Biology subjects

Cano, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Cano, E..

11 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Less diverse but uniquely composed: Canopy cover and elevation shape Neotropical Arcellinida assemblages in the Peruvian Andes

The Peruvian Andes, and especially its slopes towards the Amazonian Basin are well-known biodiversity hotspots for plants and animals, which represent the visible part of biodiversity. However, not much is known about microeukaryotic diversity, despite the significant role protists play in the ecosystem. Based on a molecular survey of the diversity of Arcellinida (a group of amoebae well known for its environmental sensitivity and restricted geographical distributions), we estimated its diversity along an elevation gradient spanning more than 3000 meters. Surprisingly, Neotropical forest Arcellinida were less abundant and diverse than in most other extratropical biomes; nevertheless, communities differed strongly in their taxonomic composition as compared with forests in higher latitudes. Notably, sequences related to Trigonopyxis were most abundant, whereas this group occurs only marginally in extratropical settings. Elevation influenced beta diversity, showing different assembly processes occurring at different elevation belts. Canopy cover positively influenced both phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity, showing the importance of above and below ground integration in tropical forests.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Threshold responses of aquatic microbial diversity to terrestrial land use across Mediterranean catchments

Climate driven aridification and intensified human activity are placing increasing pressure on Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems. These impacts propagate from land to water, altering nutrient regimes and reshaping aquatic microbial communities. We analysed Arcellinida diversity across 363 lentic inland saline and freshwater sediment samples spanning broad gradients of land use, water chemistry, soil properties, and climate in southern Spain. Random forest models identified terrestrial land use intensity followed by water chemistry as main predictors of community diversity. Diversity declined sharply in sites with population densities above [~]33 inhabitants/km{superscript 2} and under eutrophic conditions, but peaked in oligotrophic systems with stable, carbon rich soils. These threshold responses demonstrate that aquatic protist assemblages integrate both long term terrestrial pressures and current water conditions. Overall, our findings show that landscape transformation and its cascading effects on water quality dominate community assembly, and that the combination of community level diversity metrics with selected taxon-level indicators capture ecosystem degradation more consistently than relying on a single metric.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Quaternary ice ages shaped protists phylogeography: the case of Arcellinida in the Iberian Peninsula

The Quaternary glaciations profoundly shaped the biogeography of plants and animals, yet their impact on microbial eukaryotes remains largely unexplored. We tested the "genetic legacy of the Quaternary" (GLQ) paradigm in terrestrial protists using Arcellinida testate amoebae diversity distribution across the Iberian Peninsula, a well-established glacial refugium. To do so, we compiled the most extensive Arcellinida metabarcoding dataset to date (ArKOI), including 615 samples from multiple continents and ecosystems. Our results showed that hotspots of intra-OTU genetic diversity align with known Iberian refugia, supporting the concept of "refugia within refugia", and displaying clear ecoregion-specific climatic niches. Patterns of spatial clustering, niche breadth, and historical demographic reconstruction revealed repeated range contractions and expansions during the Pleistocene, mirroring those observed in macro-organisms. These findings extend the GLQ paradigm to protists, highlighting shared historical and ecological processes across the eukaryotic tree of life and contributing to a unified theory of biogeographic responses to climatic change.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

The role of innate immune responses against two strains of PEDV (S INDEL and non-S INDEL) in newborn and weaned piglets inoculated by combined orogastric and intranasal routes

