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The leaf beetle Chrysomela aeneicollis has a broad geographic range across Western North America but is restricted to cool habitats at high elevations along the west coast. Central California populations occur only at high altitudes (2,700-3,500 m) where they are limited by reduced oxygen supply and recent drought conditions that are associated with climate change. Here, we report a chromosome-scale genome assembly alongside a complete mitochondrial genome and characterize differences among mitochondrial genomes along a latitudinal gradient over which beetles show substantial population structure and adaptation to fluctuating temperatures. Our scaffolded genome assembly consists of 21 linkage groups; one of which we identified as the X chromosome based on female/male whole genome sequencing coverage and orthology with Tribolium castaneum. We identified repetitive sequences in the genome and found them to be broadly distributed across all linkage groups. Using a reference transcriptome, we annotated a total of 12,586 protein-coding genes. We also describe differences in putative secondary structures of mitochondrial RNA molecules, which may generate functional differences important in adaptation to harsh abiotic conditions. We document substitutions at mitochondrial tRNA molecules and substitutions and insertions in the 16S rRNA region that could affect intermolecular interactions with products from the nuclear genome. This first chromosome-level reference genome will enable genomic research in this important model organism for understanding the biological impacts of climate change on montane insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniparental inheritance of mitochondria enables organisms to avoid the costs of intracellular competition among potentially selfish organelles. By preventing recombination, uniparental inheritance may also render a mitochondrial lineage effectively asexual and expose mitochondria to the deleterious effects of Muller's ratchet. Even among animals and plants, the evolutionary dynamics of mitochondria remain obscure, and less is known about mitochondrial inheritance among fungi. To understand mitochondrial inheritance and test for mitochondrial recombination in one species of filamentous fungus, we took a population genomics approach. We assembled and analyzed 88 mitochondrial genomes from natural populations of the invasive death cap Amanita phalloides, sampling from both California (an invaded range) and Europe (its native range). The mitochondrial genomes clustered into two distinct groups made up of 57 and 31 mushrooms, but both mitochondrial types are geographically widespread. Multiple lines of evidence, including negative correlations between linkage disequilibrium and distances between sites and coalescent analysis, suggest low rates of recombination among the mitochondria (ρ = 3.54 × 10−4). Recombination requires genetically distinct mitochondria to inhabit a cell, and recombination among A. phalloides mitochondria provides evidence for heteroplasmy as a feature of the death cap life cycle. However, no mushroom houses more than one mitochondrial genome, suggesting that heteroplasmy is rare or transient. Uniparental inheritance emerges as the primary mode of mitochondrial inheritance, even as recombination appears as a strategy to alleviate Muller's ratchet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The California halibut, Paralichthys californicus, is a highly priced flatfish because of its size and meat quality. This work presents the complete mitochondrial genome of P. californicus. Total DNA from muscle tissue was extracted and sequenced using the Illumina platform. Reads were cleaned, trimmed, assembled de novo, and annotated. The California halibut mitogenome is 16,858 bp in length (GenBank accession number: MT859134), containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and the control region. P. californicus mitogenome was most similar to Paralichthys olivaceus than to other flatfish mitogenomes, in agreement with their geographic distribution. This information deepens the knowledge of the California halibut, which is not only ecologically important, but also a socioeconomically relevant resource for fishery and aquaculture in California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordination between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes is critical to metabolic processes underlying animals' ability to adapt to local environments, yet consequences of mitonuclear interactions have rarely been investigated in populations where individuals with divergent mitochondrial and nuclear genomes naturally interbreed. Genetic variation in the leaf beetle Chrysomela aeneicollis was assessed along a latitudinal thermal gradient in California's Sierra Nevada. Variation at mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II (COII) and the nuclear gene phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) shows concordance and was significantly greater along a 65 km transect than 10 other loci. STRUCTURE analyses using neutral loci identified a southern and northern subpopulation, which interbreed in the central drainage Bishop Creek. COII and PGI were used as indicators of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic variation in field and laboratory experiments conducted on beetles from this admixed population. Fecundity, larval development rate, running speed and male mating frequency were higher for beetles with geographically "matched" than "mismatched" mitonuclear genotypes. Effects of mitonuclear mismatch were largest for individuals with northern nuclear genotypes possessing southern mitochondria and were most pronounced after heat treatment or at high elevation. These findings suggest that mitonuclear incompatibility diminishes performance and reproductive success in nature, effects that could intensify at environmental extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a low density visually evasive species with a low detection probability based on standard field survey methods (e.g., traps, visual census). Habitat loss has resulted in extirpations or serious declines for T. gigas populations throughout the southern two thirds of its historic range. Uncertainty regarding its current distribution and occupancy present management challenges for the species. Enhancing survey sensitivity through development of environmental DNA sampling (eDNA) methods would improve compliance monitoring under the Endangered Species Act, recovery planning for T. gigas, and evaluation of California’s Central Valley tule marsh habitat on which this species depends. To address these needs, we designed and validated diagnostic quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) assays for identifying portions of the Cytochrome B (CytB) and the Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) genes of the T. gigas mitochondrial genome. The designed ND4 qPCR assay was not specific to T. gigas DNA and amplified DNA from a closely related and spatially co-occurring Thamnophis species (T.s. fitchi). The CytB T. gigas qPCR assay proved specific to a species level with a sensitivity that reliably detected T. gigas DNA at a concentration of 2.0x10-5 ng μL-1. To assess detection range, coordinated field sampling was conducted at aquatic sites with an observed and documented population of T. gigas. The T. gigas qPCR assay reliably detected DNA from samples taken 300m downstream from the known source. We then used environmental eDNA sampling and qPCR analysis to augment unsuccessful trap surveys in the southern range of T. gigas and detected DNA in 28 of the 52 locations sampled, confirming that T. gigas was still present at some sites where physical trapping failed to identify presence. QPCR-based DNA detection coupled with eDNA sampling methods provides an effective means to obtain critical population metrics from this otherwise cryptic, federally protected and hard to study organism, offering great promise for elucidating patterns of occupancy with greater efficiency and at far less cost than trapping methods, particularly where detection probabilities are low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Identification of female reproductive toxicants is currently based largely on integrated epidemiological and in vivo toxicology data and, to a lesser degree, on mechanistic data. A uniform approach to systematically search, organize, integrate, and evaluate mechanistic evidence of female reproductive toxicity from various data types is lacking. OBJECTIVE: We sought to apply a key characteristics approach similar to that pioneered for carcinogen hazard identification to female reproductive toxicant hazard identification. METHODS: A working group of international experts was convened to discuss mechanisms associated with chemical-induced female reproductive toxicity and identified 10 key characteristics of chemicals that cause female reproductive toxicity: 1) alters hormone receptor signaling; alters reproductive hormone production, secretion, or metabolism; 2) chemical or metabolite is genotoxic; 3) induces epigenetic alterations; 4) causes mitochondrial dysfunction; 5) induces oxidative stress; 6) alters immune function; 7) alters cell signal transduction; 8) alters direct cell-cell interactions; 9) alters survival, proliferation, cell death, or metabolic pathways; and 10) alters microtubules and associated structures. As proof of principle, cyclophosphamide and diethylstilbestrol (DES), for which both human and animal studies have demonstrated female reproductive toxicity, display at least 5 and 3 key characteristics, respectively. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), for which the epidemiological evidence is mixed, exhibits 5 key characteristics. DISCUSSION: Future efforts should focus on evaluating the proposed key characteristics against additional known and suspected female reproductive toxicants. Chemicals that exhibit one or more of the key characteristics could be prioritized for additional evaluation and testing. A key characteristics approach has the potential to integrate with pathway-based toxicity testing to improve prediction of female reproductive toxicity in chemicals and potentially prevent some toxicants from entering common use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The homoscleromorph sponge Oscarella carmela, first described from central California, USA is shown to represent two superficially similar but both morphologically and phylogenetically distinct species that are co-distributed. We here describe a new species as Oscarella pearsei, sp. nov. and re-describe Oscarella carmela; the original description was based upon material from both species. Further, we correct the identification of published genomic/transcriptomic resources that were originally attributed to O. carmela, and present new Illumina-sequenced transcriptome assemblies for each of these species, and the mitochondrial genome sequence for O. pearsei sp. nov. Using SSU and LSU ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial genome, we report the phylogenetic relationships of these species relative to other Oscarella species, and find strong support for the placement of O. pearsei sp. nov. in a distinct clade within genus Oscarella defined by the presence of spherulous cells that contain paracrystalline inclusions; O. carmela lacks this cell type. Oscarella pearsei sp. nov and O. carmela can be tentatively distinguished based upon gross morphological differences such as color, surface texture and extent of mucus production, but can be more reliably identified using mitochondrial and nuclear barcode sequencing, ultrastructural characteristics of cells in the mesohyl, and the morphology of the follicle epithelium which surrounds the developing embryo in reproductively active individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant sea bass, Stereolepis gigas (Polyprionidae), is the largest teleost distributed in the northeastern Pacific from California to northern Mexico and has been overexploited by fisheries for more than a century. As a consequence of this historic exploitation, populations collapsed throughout the region in the last century resulting in the listing of the species as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Recently, numbers of giant sea bass have been increasing within the region due primarily to the banning of the near shore gill net fishery in California waters in 1994. To assess population structure, the impact of historic exploitation on the genetic diversity and effective population size of the species, and to detect signs of recent population expansions, individuals from throughout the northeastern Pacific ( n = 61; Northern Channel Islands, CA to San Quintín, Baja California) were sequenced at the mitochondrial control region and genotyped using 12 nuclear microsatellite loci generated from next-generation sequencing. Based on these markers, a single population was detected with low genetic diversity resulting in an estimated contemporary effective population size of less than 500 individuals with evidence of recent expansion within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The coastal beach and dune environments of California host a diverse fauna of specialist arthropods, but are heavily and increasingly impacted by human activities. Little phylogeographical work has examined arthropods in these habitats, despite the importance of arthropods to community health. 2. We analysed the COI mitochondrial gene for approximately 80 individuals from nine dune systems in central and southern California for each of three coastal beetle species, Coelus ciliatus (Tenebrionidae), Hypocaccus lucidulus (Histeridae), and Cercyon fimbriatus (Hydrophilidae), examining overall phylogeographical patterns, inter-population connectedness, and concordance in these among species. 3. All species exhibited significant intra-specific diversity, with Co. ciliatus exhibiting both the lowest overall diversity and the strongest geographical structure. Cercyon fimbriatus was at the other extreme, exhibiting high diversity and essentially no geographical structure. None showed strong concordance with phylogeographical breaks common in either terrestrial or marine organisms, suggesting that coastal specialists may occupy their own unique realm. 4. Few populations of any species are monophyletic, but FST values for Co. ciliatus and H. lucidulus indicated moderately restricted gene flow; populations of Ce. fimbriatus appear panmictic. 5. Our results suggest that coastal beetles may be relatively good colonists, and likely to repopulate appropriate areas where management permits habitat to return to natural conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turfgrass anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum cereale (ex. Colletotrichum graminicola), is an important disease of turf used on golf course putting greens. Recent management of the disease has become increasingly difficult, partly due to the possible development of practical resistance to the Qol fungicides. In all, 558 single-conidia isolates of C. cereale were collected from 10 California golf courses, 8 of which had been exposed to Qol fungicides and 2 where no fungicides had been used. Isolates were tested using a mycelial expansion assay on azoxystrobin- amended media. For the two nonexposed populations, in vitro 50% effective dose (ED50) values ranged from 0.0060 to 0.089 pg/mI. All isolates from the exposed populations could not be fully inhibited by doses of azoxystrobin as high as 8.0 pg/mI. A subset of these isolates were tested in vitro with the Qol fungicides pyraclostrobin and trifloxystrobin and found to be similar in re- sponse, indicating that these isolates were fully cross-resistant to all three fungicides. In green- house pot experiments, three isolates nonresponsive to Qol fungicides in vitro were not con- trolled by label rates of the fungicides. Spore germination assays also were examined; for 10 isolates identified as sensitive by mycelial expansion assays, ED50 values for axoystrobin ranged from 0.0040 to 0.0047 pg/mI; for 25 isolates identified as Qol-resistant, 93 to 100% of the co- nidia germinated at azoxystrobin concentrations as high as 8.0 pg/mI relative to the nonamended check treatments. Mitochondrial cytochrome b genes from a subset of IS isolates (12 resistant and 3 sensitive) were partially cloned and sequenced; all resistant isolates had an alanine substitution that corresponded to position 143 of the gene product. These results indicate that Qol resistance is present in California populations of C. cereale and is contributing to the difficulty in controlling this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI) sequence, nuclear microsatellites, and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) were used to evaluate connectivity among nine red abalone ( Haliotis rufescens) populations sampled between August 1998 and November 2003 along approximately 1,300 km of California coastline from Crescent City (41°46′N, 124°12′W) to San Miguel Island (34°02′N, 120°22′W). COI sequences and microsatellite genotypes did not show significant genetic divergence among nine sampled populations. A subset of five populations spanning the geographic range of the study was scored for 163 polymorphic AFLP markers. Of these, 41 loci showed significant divergence ( P < 0.001) among populations. Still, no AFLP markers were diagnostic for any of the study populations, and assignment tests did not consistently assign individuals to the correct population. Although the AFLP data are the first to suggest there is significant genetic differentiation among California red abalone populations, the discordance between the different genetic markers needs further study before unambiguous conclusions can be drawn with respect to connectivity among the populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses several topics supporting the importance of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) maintenance, modification and variation to longevity and aging presented during the meeting of the Longevity Consortium (LC) held in Napa, California. It mentions that telemores shortening and DNA methylation affect aging and age-related structural and functional changes. It notes that mitochondria are part of the aging process, although the mechanism remains elusive.

Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) juveniles are often difficult to identify by using morphological characters. This study independently applies morphological characters and a key based on mitochondrial restriction site variation to identify juvenile rockfishes collected in southern California during juvenile rockfish surveys. Twenty-four specimens of Sebastes were examined genetically without knowledge of the morphological assignment. Seventeen fish were identified genetically as S. semicinctus, S. goodei, S. auriculatus, S. jordani, S. levis, S. rastrelliger, and S. saxicola. Identities for the remaining fish were narrowed to two or three species: 1) three fish were either S. carnatus or S. chrysomelas; 2) one fish was either S. chlorosticus, S. eos, or S. rosenblatti; and 3) three fish could have been either S. hopkinsi or S. ovalis, the latter for which we now have distinguishing mitochondrial markers. The genetic and morphological assignments concurred except for the identity of one fish that could only be narrowed down to S. hopkinsi or S. semicinctus by using morphological characters. Genetics excluded more species from multispecies groupings than did the morphological approach, especially species within the subgenus Sebastomus. Species in the genetically unresolvable groups may be similar because of recent divergence or because of interspecies introgression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on several studies on metabolic regulation to be presented at the 65th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association at the San Diego Convention Center in California from June 10 to 14, 2005. Effect of physiologic oxygen tension on glucose dependency of electron transport and insulin secretion in pancreatic islets; Mitochondrial regulation of insulin production in rat pancreatic islets; Inhibition of glutamate dehydrogenase potentiates glucose stimulated insulin secretion by rat islets.

Presents information on several studies about muscles to be presented at the 65th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association at the San Diego Convention Center in California from June 10 to 14, 2005. Impact of microsphere embolism of insulin-mediated glucose uptake; Exercise-induced remodelling of mitochondria in skeletal muscle of obese subjects with insulin resistance; Impaired responsivity to exercise for muscle mitochondrial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.

Phylogenetic relationships among and within the more than 70 recognized families of Annelida are poorly understood. In some cases, such as the monotypic Poeobiidae, derived morphology hinders the ability to find convincing synapomorphies that help elucidate evolutionary origins. In such cases, molecular data can be useful. Poeobiidae consists of the holopelagic polychaete Poeobius meseres, which is typically found in midwater depths off California. Morphologists have speculated that it is close to or within Flabelligeridae, but definitive evidence was lacking. Herein we use maximum likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction methods to examine the nuclear 18S rDNA (SSU) gene and the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Our results strongly support the hypothesis that P. meseres is a highly derived flabelligerid annelid closely related to Therochaeta. Thus, Poeobiidae is a junior synonym for Flabelligeridae. This result raises interesting questions about the evolution of the holopelagic P. meseres from a benthic ancestral flabelligerid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts of studies on enzymes and enzyme inhibitors, presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 convention held in San Diego, California. "Role of Mitochondria in the Release of Oxytocin in Rat Spinal Cord," by Nazma Chowdhury, Jaynarayan Dwivedi et al.; "Effects of Zimbabwe's Medicinal Plant Extracts on Caspase-3," by Johnithan White, Angela Rea et al.; "Subcellular Localization of Protein Phosphatase-1 Inhibitor-3 and Protein Phosphatase-1," by Hua-Shan Huang.

