Biology subjects

Castro, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Castro, A..

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

The extraordinary robustness of mitotic spindle assembly to microtubule dynamics plasticity revealed by end-binding proteins and tubulin tagging

Microtubules are dynamic, conserved cytoskeletal filaments that are essential for all eukaryotic cells. Microtubule dynamic properties are primarily characterized by measuring how fast they grow and shrink (growth and shrinkage rates) and how often they switch between assembly and disassembly (catastrophe and rescue frequencies). These four parameters measured for individual filaments can inform on the behavior of the entire microtubule network at the cell level. By comparing microtubule dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans one-cell embryos using different genetically-encoded fluorescent probes, we observed an unexpected high variability in these parameters. Microtubule dynamics parameters were consistently higher in C. elegans strains expressing a fluorescently labelled microtubule end-binding protein than in strains relying on tubulin labelling, with microtubule growth rates differing by nearly a factor of two between the two conditions. This discrepancy was not limited to C. elegans, as we observed a similar effect in embryos of the tunicate Phallusia mammillata. Despite this, spindle size and assembly timing were only mildly affected. However, embryos expressing labelled end-binding protein exhibited higher frequency of mitotic defects and perturbed embryonic development upon exposure to various stresses such as elevated temperature or a compromised spindle assembly checkpoint. Thus, our work reveals both the remarkable robustness of mitotic spindle assembly in response to extreme microtubule dynamics plasticity, and the requirement for strict control of microtubule dynamics across successive early embryonic divisions. Our findings should also serve as a cautionary note when using tagged end-binding proteins to measure microtubule dynamics.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Genome-wide characterization of extant clonal diversity in Chilean Carmenere

Carmenere is a widely cultivated and internationally recognized grapevine cultivar in Chile, yet genetic variation among its clones remains poorly characterized. Early studies based on SSR and AFLP markers detected limited polymorphism, but these approaches interrogate only a small fraction of the genome, leaving the extent of clonal diversity unresolved. Here, we generated an improved chromosome-scale diploid genome assembly of Carmenere FPS clone 02 and characterized clonal genomic diversity by sequencing 36 biological replicates representing 12 clones maintained in Chile, including heritage selections rescued from old producer vineyards by Vina Santa Carolina as part of its Bloque Herencia conservation program, and commercial nursery-derived clones. Focusing on low-frequency variants and using replicate-aware consensus calling, we identified more than 9,000 private single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small indels per clone, providing high-resolution markers for clonal identification. Although most variants were located in repetitive or intergenic regions, a subset affected coding sequences, with genes involved in plant-pathogen interactions, transport, and secondary metabolism most frequently impacted. While variant-affected genes associated with wine anthocyanin content, TA, pH, and alcohol percentage were identified, broader phenotypic characterization will be required to assess their biological significance. Overall, this study provides a genome-wide characterization of extant clonal diversity in Carmenere, with implications for clonal selection and genetic resource conservation.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2026

Interplay between Local Diffusion, Concentration, and Inter-Protein Alignment Promotes Cross-β-Sheet Transitions at Condensate Interfaces

The interface separating a biomolecular condensate from its surroundings is increasingly recognised as a unique physical and chemical environment that actively regulates condensate behaviour. It controls surface tension, molecular organisation and chemical reactivity, and is also where pathological ageing often begins, with several proteins nucleating cross-{beta}-sheet fibrils preferentially at condensate surfaces. But does ageing emerge there because of protein-specific chemistry, or a more general physical mechanism? Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we show that cross-{beta}-sheet nucleation generically occurs preferentially at condensate interfaces across systems of increasing chemical complexity, from simple homopolymers to patterned amphiphilic sequences. In all systems studied, interface-driven ageing has a common physical origin and can be further modulated, but not driven, by protein sequence. Specifically, terminal domains at the condensate interface gain mobility while remaining densely packed and mutually aligned, creating favourable conditions for {beta}-sheet nucleation. Ageing is amplified in amphiphilic sequences, where hydrophilic regions act as surfactants facing the dilute phase, while aggregation-prone hydrophobic domains cluster just beneath the surface, concentrating the nucleation there. This surfactant-like organisation lowers the interfacial free energy, which falls systematically as sequence asymmetry grows. By linking molecular interactions to mesoscale behaviour, these results cast the interface as a central regulator of ageing and reveal a sequence-independent physical mechanism for the liquid-to-solid transition underlying pathological aggregation in biomolecular condensates.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2026

Phenotypic Resistance of Ciprofloxacin and Azithromycin Resistant Campylobacter Isolates to an Extended Panel of Antibiotics.

