Biology subjects

Furrer, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Furrer, R..

10 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Complementarity of ecosystem types drives landscape-wide productivity in North America

Landscape mosaics with a greater diversity of ecosystems tend to be more productive, mirroring the well-established relationship between species diversity and productivity observed in plot-scale biodiversity experiments. However, the mechanisms driving this effect at the landscape scale remain unclear. Here, we analyze a 15-year time series of satellite-derived primary productivity across over 50,000 landscape plots that vary in ecosystem composition. Our results demonstrate that more diverse landscapes are more productive and more predictable under environmental stress, especially drought. Using statistical partitioning, we show that these diversity effects are primarily driven by complementarity, with productivity gains that are broadly shared among ecosystem types rather than being dominated by a few. The specific ecosystem types that contributed most to landscape functioning varied regionally, but their role in driving mixture productivity remained unaffected by drought. These findings extend biodiversity theory to the landscape scale, emphasizing the critical role of higher-order diversity in shaping ecosystem function and informing landscape management.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Muscle Fiber- and Cell Type-Specificity of Training Adaptation in Male Mice

Skeletal muscle possesses extraordinary plasticity of structure, metabolism, and function in response to repeated contractile activity. As a syncytium embedded within a complex microenvironment, muscle relies on the coordination of distinct myonuclear populations and diverse mononucleated cell types. Here, we present a high-resolution single-nucleus RNA-sequencing atlas of 550000 skeletal muscle nuclei, capturing the longitudinal transcriptional responses of 17 distinct myonuclear and 21 mononuclear cell populations at multiple time points after one bout of exhaustive exercise in trained and sedentary mice. The transcriptional programs of these populations are further shaped by training status into divergent adaptive trajectories. A subset of oxidative myonuclei enters a delayed regenerative state post-exercise, reflecting a bifurcated response to a disproportionate metabolic load on fibers during endurance exercise. Prior training accelerates homeostatic recovery and shields oxidative nuclei from exacerbated damage signatures. In parallel, mononucleated cells emerge as the primary mediators of intercellular communication during recovery. Together, this dataset establishes that training adaptation emerges through a coordinated interplay of intrinsic adaptive programs of multicellular remodeling, and provides a foundational resource for mechanistic insights into muscle plasticity.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Positive effects of landscape diversity on vegetation productivity at the kilometer scale

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWBroad evidence suggests a positive relationship between local species richness and ecosystem functioning 1,2. However, Earths terrestrial surface is formed by a mosaic of different habitats, which constitutes a higher level of diversity known as landscape diversity. Recent studies indicate that landscape diversity can also promote ecosystem functions, including primary productivity, but the underlying mechanisms and relevant spatial scales remain poorly understood 3,4. Here, we combine satellite remote sensing of vegetation productivity with high-resolution land cover data to investigate the effects of landscape diversity on ecosystem functioning across different spatial scales. Using a plot network covering North America, we find that the observed landscape-wide effects cannot be explained by local-scale interactions along ecosystem interfaces. In a subsequent, global-scale analysis, we instead demonstrate that landscape diversity effects are most strongly associated to landscape diversity at a spatial scale of a few kilometers. This association holds across continents and climatic zones, indicating that this pattern is universal. Our investigation therefore suggests that effective land management and biodiversity conservation strategies must integrate both local species richness and higher-level organizational diversity, such as landscape diversity, to ensure robust ecosystem functioning.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Terrestrial land cover shapes fish diversity in major subtropical rivers

Freshwater biodiversity is critically affected by human modifications of terrestrial land use and land cover (LULC)1,2. Yet, knowledge of the spatial extent and magnitude of LULC-aquatic biodiversity linkages is still surprisingly limited, impeding the implementation of optimal management strategies3. Here, we compiled fish diversity data across a 160,000-km2 subtropical river catchment in Thailand characterized by exceptional biodiversity4 yet intense anthropogenic alterations5, and attributed fish species richness and community composition to contemporary terrestrial LULC across the catchment. We estimated a spatial range of LULC effects extending up to about 20 km upstream from sampling sites, and explained nearly 60 % of the variance in the observed species richness, associated with major LULC categories including croplands, forest, and urban areas. We find that integrating both spatial range and magnitudes of LULC effects is needed to accurately predict fish species richness. Further, projected LULC changes showcase future gains and losses of fish species richness across the river network and offer a scalable basis for riverine biodiversity conservation and land management, allowing for potential mitigation of biodiversity loss in highly diverse yet data-deficient tropical to sub-tropical riverine habitats.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Molecular control of endurance training adaptation in mouse skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle has an enormous plastic potential to adapt to various external and internal perturbations. While morphological changes in endurance-trained muscles are well-described, the molecular underpinnings of training adaptation are poorly understood. We aimed at defining the molecular signature of a trained muscle and unraveling the training statusdependent responses to an acute bout of exercise. Our results reveal that even though at baseline, the transcriptomes of trained and untrained muscles are very similar, training status substantially affects the transcriptional response to an acute challenge, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in part mediated by epigenetic modifications. Second, proteomic changes were elicited by different transcriptional modalities. Finally, transiently activated factors such as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma} coactivator 1 (PGC-1) are indispensable for normal training adaptation. Together, these results provide a molecular framework of the temporal and training status-dependent exercise response that defines muscle plasticity in training. HIGHLIGHTSO_LIVery few persistent transcriptional events define the trained muscle. C_LIO_LIThe training status determines the acute exercise response. C_LIO_LIEpigenetic changes shape the transcriptional specification of trained muscle. C_LIO_LIAbsence of the key regulator PGC-1 causes suboptimal training adaptations. C_LI

