Transcriptome analysis reveals temporally regulated genetic networks during Drosophila border cell collective migration.

BACKGROUND: Collective cell migration underlies many essential processes, including sculpting organs during embryogenesis, wound healing in the adult, and metastasis of cancer cells. At mid-oogenesis, Drosophila border cells undergo collective migration. Border cells round up into a small group at the pre-migration stage, detach from the epithelium and undergo a dynamic and highly regulated migration at the mid-migration stage, and stop at the oocyte, their final destination, at the post-migration stage. While specific genes that promote cell signaling, polarization of the cluster, formation of protrusions, and cell-cell adhesion are known to regulate border cell migration, there may be additional genes that promote these distinct active phases of border cell migration. Therefore, we sought to identify genes whose expression patterns changed during border cell migration. RESULTS: We performed RNA-sequencing on border cells isolated at pre-, mid-, and post-migration stages. We report that 1,729 transcripts, in nine co-expression gene clusters, are temporally and differentially expressed across the three migration stages. Gene ontology analyses and constructed protein-protein interaction networks identified genes expected to function in collective migration, such as regulators of the cytoskeleton, adhesion, and tissue morphogenesis, but also uncovered a notable enrichment of genes involved in immune signaling, ribosome biogenesis, and stress responses. Finally, we validated the in vivo expression and function of a subset of identified genes in border cells. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results identified differentially and temporally expressed genetic networks that may facilitate the efficient development and migration of border cells. The genes identified here represent a wealth of new candidates to investigate the molecular nature of dynamic collective cell migrations in developing tissues.

Insights into the red algae and eukaryotic evolution from the genome of Porphyra umbilicalis (Bangiophyceae, Rhodophyta).

Porphyra umbilicalis (laver) belongs to an ancient group of red algae (Bangiophyceae), is harvested for human food, and thrives in the harsh conditions of the upper intertidal zone. Here we present the 87.7-Mbp haploid Porphyra genome (65.8% G + C content, 13,125 gene loci) and elucidate traits that inform our understanding of the biology of red algae as one of the few multicellular eukaryotic lineages. Novel features of the Porphyra genome shared by other red algae relate to the cytoskeleton, calcium signaling, the cell cycle, and stress-tolerance mechanisms including photoprotection. Cytoskeletal motor proteins in Porphyra are restricted to a small set of kinesins that appear to be the only universal cytoskeletal motors within the red algae. Dynein motors are absent, and most red algae, including Porphyra, lack myosin. This surprisingly minimal cytoskeleton offers a potential explanation for why red algal cells and multicellular structures are more limited in size than in most multicellular lineages. Additional discoveries further relating to the stress tolerance of bangiophytes include ancestral enzymes for sulfation of the hydrophilic galactan-rich cell wall, evidence for mannan synthesis that originated before the divergence of green and red algae, and a high capacity for nutrient uptake. Our analyses provide a comprehensive understanding of the red algae, which are both commercially important and have played a major role in the evolution of other algal groups through secondary endosymbioses.

The 4-Celled Tetrabaena socialis Nuclear Genome Reveals the Essential Components for Genetic Control of Cell Number at the Origin of Multicellularity in the Volvocine Lineage.

Multicellularity is the premier example of a major evolutionary transition in individuality and was a foundational event in the evolution of macroscopic biodiversity. The volvocine chlorophyte lineage is well suited for studying this process. Extant members span unicellular, simple colonial, and obligate multicellular taxa with germ-soma differentiation. Here, we report the nuclear genome sequence of one of the most morphologically simple organisms in this lineage-the 4-celled colonial Tetrabaena socialis and compare this to the three other complete volvocine nuclear genomes. Using conservative estimates of gene family expansions a minimal set of expanded gene families was identified that associate with the origin of multicellularity. These families are rich in genes related to developmental processes. A subset of these families is lineage specific, which suggests that at a genomic level the evolution of multicellularity also includes lineage-specific molecular developments. Multiple points of evidence associate modifications to the ubiquitin proteasomal pathway (UPP) with the beginning of coloniality. Genes undergoing positive or accelerating selection in the multicellular volvocines were found to be enriched in components of the UPP and gene families gained at the origin of multicellularity include components of the UPP. A defining feature of colonial/multicellular life cycles is the genetic control of cell number. The genomic data presented here, which includes diversification of cell cycle genes and modifications to the UPP, align the genetic components with the evolution of this trait.

