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1. Competition between Solvent–Solvent and Solvent–Solute Interactions in the Microhydration of the Hexafluorophosphate Anion, PF ₆ ^– (H ₂ O) _n=1,2

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.0c06466  

   Abdo, Yasmeen A. ; Tschumper, Gregory S. ( October 2020 , The Journal of Physical Chemistry A)
2. A VSEPR-inspired force field for determining molecular properties of PF ₅

   https://doi.org/10.1080/00268976.2018.1543907  

   McCaslin, Laura M. ; Stanton, John F. ( November 2018 , Molecular Physics)
3. Identification of Novel 2,4,5-Trisubstituted Pyrimidines as Potent Dual Inhibitors of Plasmodial Pf GSK3/ Pf PK6 with Activity against Blood Stage Parasites In Vitro

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00996  

   Galal, Kareem A. ; Truong, Anna ; Kwarcinski, Frank ; de Silva, Chandi ; Avalani, Krisha ; Havener, Tammy M. ; Chirgwin, Michael E. ; Merten, Eric ; Ong, Han Wee ; Willis, Caleb ; et al ( September 2022 , Journal of Medicinal Chemistry)
4. Virulence as a Side Effect of Interspecies Interaction in Vibrio Coral Pathogens

   https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00201-20  

   Rubio-Portillo, Esther ; Martin-Cuadrado, Ana B. ; Caraballo-Rodríguez, Andrés M. ; Rohwer, Forest ; Dorrestein, Pieter C. ; Antón, Josefa ( August 2020 , mBio)

   Dubilier, Nicole (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT The increase in prevalence and severity of coral disease outbreaks produced by Vibrio pathogens, and related to global warming, has seriously impacted reef-building corals throughout the oceans. The coral Oculina patagonica has been used as a model system to study coral bleaching produced by Vibrio infection. Previous data demonstrated that when two coral pathogens ( Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio mediterranei ) simultaneously infected the coral O. patagonica , their pathogenicity was greater than when each bacterium was infected separately. Here, to understand the mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect, transcriptomic analyses of monocultures and cocultures as well as experimental infection experiments were performed. Our results revealed that the interaction between the two vibrios under culture conditions overexpressed virulence factor genes (e.g., those encoding siderophores, the type VI secretion system, and toxins, among others). Moreover, under these conditions, vibrios were also more likely to form biofilms or become motile through induction of lateral flagella. All these changes that occur as a physiological response to the presence of a competing species could favor the colonization of the host when they are present in a mixed population. Additionally, during coral experimental infections, we showed that exposure of corals to molecules released during V.more »coralliilyticus and V. mediterranei coculture induced changes in the coral microbiome that favored damage to coral tissue and increased the production of lyso-platelet activating factor. Therefore, we propose that competition sensing, defined as the physiological response to detection of harm or to the presence of a competing Vibrio species, enhances the ability of Vibrio coral pathogens to invade their host and cause tissue necrosis. IMPORTANCE Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio mediterranei are important coral pathogens capable of inducing serious coral damage, which increases severely when they infect the host simultaneously. This has consequences related to the dispersion of these pathogens among different locations that could enhance deleterious effects on coral reefs. However, the mechanisms underlying this synergistic interaction are unknown. The work described here provides a new perspective on the complex interactions among these two Vibrio coral pathogens, suggesting that coral infection could be a collateral effect of interspecific competition. Major implications of this work are that (i) Vibrio virulence mechanisms are activated in the absence of the host as a response to interspecific competition and (ii) release of molecules by Vibrio coral pathogens produces changes in the coral microbiome that favor the pathogenic potential of the entire Vibrio community. Thus, our results highlight that social cues and competition sensing are crucial determinants of development of coral diseases.« less
5. Genetic, morphometric, and molecular analyses of interspecies differences in head shape and hybrid developmental defects in the wasp genus Nasonia

   https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkab313  

   Cohen, Lorna B ; Jewell, Rachel ; Moody, Dyese ; Arsala, Deanna ; Werren, John H ; Lynch, Jeremy A ( September 2021 , G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics)

   Lott, S (Ed.)

   Abstract Males in the parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia have distinct, species-specific, head shapes. The availability of fertile hybrids among the species, along with obligate haploidy of males, facilitates analysis of complex gene interactions in development and evolution. Previous analyses showed that both the divergence in head shape between Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti, and the head-specific developmental defects of F2 haploid hybrid males, are governed by multiple changes in networks of interacting genes. Here, we extend our understanding of the gene interactions that affect morphogenesis in male heads. Use of artificial diploid male hybrids shows that alleles mediating developmental defects are recessive, while there are diverse dominance relationships among other head shape traits. At the molecular level, the sex determination locus doublesex plays a major role in male head shape differences, but it is not the only important factor. Introgression of a giraulti region on chromsome 2 reveals a recessive locus that causes completely penetrant head clefting in both males and females in a vitripennis background. Finally, a third species (N. longicornis) was used to investigate the timing of genetic changes related to head morphology, revealing that most changes causing defects arose after the divergence of N. vitripennis from themore »other species, but prior to the divergence of N. giraulti and N. longicornis from each other. Our results demonstrate that developmental gene networks can be dissected using interspecies crosses in Nasonia, and set the stage for future fine-scale genetic dissection of both head shape and hybrid developmental defects.« less