Protein translation is essential for maintaining the optimal functioning of the human nervous system. The 4E-Binding proteins (4E-BPs) are central regulators of this process, acting on the initiation factor eIF4E. Three homologs 4E-BP1, 4E-BP2, and 4E-BP3, are differentially expressed, with the phosphorylation state controlling cap-dependent translation in response to diverse physiological inputs, including growth factors, cyt...

Phytophthora species pose a significant threat to citrus production in the Mediterranean, particularly in Sicily, a major citrus-producing region. This study explores the diversity and distribution of Phytophthora taxa in Sicilian citrus orchards, addressing the urgent need to tackle increasing agricultural challenges, such as climate change. Specifically, it aimed to evaluate how environmental factors, such as the type of man...

Plant functioning depends on variation in resource economics traits (acquisition vs. conservation) and the size of plants and their parts (the ‘global spectrum of plant form and function’). The anatomical basis of single traits (e.g., leaf mass per area; LMA) is generally understood, but little is known regarding the relationship between anatomical trade-offs and ecological strategies (representing integrated suites of traits)...

Summary Within the complex of deep, hypersaline anoxic lakes ( DHALs ) of the Mediterranean Ridge, we identified a new, unexplored DHAL and named it ‘ L ake K ryos ’ after a nearby depression. This lake is filled with magnesium chloride ( MgCl 2 )‐rich, athalassohaline brine (salinity > 470 practical salinity units), presumably formed by the dissolution of Messinian bischofite. Compared with the DHAL Discovery , it contains el...

Changes in both global and regional mean sea level, and changes in the magnitude of extreme flood heights, are the result of a combination of several distinct contributions most, but not all, of which are associated with climate change. These contributions include effects in the solid earth, gravity field, changes in ocean mass due to ice loss from ice sheets and glaciers, thermal expansion, alterations in ocean circulation dr...

Distribution of metals (Hg, Pb, Sn, Cu, Cd and Zn) was determined in sediments and in different tissues of Posidonia oceanica collected from San Pietro Island, Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy). In seagrass, results, compared with metal concentrations in sediments, showed that the highest concentrations of Hg, Pb, Sn and Cu were found in the roots, while in the green leaves were found the highest levels of Cd and Zn. I...

Concentrations of six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn) and one semi-metal (As) were determined in tissues of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis collected along the Apulian coasts (Mediterranean sea). This project, performed in 2009, was targeted toward the assessment of levels and spatial distribution of metals in the environment in order to evaluate the coastal water quality using mussels as bioindicators and health ri...