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a severe gastrointestinal disease in swine caused by PED virus (PEDV), leading to significant economic losses worldwide. Newborn piglets are especially vulnerable, with nearly 100% mortality, unlike older pigs. Disease severity also varies depending on the PEDV strain, with non-S INDEL strains being more virulent than S INDEL ones. This study examined early pathogenesis and innate immunity in 1-week-old suckling and 5- week-old weaned piglets (n=8 per age group, 4 per strain) inoculated with S INDEL or non-S INDEL PEDV strains via combined orogastric and intranasal route. Age-matched negative controls (n=3 per age group) were included. Body weight, temperature, and clinical signs were monitored for 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi). PEDV RNA levels were assessed in rectal swabs (RS) at 0 and 48 hpi, while pathological analyses and viral RNA loads were measured in jejunal content and intestinal mucosa. Gene expression of 75 selected antiviral and inflammatory genes were measured in laser capture microdissection (LCM)-derived jejunal samples using microfluidic qPCR at 48 hpi. Suckling piglets showed severe clinical signs, while weaned piglets were mostly asymptomatic at 48 hpi. In general, clinical signs and lesions in suckling piglets were similar, regardless of the PEDV strain. Both viral strains produced comparable viral RNA loads in the small intestine and feces, as well as consistent villous atrophy and fusion across age groups. In LCM-derived jejunal samples, weaned piglets had higher expression of antiviral genes (type I/III interferons, ISGs) and Th1/Th17 pro-inflammatory genes, particularly with the non-S INDEL strain. Conversely, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was overexpressed in suckling compared to weaned piglets for both strains. Overall, PEDV-induced intestinal damage, viral replication, and excretion were similar regardless of viral strain or piglet age. The reduced clinical severity in weaned piglets may result from their stronger intestinal antiviral and pro-inflammatory response. AUTHOR SUMMARYPorcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is the causative agent of a major gastrointestinal disease in piglets worldwide, characterized by severe watery diarrhea. The disease is particularly devastating in newborn piglets, especially when caused by non-S INDEL PEDV strains, while weaned piglets demonstrate resistance regardless of the strain. In this study, during the acute infection phase (48 hpi), both highly virulent non-S INDEL and less virulent S INDEL strains caused comparable intestinal atrophy, viral replication in the intestine, and viral loads in feces in both weaned and suckling piglets. However, weaned piglets mounted a robust antiviral response involving type I and III interferons (IFNs) and the induction of Th1- and Th17-related pro-inflammatory responses in the intestinal mucosa. Additionally, interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were broadly upregulated across the intestinal mucosa of weaned piglets in response to both PEDV strains. In contrast, suckling piglets exhibited a weaker innate immune response, coinciding with more severe clinical signs. The observed inverse relationship between disease severity and intestinal innate immune activation highlights the potential role of IFNs, ISGs, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in mitigating PEDV severity and underscores their relevance in developing novel pharmacological prevention strategies.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Mechanosensitive PIEZO2 channels shape coronary artery development

The coronary arteries develop under substantial mechanical loads. However, the role of mechanosensitive ion channels has barely been addressed in this system. Here we demonstrate the expression of the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO2 in specific coronary endothelial cell populations during a crucial phase of vascular modeling. Piezo2 positive coronary endothelial cells display distinct transcriptional profiles and have mechanically activated ionic currents. Strikingly, Piezo2-/- mouse embryos and mice with human pathogenic variants of PIEZO2 display coronary vessel malformations and left ventricular hyperplasia. We conclude that an optimal balance of PIEZO2 channel function is indispensable for coronary vessel formation, integrity, and remodeling and likely for proper cardiac function.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Pharmacological cAMP stimulation via prostaglandin receptors rescues ciliary defects in CEP290-deficient patient and mouse models

The retinas sensitivity to light depends on the primary cilium of photoreceptors, known as the outer segment (OS). OS defects are a primary cause of inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) and can also indicate wider ciliary dysfunctions. One such IRD is Leber congenital amaurosis type 10 (LCA10), which occurs as a monosymptomatic retinal disease or the presenting symptom of syndromic ciliopathies within the Senior-Loken-Joubert-Meckel spectrum. LCA10 patients are born blind but retain dormant photoreceptors for decades, offering the potential for reactivation. AAV-based gene therapies for IRDs cannot accommodate the large CEP290 gene, prompting the search for innovative treatments. LCA10 is caused by mutations in CEP290, which plays a vital role in ciliation, similar to cAMP signaling. Utilizing fibroblasts displaying variable CEP290 mutations and associated ciliary defects, we show that exposure to Taprenepag, a specific PGE2 receptor agonist, substantially stimulated cAMP synthesis and consistently improved cilia formation and elongation. We also found that intraperitoneal injection of Taprenepag in mice reached the retina and slowed retinal degeneration, promoting OS formation, and improving light sensitivity in a Cep290 mutant mouse. These findings demonstrate the potential of Taprenepag to treat the CEP290-related visual dysfunction and suggest evaluation for other CEP290-related organ issues and ciliopathies.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2023

