Characterization of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BetB) as an essential virulence factor of Brucella abortus

The pathogenic mechanisms of Brucellosis used to adapt to the harsh intracellular environment of the host cell are not fully understood. The present study investigated the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of B. abortus betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BetB) (Gene Bank ID: 006932) using a betB deletion mutant constructed from virulent B. abortus 544. In test under stress conditions, including osmotic- and acid stress-resistance, the betB mutant had a lower osmotic-resistance than B. abortus wild-type. In addition, the betB mutant showed higher internalization rates compared to the wild-type strain; however, it also displayed replication failures in HeLa cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages. During internalization, compared to the wild-type strain, the betB mutant was more adherent to the host surface and showed enhanced phosphorylation of protein kinases, two processes that promote phagocytic activity, in host cells. During intracellular trafficking, colocalization of B. abortus-containing phagosomes with LAMP-1 was elevated in betB mutant-infected cells compared to the wild-type cells. In mice, the betB mutant was predominantly cleared from spleens compared to the wild-type strain after 2 weeks post-infection, and the vaccination test with the live betB mutant showed effective protection against challenge infection with the virulent wild-type strain. These findings suggested that the B. abortus betB gene substantially affects the phagocytic pathway in human phagocytes and in host cells in mice. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential use of the B. abortus betB mutant as a live vaccine for the control of brucellosis.     

Seroprevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in shelter cats on the island of Newfoundland,Canada

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are retroviruses found within domestic and wild cat populations. These viruses cause severe illnesses that eventually lead to death. Housing cats communally for long periods of time makes shelters at high risk for virus transmission among cats. We tested 548 cats from 5 different sites across the island of Newfoundland for FIV and FeLV. The overall seroprevalence was 2.2% and 6.2% for FIV and FeLV, respectively. Two sites had significantly higher seroprevalence of FeLV infection than the other 3 sites. Analysis of sequences from the FeLV env gene (envelope gene) from 6 positive cats showed that 4 fell within the FeLV subtype-A, while 2 sequences were most closely related to FeLV subtype-B and endogenous feline leukemia virus (en FeLV). Varying seroprevalence and the variation in sequences at different sites demonstrate that some shelters are at greater risk of FeLV infections and recombination can occur at sites of high seroprevalence.     

Environmental impact mitigation and bi-culture: a comparative legal analysis of flexibility within European legal regimes – biofilter deployment

This paper investigates the potential flexibility within the current legal frameworks governing marine aquaculture across Europe to cater for the installation and management of marine biofilters alongside fish farms. The basis for debate is that deployment of these biofilters could be used to facilitate environmental impact mitigation. Furthermore, they have the potential to facilitate the development of bi-culture or polyculture through the harvesting of species from the biofilters themselves, for example, mussels (Mytilus edulis). This study explores the flexibility within and suitability of the current legal systems within Europe to cater for the specific technology’s adoption and management. The challenges identified from the legislative and policy frameworks are discussed along with the applicability of these to the use of biofilters for the development of bi-culture. Penultimately, recommendations are made as to where additional measures are needed and the challenges and difficulties that such measures will need to overcome before biofilters can be applied for environmental impact mitigation. Finally, the paper illustrates an application of ‘Comparative Legal Analysis’, demonstrating links to the question in hand and through so doing to wider coastal issues.     

Conservation of forest biodiversity and ecosystem properties in a pastoral landscape of the Ecuadorian Andes

High Andean cloud forests are home to a diversity of unique wildlife and are important providers of ecosystem services to people in the Andean regions. The extent of these cloud forests has been widely reduced through conversion to pasture for livestock, which threatens the forests’ ability to support biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. This paper explores whether impacts on woody plant biodiversity and four ecosystem properties (woody plant species richness, juvenile timber tree abundance, soil organic matter content and soil moisture) from converting forest to pasture can be mitigated if some woody forest vegetation is maintained within pastures. Woody vegetation in pastures was found to conserve those woody plant species that are more tolerant to exposure and grazing, but conservation of the high montane cloud forest community required areas of forest from which livestock were restricted. The sampled sites clustered according to woody plant species cover; these clusters represented a gradient from pasture with patches of shrubs to mature forest. Clusters differed in both woody plant species richness and number of juvenile timber trees whereas soil organic matter and soil moisture were observed to be similar among all clusters. This suggests that the different habitats may have some equivalent ecosystem properties. We conclude that the presence of woody vegetation in pastures may reduce some of the impacts of converting forest to pasture, but should not be considered a substitute for protecting large areas of forest, which are essential for maintaining woody plant species diversity in high Andean cloud forest.     

