BackgroundMovile Cave (Mangalia, Romania) is a unique ecosystem where the food web is sustained by microbial primary production, analogous to deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Specifically, chemoautotrophic microbes deriving energy from the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide and methane form the basis of the food web.ResultsHere, we report the isolation of the first methane-oxidizing bacterium from the Movile Cave ecosystem, Candidatus Methylomonas sp. LWB, a new species and representative of Movile Cave microbial mat samples. While previous research has suggested a prevalence of anoxic conditions in deeper lake water and sediment, using small-scale shotgun metagenome sequencing, we show that metabolic genes encoding enzymes for aerobic methylotrophy are prevalent in sediment metagenomes possibly indicating the presence of microoxic conditions. Moreover, this study also indicates that members within the family Gallionellaceae (Sideroxydans and Gallionella) were the dominant taxa within the sediment microbial community, thus suggesting a major role for microaerophilic iron-oxidising bacteria in nutrient cycling within the Movile Cave sediments.ConclusionsIn this study, based on phylogenetic and metabolic gene surveys of metagenome sequences, the possibility of aerobic microbial processes (i.e., methylotrophy and iron oxidation) within the sediment is indicated. We also highlight significant gaps in our knowledge on biogeochemical cycles within the Movile Cave ecosystem, and the need to further investigate potential feedback mechanisms between microbial communities in both lake sediment and lake water.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40168-017-0383-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

GPR56 is an adhesion G protein-coupled receptor that plays a key role in cortical development. Mutations to GPR56 in humans cause malformations of the cerebral cortex, but little is known about the normal function of the receptor. We found that the large N terminus (NT) of GPR56 is cleaved from the rest of the receptor during processing but remains non-covalently associated with the seven-transmembrane region of the receptor, as indicated by coimmunoprecipitation of the two GPR56 fragments from both transfected cells and native tissue. We also found that truncation of the GPR56 NT results in constitutive activation of receptor signaling, as revealed by increased GPR56-stimulated signaling upon transfection of HEK-293 cells with truncated GPR56, greatly enhanced binding of ␤-arrestins by truncated GPR56 relative to the full-length receptor, extensive ubiquitination of truncated GPR56, and cytotoxicity induced by truncated GPR56 that could be rescued by cotransfection of cells with ␤-arrestin 2. Furthermore, we found that the GPR56 NT is capable of homophilic trans-trans interactions that enhance receptor signaling activity. On the basis of these findings, we suggest a model of receptor activation in which the large N terminus of GPR56 constrains receptor activity but N-terminal interactions (GPR56 NT with an extracellular ligand and/or GPR56 NT homophilic trans-trans associations) can remove this inhibitory influence of the N terminus to activate receptor signaling.During the development of the cerebral cortex, neuronal precursors proliferate in the ventricular and subventricular zones that line the cerebral cavity and then migrate outward to make connections with other neurons. Given the billions of cells involved and the requirements for temporal and spatial precision, it is perhaps not surprising that many different types of problems can arise during this process. Abnormalities in cortical development can lead to a range of distinct neurodevelopmental disorders, some of which are caused by mutations to a single gene. For example, bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria is a condition in which patients exhibit profound cognitive abnormalities and seizures because of disordered cortical connectivity in the frontoparietal area. Bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria is an autosomal recessive syndrome that results from mutations in the orphan receptor GPR56 (1). Thus, insights into the natural function of GPR56 might shed light on the specific pathology underlying bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria and also lead to new insights about the fundamental mechanisms controlling cortical development.GPR56 is a member of the adhesion family of G proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs) 2 , which are characterized by extremely large extracellular N termini (NT) exhibiting homology to adhesion proteins (2). There are approximately 30 adhesion GPCRs, all of which are still considered to be orphan receptors. Almost all members of the adhesion GPCR family possess an N-terminal region known as a "GPCR proteolytic site" or GPS dom...