A novel R3 MYB transcriptional repressor associated with the loss of floral pigmentation in Iochroma.

Losses of floral pigmentation represent one of the most common evolutionary transitions in flower color, yet the genetic basis for these changes has been elucidated in only a handful of cases. Here we used crossing studies, bulk-segregant RNA sequencing, phylogenetic analyses and functional tests to identify the gene(s) responsible for the transition to white flowers in Iochroma loxense. Crosses between I. loxense and its blue-flowered sister species, I. cyaneum, suggested that a single locus controls the flower color difference and that the white allele causes a nearly complete loss of pigmentation. Examining sequence variation across phenotypic pools from the crosses, we found that alleles at a novel R3 MYB transcription factor were tightly associated with flower color variation. This gene, which we term MYBL1, falls into a class of MYB transcriptional repressors and, accordingly, higher expression of this gene is associated with downregulation of multiple anthocyanin pigment pathway genes. We confirmed the repressive function of MYBL1 through stable transformation of Nicotiana. The mechanism underlying the evolution of white flowers in I. loxense differs from that uncovered in previous studies, pointing to multiple mechanisms for achieving fixed transitions in flower color intensity.

Rapid selection against arbovirus-induced apoptosis during infection of a mosquito vector.

Millions of people are infected each year by arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) such as chikungunya, dengue, and West Nile viruses, yet for reasons that are largely unknown, only a relatively small number of mosquito species are able to transmit arboviruses. Understanding the complex factors that determine vector competence could facilitate strategies for controlling arbovirus infections. Apoptosis is a potential antiviral defense response that has been shown to be important in other virus-host systems. However, apoptosis is rarely seen in arbovirus-infected mosquito cells, raising questions about its importance as an antiviral defense in mosquitoes. We tested the effect of stimulating apoptosis during arbovirus infection by infecting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with a Sindbis virus (SINV) clone called MRE/Rpr, in which the MRE-16 strain of SINV was engineered to express the proapoptotic gene reaper from Drosophila. MRE/Rpr exhibited an impaired infection phenotype that included delayed midgut infection, delayed virus replication, and reduced virus accumulation in saliva. Nucleotide sequencing of the reaper insert in virus populations isolated from individual mosquitoes revealed evidence of rapid and strong selection against maintenance of Reaper expression in MRE/Rpr-infected mosquitoes. The impaired phenotype of MRE/Rpr, coupled with the observed negative selection against Reaper expression, indicates that apoptosis is a powerful defense against arbovirus infection in mosquitoes and suggests that arboviruses have evolved mechanisms to avoid stimulating apoptosis in mosquitoes that serve as vectors.

Epidemiology and hospital readmission associated with complications of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in pediatrics over a 25-year period.

