Sponge-associated fungi from a mangrove habitat in Indonesia: species composition,antimicrobial activity,enzyme screening and bioactive profiling

There is no report of diversity, biological properties and bioactive compounds of sponge-associated fungi from Indonesia’s mangrove ecosystem to date. This study was designed to isolate sponge-associated fungi from a mangrove ecosystem in Mangkang, to screen the antimicrobial and extracellular enzyme properties of the isolates, characterize the biologically promising isolates using molecular approaches, and profile the secondary metabolites using phytochemical and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analyses. An unidentified sponge that lived in association with mangrove roots was collected from Mangkang. Total of eight associated fungi were isolated from the sponge. Among all isolates, only two fungi SPMKF 1 and SPMKF 6 produced extracellular amylase, another two fungi SPMKF 4 and 5 showed antibacterial activity against MRSA, and only one fungus SPMKF 8 was able to produce extracellular amylase and show antimicrobial activity against ESBL E. coli, Salmonella enterica ser. Typhi strain MDR and C. albicans, while SPMKF 2, SPMKF 3 and SPMKF 9 did not show any biological properties. The result of genetic characterization proved that SPMKF 1 was Cladosporium tenuissimum, SPMKF 4 was Eutypella sp., SPMKF 5 was Lasiodiplodia theobromae, SPMKF 6 was Fusarium keratoplasticum and SPMKF 8 was F. solani. Furthermore, an amylase gene was detected in fungi SPMKF 1, 6 and 8 while among the BGC, only NRPS genes were detected in SPMKF 4, 5 and 8. Interestingly, several same metabolites indicating the same retention factor (Rf) values in TLC were detected in the fungal crude extracts by TLC.     

Lymphocyte subsets and specific IgG antibody levels in clindamycin-treated and untreated dogs experimentally infected with Babesia gibsoni

This study was carried out to clarify the role of lymphocyte subpopulations and Babesia-specific antibody on the treatment of clindamycin in dogs infected with B. gibsoni. Ten beagle dogs were divided into two groups: an untreated group (5 dogs) and a clindamycin-treated group (5 dogs), which was administered clindamycin at 25 mg/ kg body weight, per os, q 12 hr from 7 days to 21 days post-infection (PI). On the acute stage of infection, clindamycin treatment resolved anaemia and other clinical findings. There were no significant differences between treated and untreated dogs either in parasitemia levels or Babesial IgG antibody levels. However, morphological changes that indicated degeneration in the majority of parasites were observed. The numbers of CD4(+) showed a significant increase in treated dogs, especially after treatment. On the chronic stage, CD4(+) cells maintained high level both of the treated and untreated dogs. Although parasitemia maintained low level, their relapses were occurred on the 49th day PI in treated dogs and on the 42nd and 63rd PI in untreated dogs. A rapid humoral antibody response was observed in treated dogs, however, lower humoral antibody responses in untreated dogs after relapses. The antibody levels of treated dogs were significantly higher than those of untreated dogs. These results suggested that clindamycin might not eliminate rapidly parasites from peripheral blood, but damage parasites, which might stimulate efficiently humoral and cellular immunity against Babesia infection, and result in an improvement of clinical conditions.     

Characterization of Small-size Egg-bearing Thai ss-strain Rotifers Brachionus rotundiformis and Their First Offspring

This study selected small (100–120 μm) egg-bearing females from a local Thai ss population and characterized their first offspring's life history in an attempt to produce small-size rotifers. Mean lorica length of selected small adult females was 120 ± 6 μm at the time of collection, and this mean length did not increase over their lifetime. While their first offspring life span was only 5.11 ± 0.35 d, the reference population longevity was higher, 9.65 ± 0.4 d. The length of reproductive period of offspring from the small-size egg-bearing female was 2.58 ± 0.38 d, shorter than that of reference population 6.83 ± 0.58 d. Although the rate of egg production was not different between small egg-bearing female and reference population, the total number of eggs produced by the small egg-bearing female's first offspring was lower (4.78 ± 0.60) compared to the reference population (11.83 ± 1.26). The small egg-bearing female's first offspring had a higher egg to lorica length ratio (76.1 ± 1.64%) than the reference population (56.6 ± 1.3%), indicating a relatively high investment in reproduction. The small egg-bearing female's first offspring reached only 125 ± 6 μm in 36 h, and further culture of their offspring over 35 d resulted in a mean offspring size, 163 ± 11 μm, similar to the reference population (159 ± 16 μm). This shows that population mean size reduction is not likely to result from selecting small egg-bearing females within a single generation. The unique reproductive characteristics of small egg-bearing female place it in its own category.     

