppression, we characterized mutations affecting members of the Mre11 complex that were uncovered through cancer genomic analyses. The data reveal that the signaling functions of the Mre11 complex are important for tumor suppression to a greater degree than its role in DNA repair.

genetics↗