ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4421-2243
Current Organisations
University of Houston
,
University of Oxford
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Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1099/JGV.0.001387
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-05-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-25559-6
Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T cell responses are critical for immune control of infection. Viral adaptation to these responses, via mutations within regions of the virus targeted by CD8 + T cells, is associated with viral persistence. However, identifying viral adaptation to HCV-specific CD4 + T cell responses has been difficult although key to understanding anti-HCV immunity. In this context, HCV sequence and host genotype from a single source HCV genotype 1B cohort (n = 63) were analyzed to identify viral changes associated with specific human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles, as these variable host molecules determine the set of viral peptides presented to CD4 + T cells. Eight sites across the HCV genome were associated with HLA class II alleles implicated in infection outcome in this cohort (p ≤ 0.01 Fisher’s exact test). We extended this analysis to chronic HCV infection (n = 351) for the common genotypes 1A and 3A. Variation at 38 sites across the HCV genome were associated with specific HLA class II alleles with no overlap between genotypes, suggestive of genotype-specific T cell targets, which has important implications for vaccine design. Here we show evidence of HCV adaptation to HLA class II-restricted CD4 + T cell pressure across the HCV genome in chronic HCV infection without a priori knowledge of CD4 + T cell epitopes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-07-2021
Abstract: Plant–soil feedbacks (PSF) and functional traits are two active but not well theoretically integrated areas of research. However, PSF and traits are both affected by life‐history evolution, so the two should theoretically be related. We provide a conceptual framework to link plant functional traits to two types of PSF metrics, and hypothesize that in idual PSF (plant performance in conspecific vs. heterospecific soil) should be related to the fast–slow trait spectrum, whereas pairwise PSF (the sum of the in idual feedbacks for two species growing in each other's soils) should be related to trait dissimilarity. We performed meta‐analyses to test these hypotheses by compiling two datasets, one dataset consisting of in idual PSF values and plant trait values (specific leaf area, SLA leaf N concentration, LNC specific root length, SRL fine root diameter, FRD plant height seed mass), and the second consisting of pairwise PSF values and trait dissimilarity. Our meta‐analyses showed that in idual PSF values were more negative in faster‐growing species with greater SLA, LNC and SRL, supporting the growth–defence trade‐off hypothesis. Plant height was positively correlated with in idual PSF, perhaps because large, long‐lived plants defend against pathogens better than smaller, shorter‐lived plants. We also found that larger‐seeded species had more positive or less negative PSF, likely reflecting greater tolerance of soil pathogens. The direction of relationships between trait dissimilarity and pairwise PSF varied with trait identity. Dissimilarities in SRL and FRD were negatively correlated with pairwise PSF while height dissimilarity was positively correlated with pairwise PSF. The contrasting relationships may reflect distinct links between trait dissimilarity and niche and fitness differences. Synthesis . Our results demonstrate how an integration of PSF and trait‐based approaches can advance plant community ecology.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 18-03-2022
Abstract: Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by s ling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale.
Location: United States of America
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Kerri Crawford.