Biology subjects

Wilson, E. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Wilson, E. M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Spring ephemeral Erythronium umbilicatum may not be vulnerable to phenological mismatch with overstory trees

PremiseThe defining life history strategy of spring ephemeral wildflowers is their avoidance of shading by trees during the brief, high-light period before canopy leaf-out. Studies suggest that spring ephemerals will experience increased light competition because canopy leaf-out is more sensitive to warming than is the phenology of spring ephemerals. However, it remains unclear how longer durations of shade will alter the population dynamics of spring ephemerals and whether all populations are at risk. MethodsWe experimentally shaded Erythronium umbilicatum for one to six additional weeks prior to canopy leaf-out to test for immediate and lagged effects of early shading on the timing of senescence and the probability of survival and flowering. To predict the potential for earlier shading, we combined long-term time series of spring air temperature, remotely-sensed tree leaf-out, and E. umbilicatum flowering phenology in North Carolina, USA. Key resultsEarly shading did not alter E. umbilicatum until the following year, when more-shaded plants senesced later. We found no change in year-to-year survival, and a reduction in the probability of flowering only when plants experienced extremely early shading. Moreover, E. umbilicatum phenology was more sensitive than tree leaf-out to warming temperatures. Under climate warming, we project that E. umbilicatum is unlikely to experience shortened periods of high light. ConclusionsOur findings show that a plant species defining life history strategy does not necessarily predict their sensitivity to phenological mismatches. This complicates, but also underscores the importance of identifying the most vulnerable species and directing our research efforts accordingly.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) envelope structures in pre- and post-fusion by Cryo-EM

The HERV-K envelope glycoprotein (Env) is aberrantly expressed in diseases including cancers and autoimmune disorders and is targeted by antibodies. The lack of structural information has hindered functional and immune recognition studies. We solved structures of the HERV-K Env in both pre- and post-fusion states with novel monoclonal antibodies using cryo-EM. The pre-fusion Env assembles as a trimer with a distinct fold and architecture compared to other retroviruses, while the post-fusion conformation features a unique "tether" helix within the TM subunit. A panel of monoclonal antibodies, elicited to facilitate structure determination, have been characterized for conformational and subunit specificity, serving as valuable research tools. These findings establish a structural framework for mechanistic studies of HERV-K Env in diseases and evaluation as a potential therapeutic target.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2023

Brain Oscillations during Visuomotor Processing in Children with ASD

Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) has been reported to often involve significant motor dysfunction in addition to other core traits. While individual differences in visual processing have also been noted in individuals with ASD. However, the brain oscillations between visual and motor processing in ASD are poorly understood due to a lack of research surrounding the topic. To elucidate this, we focused on the power-power correlation between visual- and motor-related oscillations. We recorded magnetoencephalography in 18 children with ASD and 19 IQ-matched typically developing children aged 4-7 while they pressed a button during a visual-targeted motor task. We estimated visual- and motor-related brain oscillations and focused on the gamma oscillations. We observed gamma oscillatory power changes during the visual-targeted motor task in both groups. We further found statistically significant differences in motor-related gamma power in the right primary motor cortex, but not in the left primary motor cortex between the two groups. We finally found a significant correlation between the left visual gamma power (50-60 Hz, 150-450ms) and the left motor gamma power (70-90 Hz, 0-100 ms) in the TD group. The current findings revealed differences in visuomotor processing in individuals with ASD compared to TD children. These results may be helpful in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying visuomotor processing in ASD, supporting the development of a potential biomarker for ASD.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Mice with humanized livers reveal the involvement of hepatocyte circadian clocks in rhythmic behavior and physiology

The circadian clock is an evolutionarily acquired gene network that synchronizes physiological processes to adapt homeostasis to the succession of day and night. While most mammalian cells have a circadian clock, their synchronization at the body-level depends on a central pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus that integrates light signals. However, peripheral organs are also synchronized by feeding cues that can uncoupled them from the central pacemaker. Nevertheless, the potential feedback of peripheral signals on the central clock remains poorly characterized. To discover whether peripheral organ circadian clocks may affect the central pacemaker, we used a chimeric model in which mouse hepatocytes were replaced by human hepatocytes. These human hepatocytes showed a specific rhythmic physiology caused by their blunted response to mouse systemic signals. Strikingly, mouse liver humanization reprogrammed the liver diurnal gene expression and modified the phase of the circadian clock. The phase advance was also reflected in the muscle as well as the entire rhythmic physiology of the animals, indicating an impact on the circadian function of the central clock. Like mice with a deficient central clock, the humanized animals shifted their rhythmic physiology more rapidly to the light phase under day feeding. Our results indicate that peripheral clocks may affect the central pacemaker and offer new perspectives to understand the impact of peripheral clocks on the global circadian physiology.

physiology↗