Characterizing the functional impact of novel mutations linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) provides a deeper mechanistic understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Here we show that a de novo Glu183 to Val (E183V) mutation in the CaMKII␣ catalytic domain, identified in a proband diagnosed with ASD, decreases both CaMKII␣ substrate phosphorylation and regulatory autophosphorylation, and that the mutated kinase acts in a dominant-negative manner to reduce CaMKII␣-WT autophosphorylation. The E183V mutation also reduces CaMKII␣ binding to established ASD-linked proteins, such as Shank3 and subunits of L-type calcium channels and NMDA receptors, and increases CaMKII␣ turnover in intact cells. In cultured neurons, the E183V mutation reduces CaMKII␣ targeting to dendritic spines. Moreover, neuronal expression of CaMKII␣-E183V increases dendritic arborization and decreases both dendritic spine density and excitatory synaptic transmission. Mice with a knock-in CaMKII␣-E183V mutation have lower total forebrain CaMKII␣ levels, with reduced targeting to synaptic subcellular fractions. The CaMKII␣-E183V mice also display aberrant behavioral phenotypes, including hyperactivity, social interaction deficits, and increased repetitive behaviors. Together, these data suggest that CaMKII␣ plays a previously unappreciated role in ASD-related synaptic and behavioral phenotypes.

Background: BAI1 is an adhesion receptor; little is known about its signaling or localization. Results: BAI1 activates Rho in a G protein-dependent manner, binds to synaptic scaffold proteins, and is highly enriched in the postsynaptic density. Conclusion: BAI1 is a synaptic receptor that signals through G proteins. Significance: BAI1 may play a previously unappreciated role as a regulator of synaptic function.

No abstract

Movile Cave, Romania, is an unusual underground ecosystem that has been sealed off from the outside world for several million years and is sustained by non-phototrophic carbon fixation. Methane and sulfur-oxidising bacteria are the main primary producers, supporting a complex food web that includes bacteria, fungi and cave-adapted invertebrates. A range of methylotrophic bacteria in Movile Cave grow on one-carbon compounds including methylated amines, which are produced via decomposition of organic-rich microbial mats. The role of methylated amines as a carbon and nitrogen source for bacteria in Movile Cave was investigated using a combination of cultivation studies and DNA stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) using 13 C-monomethylamine (MMA). Two newly developed primer sets targeting the gene for gamma-glutamylmethylamide synthetase (gmaS), the first enzyme of the recently-discovered indirect MMA-oxidation pathway, were applied in functional gene probing. SIP experiments revealed that the obligate methylotroph Methylotenera mobilis is one of the dominant MMA utilisers in the cave. DNA-SIP experiments also showed that a new facultative methylotroph isolated in this study, Catellibacterium sp. LW-1 is probably one of the most active MMA utilisers in Movile Cave. Methylated amines were also used as a nitrogen source by a wide range of non-methylotrophic bacteria in Movile Cave. PCR-based screening of bacterial isolates suggested that the indirect MMA-oxidation pathway involving GMA and N-methylglutamate is widespread among both methylotrophic and non-methylotrophic MMA utilisers from the cave.

The brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitors 1-3 (BAI1-3) comprise a subfamily of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors are highly expressed in the brain and were first studied for their ability to inhibit angiogenesis and tumor formation. Subsequently, BAI1 was found to play roles in apoptotic cell phagocytosis and myoblast fusion. Until recently, however, little was known about the physiological importance of the BAI subfamily in the context of normal brain function. Recent work has provided evidence for key roles of BAI1-3 in the regulation of synaptogenesis and dendritic spine formation. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the BAI subfamily with regard to the receptors’ downstream signaling pathways, physiological actions and potential importance as novel drug targets in the treatment of psychiatric and neurological diseases.

These data suggest a role for 2-AG deficiency in social deficits and repetitive behavior, and they demonstrate a key role for 2-AG in regulating striatal direct-pathway MSNs.