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Prey speed up, predators slow down: non-consumptive effects on movement behavior of a ciliate predator-prey pair

Non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of predators on prey, such as induced defensive strategies, are frequently neglected in the analysis of predator-prey interactions. Yet these effects can have demographic impacts as strong as consumption. As a counterpart to NCEs, resource-availability effects (RAEs) can prompt changes in predators as well, e.g., in their foraging behavior. We studied NCEs and RAEs in the ciliate predator-prey pair Didinium nasutum and Paramecium caudatum. We examined the dependence of prey/predator swimming speed and body size on predator/prey presence. We also investigated prey spatial grouping behavior and the dependence of predator movement on local prey abundance. We collected individual movement and morphology data through videography of laboratory-based populations. We compared swimming speeds and body sizes based on their distributions. We used linear models to respectively quantify the effects of local prey abundance on predator displacements and of predator presence on prey grouping behavior. In the presence of prey, predator individuals swam more slowly, were bigger and made smaller displacements. Further, their displacements decreased with increasing local prey abundance. In contrast, in the presence of predators, proportionally more prey individuals showed a fast-swimming behavior and there was weak evidence for increased prey grouping. Trait changes entail energy expenditure shifts, which likely affect interspecific interactions and populations, as has been shown for NCEs. Less is known about the link between RAEs and demography, but it seems likely that the observed effects scale up to influence community and ecosystem stability, yet this remains largely unexplored. Significance StatementTo maximize their fitness, organisms balance investment in foraging and avoiding being eaten. The behaviors of prey and predators are thus expected to depend on the presence and absence of each other and serve either to boost the chances of predation evasion or to increase predation success. Here we provide an example of the co-dependence of behaviors in the predator-prey pair Didinium nasutum and Paramecium caudatum. We show that the predator slows down and searches in smaller areas when prey are present, while the prey speeds up and possibly groups more as a response to the presence of predators. Such behavioral changes are likely to have a demographic and community impact that is not accounted for with common measures of predators-prey interactions.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2021

Distinct and additive effects of calorie restriction and rapamycin in aging skeletal muscle

As global life expectancy continues to climb, maintaining skeletal muscle function is increasingly essential to ensure a good life quality for aging populations. Calorie restriction (CR) is the most potent and reproducible intervention to extend health and lifespan, but is largely unachievable in humans. Therefore, identification of "CR mimetics" has received much attention. CR targets nutrient-sensing pathways centering on mTORC1. The mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin, has been proposed as a potential CR mimetic and is proven to counteract age-related muscle loss. Therefore, we tested whether rapamycin acts via similar mechanisms as CR to slow muscle aging. Contrary to our expectation, long-term CR and rapamycin-treated geriatric mice display distinct skeletal muscle gene expression profiles despite both conferring benefits to aging skeletal muscle. Furthermore, CR improved muscle integrity in a mouse with nutrient-insensitive sustained muscle mTORC1 activity and rapamycin provided additive benefits to CR in aging mouse muscles. Therefore, RM and CR exert distinct, compounding effects in aging skeletal muscle, opening the possibility of parallel interventions to counteract muscle aging.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

rasterdiv - an Information Theory tailored R package for measuring ecosystem heterogeneity from space: to the origin and back

O_LIEcosystem heterogeneity has been widely recognized as a key ecological feature, influencing several ecological functions, since it is strictly related to several ecological functions like diversity patterns and change, metapopulation dynamics, population connectivity, or gene flow. C_LIO_LIIn this paper, we present a new R package - rasterdiv - to calculate heterogeneity indices based on remotely sensed data. We also provide an ecological application at the landscape scale and demonstrate its power in revealing potentially hidden heterogeneity patterns. C_LIO_LIThe rasterdiv package allows calculating multiple indices, robustly rooted in Information Theory, and based on reproducible open source algorithms. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Metabolism is Regulated by ERRα and is Further Impaired by Glucose Loading in Type 2 Diabetes

