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The disappearances of six supernova progenitors
No full textAs part of a larger completed Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Snapshot program, we observed the sites of six nearby core-collapse supernovae (SNe) at high spatial resolution: SN 2012A, SN 2013ej, SN 2016gkg, SN 2017eaw, SN 2018zd, and SN 2018aoq. These observations were all conducted at sufficiently late times in each SN’s evolution to demonstrate that the massive-star progenitor candidate identified in each case in pre-explosion imaging data had indeed vanished and was therefore most likely the actual progenitor. However, we have determined for SN 2016gkg that the progenitor candidate was most likely a blend of two objects: the progenitor, which itself has likely vanished, and another closely neighbouring star. We thus provide a revised estimate of that progenitor’s properties: a binary system with a hydrogen-stripped primary star at explosion with effective temperature ≈6300–7900 K, bolometric luminosity ≈10^(4.65) L⊙, radius ≈118–154 R⊙, and initial mass 9.5–11 M⊙. Utilizing late-time additional archival HST data nearly contemporaneous with our Snapshots, we also show that SN 2017eaw had a luminous ultraviolet excess, which is best explained as a result of ongoing interaction of the SN shock with pre-existing circumstellar matter. We offer the caveat, particularly in the case of SN 2013ej, that obscuration from SN dust may be compromising our conclusions. This sample adds to the growing list of confirmed or likely core-collapse SN progenitors
An adaptive bounded-confidence model of opinion dynamics on networks
No full textIndividuals who interact with each other in social networks often exchange ideas and influence each other’s opinions. A popular approach to study the spread of opinions on networks is by examining bounded-confidence models (BCMs), in which the nodes of a network have continuous-valued states that encode their opinions and are receptive to other nodes’ opinions when they lie within some confidence bound of their own opinion. In this article, we extend the Deffuant–Weisbuch (DW) model, which is a well-known BCM, by examining the spread of opinions that coevolve with network structure. We propose an adaptive variant of the DW model in which the nodes of a network can (1) alter their opinions when they interact with neighbouring nodes and (2) break connections with neighbours based on an opinion tolerance threshold and then form new connections following the principle of homophily. This opinion tolerance threshold determines whether or not the opinions of adjacent nodes are sufficiently different to be viewed as ‘discordant’. Using numerical simulations, we find that our adaptive DW model requires a larger confidence bound than a baseline DW model for the nodes of a network to achieve a consensus opinion. In one region of parameter space, we observe ‘pseudo-consensus’ steady states, in which there exist multiple subclusters of an opinion cluster with opinions that differ from each other by a small amount. In our simulations, we also examine the roles of early-time dynamics and nodes with initially moderate opinions for achieving consensus. Additionally, we explore the effects of coevolution on the convergence time of our BCM
Self-regulating living material with temperature-dependent light absorption
No full textEngineered living materials (ELMs) exhibit desirable characteristics of the living component, including growth and repair, and responsiveness to external stimuli. Escherichia coli are a promising constituent of ELMs because they are very tractable to genetic engineering, produce heterologous proteins readily, and grow exponentially. However, seasonal variation in ambient temperature presents a challenge in deploying ELMs outside of a laboratory environment, because E. coli growth rate is impaired both below and above 37°C. Here, we develop a genetically-encoded mechanism for autonomous temperature homeostasis in ELMs containing E. coli by engineering circuits that control the expression of a light-absorptive chromophore in response to changes in temperature. We demonstrate that below 36°C, our engineered E. coli increase in pigmentation, causing an increase in sample temperature and growth rate above non-pigmented counterparts in a model planar ELM. On the other hand, above 36°C, they decrease in pigmentation, protecting their growth compared to bacteria with temperature-independent high pigmentation. Integrating our temperature homeostasis circuit into an ELM has the potential to improve living material performance by optimizing growth and protein production in the face of seasonal temperature changes