Effects of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and soy isoflavones on lipid oxidation of structured lipid-based emulsions

Structured lipids (SLs) are triacylglycerols that have been modified to change the fatty acid composition and/or positional distribution in the glycerol backbone by chemically and/or enzymatically catalyzed reactions and/or genetic engineering. Ten percent oil-in-water emulsions were formulated with a canola oil/caprylic acid SL and stabilized with 0.5% whey protein isolate (WPI) or sucrose fatty acid ester (SFE). The effects of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, genistein, and daidzein (added at 0.02 wt % of oil) on lipid oxidation were evaluated over a 15-day period in emulsion samples. Significantly (p < 0.05) less total oxidation (calculated from peroxide value and anisidine value measurements) occurred in the WPI emulsions compared to their SFE counterparts. In this study, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and both soy isoflavones exhibited prooxidant activities in SFE emulsions. Because of their ability to exhibit prooxidant activity under certain conditions, manufacturers must experiment with these compounds before adding them to SL-based products as functional ingredients.     

采前与采后处理结合控制柿子贮藏过程中链格孢菌(Alternaria alternata)引起的黑斑病的研究

由链格孢菌引起的黑斑病是导致以色列柿子(Diospyros kaki cv.Triumph)贮藏过程中果实品质下降、贮期缩短的主要因素。其病原真菌在采收前的果园中即开始侵染果实,但一直处于休眠状态。采收后,在0℃贮藏环境中病原菌开始繁殖,当贮藏2～3个月后,柿果表面出现黑斑症状。商业上采用二氯异氰尿酸钠片剂溶解后生成500 mg.L-1的氯水浸果,可在2个月的贮期内有效控制黑斑病的发生。然而,当贮期超过2个半月后,柿子果实的腐烂率则不断增加。在柿子采后出现黑斑症状之前病原真菌较长的潜伏期内,采前与采后阶段可采取一系列的综合技术措施,并与商业氯水浸果处理相结合来提高对贮藏柿果黑斑病的防控效果。采前处理包括柿子坐果30 d后,以1-(2-氯-4-吡啶)-3-苯基脲(CPPU)处理或采收前14 d以治疗性杀菌剂多抗霉素(polyoxin B)进行喷果处理。试验结果表明,与采后单独使用氯水浸果处理相比,将CPPU或polyoxin B处理与采后商业处理相结合,可使柿果黑斑浸染面积分别减小3%和60%;采收后贮藏期间二氯异氰尿酸钠喷雾处理或采后立即用二氯异氰尿酸钠喷果处理与采后商业氯水处理相结合比单独使用氯水处理可分别提高柿子好果率2%和10%。研究结果表明,对于具有较长潜伏侵染方式的采后病原菌来说,可应用采前和采后处理相结合的方法来提高果实的贮藏品质及减轻采后病害的发生。     

Hsp90 potentiates the rapid evolution of new traits: drug resistance in diverse fungi

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone for many signal transducers and may influence evolution by releasing previously silent genetic variation in response to environmental change. In fungi separated by approximately 800 million years of evolution, Hsp90 potentiated the evolution of drug resistance in a different way, by enabling new mutations to have immediate phenotypic consequences. Resistance was abrogated by Hsp90 inhibitors and by febrile temperatures, suggesting new therapeutic strategies and a clinical benefit of fever. During selection in a human host, drug resistance that was initially Hsp90-dependent evolved toward independence. Thus, Hsp90 can act in diverse ways to couple environmental contingency to the emergence and fixation of new traits.     

Temporal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N

The vigor of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is thought to be vulnerable to global warming, but its short-term temporal variability is unknown so changes inferred from sparse observations on the decadal time scale of recent climate change are uncertain. We combine continuous measurements of the MOC (beginning in 2004) using the purposefully designed transatlantic Rapid Climate Change array of moored instruments deployed along 26.5 degrees N, with time series of Gulf Stream transport and surface-layer Ekman transport to quantify its intra-annual variability. The year-long average overturning is 18.7 +/- 5.6 sverdrups (Sv) (range: 4.0 to 34.9 Sv, where 1 Sv = a flow of ocean water of 10(6) cubic meters per second). Interannual changes in the overturning can be monitored with a resolution of 1.5 Sv.