We sought to comprehensively assess the prevalence and outcomes of complications associated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) in children. Secondarily, prevalence of methicillin resistance and outcomes of complications from methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) vs. methicillin-susceptible S. aureus SAB were assessed. This is a single-center cross-sectional study of 376 patients ⩽18 years old with SAB in 1990-2014. Overall, 197 (52%) patients experienced complications, the most common being osteomyelitis (33%), skin and soft tissue infection (31%), and pneumonia (25%). Patients with complications were older (median 3 vs. 0·7 years, P = 0·05) and more had community-associated SAB (66% vs. 34%, P = 0·001). Fewer patients with complications had a SAB-related emergency department or hospital readmission (10% vs. 19%, P = 0·014). Prevalence of methicillin resistance increased from 1990-1999 to 2000-2009, but decreased in 2010-2014. Complicated MRSA bacteremia resulted in more intensive care unit admissions (66% vs. 47%, P = 0·03) and led to increased likelihood of having ⩾2 foci (58% vs. 26%, P < 0·001). From multivariate analysis, community-associated SAB increased risk and concurrent infections decreased risk of complications (odds ratio (OR) 1·82 (1·1-3·02), P = 0·021) and (OR 0·58 (0·34-0·97), P = 0·038), respectively. In conclusion, children with SAB should be carefully evaluated for complications. Methicillin resistance remains associated with poor outcomes but have decreased in overall prevalence.

Plane of nutrition affects growth rate, organ size and skeletal muscle satellite cell activity in newborn calves.

Plane of nutrition effects on body, tissue and cellular growth in the neonatal calf are poorly understood. The hypothesis that a low plane of nutrition (LPN) would limit skeletal muscle size by reducing fibre growth and muscle progenitor cell activity was tested. At birth, calves were randomly assigned to either a LPN (20% CP, 20% fat; GE=1.9 Mcal/days) or a high plane of nutrition (HPN; 27% CP, 10% fat, GE = 3.8 Mcal/days) in a 2 × 3 factorial design to test the impact of diet on neonatal calf growth, organ weight and skeletal muscle morphometry with time. Groups of calves (n = 4 or 5) were euthanised at 2, 4 and 8 week of age and organ and empty carcass weights were recorded. Body composition was measured by DXA. Longissimus muscle (LM) fibre cross-sectional area (CSA), fibre/mm2 and Pax7 were measured by immunohistology. Satellite cells were isolated at each time point and proliferation rates were measured by EdU incorporation. Calves fed a HPN had greater (p < 0.05) BW, ADG and hip height than those fed a LPN for 2, 4 or 8 weeks. HPN calves contained a greater (p < 0.05) percentage of fat tissue than LPN calves. Liver, spleen and thymus weights were less (p < 0.05) in LPN calves than HPN animals. Calves fed HPN had larger (p < 0.05) LM CSA at 8 weeks than LPN fed animals with no differences between the groups in numbers of satellite cells per fibre. Proliferation rates of satellite cells isolated from HPN fed calves were greater (p < 0.05) at 2 weeks than LPN fed animals, which exhibited greater (p < 0.05) proliferation rates at 4 weeks than HPN fed calves. We conclude a LPN diet reduces body growth and organ size and metabolically reprograms satellite cell activity.

Diversification of R2R3-MYB Transcription Factors in the Tomato Family Solanaceae.

MYB transcription factors play an important role in regulating key plant developmental processes involving defense, cell shape, pigmentation, and root formation. Within this gene family, sequences containing an R2R3 MYB domain are the most abundant type and exhibit a wide diversity of functions. In this study, we identify 559 R2R3 MYB genes using whole genome data from four species of Solanaceae and reconstruct their evolutionary relationships. We compare the Solanaceae R2R3 MYBs to the well-characterized Arabidopsis thaliana sequences to estimate functional diversity and to identify gains and losses of MYB clades in the Solanaceae. We identify numerous R2R3 MYBs that do not appear closely related to Arabidopsis MYBs, and thus may represent clades of genes that have been lost along the Arabidopsis lineage or gained after the divergence of Rosid and Asterid lineages. Despite differences in the distribution of R2R3 MYBs across functional subgroups and species, the overall size of the R2R3 subfamily has changed relatively little over the roughly 50 million-year history of Solanaceae. We added our information regarding R2R3 MYBs in Solanaceae to other data and performed a meta-analysis to trace the evolution of subfamily size across land plants. The results reveal many shifts in the number of R2R3 genes, including a 54 % increase along the angiosperm stem lineage. The variation in R2R3 subfamily size across land plants is weakly positively correlated with genome size and strongly positively correlated with total number of genes. The retention of such a large number of R2R3 copies over long evolutionary time periods suggests that they have acquired new functions and been maintained by selection. Discovering the nature of this functional diversity will require integrating forward and reverse genetic approaches on an -omics scale.

