Search bioRxivSearch

Biology subjects

Gerard, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Gerard, J..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Cohesin interacts with a panoply of splicing factors required for cell cycle progression and genomic organization

The cohesin complex regulates sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome organization, gene expression, and DNA repair. Here we report that endogenous human cohesin interacts with a panoply of splicing factors and RNA binding proteins, including diverse components of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP complex and several splicing factors that are commonly mutated in cancer. The interactions are enhanced during mitosis, and the interacting splicing factors and RNA binding proteins follow the cohesin cycle and prophase pathway of regulated interactions with chromatin. Depletion of cohesin-interacting splicing factors results in stereotyped cell cycle arrests and alterations in genomic organization. These data support the hypothesis that splicing factors and RNA binding proteins control cell cycle progression and genomic organization via regulated interactions with cohesin and chromatin.\n\nOne Sentence SummaryEndogenous tagging reveals that cohesin interacts with diverse chromatin-bound splicing factors that regulate cell cycle progression and genomic organization in human cells.

cell biology

New formula and conversion factor to compute tree species basic wood density from a global wood technology database.

Premise of the studyBasic wood density is an important ecological trait for woody plants. It is used to characterize species performance and fitness in community ecology, and to compute tree and forest biomass in carbon cycle studies. While wood density has been historically measured at 12% moisture, it is convenient for ecological purposes to convert this measure to basic wood density, i.e. the ratio of dry mass over green volume. Basic wood density can then be used to compute tree dry biomass from living tree volume.\n\nMethodsHere, we derive a new, exact formula to compute the basic wood density Db from the density at moisture content w denoted Dw, the fibre saturation point S, and the volumetric shrinkage coefficient R. We estimated a new conversion factor using a global wood technology database where values to use this formula are available for 4022 trees collected in 64 countries (mostly tropical) and representing 872 species.\n\nKey resultsWe show that previous conversion factors used to convert densities at 12% moisture into basic wood densities are inconsistent. Based on theory and data, we found that basic wood density could be inferred from the density at 12% moisture using the following formula: Db = 0.828D122. This value of 0.828 provides basic wood density estimates 4-5% smaller than values inferred from previous conversion factors.\n\nConclusionsThis new conversion factor should be used to derive basic wood densities in global wood density databases. This would prevent overestimating global forest carbon stocks and allow predicting better tree species community dynamics from wood density.

plant biology