Biology subjects

Nowak, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Nowak, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Isolation and characterization of cell wall and extracellular polysaccharides from cultures of the mycoparasitic strain Tirochoderma koningiopsis

The Trichoderma koningiopsis strain showed an extracellular polymers (EPS) synthesis capacity of 1.17 g/L in an optimised Czapek-Dox medium containing sucrose (30 g/L) and yeast extract (7.5 g/L). Three fractions of wall polymers were extracted from the biomass obtained after culture: cold water soluble (WPSZ), hot water soluble (WPSC) and alkali soluble (WPSNaOH), which accounted for 13.3%, 1.8% and 20.2% of the mycelial dry weight, respectively. Structural analyses indicated that the EPS obtained was mannan, and the WPS fractions were glucans containing predominantly [->]4)-Glc-(1[->] linked residues, with branching at [->]3,6)- as well as [->]4,6)-positions. FT-IR and FT-Raman analyses showed that -bonds dominate in the WPSZ and WPSC fractions, whereas {beta}-bonds dominate in the EPS and WPSNaOH fractions. The obtained polymer fractions (PS) showed antioxidant properties in the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods and the ability to bind bisphenol A from an aqueous environment. The most important property of the obtained PSs is their ability to reduce germination and inhibit the growth of mycelia of the phytopathogenic Fusarium culmorum strain. The obtained polymers exhibit a number of bioactive properties and can be used in various areas of human life. HighlightsO_LITrichoderma koningiopsis has the ability to synthesise EPS C_LIO_LIEPS are mainly composed of mannose and WPS of glucose C_LIO_LIPS have the ability to chelate BPA and have antioxidant properties C_LIO_LIThe PS obtained has inhibitory properties against F. culmorum. C_LI Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=151 SRC="FIGDIR/small/605896v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (46K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@aaf140org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c4c0e4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@153de0eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@117a135_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Climate and ant richness explain the global distribution of ant-plant mutualisms

Biotic interactions are known to play an important role in shaping species geographic distributions and diversity patterns. However, the role of mutualistic interactions in shaping global diversity patterns remains poorly quantified, particularly with respect to interactions with invertebrates. Moreover, it is unclear how the nature of different mutualisms interacts with abiotic drivers and affects diversity patterns of mutualistic organisms. Here, we present a global-scale biogeographic analysis of three different ant-plant mutualisms, differentiating between plants bearing domatia, extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), and elaiosomes, based on comprehensive geographic distributions of [~]15,000 flowering plants and [~]13,000 ant species. Domatia and extrafloral nectaries involve indirect plant defenses provided by ants, while elaiosomes attract ants to disperse seeds. Our results show distinct biogeographic patterns of different ant-plant mutualisms, with domatium- and EFN-bearing plant richness decreasing sharply from the equator towards the poles, while elaiosome-bearing plants prevail at mid-latitudes. Contemporary climate, especially mean annual temperature and precipitation, emerge as the most important predictor of ant-associated plant diversity. In hot and moist regions, typically the tropics, domatium- and EFN-bearing plant richness increases with related ant guild richness, while in warm regions plants with elaiosomes are strongly linked to interacting ants. Our results suggest that ant richness in combination with climate drives the spatial variation of plants bearing domatia, extrafloral nectaries, and elaiosomes, highlighting the importance of mutualistic interactions for understanding plant biogeography and its response to global change.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Machine learning improves global models of plant diversity

Despite the paramount role of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and human welfare, knowledge of its global distribution is incomplete, hampering basic research and biodiversity conservation. Here, we used machine learning (random forests, extreme gradient boosting, neural networks) and conventional statistical methods (generalised linear models, generalised additive models) to model species richness and phylogenetic richness of vascular plants worldwide based on 830 regional plant inventories including c. 300,000 species and predictors of past and present environmental conditions. Machine learning showed an outstanding performance, explaining up to 80.9% of species richness and 83.3% of phylogenetic richness. Current climate and environmental heterogeneity emerged as the primary drivers, while past environmental conditions left only small but detectable imprints on plant diversity. Finally, we combined predictions from multiple modelling techniques (ensemble predictions) to reveal global patterns and centres of plant diversity at multiple resolutions down to 7,774 km2. Our predictive maps provide the most accurate estimates of global plant diversity available to date at grain sizes relevant for conservation and macroecology.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

DNA methylation and survival differences associated with the type of IDH mutation in 1p/19q non-codeleted astrocytomas

Somatic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase genes IDH1 and IDH2 occur at high frequency in several tumour types. Even though these mutations are confined to distinct hotspots, we show that gliomas are the only tumour type with an exceptionally high percentage of IDH1R132H mutations. This high prevalence is important as IDH1R132H is presumed to be relatively poor at producing D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG) whereas high concentrations of this oncometabolite are required to inhibit TET2 DNA demethylating enzymes. Indeed, patients harbouring IDH1R132H mutated tumours have lower levels of genome-wide DNA-methylation, and an associated increased gene expression, compared to tumours with other IDH1/2 mutations ("non-R132H mutations"). This reduced methylation is seen in multiple tumour types and thus appears independent of site of origin. For 1p/19q non-codeleted glioma patients, we show that this difference is clinically relevant: in samples of the randomised phase III CATNON trial, patients harbouring non-R132H mutated tumours have better outcome (HR 0.41, 95% CI [0.24, 0.71], p=0.0013). Non-R132H mutated tumours also had a significantly lower proportion of tumours assigned to prognostically poor DNA-methylation classes (p<0.001). IDH mutation-type was independent in a multivariable model containing known clinical and molecular prognostic factors. To confirm these observations, we validated the prognostic effect of IDH mutation type on a large independent dataset. The observation that non-R132H mutated 1p/19q non-codeleted gliomas have a more favourable prognosis than their IDH1R132H mutated counterpart is clinically relevant and should be taken into account for patient prognostication. Single sentence summaryAstrocytoma patients with tumours harbouring IDH mutations other than p.R132H have increased DNA methylation levels and longer survival

cancer biology↗