Species and population level molecular profiling reveals cryptic recombination and emergent asymmetry in the dimorphic mating locus of C. reinhardtii.

Heteromorphic sex-determining regions or mating-type loci can contain large regions of non-recombining sequence where selection operates under different constraints than in freely recombining autosomal regions. Detailed studies of these non-recombining regions can provide insights into how genes are gained and lost, and how genetic isolation is maintained between mating haplotypes or sex chromosomes. The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mating-type locus (MT) is a complex polygenic region characterized by sequence rearrangements and suppressed recombination between its two haplotypes, MT+ and MT-. We used new sequence information to redefine the genetic contents of MT and found repeated translocations from autosomes as well as sexually controlled expression patterns for several newly identified genes. We examined sequence diversity of MT genes from wild isolates of C. reinhardtii to investigate the impacts of recombination suppression. Our population data revealed two previously unreported types of genetic exchange in Chlamydomonas MT--gene conversion in the rearranged domains, and crossover exchanges in flanking domains--both of which contribute to maintenance of genetic homogeneity between haplotypes. To investigate the cause of blocked recombination in MT we assessed recombination rates in crosses where the parents were homozygous at MT. While normal recombination was restored in MT+ ×MT+ crosses, it was still suppressed in MT- ×MT- crosses. These data revealed an underlying asymmetry in the two MT haplotypes and suggest that sequence rearrangements are insufficient to fully account for recombination suppression. Together our findings reveal new evolutionary dynamics for mating loci and have implications for the evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes and other non-recombining genomic regions.

Sex-specific posttranslational regulation of the gamete fusogen GCS1 in the isogamous volvocine alga Gonium pectorale.

Male and female, generally defined based on differences in gamete size and motility, likely have multiple independent origins, appearing to have evolved from isogamous organisms in various eukaryotic lineages. Recent studies of the gamete fusogen GCS1/HAP2 indicate that this protein is deeply conserved across eukaryotes, and its exclusive and/or functional expression generally resides in males or in male homologues. However, little is known regarding the conserved or primitive molecular traits of males and females within eukaryotes. Here, using morphologically indistinguishable isogametes of the colonial volvocine Gonium pectorale, we demonstrated that GCS1 is differently regulated between the sexes. G. pectorale GCS1 molecules in one sex (homologous to male) are transported from the gamete cytoplasm to the protruded fusion site, whereas those of the other sex (females) are quickly degraded within the cytoplasm upon gamete activation. This molecular trait difference might be conserved across various eukaryotic lineages and may represent male and female prototypes originating from a common eukaryotic ancestor.

Organelle genome complexity scales positively with organism size in volvocine green algae.

It has been argued that for certain lineages, noncoding DNA expansion is a consequence of the increased random genetic drift associated with long-term escalations in organism size. But a lack of data has prevented the investigation of this hypothesis in most plastid-bearing protists. Here, using newly sequenced mitochondrial and plastid genomes, we explore the relationship between organelle DNA noncoding content and organism size within volvocine green algae. By looking at unicellular, colonial, and differentiated multicellular algae, we show that organelle DNA complexity scales positively with species size and cell number across the volvocine lineage. Moreover, silent-site genetic diversity data suggest that the volvocine species with the largest cell numbers and most bloated organelle genomes have the smallest effective population sizes. Together, these findings support the view that nonadaptive processes, like random genetic drift, promote the expansion of noncoding regions in organelle genomes.

A rapid live-cell ELISA for characterizing antibodies against cell surface antigens of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and its use in isolating algae from natural environments with related cell wall components.