In this study we explored phenotypic resistance using traditional Kirby-Bauer methods in human and animal derived Campylobacter isolates that were concurrently resistant to both azithromycin and ciprofloxacin to an expanded panel of antimicrobials, including clindamycin, fosfomycin, ampicillin sulbactam and tigecycline. Out of 236 Campylobacter isolates, over 85% of C. jejuni and C. coli were resistant to clindamycin, over 60% were resistant to ampicillin sulbactam and over 30% to fosfomycin. Less than 2% of isolates were resistant to tigecycline and there was no observed resistance to Imipenem.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

An ancestral haplotype of P2RX5 yields a B-cell surface marker and a promising multi-lineage immunotherapy target

While CD19- and BCMA-directed immunotherapies have improved outcomes for B-lymphoid and plasma cell malignancies, frequent relapses with antigen loss/downregulation highlight the need for new targets. Here, using transcriptomic datasets and newly-developed monoclonal antibodies, we show that P2RX5, long considered a pseudogene in humans, encodes a stable protein in 80% of individuals of African descent carrying the ancestral haplotype. Like CD19, P2RX5 displays B-cell lineage-restricted expression in normal tissues. Unlike CD19, P2RX5 is expressed not only in B-cell neoplasms, but also in T-cell leukemia (T-ALL) and multiple myeloma (MM). We developed P2RX5-directed bispecific T-cell engagers and CAR T cells, which killed T-ALL cells with no evidence of T-cell fratricide. These agents were non-inferior to FDA-approved CD19- and BCMA-directed immunotherapeutics in cell culture and xenograft models of Burkitt lymphoma and MM, while maintaining potency against CD19- and BCMA-negative variants. Hence, P2RX5 is a unique multi-lineage target for frontline or salvage immunotherapy.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Widespread Epistasis between Cancer Driver Mutations and Allele-Specific Copy Number Variations

Cancer driver mutations alone are often insufficient to fully explain tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that these mutations cooperate with somatic copy number variations (CNVs) in a tissue-specific pattern of genomic epistasis. Analyzing 93,462 tumors, we identified 54 gene-cancer type pairs with significant co-occurrence of somatic mutations and CNVs. Our new Binoculars algorithm, which resolved phased DNA/RNA reads, revealed frequent preferential amplification in oncogenic mutation alleles, including AKT1 p.E17K, BRAF p.V600E, KRAS p.G12C/D/V, NRAS p.Q61K, and a fraction of gain-of-function TP53 p.R175H. Conversely, deletions selectively targeted the reference alleles, leading to loss of heterozygosity of IDH1 p.R132H and tumor suppressor mutations, including CDKN2A and TP53 truncations. Lung cancer patients carrying co-occurrences of somatic mutation-CNVs in TP53 and KRAS showed poorer survival than those carrying the same gene mutations. These findings reveal epistasis of cancer mutations and CNVs at an allelic resolution, suggesting specific genomic events to enhance patient stratification and therapeutic targeting.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

Chlorotonils exhibit potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while resistance is mediated by MmpR5-MmpL5

Treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is challenging and requires administration of at least four different antibiotics. Unfortunately, multi-drug resistant Mtb strains continue to emerge, undermining the effectiveness of current treatment regimens and highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutics. In this study, we evaluated the potential of natural product-derived chlorotonils as anti-Mtb agents. We demonstrate that chlorotonils exhibit nanomolar potency against a range of attenuated and virulent Mtb strains. Mechanistic studies and resistance profiling in Mtb revealed that chlorotonils affect both lipid and energy metabolism. Through systems biology approaches, including the construction of an Mtb CRISPRi library specifically designed for chemical-genomic profiling, we identified MmpR5/MmpL5 as major driver of chlorotonil-resistance in Mtb leading also to cross-resistance with bedaquiline. Our findings highlight chlorotonils as valuable chemical tools to further dissect the role and function of the MmpS5-MmpL5 efflux pump in drug-resistant Mtb.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Determination of nucleotide-nucleotide and nucleotide-amino acid binding interactions from all-atom potential-of-mean-force calculations

Biomolecular condensates emerge from multivalent interactions between proteins and nucleic acids and are frequently modeled using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The parametrization of these models critically depends on atomistic data describing the underlying molecular interactions. In this work, we employ all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and potential-of-mean-force (PMF) calculations to investigate the interaction landscape between RNA nucleotides and protein amino acids. We begin by characterizing nucleotide-nucleotide binding modes through canonical base-pairing analysis, observing notable agreement in the predictions from both AMBER03ws and CHARMM36 force fields. Further rationalization of different nucleotide-nucleotide interaction modes involves the calculation of PMFs for ribose-ribose, phosphate-phosphate, and RNA tertiary interactions such as G-quadruplex formation. We also examine the effect of salt concentration on these interactions, finding a reduction on electrostatic self-repulsion for phosphate-phosphate binding upon increasing the ionic strength. Extending our analysis to amino acids, we first benchmark the performance of both AMBER03ws and a99SB-disp force fields for describing pairwise amino acid interactions, and then we evaluate different nucleotide-amino acid binding profiles. Our findings reveal a subset of amino acids--Lys and Arg (positively charged), Asp and Glu (negatively charged), and Gln, Ser, and Asn (polar residues)--that consistently engage with the nitrogenous bases of different nucleotides. Such binding is primarily mediated by hydrogen bonding and, in some cases, cation-{pi} interactions. Furthermore, we identify strong{pi} -{pi} stacking interactions with aromatic residues and phosphate-Arg contacts as key contributors to condensate cohesion in RNA-protein condensates. Our comprehensive analysis provides a detailed library of nucleotide-amino acid interactions, offering quantitative insights to inform coarse-grained model parametrization and deepening our understanding of condensate self-assembly, nucleic acid recognition, and phase-separation regulation at submolecular scale.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

Greatwall depletion from Xenopus oocytes reveals a key role of the cyclin B/CDK1-PP2A-B55 balance in the coordination of meiotic events

Meiotic progression relies on maintaining a precise balance between cyclin B/CDK1 activity and the phosphatase PP2A-B55. The latter is negatively regulated by the Greatwall kinase (Gwl). In Xenopus oocytes, we show that the loss of Gwl and the subsequent hyperactivation of PP2A-B55 severely disrupt the transition from meiosis I to meiosis II. This disruption prevents phosphorylation of both Wee1/Myt1 and the APC/C complex, thereby blocking APC/C activation. As a consequence, APC/C remains inactive during the MI-MII transition, which impairs cyclin degradation and the partial CDK1 inactivation that is normally required at this stage. Additionally, the mos-MAPK-Rsk1/2 pathway fails to activate due to insufficient Mos accumulation, thereby preventing metaphase II arrest. Finally, the lack of APC/C activation during meiosis I inhibits the degradation of its inhibitor Erp1, revealing a critical feedback loop between APC/C and Erp1. Overall, our findings reveal that Gwl is a key coordinator of both meiotic divisions, acting through dual regulation of APC/C and the Mos/MAPK/Rsk1/2 pathways by modulating PP2A-B55 activity.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

Interstitial macrophages prevent tuberculosis relapse by restricting Mycobacterium tuberculosis immune evasion

