Description: Magmas erupted in intracontinental rifts typically form from melting of variable proportions of asthenospheric or lithospheric mantle sources and ascend through thick continental lithosphere. This ascent of magma is accompanied by differentiation and assimilation processes. Understanding the composition of rift-related intracontinental volcanism is important, particularly in densely populated active rift zones such as the Ohře (Eger) Rift in Central Europe. We have sampled and analysed nephelinites from Železná hůrka (Eisenbühl), the youngest (〈300 ka) Quaternary volcano related to the Ohře Rift where frequent earthquake swarms indicate continuing magmatic activity in the crust. This nephelinite volcano is part of a larger eruptive centre (Mytina Maar) representing a single locality of recurrent volcanism in the Ohře Rift. We present a detailed petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical study (major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotopes) of Železná hůrka to further resolve the magmatic history and mantle source of the erupted melt. We find evidence for a highly complex evolution of the nephelinitic melts during their ascent to the surface. Most importantly, mixing of melts derived from different sources and of strong chemical contrast controls the composition of the erupted volcanic products. These diverse parental melts originate from a highly metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) source. We use a combined approach based on mineral, glass and whole-rock compositions to show that the mantle underneath the western Ohře Rift is metasomatized dominantly by carbonatitic melts. The nephelinites of Železná hůrka formed by interaction between a carbonatitic melt and residual mantle peridotite, partial crystallization in the lithospheric mantle and minor assimilation of upper continental crust. Thermobarometric estimates indicate that the stagnation levels of the youngest volcanism in this part of the Ohře Rift were deeper than the focal depths of recent earthquake swarms, indicating that those are not directly linked to magma ascent. Furthermore, close mineralogical and geochemical similarities between the Železná hůrka nephelinite and fresh kimberlites may point towards a genetic link between kimberlites, melilitites and nephelinites.

Description: Hornblende-bearing basanites and alkali basalts from the Rhön area of Germany (part of the Central European Volcanic Province; CEVP) have high TiO 2 (3–4 wt %), moderately high Mg# (mostly 〉0·50), variable Cr (400–30 ppm) and Ni (160–20 ppm) abundances, and are enriched in incompatible trace elements and rare earth elements (REE). In primitive mantle-normalized multi-element diagrams they show a strong depletion in Ba, Rb, and K relative to trace elements of similar incompatibility. Some alkali basalts and more differentiated rocks have lower Mg# and lower abundances of Ni and Cr, and have undergone fractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene, Fe–Ti oxides and amphibole. The trace element constraints (e.g. low Nb/U and Ce/Pb and the Nd–Sr–Pb isotope compositions of some basalts) indicate that assimilation of lower crustal material has modified the composition of the primary mantle-derived magmas. Most of the basanites and alkali basalts approach the Sr–Nd–Pb isotope compositions inferred for the EAR (European Asthenospheric Reservoir) component. Variations in REE abundances and correlations between REE ratios suggest partial melting of amphibole-bearing spinel peridotite containing a significant portion of non-peridotitic material (i.e. pyroxenite). The presence of residual amphibole, indicated by depletion of K and Rb relative to Ba and Nb, requires melting close to the asthenosphere–lithosphere boundary or within the lithospheric mantle, most probably of a veined mantle source. Temperature and pressure estimates indicate a depth of melting for the most primitive lavas at ~80 km at temperatures of ~1290°C. Based on Sr–Nd isotope and trace element constraints it is proposed that asthenospheric melts similar in composition to EAR melts observed elsewhere in the CEVP froze at the asthenosphere–lithosphere thermal boundary as veins in the lithospheric mantle. These veins were remelted after only short storage times by ascending asthenospheric melts, imposing the prominent amphibole signature upon the basalts. The fairly radiogenic Pb isotope signatures are expected to originate from melting of enriched, low melting temperature components incorporated in the depleted upper (asthenospheric) mantle and therefore do not require upwelling of deep-seated mantle sources for the Rhön or many other continental alkaline lavas with similar Pb isotope signatures.

Description: Lithium elemental and isotopic compositions of 33 glass and whole-rock samples from nine oceanic island regions were determined to characterize the Li inventory of the deep mantle. The Li contents of the investigated lavas range from 1·5 to 13·3 μg g – 1 , whereas 7 Li ranges from 2·4 to 4·8. There are weak co-variations between the Li/Y, 7 Li, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope compositions of the lavas, indicating that the Li elemental and isotopic characteristics of ocean island basalt to some extent reflect mantle source heterogeneity. In detail, HIMU-type lavas are characterized by 7 Li values (up to 4·8) slightly heavier than those for average normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (3·4 ± 1·4) and by comparatively low Li contents; EM1-type lavas are characterized by isotopically light Li (average 3·2) and relative Li enrichment, whereas EM2-type lavas tend to heavier 7 Li values (up to 4·4) with high Li concentrations. The Li contents and isotope characteristics of HIMU-type lavas are consistent with recycling of altered and dehydrated oceanic crust, whereas those of the EM1-type lavas can be attributed to sediment recycling. The Li characteristics of EM2-type lavas may reflect reworking of mantle wedge material that has been infiltrated by fluids derived from the subducting plate.

Description: Motivation: Adoptive T cell therapies based on introduction of new T cell receptors (TCRs) into patient recipient T cells is a promising new treatment for various kinds of cancers. A major challenge, however, is the choice of target antigens. If an engineered TCR can cross-react with self-antigens in healthy tissue, the side-effects can be devastating. We present the first web server for assessing epitope sharing when designing new potential lead targets. We enable the users to find all known proteins containing their peptide of interest. The web server returns not only exact matches, but also approximate ones, allowing a number of mismatches of the users choice. For the identified candidate proteins the expression values in various healthy tissues, representing all vital human organs, are extracted from RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) data as well as from some cancer tissues as control. All results are returned to the user sorted by a score, which is calculated using well-established methods and tools for immunological predictions. It depends on the probability that the epitope is created by proteasomal cleavage and its affinities to the transporter associated with antigen processing and the major histocompatibility complex class I alleles. With this framework, we hope to provide a helpful tool to exclude potential cross-reactivity in the early stage of TCR selection for use in design of adoptive T cell immunotherapy. Availability and implementation: The Expitope web server can be accessed via http://webclu.bio.wzw.tum.de/expitope . Contact: d.frishman@wzw.tum.de