Single-neuron spiking variability in hippocampus dynamically tracks sensory content during memory formation in humans
No full textDuring memory formation, the hippocampus is presumed to represent the “content” of stimuli, but how it does so is unknown. Using computational modelling and human single-neuron recordings, we show that the more precisely hippocampal spiking variability tracks the composite features that comprise each individual stimulus, the better those stimuli are later remembered. We propose that moment-to-moment spiking variability may provide a new window into how the hippocampus constructs memories from the building blocks of our sensory world
Transgenerational exposure to deoxygenation and warming disrupts mate-detection in Gammarus locusta
No full textOcean deoxygenation and warming have been shown to pose a growing threat to the health of marine organisms and ecosystems. Yet, the potential for acclimation and adaptation to these threats remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of transgenerational exposure to reduced oxygen availability and elevated seawater temperature on the chemosensory-dependent mating mechanisms of male amphipodsGammarus locusta. After exposure, the number of individuals that reached adulthood (in F0 and F2) was gauged, and adult males from F0 and F1 were subjected to behavioral trials to assess their capacity of long-distance female cue detection through quantification of (i) response time; (ii) first direction of movement; (iii) activity rate and (iv) proportion of time spent in female scent cues. Ocean warming induced mortality (especially in F2), and reduced oxygen availability had adverse effects on each of the investigated behavioral traits, which were amplified when combined with elevated temperature. Still, when compared to F0, the F1 generation demonstrated more adaptability (i.e., higher activity rate and preference for female odors) to the combination of the two stressors, suggesting positive carry-over effects. Nevertheless, full recovery to control levels was not observed. Altogether, this study indicates that future scenarios of ocean deoxygenation and warming have the potential to disrupt chemosensory-dependent mate-detection in amphipods, but also suggests possible behavioral adaptations. We call for greater research efforts on long-term impacts of ocean change on the behavioral and physiological processes of benthic coastal communities
In situ architecture of Opa1-dependent mitochondrial cristae remodeling
No full textCristae membrane state plays a central role in regulating mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism. The protein Optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) is an important crista remodeler that exists as two forms in the mitochondrion, a membrane-anchored long form (l-Opa1) and a processed short form (s-Opa1). The mechanisms for how Opa1 influences cristae shape have remained unclear due to the lack of native 3D views of cristae morphology. We performin situcryo-electron tomography of cryo-focused ion beam milled mouse embryonic fibroblasts with well-defined Opa1 states to understand how each form of Opa1 influences cristae architecture. In our tomograms, we observe elongated mitochondria with a notable stacking phenotype, as well as an absence of tubular cristae, when only l-Opa1 is present. In contrast, when mitochondria contain mainly s-Opa1, we observe irregular cristae packing, an increase in globular cristae, and decreased matrix condensation. Notably, we find the absence of l-Opa1 results in mitochondria with wider cristae junctions. BH3 profiling reveals that absence of l-Opa1 reduces cytochrome c release in response to pro-apoptotic stimuli and protects cells from apoptosis induced by anti-cancer agents. We discuss the implications Opa1-dependent cristae morphologies in cell death initiation.HighlightsIn situultrastructural characterization of mitochondrial cristae with different forms of Opa1.Mitochondria with predominantly l-Opa1 show cristae stacking, longer cristae compared to WT, but also a reduction of globular cristae and no tubular cristae.Mitochondria with mostly s-Opa1 showed irregular cristae packing with wider cristae junctions and more narrow cristae than WT.BH3 profiling show Opa1-knock-out cells have reduced apoptotic priming and reduced sensitivity to apoptosis-inducing agents, and the presence l-Opa1 restores a WT protective apoptotic response
Cytokinins regulate spatially-specific ethylene production to control root growth in Arabidopsis