Aims/hypothesisIncreased levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with type 2 diabetes pathogenesis. However, most metabolomic studies are limited to an analysis of plasma metabolites under fasting conditions, rather than the dynamic shift in response to a metabolic challenge. Moreover, metabolomic profiles of peripheral tissues involved in glucose homeostasis are scarce and the transcriptomic regulation of genes involved in BCAA catabolism is partially unknown. This study aimed to identify differences in circulating and skeletal muscle BCAA levels in response to an OGTT in individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or type 2 diabetes. Additionally, transcription factors involved in the regulation of the BCAA gene set were identified. MethodsPlasma and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were obtained from individuals with NGT or type 2 diabetes before and after an OGTT. Plasma and quadriceps muscles were harvested from skeletal muscle-specific PGC-1 knockout and transgenic mice. BCAA-related metabolites and genes were assessed by LC-MS/MS and RT-PCR, respectively. Small interfering RNA and adenovirus-mediated overexpression techniques were used in primary human skeletal muscle cells to study the role of PGC-1A and ESRRA in the expression of the BCAA gene set. Radiolabeled leucine was used to analyze the impact of ERR knockdown on leucine oxidation. ResultsImpairments in BCAA catabolism in people with type 2 diabetes under fasting conditions were exacerbated after a glucose load. Branched-chain keto acids were reduced 37-56% after an OGTT in the NGT group, whereas no changes were detected in individuals with T2D. These changes were concomitant with a stronger correlation with glucose homeostasis biomarkers and downregulated expression of BCAT2, BCKDH complex subunits and 69% of downstream BCAA-related genes in skeletal muscle. In primary human myotubes overexpressing PGC-1, 61% of the analyzed BCAA genes were upregulated, while 67% were downregulated in the quadriceps of skeletal muscle-specific PGC-1 knockout mice. ESRRA (encoding estrogen-related receptor , ERR) silencing completely abrogated the PGC-1-induced upregulation of BCAA-related genes in primary human myotubes. Conclusions/interpretationMetabolic inflexibility in type 2 diabetes impacts BCAA homeostasis and attenuates the decrease of circulating and skeletal muscle BCAA-related metabolites after a glucose challenge. Transcriptional regulation of BCAA genes in primary human myotubes via a PGC-1 is ERR-dependent. Research in contextO_ST_ABSWhat is already known about this subject?C_ST_ABSO_LICirculating levels of BCAA are elevated in type 2 diabetes. C_LIO_LIPGC-1 is involved in the transcription of the BCAA gene set. C_LI What is the key question?O_LIDoes metabolic inflexibility associated with type 2 diabetes encompass BCAA homeostasis and PGC-1 mediated transcription of the BCAA gene set? C_LI What are the new findings?O_LIBCAA homeostasis is further compromised by a glucose challenge in type 2 diabetes. C_LIO_LIAn OGTT reveals coordinated regulation between BCAA metabolites, blood glucose, and HbA1c levels. C_LIO_LIERR is essential for PGC-1-mediated BCAA gene expression in primary human myotubes. C_LI How might this impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future?O_LIAn OGTT can be used to underscore impairments in BCAA metabolism. These findings suggest that interventions targeting the PGC-1/ ERR axis may improve BCAA homeostasis. C_LI

physiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Generation and application of river network analogues for use in ecology and evolution

O_LISeveral key processes in freshwater ecology and evolution are governed by the connectivity inherent to dendritic river networks. These networks have extensively been analyzed from a geomorphological and hydrological viewpoint, yet network structures classically used in modelling have only been partially representative of the structure of real river basins, and have often failed to capture well known scaling features of real river networks. Pioneering work has identified optimal channel networks (OCNs) as spanning trees that reproduce all scaling features characteristic of real, natural stream networks worldwide. While these networks have been used to generate landscapes for studies on metapopulations, biodiversity and epidemiology, their generation has not been generally accessible. C_LIO_LIGiven the increasing interest in dendritic riverine networks by ecologists and evolutionary biologists, we here present a method to generate OCNs and, to facilitate its application, we also provide the R-package OCNet. Owing to the random search process that generates OCNs, multiple network replicas spanning the same surface can be built, allowing one to perform computational experiments whose results do not depend on the particular shape of a single river network. The OCN construct also enables the generation of elevational gradients derived from the optimal network configuration, which can constitute three-dimensional landscapes for spatial studies in both terrestrial and freshwater realms. Moreover, the OCNet package provides functions that aggregate the OCN into an arbitrary number of nodes, calculate several metrics and descriptors of river networks, and draw relevant features of the network. C_LIO_LIWe describe the main functionalities of the package and present how it can be integrated into other R-packages commonly used in spatial ecology. Moreover, we exemplify the generation of OCNs and discuss an application to a metapopulation model for an invasive riverine species. C_LIO_LIIn conclusion, OCNet provides a powerful tool to generate and use realistic river network analogues for various applications. It thereby allows the design of spatially realistic studies in increasingly impacted ecosystems, and enhances our knowledge on spatial processes in freshwater ecology in general. C_LI

ecology↗