Solitary Silence and Social Sounds: Music influences mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions

The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a marked increase in the use of music listening for self-regulation1. During these challenging times, listeners reported they used music to keep them company2; indicating that they may have turned to music for social solace3. However, whether this is simply a figure of speech or an empirically observable effect on social thought was previously unclear. In three experiments, six hundred participants were presented with silence or task-irrelevant music in Italian, Spanish, or Swedish while performing a directed mental-imagery task in which they imagined a journey towards a topographical landmark4. To control for a possible effect of vocals on imagined content, the music was presented with or without vocals to the participants, of which half were native speakers and the other half non-speakers of the respective languages. Music, compared to silence, led to more vivid imagination and changes in imagined content. Specifically, social interaction emerged as a clear thematic cluster in participants descriptions of their imagined content through Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Moreover, Bayesian Mixed effects models revealed that music significantly increased imagined social content compared to silence conditions. This effect remained robust irrespective of vocals or language comprehension. Using stable diffusion, we generated visualisations of participants imagined content. In a fourth experiment, a new group of participants was able to use these visualisations to differentiate between content imagined during music listening and that of the silence condition, but only when listening to the associated music. Results converge to show that music, indeed, can be good company.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2023

Phylogenetics and phylogeography of Euphorbia canariensis reveal an extreme Canarian-Asian disjunction and limited inter-island colonization

Euphorbia canariensis is an iconic endemic species of the Canary Islands and one of the most characteristic species of lowland xerophytic communities known, in Spanish, as cardonal-tabaibal. This species is widely distributed in the archipelago, which contrasts with the theoretically low dispersal abilities suggested by its unspecialized diasporas. Furthermore, the phylogenetic relationships of this species are unclear, although it is thought to be related to the Indian E. epiphylloides and not to other cactus-like Euphorbia of the Canary Islands (E. handiensis) and Africa. Here we aimed to reconstruct the evolutionary history of E. canariensis at two levels: (i) a phylogenetic approach aimed at unravelling relationships of this species and large-scale biogeographic patterns, and (ii) a phylogeographic approach focused on the history of colonization between islands of the Canarian archipelago in relation to habitat availability for this species through time. Based on previous phylogenetic studies of Euphorbia, we sequenced the ITS region for E. canariensis and several potentially related species to build a phylogenetic framework. We also sequenced two cpDNA regions for 92 individuals from 29 populations of E. canariensis representing its distribution range. We estimated the number of inter-island colonization events using PAICE, a recently developed method that includes a sampling effort correction. Additionally, we used species distribution modelling (SDM) to project current habitat availability for E. canariensis to past periods. Phylogenetic results supported the Canarian E. canariensis as closely related to the Southeast Asian E. epiphylloides and E. sessiliflora. In the Canarian archipelago, E. canariensis displayed a surprising west-to-east colonization pattern. The estimated number of inter-island colonization events was c. 20 - 50, and SDM suggested an increase in habitat availability in recent times. In summary, in this study we confirmed an extreme biogeographic disjunction between Macaronesia and Southeast Asia, described only for a small number of plant species, and estimated relatively low dispersal capabilities for E. canariensis, with a west-to-east colonization pattern in the Canary Islands. HighlightsO_LIThe Canarian Euphorbia canariensis is sister to Southeast Asian species. C_LIO_LIThis lineage shows one of the widest disjunctions affecting Macaronesian plants. C_LIO_LIThe lack of intermediate relatives could be the result of extinction events. C_LIO_LIE. canariensis displays low colonization ability in the Canarian archipelago. C_LI

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Coronary vessel assembly involves patterned endocardial sprouting and tip-cell-to artery specification