No full textThe two principal growth regulators cytokinins and ethylene are known to interact in the regulation of plant growth. However, information about underlying molecular mechanism and positional specificity of the cytokinin/ethylene crosstalk in root growth control is scarce. We have identified spatial specificity of cytokinin-regulated root elongation and root apical meristem (RAM) size, both of which we demonstrate to be ethylene biosynthesis-dependent. Upregulation of the cytokinin biosynthetic gene ISOPENTENYLTRANSFERASE(IPT) in proximal and peripheral tissues leads to both root and RAM shortening. In contrast, IPTactivation in distal and inner tissues reduces RAM size while leaving the root length comparable to mock-treated controls. We show that cytokinins regulate two steps specific to ethylene biosynthesis, the production of ACC by ACC SYNTHASEs (ACSs), and its conversion to ethylene by ACC OXIDASEs (ACOs). We describe cytokinin- and ethylene-specific regulation controlling the activity of ACSs and ACOs that are spatially discrete along both proximo/distal and radial root axes. Using direct ethylene measurements, we identifyACO2, ACO3andACO4as being responsible for ethylene biosynthesis and the ethylene-regulated root and RAM shortening in cytokinin-treated Arabidopsis. Finally, we describe the tight cooperation between cytokinin and ethylene signaling in cytokinin-induced, ethylene-regulated control ofACO4due to the direct interaction between ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 2 (ARR2), a member of the multistep phosphorelay cascade and the C-terminal portion of ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 2 (EIN2-C), a key regulator of canonical ethylene signaling
Genomically mined acoustic reporter genes for real-time in vivo monitoring of tumors and tumor-homing bacteria
No full textUltrasound allows imaging at a much greater depth than optical methods, but existing genetically encoded acoustic reporters for in vivo cellular imaging have been limited by poor sensitivity, specificity and in vivo expression. Here we describe two acoustic reporter genes (ARGs)—one for use in bacteria and one for use in mammalian cells—identified through a phylogenetic screen of candidate gas vesicle gene clusters from diverse bacteria and archaea that provide stronger ultrasound contrast, produce non-linear signals distinguishable from background tissue and have stable long-term expression. Compared to their first-generation counterparts, these improved bacterial and mammalian ARGs produce 9-fold and 38-fold stronger non-linear contrast, respectively. Using these new ARGs, we non-invasively imaged in situ tumor colonization and gene expression in tumor-homing therapeutic bacteria, tracked the progression of tumor gene expression and growth in a mouse model of breast cancer, and performed gene-expression-guided needle biopsies of a genetically mosaic tumor, demonstrating non-invasive access to dynamic biological processes at centimeter depth
Cryo-EM structure of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens T4SS-associated T-pilus reveals stoichiometric protein-phospholipid assembly
No full textAgrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall disease in plants by the horizontal transfer of oncogenic DNA. The conjugation is mediated by the VirB/D4 type 4 secretion system (T4SS) that assembles an extracellular filament, the T-pilus, and is involved in mating pair formation between A. tumefaciens and the recipient plant cell. Here, we present a 3 Å cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the T-pilus solved by helical reconstruction. Our structure reveals that the T-pilus is a stoichiometric assembly of the VirB2 major pilin and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) phospholipid with 5-start helical symmetry. We show that PG head groups and the positively charged Arg 91 residues of VirB2 protomers form extensive electrostatic interactions in the lumen of the T-pilus. Mutagenesis of Arg 91 abolished pilus formation. While our T-pilus structure is architecturally similar to previously published conjugative pili structures, the T-pilus lumen is narrower and positively charged, raising questions of whether the T-pilus is a conduit for ssDNA transfer
Online Adversarial Stabilization of Unknown Networked Systems
No full textWe investigate the problem of stabilizing an unknown networked linear system under communication constraints and adversarial disturbances. We propose the first provably stabilizing algorithm for the problem. The algorithm uses a distributed version of nested convex body chasing to maintain a consistent estimate of the network dynamics and applies system level synthesis to determine a distributed controller based on this estimated model. Our approach avoids the need for system identification and accommodates a broad class of communication delay while being fully distributed and scaling favorably with the number of subsystems