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are the first immune cells to encounter Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the lungs, but they frequently fail to eliminate this causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), allowing Mtb to persist or replicate. Interstitial macrophages (IMs) are recruited to restrict Mtb growth and limit immune evasion. While IMs have been implicated in the control of acute Mtb infection, their role during latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) has not yet been explored. We hypothesized that IMs contribute to maintaining latency and that their depletion during LTBI would promote Mtb reactivation, leading to TB relapse and disease. To test this, we utilized our previously established mouse model of paucibacillary Mtb infection that mimics aspects of LTBI in humans to selectively deplete IMs during the latent phase. IM depletion led to TB relapse in 26% of mice compared to 2% in control mice. The transitory depletion of this macrophage subset transiently affected both pulmonary macrophage and neutrophil populations. Mice that relapsed exhibited an increased proportion of pro-inflammatory IMs and elevated concentrations of G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL3, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17A and KC in the lung. These findings indicate that IMs play a critical role in controlling latent Mtb and preventing TB relapse.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Distribution patterns of invasive alien plant species in mainland Portugal

Understanding the distribution and diversity of invasive alien species is increasingly vital to meet legal requirements and guide effective management. Portugal currently hosts a large number of invasive alien plant species, with significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. However, the distribution of most of these species in the territory and the factors driving their spread and diversity remain largely unexplored. To address this, we present the first atlas of invasive plants in mainland Portugal. A total of 96 terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants are represented, encompassing all species listed under Portuguese national legislation and the European Unions list of invasive species of concern. Occurrence data were collected from a broad array of sources, including national and international biodiversity observation databases, citizen science data, literature, and data collections owned by managers and researchers, totaling approximately 85,000 records (mean = 879 {+/-} 1,757 per species). Each species was characterized based on multiple distributional parameters, and a k-means analysis was used to group species with similar distribution patterns. The richness of invasive plants was mapped at the municipality level, and the drivers of their spatial variation were investigated using a comprehensive set of 30 variables representing multiple environmental and human factors. Results show that invasive plants occur in all mainland Portuguese municipalities, but with high variability. Four main patterns of distribution were identified: species that are primarily located along the coast (e.g., Acacia saligna), and a gradient of species with narrow (e.g., Reynoutria japonica), moderate (e.g., Ipomoea indica), and wide distribution ranges (e.g., Cortaderia selloana). Species richness was significantly higher in coastal and larger municipalities, particularly those closer to major urban centers and with a higher density of power lines. Our results provide the first comprehensive assessment of the distribution of invasive alien plants in mainland Portugal, establishing a much-needed baseline for future invasion prevention and management efforts.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Zebrafish armc9 mutant reveals a link between ARM-Type fold domain loss, inflammation, and spinal curvature

The vertebral column (VC) defines the central axis of vertebrates. Among its malformations, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common, characterized by lateral spine curvature without congenital abnormalities. While its etiology remains elusive, genetic studies in zebrafish have linked AIS to skeletogenesis, cilia structure, cerebrospinal fluid flow, and inflammation. In this study, we characterized the zebrafish armc9 mutant, exhibiting AIS-like curvature without vertebral malformations, subcommissural organ, or Reissner fiber structure disruptions. We also detected an inflammatory response at the curvature origin. Structural bioinformatics and molecular docking analyses suggest that the mutant Armc9 protein partially lacks the functional ARM-type fold domain, which is crucial for its interaction with Togaram1, revealing that both proteins are relevant for ciliary signaling and spine curvature. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the ARMC gene family encompasses 12 members, highlighting that the Armc9 gene has deep evolutionary roots. Our results demonstrate that the zebrafish armc9 mutant accurately represents the AIS phenotype, suggesting that the loss of Armc9s C-terminal ARM-type fold domain could affect the ciliary integrity and contribute to spine curvature by altering the skeletogenic environment. Taken together, this study proposes that the zebrafish armc9 mutant offers a unique opportunity to understand the etiology of AIS and provides new insights into the molecular interaction networks of Armc9 in ciliary signaling.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Compositional control of ageing kineticsin TDP-43 condensates