Presents abstracts of studies about integration and organization of signaling pathways presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 Congress in San Diego, California. "Mechanisms of Mitochondria-to-Nucleus Stress Signaling Mediated Activation of IGFR Pathway and Increased Glucose Uptake in C2C12 Myocytes," by Manti Guha et al; "Rit Promotes Neuronal Differentiation Via Activation of B-Raf-ERK and p38 MAP Kinase Cascades," by Geng-Xian Shi and Douglas A. Andres; "Cloning of the Pneumocystis carinii STE7 Gene," by Rendell W. Ashton et al.

Presents abstracts of studies on TRPS and intracellular calcium2+ signaling presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 congress in San Diego, California. "Bimodal Regulation of Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry Via Functional Coupling of Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum in Rat Brown Adipocytes," by Kenji Kuba, Hisashi Susaki, et al; "Bimodal Regulation of Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry Via Mitochondria by the Β Action of Noradrenaline in Brown Adipocytes," by Masako Kuba, Hisashi Kenji, et al; "Aging Alters Rapid and Spontaneous Intracellular Calcium Store Refilling in Rat Superior Cervical Ganglion Cells,' by Conwin K. Vanterpool, William J. Pearce, et al.

Presents abstracts of researches on mitochondrial function in health and disease presented at Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 Congress in San Diego, California. "Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species in Intact Muscle Fibers Versus Muscle Mitochondria," by Sandrine Arbogast, Patrick G. Sullivan and Michael B. Reid; "Reduced Mitochondrial Coupling With Age: In Vivo Measurements in Mouse Skeletal Muscle," by David J. Marcinek, Kenneth A. Schenkman and Kevin E. Conley; "Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Human Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells," by Lisa Huey-Shian Leung and David A. Hood.

Previously, numerous epidemiologic studies reported an association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and exposure to air pollution during pregnancy. However, there have been no metabolomics studies investigating the impact of pregnancy pollution exposure to ASD risk in offspring. To identify differences in maternal metabolism that may reflect a biological response to exposure to high air pollution in pregnancies of offspring who later did or did not develop ASD. We obtained stored mid-pregnancy serum from 214 mothers who lived in California's Central Valley and experienced the highest levels of air pollution during early pregnancy. We estimated each woman's average traffic-related air pollution exposure (carbon monoxide, nitric oxides, and particulate matter <2.5 μm) during the first trimester using the California Line Source Dispersion Model, version 4 (CALINE4). By utilizing liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, we identified the metabolic profiles of maternal serum for 116 mothers with offspring who later developed ASD and 98 control mothers. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was employed to select metabolic features associated with air pollution exposure or autism risk in offspring. We also conducted extensive pathway enrichment analysis to elucidate potential ASD-related changes in the metabolome of pregnant women. We extracted 4022 and 4945 metabolic features from maternal serum samples in hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) chromatography (positive ion mode) and C18 (negative ion mode) columns, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, we identified 167 and 222 discriminative features (HILIC and C18, respectively). Pathway enrichment analysis to discriminate metabolic features associated with ASD risk indicated various metabolic pathway perturbations linked to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and mitochondrial function, including carnitine shuttle, amino acid metabolism, bile acid metabolism, and vitamin A metabolism. Using high resolution metabolomics, we identified several metabolic pathways disturbed in mothers with ASD offspring among women experiencing high exposure to traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy that were associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. These findings provide us with a better understanding of metabolic disturbances involved in the development of ASD under adverse environmental conditions. • We detected metabolic features in maternal pregnancy serum associated with offspring ASD in high air pollution exposed women. • Metabolomic pathways link high levels of traffic-related air pollution in early pregnancy to ASD. • Metabolic pathway perturbation related to mitochondrial dysfunction may affect the development of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on several studies regarding exercise and insulin resistance in man to be discussed at the 65th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association at the San Diego Convention Center in California from June 10 to 14, 2005. Role of adiponectin and adiponectin receptors in the regulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and insulin sensitivity; Effects of resistance exercise, aerobic exercise and their combination on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes; Results of age-associated reductions in mitochondrial biogenesis.

