Biology subjects

Moffat, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Moffat, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Bat-mediated pest regulation in understudied pasture agroecosystems

Pastureland provides critical resources for livestock production. Despite the growing knowledge on pest regulating services provided by insectivorous bats, their role in pastureland systems remains understudied. We analysed the diets of four Irish bat species, Plecotus auritus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Myotis nattereri, and Rhinolophus hipposideros, to identify and categorise agricultural pest species based on metabarcoding studies in the pastureland rich agro-ecosystems of Ireland. Pest richness varied among bat species, with P. auritus consuming 22 known pest species, 13 in P. pygmaeus, 9 in R. hipposideros, and 7 in M. nattereri. Pest occurrence frequency varied in overall diets: R. hipposideros exhibited the highest (83%), followed by P. auritus (71%), M. nattereri (59%), and P. pygmaeus (32%). Importantly, 26 of the 35 pest species (74%) were consumed by only one bat species. Key pastureland pests, Tipula oleracea and T. paludosa, were detected across all bat species, with frequency of occurrence reaching up to 100% at several roosts. Livestock-associated disease vectors (Culicoides scoticus and C. pulicaris) were also consumed. Differences in diet among species reflect complementary foraging strategies, activity patterns, and habitat use, highlighting the collective role of bat communities in pest regulation. These findings provide additional evidence that insectivorous bats contribute to ecosystem services in pasturelands, potentially supporting reductions in pesticide use and enhancing sustainable pastureland management. By demonstrating the functional importance of bats beyond biodiversity conservation, this study underscores their value in nature-based solutions for sustainable agriculture and informs conservation and policy strategies in Ireland. Highlights- Clear habitat bias in studies of ecosystem services by insectivorous bats. - Bat species forage on diverse agricultural pests in pastureland-dominated areas. - Bat foraging behaviour influences consumption of specific pest species. - Bats consume major pasture pests, Tipula oleracea and T. paludosa. - Different bat species target different pests, enhancing overall control.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

IL-17-producing CD8+ T cells differ in phenotype, metabolic profile and cytokine production to their CD4+ Th17 counterparts

Th17 cells (CD4+ T cells producing IL-17) are important for clearance of fungal infections and play a critical role in the development and exacerbation of numerous autoimmune diseases. Their differentiation, signalling pathways, cytokine production and metabolism are now well-characterised. As well as CD4+ T cells, CD8+ cells also produce IL-17 family members, and these have been named Tc17 cells. However, much less is known about their development, signalling or metabolism compared to their CD4+ counterparts. Here, we performed a series of in vitro and in vivo analyses of Tc17 cells as well as computational analysis of the published Tabula muris dataset, comparing Tc17 to IL-17- CD8+ T cells and to Th17 cells. We show that murine Tc17 cells are generated in the presence of TGF-{beta} and IL-6, and that cells produced by these culture conditions substantially reflect Tc17 cells seen in vivo; that is, with high expression of PD1, CD6, ICOS and CD161. Tc17 cells show phenotypic and functional differences to their Th17 counterparts, with increased production of IL-2 and IL-22 as well as an increased tendency to produce IL-17F as well as IL-17A. They show a more glycolytic profile than Th17 cells, with lowered mitochondrial membrane potential. This divergent phenotype and cytokine production suggests differential roles in vivo for these two cells.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

NEUROG2 regulates a human-specific neurodevelopmental gene regulatory program

Unique hallmarks of human neocortical development include slower rates of neurogenesis and the establishment of an extracellular matrix-rich, outer-subventricular zone that supports basal neural progenitor cell expansion. How gene regulatory networks have evolved to support these human-specific neurodevelopmental features is poorly understood. Mining single cell data from cerebral organoids and human fetal cortices, we found that NEUROG2 expression is enriched in basal neural progenitor cells. To identify and purify NEUROG2-expressing cells and trace their short-term lineage, we engineered two NEUROG2-mCherry knock-in human embryonic stem cell lines to produce cerebral organoids. Transcriptomic profiling of mCherry-high organoid cells revealed elevated expression of PPP1R17, associated with a fast-evolving human-accelerated regulatory region, oligodendrocyte precursor cell and extracellular matrix-associated gene transcripts. Conversely, only neurogenic gene transcripts were enriched in mCherry-high cortical cells from Neurog2:mCherry knock-in mice. Finally, we show that Neurog2 is sufficient to induce Ppp1r17, which slows human neural progenitor cell division, and Col13a1, an extracellular matrix gene, in P19 cells. NEUROG2 thus regulates a human neurodevelopmental gene regulatory program implicated in supporting a pro-proliferative basal progenitor cell niche and tempering the neurogenic pace. SUMMARY STATEMENTTranscriptomic analyses of NEUROG2-mCherry knock-in human embryonic stem cell-derived cerebral organoids reveal a link between NEUROG2 and extracellular matrix remodeling during human cortical development.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Proneural genes form a combinatorial code to diversify neocortical neural progenitor cells

Neocortical neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are molecularly heterogeneous, yet the genes that confer distinct neuronal morphologies and connectivities during development are poorly understood. Here, we determined that a proneural gene combinatorial code diversifies cortical NPCs. By mining scRNA-seq data from murine embryonic and early postnatal cortices and generating trajectory inference models, we found that Neurog2 is predominant, and is transiently co-expressed with Ascl1 and/or Neurog1 during an apical-to-basal NPC transition state in NPCs with early pseudotime identities. To assess whether proneural gene pairs confer distinct properties, we first used Neurog2/Ascl1 reporter mice expressing unique reporters, revealing that NPCs have distinct cell division modes and cell cycle dynamics dependent on their proneural gene profile. To assess Neurog2/Neurog1 interactions, we used double knock-out mice and novel split-Cre transgenics crossed to a Rosa-diptheria-toxin-A line to delete double+ cells, showing Neurog1/Neurog2 are specifically required to generate early-born neurons and to maintain NPCs. Finally, in silico mutation of a cortical Neurog2-gene regulatory network and validation using Neurog1/Neurog2 mutant and deleter mice, identified Bclllb and Nhlh2, expressed in early-born neurons, as dependent on Neurog1/Neurog2. Our data explains how proneural genes act combinatorically to diversify gene regulatory networks, thereby lineage restricting NPCs and creating cortical neuronal diversity.

developmental biology↗