Biomolecular compartments orchestrate the spatiotemporal organisation of cells. The spontaneous assembly of proteins and nucleic acids through liquid-liquid phase separation into biomolecular condensates has been shown to ubiquitously contribute to the functional compartmentalisation of the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. However, some condensates can undergo an additional phase transition from functional liquid states to pathological solid-like assemblies (i.e., ageing). This liquid-to-solid transition, driven by the accumulation of protein cross-{beta}-sheet structures, represents a hallmark of multiple neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we employ Molecular Dynamics simulations to explore the role of various biomolecules in regulating the ageing kinetics of condensates scaffolded by TDP-43, a key RNA-binding protein linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. We find that the recruitment of arginine-rich peptides, such as those produced by the C9orf72 gene, accelerates the nucleation of cross-{beta}-sheet structures. In contrast, the inclusion of poly-Uridine RNA and the HSP70 chaperone significantly slows the emergence of these structures. Remarkably, we observe a correlation between the compactness of the low-complexity domain of TDP-43-- which drives the transition to cross-{beta}-sheet structures--and the condensate ageing kinetics as we vary the composition of the condensates. Moreover, we find that near-interfacial regions of TDP-43 condensates exhibit faster {beta}-sheet transitions than the bulk core of the condensate. Together, our findings underscore the critical role of client biomolecules in modulating protein conformational ensembles and intermolecular interactions, thereby controlling the propensity of condensates to transition into harmful solid-like states.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

Social and news media in mapping the endangered Mediterranean Monk seal: exceptional data gains but persistent bias

Social and news media are increasingly recognised as valuable sources of species distribution data, particularly for rare and endangered species. However, these data sources are prone to biases arising from uneven observation efforts, which pose challenges for their effective use. Despite this, the drivers and extent of such biases remain understudied. Here we investigate the contribution of social and news media to improving the availability of distribution data for a rare and endangered species, the Mediterranean Monk seal (Monachus monachus), in the Madeira and Porto Santo Islands. We also assess the relationship between the distribution data collected and socio-human factors likely to determine spatial and temporal variation in observation effort. We found that media sources provide a remarkable number of observation records for the species (n=302), which compared to the GBIF, iNaturalist and Observation.org combined (n=11), represent a 27.5-fold increase. The number of observations exhibited seasonal variation, with annual peaks occurring in the summer months. A generalised linear model assessing the spatial distribution of observation data also revealed a strong positive association with areas of high human concentration. Significant variables included population density, hotel density, and proximity to coastal recreational hotspots such as diving sites and bathing areas/non-open beaches. Our results underscore the potential of social and news media in documenting species distributions, but they also emphasise the importance of accounting for observational biases. Doing so is essential to ensure the reliable and effective application of social and news media sourced data in supporting species conservation efforts and management strategies.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NRCAM) variant defined by microexon skipping is an essential, antigenically distinct, and targetable surface proteoform in high-grade glioma

To overcome the paucity of known tumor-specific surface antigens in pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG), we contrasted splicing patterns in pHGGs and normal brain samples. Among alternative splicing events affecting extracellular protein domains, the most pervasive alteration was the skipping of [≤]30 nucleotide-long exons. Several of these skipped microexons mapped to L1-IgCAM family members, such as NRCAM. Bulk and single-nuclei short- and long-read RNA-seq revealed uniform skipping of NRCAM microexons 5 and 19 in virtually every pHGG sample. Importantly, the {Delta}ex5{Delta}ex19 (but not the full-length) NRCAM proteoform was essential for pHGG cell migration and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. We developed a monoclonal antibody selective for {Delta}ex5{Delta}ex19 NRCAM and demonstrated that "painting" of pHGG cells with this antibody enables killing by T cells armed with an FcRI-based universal immune receptor. Thus, pHGG-specific NRCAM and possibly other L1-IgCAM proteoforms are promising and highly selective targets for adoptive immunotherapies.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Structural and functional analysis of cancer-associated missense variants in the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) pocket domain

