The vertebrate Apolipoprotein D (ApoD) is a lipocalin secreted from subsets of neurons and glia during neural development and aging . A strong correlation exists between ApoD overexpression and numerous nervous system pathologies as well as obesity, diabetes, and many forms of cancer . However, the exact relationship between the function of ApoD and the pathophysiology of these diseases is still unknown. We have generated loss-of-function Drosophila mutants for the Glial Lazarillo (GLaz) gene , a homolog of ApoD in the fruit fly, mainly expressed in subsets of adult glial cells. The absence of GLaz reduces the organism's resistance to oxidative stress and starvation and shortens male lifespan. The mutant flies exhibit a smaller body mass due to a lower amount of neutral lipids stored in the fat body. Apoptotic neural cell death increases in aged flies or upon paraquat treatment, which also impairs neural function as assessed by behavioral tests. The higher sensitivity to oxidative stress and starvation and the reduced fat storage revert to control levels when a GFP-GLaz fusion protein is expressed under the control of the GLaz natural promoter. Finally, GLaz mutants have a higher concentration of lipid peroxidation products, pointing to a lipid peroxidation protection or scavenging as the mechanism of action for this lipocalin. In agreement with Walker et al. (, in this issue of Current Biology), who analyze the effects of overexpressing GLaz, we conclude that GLaz has a protective role in stress situations and that its absence reduces lifespan and accelerates neurodegeneration.

The distribution of leucokinin (LK) neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) of Drosophila melanogaster was described by immunolabelling many years ago. However, no detailed underlying information of the input or output connections of their neurites was then available. Here, we provide a more accurate morphological description by employing a novel LK-specific GAL4 line that recapitulates LK expression. In order to analyse the possible afferent and efferent neural candidates of LK neurons, we used this lk-GAL4 line together with other CNS-Gal4 lines, combined with antisera against various neuropeptides or neurotransmitters. We found four kinds of LK neurons in the brain. (1) The lateral horn neurons connect the antennal glomerula to the mushroom bodies. (2) The suboesophageal neurons connect the gustatory receptors to the suboesophageal ganglia and ventral nerve cord. (3) The anterior neurons innervate the corpus cardiacum of the ring gland but LK expression is surprisingly not detectable from the third instar onwards in these neurons. (4) A set of abdominal ganglion neurons connect to the dorsal median tract in larvae and send their axons to a segmental muscle 8. Thus, the methods employed in our study can be used to identify individual neuropeptidergic neurons and thereby characterize functional cues or developmental transformations in their differentiation.

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This work reports a pioneer application of the bulk photovoltaic effect in the biomedical field. Massive necrotic cell death was induced in human tumour cell cultures grown on a bulk photovoltaic material (iron-doped lithium niobate, LiNbO(3):Fe) after irradiation with visible light. Lethal doses (≈100% cell death) were obtained with low-intensity visible light sources (10-100 mW cm(-2) irradiances) and short exposure times of the order of minutes. The wavelength dependence to induce the lethal effect observed is consistent with that corresponding to the bulk photovoltaic effect generation in LiNbO(3):Fe. Necrosis also occurred when cultured tumour cells were exposed to LiNbO(3):Fe microparticles and visible light.

Understanding the historical emergence and growth of long-range fisheries can provide fundamental insights into the timing of ecological impacts and the development of coastal communities during the last millennium. Whole genome sequencing approaches can improve such understanding by determining the origin of archaeological fish specimens that may have been obtained from historic trade or distant water. Here, we used genome-wide data to individually infer the biological source of 37 ancient Atlantic cod specimens (ca. 1050 to 1950 CE) from England and Spain. Our findings provide novel genetic evidence that eleventh- to twelfth-century specimens from London were predominantly obtained from nearby populations, while thirteenth- to fourteenth-century specimens derived from distant sources. Our results further suggest that Icelandic cod was exported to London earlier than previously reported. Our observations confirm the chronology and geography of the trans-Atlantic cod trade from Newfoundland to Spain starting by the early sixteenth century. Our findings demonstrate the utility of whole genome sequencing and ancient DNA approaches to describe the globalisation of marine fisheries and increase our understanding regarding the extent of the North-Atlantic fish trade and long-range fisheries in medieval and early modern times.