PubMed · 5948081
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
L Irving. 1966. Adaptations to cold.. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0166-94
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
Understanding the genetic bases and modes of adaptation to current climatic conditions is essential to accurately predict responses to future environmental change. We conducted a genome-wide scan to identify climate-adaptive genetic loci and pathways in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Amino acid-changing variants were significantly enriched among the loci strongly correlated with climate, suggesting that our scan effectively detects adaptive alleles. Moreover, from our results, we successfully predicted relative fitness among a set of geographically diverse A. thaliana accessions when grown together in a common environment. Our results provide a set of candidates for dissecting the molecular bases of climate adaptations, as well as insights about the prevalence of selective sweeps, which has implications for predicting the rate of adaptation.
A cDNA corresponding to a putative actin-binding protein was cloned from a cold-acclimated wheat cDNA library. The cDNA, designated Wcor719, encodes a polypeptide of 142 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 15.8 kDa and a pI of 4.27. The protein has the two conserved domains identified as actin and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) binding sites found in members of the cofilin family. Northern analyses revealed that Wcor719 transcript accumulation is rapid and strongly up-regulated by low temperature. This accumulation was greater in the tolerant winter wheat and rye species compared to the less tolerant ones. The rapidity of transcript induction and the significant homology with actin-binding proteins (ABP) from different organisms suggest that the product of this gene might be involved in the dynamic reorganization of the cytoskeleton during low temperature acclimation. It may also serve as a key factor in the signal transduction pathway during cold acclimation.
The development of a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is described for the quantitation of plasma leptin levels in both mice and rats. Approximately 1.5 ng leptin/ml plasma was detected in lean mice but significantly (p < 0.01) less was found in the plasma of ob/ob mice. In lean Zucker rats leptin circulated at approximately 4ng/ml plasma whereas levels were elevated more than 6-fold in fa/fa rats. Circulating leptin levels declined (p < 0.05) in lean rats which were fasted or exposed to 4 degrees C for 24h, but subsequently recovered to normal within 12h of refeeding or warming, respectively. Administration of insulin increased leptin levels in lean rats within 4h (p < 0.01). However, leptin levels were unchanged in fa/fa rats exposed to the same physiological stimuli.