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (Rb) is a multifunctional protein that primarily regulates the cell cycle but also has roles in cellular differentiation, DNA damage response and apoptosis. The loss of Rb is a key event in the development or progression of many cancers. Essential functions of Rb occur through its pocket domain, which is necessary for regulating binding interactions with E2F transcription factors and transcription repressors that bind via an LxCxE motif. The pocket domain is the most highly-conserved region of the multidomain protein, as well as the most frequent site of mutations. To understand what effects cancer missense mutations have on Rbs pocket domain, we used fluorescence polarization and differential scanning fluorimetry to quantify changes, caused by 75 cancer-associated missense variants, to E2F transactivation domain (E2FTD) binding, LxCxE binding, and changes to the thermostability of the protein. We find that 43% of the missense variants we tested reduce Rb-E2FTD binding. Many of these variants are not located at the E2F binding site, yet they destabilize the fold of the protein and show temperature-sensitive binding effects. We also find that 21% of tested mutations reduce LxCxE binding, and several mutations selectively disrupt either E2FTD or LxCxE binding. Protein X-ray crystallography of four missense variants reveals how different mutations destabilize the protein fold and inhibit E2FTD or LxCxE binding. Taken together, this work provides the first understanding of the multiple ways through which stability, structure and function of Rbs pocket domain is altered by a large number of missense mutations seen in cancer.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2024

Protein structure, a genetic encoding for glycosylation

Unlike DNA, RNA, and protein biosynthesis, dogma describes glycosylation as primarily determined by intrinsic cellular limitations, such as glycosyltransferase expression and precursor availability. However, this cannot explain the commonly-observed differences between glycans on the same protein. By examining site-specific glycosylation on diverse human proteins, we detected associations between protein structure and glycan structure, broadly generalizable to human-expressed glycoproteins. Through structural analysis of site-specific glycosylation data, we found protein-sequence and structural features consistently correlated with specific glycan features. To quantify these relationships, we present a new amino acid substitution matrix describing "glycoimpact", i.e., the association of primary protein structure and glycosylation. High-glycoimpact amino acids co-evolve with glycosites, and glycoimpact is high when estimates of amino acid conservation and variant pathogenicity diverge. We report thousands of disease variants near glycosites with high-glycoimpact, including several with known links to aberrant glycosylation (e.g., Oculocutaneous Albinism, Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker, and Gauchers Disease). Finally, glycoimpact quantification is validated by studying oligomannose-complex glycan ratios on HIV ENV, differential sialylation on IgG3 Fc, differential glycosylation on SARS-CoV-2 Spike, and fucose-modulated function of a tuberculosis monoclonal antibody. Finally, to test the causality of protein-glycan associations, we created 5 glycoimpact-designed novel Rituximab variants, 4 of which substantially changed glycoprofiles as predicted. In all, we report that site-specific glycan biosynthesis is influenced by underlying protein structure, enabling glycan structure prediction and genetic sequence-guided glycoengineering.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2024

Large language models overcome the challenges of unstructured text data in ecology

The vast volume of currently available unstructured text data, such as research papers, news, and technical report data, shows great potential for ecological research. However, manual processing of such data is labour-intensive, posing a significant challenge. In this study, we aimed to assess the application of three state-of-the-art prompt-based large language models (LLMs), GPT 3.5, GPT 4, and LLaMA-2-70B, to automate the identification, interpretation, extraction, and structuring of relevant ecological information from unstructured textual sources. We focused on species distribution data from two sources: news outlets and research papers. We assessed the LLMs for four key tasks: classification of documents with species distribution data, identification of regions where species are recorded, generation of geographical coordinates for these regions, and supply of results in a structured format. GPT 4 consistently outperformed the other models, demonstrating a high capacity to interpret textual data and extract relevant information, with the percentage of correct outputs often exceeding 90% (average accuracy across tasks: 87-100%). Its performance also depended on the data source type and task, with better results achieved with news reports, in the identification of regions with species reports and presentation of structured output. Its predecessor, GPT 3.5, exhibited reasonably low accuracy across all tasks and data sources (average accuracy across tasks: 81-97%), whereas LLaMA-2-70B showed the worst performance (37- 73%). These results demonstrate the potential benefit of integrating prompt-based LLMs into ecological data assimilation workflows as essential tools to efficiently process large volumes of textual data.

ecology↗