Functional traits, their plasticity and their integration in a phenotype have profound impacts on plant performance. We developed structural equation models (SEMs) to evaluate their relative contribution to promote invasiveness in plants along resource gradients. We compared 20 invasive-native phylogenetically and ecologically related pairs. SEMs included one morphological (root-to-shoot ratio ...

It is increasingly argued that cancer stem cells are not a cellular phenotype but rather a transient state that cells can acquire, either through intrinsic signaling cascades or in response to environmental cues. While cancer stem cell plasticity is generally associated with increased aggressiveness and treatment resistance, we set out to thoroughly investigate the impact of different rates of ...

Abstract Intestinal crypts are composed of heterogeneous and highly plastic cell populations. Lgr5high-stem cells (SC) responsible for homeostatic renewal, but other can revert to an SC-like phenotype maintain epithelial integrity. Despite their distinct roles in orchestrating homeostasis, both populations have been designated as the putative “cell-of-origin” colorectal cancer. However, respect...

reelin is an extracellular matrix neuroprotein which plays important roles during development and maturation of cerebellum. in the postnatal cerebellum, reelin is synthesized by cerebellar granule cells and secreted to extracellular matrix. this secreted protein modulates adult synaptic function, neurotransmitter release and regulates plasticity. exercise has beneficial effects on central nervo...

Plasticity of the thermoregulatory system is a key factor for the induction of heat acclimation. Temperature-adaptive shifts in gene expression play an essential role in the processes involved. This review attempts to bridge the gap between the classical physiological heat acclimation profile and the molecular/cellular mechanisms underlying the evolution of the acclimated phenotype. Essential a...

There is a clear link between dysregulation of glutamatergic signaling and mood disorders. Genetic variants in the glutamate receptor gene GRIK4, which encodes the kainate receptor subunit GluK4, alter the susceptibility for depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Here we demonstrate that Grik4(-/-) mice have reduced anxiety and an antidepressant-like phenotype. In the elevated zero-maz...

OBJECTIVE Studies in pulmonary arteries (PA) of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggest that bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (CD133(+)) may infiltrate the intima and differentiate into smooth muscle cells (SMC). This study aimed to evaluate the plasticity of CD133(+) cells to differentiate into SMC and endothelial cells (EC) in both cell culture and h...

Phenotypic plasticity is ubiquitous and primarily controlled by interactions between environmental and genetic factors. The migratory locust, a worldwide pest, exhibits pronounced phenotypic plasticity, which is a population density-dependent transition that occurs between the gregarious and solitary phases. Genes involved in dopamine synthesis have been shown to regulate the phase transition o...

Invasive alien species might benefit from phenotypic plasticity by being able to (i) maintain fitness in stressful environments ('robust'), (ii) increase fitness in favourable environments ('opportunistic'), or (iii) combine both abilities ('robust and opportunistic'). Here, we applied this framework, for the first time, to an animal, the invasive slug, Arion lusitanicus, and tested (i) whether...

The mammalian circadian system synchronizes daily timing of activity and rest with the environmental light-dark cycle. Although the underlying molecular oscillatory mechanism is well studied, factors that influence phenotypic plasticity in daily activity patterns (temporal niche switching, chronotype) are presently unknown. Molecular evidence suggests that metabolism may influence the circadian...