BACKGROUND: Cell walls are essential for most bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae and land plants to provide shape, structural integrity and protection from numerous biotic and abiotic environmental factors. In the case of eukaryotic algae, relatively little is known of the composition, structure or mechanisms of assembly of cell walls in individual species or between species and how these differences enable algae to inhabit a great diversity of environments. In this paper we describe the use of camelid antibody fragments (VHHs) and a streamlined ELISA assay as powerful new tools for obtaining mono-specific reagents for detecting individual algal cell wall components and for isolating algae that share a particular cell surface component. RESULTS: To develop new microalgal bioprospecting tools to aid in the search of environmental samples for algae that share similar cell wall and cell surface components, we have produced single-chain camelid antibodies raised against cell surface components of the single-cell alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We have cloned the variable-region domains (VHHs) from the camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies and overproduced tagged versions of these monoclonal-like antibodies in E. coli. Using these VHHs, we have developed an accurate, facile, low cost ELISA that uses live cells as a source of antigens in their native conformation and that requires less than 90 minutes to perform. This ELISA technique was demonstrated to be as accurate as standard ELISAs that employ proteins from cell lysates and that generally require >24 hours to complete. Among the cloned VHHs, VHH B11, exhibited the highest affinity (EC50 < 1 nM) for the C. reinhardtii cell surface. The live-cell ELISA procedure was employed to detect algae sharing cell surface components with C. reinhardtii in water samples from natural environments. In addition, mCherry-tagged VHH B11 was used along with fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to select individual axenic isolates of presumed wild relatives of C. reinhardtii and other Chlorphyceae from the same environmental samples. CONCLUSIONS: Camelid antibody VHH domains provide a highly specific tool for detection of individual cell wall components of algae and for allowing the selection of algae that share a particular cell surface molecule from diverse ecosystems.

Regulation of the Chlamydomonas cell cycle by a stable, chromatin-associated retinoblastoma tumor suppressor complex.

We examined the cell cycle dynamics of the retinoblastoma (RB) protein complex in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that has single homologs for each subunit-RB, E2F, and DP. We found that Chlamydomonas RB (encoded by MAT3) is a cell cycle-regulated phosphoprotein, that E2F1-DP1 can bind to a consensus E2F site, and that all three proteins interact in vivo to form a complex that can be quantitatively immunopurified. Yeast two-hybrid assays revealed the formation of a ternary complex between MAT3, DP1, and E2F1 that requires a C-terminal motif in E2F1 analogous to the RB binding domain of plant and animal E2Fs. We examined the abundance of MAT3/RB and E2F1-DP1 in highly synchronous cultures and found that they are synthesized and remain stably associated throughout the cell cycle with no detectable fraction of free E2F1-DP1. Consistent with their stable association, MAT3/RB and DP1 are constitutively nuclear, and MAT3/RB does not require DP1-E2F1 for nuclear localization. In the nucleus, MAT3/RB remains bound to chromatin throughout the cell cycle, and its chromatin binding is mediated through E2F1-DP1. Together, our data show that E2F-DP complexes can regulate the cell cycle without dissociation of their RB-related subunit and that other changes may be sufficient to convert RB-E2F-DP from a cell cycle repressor to an activator.

Cell size: Single cells illuminate the rules of cell size control.

A new study uses Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to understand how cell size homeostasis emerges from stochastic individual cell behaviors within a population. The authors find that a simple power law model was a poor predictor of cell size regulation; rather, it is better explained by a modified threshold model.

Gene loss during a transition to multicellularity.

Multicellular evolution is a major transition associated with momentous diversification of multiple lineages and increased developmental complexity. The volvocine algae comprise a valuable system for the study of this transition, as they span from unicellular to undifferentiated and differentiated multicellular morphologies despite their genomes being similar, suggesting multicellular evolution requires few genetic changes to undergo dramatic shifts in developmental complexity. Here, the evolutionary dynamics of six volvocine genomes were examined, where a gradual loss of genes was observed in parallel to the co-option of a few key genes. Protein complexes in the six species exhibited novel interactions, suggesting that gene loss could play a role in evolutionary novelty. This finding was supported by gene network modeling, where gene loss outpaces gene gain in generating novel stable network states. These results suggest gene loss, in addition to gene gain and co-option, may be important for the evolution developmental complexity.

The Curious Case of Multicellularity in the Volvocine Algae.

The evolution of multicellularity is a major evolutionary transition that underlies the radiation of many species in all domains of life, especially in eukaryotes. The volvocine green algae are an unconventional model system that holds great promise in the field given its genetic tractability, late transition to multicellularity, and phenotypic diversity. Multiple efforts at linking multicellularity-related developmental landmarks to key molecular changes, especially at the genome level, have provided key insights into the molecular innovations or lack thereof that underlie multicellularity. Twelve developmental changes have been proposed to explain the evolution of complex differentiated multicellularity in the volvocine algae. Co-option of key genes, such as cell cycle and developmental regulators has been observed, but with few exceptions, known co-option events do not seem to coincide with most developmental features observed in multicellular volvocines. The apparent lack of "master multicellularity genes" combined with no apparent correlation between gene gains for developmental processes suggest the possibility that many multicellular traits might be the product gene-regulatory and functional innovations; in other words, multicellularity can arise from shared genomic repertoires that undergo regulatory and functional overhauls.

GTP-dependent heteropolymer formation and bundling of chloroplast FtsZ1 and FtsZ2.

Bacteria and chloroplasts require the ring-forming cytoskeletal protein FtsZ for division. Although bacteria accomplish division with a single FtsZ, plant chloroplasts require two FtsZ types for division, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2. These proteins colocalize to a mid-plastid Z ring, but their biochemical relationship is poorly understood. We investigated the in vitro behavior of recombinant FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 separately and together. Both proteins bind and hydrolyze GTP, although GTPase activities are low compared with the activity of Escherichia coli FtsZ. Each protein undergoes GTP-dependent assembly into thin protofilaments in the presence of calcium as a stabilizing agent, similar to bacterial FtsZ. In contrast, when mixed without calcium, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 exhibit slightly elevated GTPase activity and coassembly into extensively bundled protofilaments. Coassembly is enhanced by FtsZ1, suggesting that it promotes lateral interactions between protofilaments. Experiments with GTPase-deficient mutants reveal that FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 form heteropolymers. Maximum coassembly occurs in reactions containing equimolar FtsZ1 and FtsZ2, but significant coassembly occurs at other stoichiometries. The FtsZ1:FtsZ2 ratio in coassembled structures mirrors their input ratio, suggesting plasticity in protofilament and/or bundle composition. This behavior contrasts with that of alpha- and beta-tubulin and the bacterial tubulin-like proteins BtubA and BtubB, which coassemble in a strict 1:1 stoichiometry. Our findings raise the possibility that plasticity in FtsZ filament composition and heteropolymerization-induced bundling could have been a driving force for the coevolution of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 in the green lineage, perhaps arising from an enhanced capacity for the regulation of Z ring composition and activity in vivo.

The Arabidopsis translocator protein (AtTSPO) is regulated at multiple levels in response to salt stress and perturbations in tetrapyrrole metabolism.

BACKGROUND: The translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), is important for many cellular functions in mammals and bacteria, such as steroid biosynthesis, cellular respiration, cell proliferation, apoptosis, immunomodulation, transport of porphyrins and anions. Arabidopsis thaliana contains a single TSPO/PBR-related gene with a 40 amino acid N-terminal extension compared to its homologs in bacteria or mammals suggesting it might be chloroplast or mitochondrial localized. RESULTS: To test if the TSPO N-terminal extension targets it to organelles, we fused three potential translational start sites in the TSPO cDNA to the N-terminus of GFP (AtTSPO:eGFP). The location of the AtTSPO:eGFP fusion protein was found to depend on the translational start position and the conditions under which plants were grown. Full-length AtTSPO:eGFP fusion protein was found in the endoplasmic reticulum and in vesicles of unknown identity when plants were grown in standard conditions. However, full length AtTSPO:eGFP localized to chloroplasts when grown in the presence of 150 mM NaCl, conditions of salt stress. In contrast, when AtTSPO:eGFP was truncated to the second or third start codon at amino acid position 21 or 42, the fusion protein co-localized with a mitochondrial marker in standard conditions. Using promoter GUS fusions, qRT-PCR, fluorescent protein tagging, and chloroplast fractionation approaches, we demonstrate that AtTSPO levels are regulated at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels in response to abiotic stress conditions. Salt-responsive genes are increased in a tspo-1 knock-down mutant compared to wild type under conditions of salt stress, while they are decreased when AtTSPO is overexpressed. Mutations in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis genes and the application of chlorophyll or carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitors also affect AtTSPO expression. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that AtTSPO plays a role in the response of Arabidopsis to high salt stress. Salt stress leads to re-localization of the AtTSPO from the ER to chloroplasts through its N-terminal extension. In addition, our results show that AtTSPO is regulated at the transcriptional level in tetrapyrrole biosynthetic mutants. Thus, we propose that AtTSPO may play a role in transporting tetrapyrrole intermediates during salt stress and other conditions in which tetrapyrrole metabolism is compromised.

An integrated approach of field, weather, and satellite data for monitoring maize phenology.

Efficient, more accurate reporting of maize (Zea mays L.) phenology, crop condition, and progress is crucial for agronomists and policy makers. Integration of satellite imagery with machine learning models has shown great potential to improve crop classification and facilitate in-season phenological reports. However, crop phenology classification precision must be substantially improved to transform data into actionable management decisions for farmers and agronomists. An integrated approach utilizing ground truth field data for maize crop phenology (2013-2018 seasons), satellite imagery (Landsat 8), and weather data was explored with the following objectives: (i) model training and validation-identify the best combination of spectral bands, vegetation indices (VIs), weather parameters, geolocation, and ground truth data, resulting in a model with the highest accuracy across years at each season segment (step one) and (ii) model testing-post-selection model performance evaluation for each phenology class with unseen data (hold-out cross-validation) (step two). The best model performance for classifying maize phenology was documented when VIs (NDVI, EVI, GCVI, NDWI, GVMI) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) were used as input variables. This study supports the integration of field ground truth, satellite imagery, and weather data to classify maize crop phenology, thereby facilitating foundational decision making and agricultural interventions for the different members of the agricultural chain.

Characterization and Transformation of reg Cluster Genes in Volvox powersii Enable Investigation of Convergent Evolution of Cellular Differentiation in Volvox.

The evolution of germ-soma cellular differentiation represents a key step in the evolution of multicellular individuality. Volvox carteri and its relatives, the volvocine green algae, provide a model system for studying the evolution of cellular differentiation. In V. carteri, the regA gene controls somatic cell differentiation and is found in a group of paralogs called the reg cluster, along with rlsA, rlsB, and rlsC. However, the developmental program of V. carteri is derived compared to other volvocine algae. Here we examine Volvox powersii which possesses an ancestral developmental program and independent evolution of the Volvox body plan. We sequenced the reg cluster from V. powersii wild-type and a mutant with fewer cells and altered germ-soma ratio. We found that the mutant strain's rlsB gene has a deletion predicted to cause a truncated protein product. We developed a genetic transformation procedure to insert wild-type rlsB into the mutant strain. Transformation did not result in phenotypic rescue, suggesting the rlsB mutation is insufficient for generating the mutant phenotype. The transformation techniques and sequences described here provide essential tools to study V. powersii, a species well suited for studying the evolution of cellular differentiation and convergent evolution of Volvox morphology.