Resistance of nineteen cultivars of subterranean clover to four races of Phytophthora clandestina

Summary The resistance of 19 cultivars of subterranean clover was screened against 4 races of P. clandestina by mycelial inoculation of roots of 10-day-old seedlings growing in water agar and by growing seedlings in pasteurised potting mix containing infested vermiculite in controlled conditions. The cultivars showed differential resistance (vertical resistance) to races of the pathogen and can be divided into 4 resistance groups. Cultivars Clare, Esperance, Green Range, Junee, Mount Barker, Rosedale, Woogenellup and Yarloop were susceptible to all races. Cultivars Bacchus Marsh, Denmark, Enfield, Gosse, Goulburn, Karridale, Larisa, Leura and Trikkala were susceptible to races 1 and 3, but resistant to races 0 and 2. Cultivar Meteora was susceptible to races 2 and 3, but resistant to races 0 and 1. Cultivar Seaton Park (LF) was resistant to all races. Cultivars also varied in their race-non-specific (horizontal) resistance: cultivars that were susceptible to particular races usually varied in their degree of susceptibility to those races. In particular, Junee was more resistant to all four races than the other cultivars within its group. Similarly, cultivars Gosse, Larisa, Denmark and Trikkala were more resistant to races 1 and 3 than the other cultivars in their group. Races of the pathogen varied in their aggressiveness as well as in their virulence, as shown by the variation in aggressiveness of different isolates of race 0.     

Regulation of protein degradation pathways by amino acids and insulin in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs

Background

The rapid gain in lean mass in neonates requires greater rates of protein synthesis than degradation. We previously delineated the molecular mechanisms by which insulin and amino acids, especially leucine, modulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis and how this changes with development. In the current study, we identified mechanisms involved in protein degradation regulation. In experiment 1, 6- and 26-d-old pigs were studied during 1) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic, 2) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-hyperaminoacidemic, and 3) hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic clamps for 2 h. In experiment 2, 5-d-old pigs were studied during 1) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic-euleucinemic, 2) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-hypoaminoacidemic-hyperleucinemic, and 3) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic-hyperleucinemic clamps for 24 h. We determined in muscle indices of ubiquitin-proteasome, i.e., atrogin-1 (MAFbx) and muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1) and autophagy-lysosome systems, i.e., unc51-like kinase 1 (UKL1), microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (Lamp-2). For comparison, we measured ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) activation, components of translation initiation.

Results

Abundance of atrogin-1, but not MuRF1, was greater in 26- than 6-d-old pigs and was not affected by insulin, amino acids, or leucine. Abundance of ULK1 and LC3 was higher in younger pigs and not affected by treatment. The LC3-II/LC3-I ratio was reduced and ULK1 phosphorylation increased by insulin, amino acids, and leucine. These responses were more profound in younger pigs. Abundance of Lamp-2 was not affected by treatment or development. Abundance of eIF4E, but not rpS6, was higher in 6- than 26-d-old-pigs but unaffected by treatment. Phosphorylation of eIF4E was not affected by treatment, however, insulin, amino acids, and leucine stimulated rpS6 phosphorylation, and the responses decreased with development.

Conclusions

The rapid growth of neonatal muscle is in part due to the positive balance between the activation of protein synthesis and degradation signaling. Insulin, amino acids, and, particularly, leucine, act as signals to modulate muscle protein synthesis and degradation in neonates.     

Evaluation of rubber seed oil as lipid source in red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) diet

Rubber seed oil has a high potency to be used as a new lipid source within red tilapia diet. However, the rubber seed oil contains antinutritional factor such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN). HCN is classified into heat‐labile; therefore, heating effectively reduces the HCN content. Based on this fact, this research evaluated the use of rubber seed oil with and without heating as lipid source in red tilapia diet. Four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were prepared as experimental diet. Each test diet contains different lipid sources such as crude palm oil + corn oil (CTRL), crude palm oil + rubber seed oil with heating (CPO:PRSO), 100% rubber seed oil with heating (PRSO) and 100% RSO without heating (URSO). In average, there were no significant differences (Tukey: p < .05) among test diet except diet with 100% rubber seed oil without heating. It concluded that 100% rubber seed with heating within test diet has no effect on growth, feed performance, blood profile, cholesterol plasma, body and liver glycogen, malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD).