Biology subjects

Escobar, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Escobar, S..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Reassembly of a tropical rainforest ecosystem: A new chronosequence in the Ecuadorian Choco tested with the recovery of tree attributes

From hunting and foraging to clearing land for agriculture, humans modify forest biodiversity, landscapes, and climate. Forests constantly undergo disturbance-recovery dynamics and understanding them is a major objective of ecologists and conservationists. Chronosequences are a useful tool for understanding global restoration efforts. They represent a space-for-time substitution approach suited for the quantification of the resistance of ecosystem properties to withstand disturbance and the resilience of these properties until reaching pre-disturbance levels. Here we introduce a newly established chronosequence with 62 plots (50 50 m) in active cacao plantations and pastures, early and late regeneration, and mature old-growth forests, across a 200 km2 area in the extremely wet Choco rainforest. Our chronosequence covers by far the largest total area of plots compared to others in the Neotropics. Plots ranged from 159-615 masl in a forested landscape with 74 {+/-} 2.8 % forest cover within a 1-km radius including substantial old-growth forest cover. Land-use legacy and regeneration time were not confounded by elevation. We tested how six forest structure variables (maximum tree height and DBH, basal area, number of stems, vertical vegetation heterogeneity, and light availability), aboveground biomass (AGB), and rarefied tree species richness change along our chronosequence. Forest structure variables, AGB, and tree species richness increased with regeneration time and are predicted to reach similar levels to those in old-growth forests after ca. 30-116, 202, and 108 yrs, respectively. Compared to previous work in the Neotropics, old-growth forests in Canande accumulate high AGB that takes one of the largest time spans reported until total recovery. Our chronosequence comprises one of the largest tree species pools, covers the largest total area of regenerating and old-growth forests, and has higher forest cover than other Neotropical chronosequences. Hence, our chronosequence can be used to determine the time for recovery and stability (resistance and resilience) of different taxa and ecosystem functions, including species interaction networks. This integrative effort will ultimately help to understand how one of the most diverse forests on the planet recovers from large-scale disturbances.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Phylogenomic relationships and historical biogeography in the South American vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae)

The vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae) form a small group of Neotropical palms whose phylogenetic relationships are not fully understood. Three genera and eight species are currently recognized; however, it has been suggested that Phytelephas macrocarpa could include the species Phytelephas seemannii and Phytelephas schottii because of supposed phylogenetic relatedness and similar morphology. We inferred their phylogenetic relationships and divergence time estimates using the 32 most clock-like loci of a custom palm bait-kit formed by 176 genes and four fossils for time calibration. We additionally explored the historical biogeography of the tribe under the recovered phylogenetic relationships. Our fossil-dated tree showed the eight species previously recognized, and that P. macrocarpa is not closely related to P. seemanii and P. schottii, which, as a consequence, should not be included in P. macrocarpa. The ancestor of the vegetable ivory palms was widely-distributed in the Choco, the inter-Andean valley of the Magdalena River, and the Amazonia during the Miocene at 19.25 Ma. Early diversification in Phytelephas at 5.27 Ma can be attributed to trans-Andean vicariance between the Choco/Magdalena and the Amazonia. Our results support the role of Andean uplift in the early diversification of Phytelephas under new phylogenetic relationships inferred from genomic data.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

The anthelmintic niclosamide is a potent TMEM16A antagonist that fully bronchodilates airways

There is an unmet need in severe asthma where approximately 40% of patients exhibit poor {beta}-agonist responsiveness, suffer daily symptoms and show frequent exacerbations. Antagonists of the Ca2+-activated-Cl- channel, TMEM16A, offers a new mechanism to bronchodilate airways and block the multiple contractiles operating in severe disease. To identify TMEM16A antagonists we screened a library of ~580,000 compounds. The anthelmintics niclosamide, nitazoxanide and related compounds were identified as potent TMEM16A antagonists that blocked airway smooth muscle depolarization and contraction. To evaluate whether TMEM16A antagonists resist use- and inflammatory-desensitization pathways limiting {beta}-agonist action, we tested their efficacy under harsh conditions using maximally contracted airways or airways pretreated with a cytokine cocktail. Stunningly, TMEM16A antagonists fully bronchodilated airways, while the {beta}-agonist isoproterenol showed only partial effects. Thus, antagonists of TMEM16A and repositioning of niclosamide and nitazoxanide represent an important additional treatment for patients with severe asthma and COPD that is poorly controlled with existing therapies. It is of note that drug repurposing has also attracted wide interest in niclosamide and nitazoxanide as a new treatment for cancer and infectious disease. For the first time we identify TMEM16A as a molecular target for these drugs and thus provide fresh insights into their mechanism for the treatment of these disorders in addition to respiratory disease.

physiology↗