RESUMEN
Whether information in working memory (WM) is stored in a domain-independent or domain-specific system is still the subject of intense debate. This study used the delayed match-to-sample paradigm, the dual-task paradigm, and the selective interference paradigm to investigate the mechanism of cross-modal storage in visual and vibrotactile WM. We postulated that WM may store cross-modal data from haptics and vision independently, and we proposed domain-specific WM storage. According to the findings, the WM can store cross-modal information from vision and haptics independently, and the storage of visual and tactile WM may be domain-specific. This study provides early support for the hypothesis that haptic and visuospatial sketchpads are dissociated. In addition, the current study provides evidence to elucidate the mechanisms by which WM stores and processes data from different modalities and content. The results also indicate that a cross-modal approach can broaden the cognitive processing bandwidth of WM.
RESUMEN
The formation of resting cysts commonly found in unicellular eukaryotes is a complex and highly regulated survival strategy against environmental stress that involves drastic physiological and biochemical changes. Although most studies have focused on the morphology and structure of cysts, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control this process. Recent studies indicate that DNA N 6-adenine methylation (6mA) could be dynamically changing in response to external stimuli; however, its potential role in the regulation of cyst formation remains unknown. We used the ciliate Pseudocohnilembus persalinus, which can be easily induced to form cysts to investigate the dynamic pattern of 6mA in trophonts and cysts. Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing reveals high levels of 6mA in trophonts that decrease in cysts, along with a conversion of symmetric 6mA to asymmetric 6mA. Further analysis shows that 6mA, a mark of active transcription, is involved in altering the expression of encystment-related genes through changes in 6mA levels and 6mA symmetric-to-asymmetric conversion. Most importantly, we show that reducing 6mA levels by knocking down the DNA 6mA methyltransferase PpAMT1 accelerates cyst formation. Taken together, we characterize the genome-wide 6mA landscape in P. persalinus and provide insights into the role of 6mA in gene regulation under environmental stress in eukaryotes. We propose that 6mA acts as a mark of active transcription to regulate the encystment process along with symmetric-to-asymmetric conversion, providing important information for understanding the molecular response to environmental cues from the perspective of 6mA modification.
