Biology subjects

Matias, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Matias, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Chronic warming, not heatwaves, predicts tropical fish colonization in the Mediterranean

The opening of the Suez Canal abruptly reconnected the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, collapsing a geological barrier that had separated their biotas for millions of years. This exchange offers a natural experiment to determine whether tropical species' spread at their cold-edge range is driven by acute thermal shocks (marine heatwaves) or by progressive easing of physiological constraints under sustained warming. We analyzed 1,059 first-arrival time series for 75 non-indigenous fish species across the Mediterranean, explicitly accounting for progressive salinification, oceanographic connectivity, and historical canal enlargement. Our models demonstrate that colonization dynamics are overwhelmingly dominated by ecological momentum-the time-dependent geographic spread of populations-and facilitated by chronic background warming. Marine heatwaves explain negligible variance and show no detectable effect on colonization success. Instead, warming operates as a stage-dependent continuous climatic facilitator, accelerating post-establishment expansion, rather than triggering introductions. Thus, this shift toward warm-adapted communities is governed by chronic warming, with the Suez Canal triggering the reorganization of Mediterranean biogeography.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Proteostasis sustains T cell differentiation potential and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte function

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) often fail to restrain tumor growth due to progressive differentiation to an exhausted state. In healthy tissues, tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) maintain protection for years, and patient tumors that contain TIL with TRM features are associated with better prognosis. Proteomic and transcriptomic profiling of T cell populations identified proteostasis as a significant factor distinguishing TRM and progenitor-exhausted TIL from terminally-exhausted TIL, including loss of E3 ubiquitin ligases NEURL3, RNF149, and WSB1, with accumulation of unfolded proteins in spite of functional proteasome activity. Enforced expression of these ligases by TIL preserved stem-like TCF1+ populations and improved anti-tumor function, whereas their knockout impaired TIL and altered T cell differentiation in acute infection. Sustained ligase expression rescued accumulation of unfolded proteins in TIL and improved immunotherapy outcome in preclinical models, highlighting the critical role of proteostasis in TIL function and identifying new avenues for advancing cancer immunotherapy.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2022

Degree-day-based model to predict egg hatching of Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe

Philaenus spumarius L., the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa (Wells) in Europe, is a univoltine species that overwinters in the egg stage, and its nymphs emerge in late winter or spring. Predicting the time of egg hatching is essential for determining the precise times for deploying control strategies against insect pests. Here, we monitored P. spumarius eggs from oviposition to egg hatching together with the daily temperatures and relative humidities at four field locations that were located at different altitudes in central Spain. The collected data were used to build a growing degree day (GDD) model to forecast egg hatching in the Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, the model was validated with field observations that were conducted in Spain. The model was then used as a decision-support tool to calculate the optimum timing for applying control actions against P. spumarius. Our results suggest that controlling nymphs at two different dates would target the highest percentages of nymphal populations present in the field. Our model represents a first step for predicting the emergence of nymphs and adopting timely control actions against P. spumarius. These actions could limit disease spread in areas where X. fastidiosa is present.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2020

Alpha-ketoglutarate inhibits Regulatory T cell differentiation by coupling lipidome remodelling to mitochondrial metabolism

The differentiation of CD4 T cells to a specific effector fate is metabolically regulated, integrating glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) with transcriptional and epigenetic changes. OXPHOS is tightly coordinated with the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle but the precise role of TCA intermediates in CD4 T cell differentiation remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that -ketoglutarate (KG) inhibited regulatory T cell (Treg) generation while conversely, increasing Th1 polarization. In accord with these data, KG promoted the effector profile of Treg-polarized chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells against the ErbB2 tumor antigen. Mechanistically, KG significantly altered transcripts of genes involved in lipid-related processes, inducing a robust lipidome-wide remodelling and decreased membrane fluidity. A massive increase in storage and mitochondria lipids was associated with expression of mitochondrial genes and a significantly augmented OXPHOS. Notably, inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase activity, the bridge between the TCA cycle and the electron transport chain, enforced Treg generation. Thus, our study identifies novel connections between KG, lipidome remodelling and OXPHOS in CD4 T cell fate decisions.

immunology↗