Presents abstracts of studies on the integration of mRNA processing with gene transcription, presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 convention held in San Diego, California. "Up-regulation of the Mitochondrial Ribonuclease H in Leishmania at Elevated Growth Temperature," by Robert Smith and Smita Misra; "Prostaglandin E2 Induces MUC8 Gene Expression via a Mechanism Involving ERK MAPK/RSK1/CREB Activation in Human Airway Epithelial Cells," by Kyou-nam Cho, Jinkook Kim et al.; "Post-transcriptional Regulation of Wt1 Lies Downstream of AhR Signaling and Modifies Gene Expression During Nephrogenesis," by Hadi Falahatpisheh, Kenneth S. Ramos et al.

Presents abstracts of studies on the DNA replication-recombination-repair interactive systems, presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 convention held in San Diego, California. "Characterization of Strand Invasion and DNA Helicase Activities in Soybean Mitochondria," by Daqing Song; "Western Blot Analysis of RecA and SSB in Arabidopsis Mitochondria," by Sirajul Karim; "Conservation and Expression Levels of Mitochondrial-Targeted RecA and SSB in Higher Plants," by Jennifer Chiniquy.

Presents abstracts of studies on intracellular lipid protein dynamics presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 Congress in San Diego, California. "Ubiquitination Dependent PtdSer Transport From ER/MAM to the Mitochondria in S. Cerevisiae," by Jae-Yeon Choi, et al; "Phospholipase D Promotes Neurite Outgrowth in Spinal and Cortical Neurons: Evidence Using Inhibitory Anti-PLD Antibodies," by Cristina Felicia Vidulescu, et al; "Involvement of PLD1 in Regulated Exocytosis From Neuroendocrine Cells," by Nicolas Vitale, et al.3.

The article focuses on studies from the University of California (UC) Davis' Center for Health and Nutrition Research (CHNR) on the health benefits of biologically active compounds (biofactors) in food. The study states that biofactors can treat and prevent illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. It also discusses several studies regarding biofactors' use in reducing the risk of chronic diseases, mitochondria's function in aging-related diseases, and genotyping asthma patients.

The article reports on a research conducted by Benoît Kornmann and colleagues at the University of California in San Francisco, California, regarding a powerful approach to understand the character of the molecular transport junctions. It starts with pinning down the proteins that are involved in the junction. Accordingly, they designed a genetic screen to determine the proteins that were involved in connecting the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in yeast.

Presents abstracts of studies on DNA replicases, presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 convention held in San Diego, California. "Conformational Dynamics of Nucleotide Selection by DNA Polymerase," by David Millar, Michael Bailey et al.; "Biochemical Genetics of the Mitochondrial Replicase," by Laurie S. Kaguni, Ningguang Luo et al.

Presents abstracts of studies on compartmentation of lipid metabolism, presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Psychological Sciences 2005 congress held in San Diego, California. "Does Acyl-CoA Synthase Compartmentation Control the Metabolic Fate of Fatty Acids?," by Paul A. Watkins, Dony Maiguel et al.; "Fatty Acid Synthesis in Mitochondria: New Insights," by J. Kalervo Hiltunen, Zhi-Jun Chen et al.;"The Sphingomyelin Synthase Family: Identification and Biological Implications," by Joost Holthuis, Philipp Ternes et al.

Presents abstracts of studies about organelle dynamics presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 Congress in San Diego, California. "Alternative Topogenesis of Mgm1 Links Mitochondrial Morphology to the Bioenergetic State of Mitochondria," by Andreas Siegfried Reichert et al; "Intracellular Trafficking of Enzymatic Cofactors: Visualizing Cobalamin at the Single-Molecule Limit," by Charles B. Grissom et al.