The coronary vasculature comprises superficial coronary veins and deeper coronary arteries and capillaries that critically support the high metabolic activity of the beating heart. Understanding how different endothelial progenitor sources jointly shape and remodel the coronary vasculature into its adult pattern has recently attracted great research interest, and spurred much debate. Here, using lineage tracing tools in combination with three-dimensional imaging, live-imaging in explants and single-cell transcriptional profiling, we demonstrate that sprouting angiogenesis drives both sinus venosus and endocardial contribution to coronary plexus. Whereas previous studies limit endocardial contribution to coronary vessels to the interventricular septum and ventral aspect of the heart, our study demonstrates extensive endocardial sprouting angiogenesis in the free ventricular walls. In particular, we identify a distinct subpopulation of endocardial cells that express future coronary markers and reside in both the embryonic and adult ventricular wall endocardium. Most importantly, we provide evidence for sprouting angiogenesis from both endocardium and subepicardial plexus towards the inner myocardial wall to determine pre-arterial specification. Additionally, sprouting from the endocardium leads to the establishment of perfused connections to the advancing coronary plexus, also followed by transitioning to the pre-arterial cell state. Distinct molecular profiles characterize sprouting populations in the intramyocardial and subepicardial layers that shape the prospective coronary arteries and veins, respectively. Harnessing the endocardial progenitors and targeting the distinct sprouting populations may in the future serve to tailor cardiac vascular adaptations for therapeutic purposes.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A needle in a haystack: a new metabarcoding approach to survey diversity at the species level of Arcellinida (Amoebozoa: Tubulinea)

Environmental DNA-based diversity studies have increased in popularity with the development of high throughput sequencing technologies. This permits the potential simultaneous retrieval of vast amounts of molecular data from many different organisms and species, thus contributing to a wide range of biological disciplines. Environmental DNA protocols designed for protists often focused on the highly conserved small subunit of the ribosome gene, that does not permit species-level assignments. On the other hand, eDNA protocols aiming at species-level assignments allow a fine level ecological resolution and reproducible results. These protocols are currently applied to organisms living in marine and shallow lotic freshwater ecosystems, often in a bioindication purpose. Therefore, in this study, we present a species-level eDNA protocol, designed to explore diversity of Arcellinida (Amoebozoa: Tubulinea) testate amoebae taxa, that is based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). These organisms are widespread in lentic water bodies and soil ecosystems. We applied this protocol to 42 samples from peatlands, estuaries and soil environments, recovering all the infraorders in Glutinoconcha (with COI data), except for Hyalospheniformes. Our results revealed an unsuspected diversity in morphologically homogeneous groups such as Cylindrothecina, Excentrostoma or Sphaerothecina. With this protocol we expect to revolutionize the design of modern distributional Arcellinida surveys. Our approach involve a rapid and cost effective analysis of testate amoeba diversity living in contrasted ecosystems. Therefore, Arcellinida clade have the potential to be established as a model group for an array of theoretical and applied studies.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

The cloud forest in the Dominican Republic: diversity and conservation status

The study of the forest in rainy environments of the Dominican Republic reveals the presence of four types of vegetation formations, clearly differentiated from each other in terms of their floristic and biogeographical composition, and also significantly different from the rainforests of Cuba. This leads us to propose two new alliances and four plant associations located in northern mountain areas exposed to moisture-laden winds from the Atlantic: All. Rondeletio ochraceae-Clusion roseae (Ass. Cyatheo furfuracei-Prestoetum motanae; Ass. Ormosio krugii-Prestoetum montanae); and All. Rondeletio ochraceae-Didymopanion tremuli (Ass. Hyeronimo montanae-Magnolietum pallescentis; Hyeronimo dominguensis-Magnolietum hamorii). Due to human activity, some areas are very poorly conserved, as evidenced by the diversity index and the presence of endemic tree and plant elements. The worst conserved in terms of the relationship between characteristic plants vegetation (cloud forest) in areas with high rainfall in the Dominican Republic, along with its floristic diversity and state of conservation. Thanks to this study it has been possible to significantly increase the botanical knowledge of this important habitat.

plant biology↗